The Magic of Perique

[Zartoon]

It has been a blast of information last few months. Learning the way and identifying things that I like.

At the moment. My top two favorites are Squadron leader special edition with perique and nightcap.

On recommendation fro some amazingly generous folks on This forum, I tried a few blends.

Balkan Supreme. From what I read, this one replaces the perique with cavendish.

Standard squadron leader: missing something.

So, based on my limited experience, it seems I like Latakia forward English blends with perique.

Am going to try to blend in perique with the above two tobaccos and hopefully dial
Them intkwhat I like.

Does this sound in line with anyone here?
Has anyone blended Perique In with other blends and what was your experience.

 

[biodarwin]

I bet you would like H&H Magnum Opus.

 

[Sonorisis]

It has seemed to me that a little bit of Perique goes a long way in altering the profile of a blend. I start around 5-10%.

 

[seanv]

^^ yep. Go slow. A little perique goes a long way

 

[logs]

Standard squadron leader: missing something.

Regular Squadron Leader is just a medium English. If you've been smoking the advanced version, Balkan Supreme, and Nightcap, it's going to seem a bit boring by comparison

 

[blackpowderpiper]

The old adage "measure twice, cut once" applies to perique when adding it to a blend. As much as I love perique, it can be overdone.

 

[Zartoon]

So I took some squadron leader, spread it on a plate. Then I sprinkled perique on top Just enough so it looked like 50% of the surface had perique on it.
Then I stuffed it in a jar and am going to let it sit for a month.

Next time, I will do it by weight.

 

[gervais]

When it comes to adding something to a blend, I just would not be able to bring myself to do it. I'd feel like I was destroying what the blender was intending to create. This obviously is ridiculous to some people, but I guess that's just me ? but power to you if it makes something a better experience for you!!!

 

[Zartoon]

When it comes to adding something to a blend, I just would not be able to bring myself to do it. I'd feel like I was destroying what the blender was intending to create. This obviously is ridiculous to some people, but I guess that's just me ? but power to you if it makes something a better experience for you!!!

this one is cheating a little. We know the original squadron leader had perique. And we also know the special edition tins had perique. I also know I prefer the special edition tins over the regular. So this is almost having a recipe. I just don’t know the amounts.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Two of the main functions of perique are to add that acidic fermented flavor, and this is increased by pressing your blend after you add the perique to get it to meld a bit. If you have a caulk gun, Woods once wrote a piece on using it to compress your jars. It would also work well to make the perique meld with the rest of the blend.
Picture from Woodsroads...


Also, perique doesn't add more nicotine; however, it increases the absorption of existing nicotine in the other tobaccos... so be careful, unless you like strong blends. Me, I like strong

 

[Zartoon]

Great info. Thank you.
Who is woods by the way?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Who is woods by the way?

He was a friend and member of the forum for years. He was one of the owners of STP pipe tobacco that brought back War Horse and a few other blends... also, a professional photographer and hilarious poster.
He may come back from time to time. Definitely his unique perspective on the world is missed when he is gone.

 

[craig61a]

So I took some squadron leader, spread it on a plate. Then I sprinkled perique on top Just enough so it looked like 50% of the surface had perique on it.
Then I stuffed it in a jar and am going to let it sit for a month.

Next time, I will do it by weight.

I would start at 5% Perique and move up from there in small increments. Perique is fairly potent, and a lot goes a long way. Doesn’t take much to get to a point of diminishing returns.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

If you're into perique, give Peterson's Elizabethan Mixture and (if you can get your hands on some) Esoterica Dunbar a try. They are both fantastic but dramatically different examples of a Va/Per blend.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Voodoo Queen is a really good one too, with just Latakia and perique as the condimentals, it has a really balanced flavor, IMO.

 

[mso489]

Zartoon, some Latakia forward English blends are among the best, for sure. I do complain that Latakia and Perique became the default condiment tobaccos for about ten years or more, such that they seemed thrown in nearly everything, and with everything. So you have to be picky and discerning. Not all Lat/Per blends are wonderful. Now dark fired, Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish, various burleys, cigar leaf, and various exotic condiment leafs are getting their due. Lat and Per are great, but like other good things, you don't want them in everything.

 

[danimalia]

When it comes to adding something to a blend, I just would not be able to bring myself to do it. I'd feel like I was destroying what the blender was intending to create. This obviously is ridiculous to some people, but I guess that's just me ? but power to you if it makes something a better experience for you!!!

When it comes to adding something to a blend, I just would not be able to bring myself to do it. I'd feel like I was destroying what the blender was intending to create. This obviously is ridiculous to some people, but I guess that's just me ? but power to you if it makes something a better experience for you!!!

Ha! I have a similar hang-up. You take a blend created by some of the most experienced and well-regarded hands in the industry (your Reeveses, Peases, Jensens, etc.,) and if I add something... well that's quite the step down in blender prestige going from those guys to me, isn't it?

 

[cigrmaster]

I have never messed with one off my blends. I smoke each and everyone as it was intended by the blender. What the hell do I know about blending tobacco

 

[Frozenoak]

If you have a caulk gun, Woods once wrote a piece on using it to compress your jars.
Picture from Woodsroads...
View attachment 18130

Have you done this? Can one get enough compression to make plugs "in jar?" My noodle press is fun but this could be next level.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Have you done this?

Sure...

Can one get enough compression to make plugs "in jar?

Sort of, if your definition of plug is very loose, ha ha. No, I wouldn't call it a plug. But, some might.