Visited Peretti’s Today
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Peretti's has some damn fine tobacco blends. My faves are their Oriental, Ampersand, 150th Anniversary flake, and No Name. Their English blends are fine, too, but they're kind of a blur for me as I had a sampler of them and they tended to sort of taste/smell the same (seems like I liked Royal best, but not sure).
I have ordered from Ries many times and have always imagined it to be really a big place. It is interesting to hear that it is 3 to 4 times larger than Peretti a store which I have visited scores of times over the past 45 years or so as I live in Boston. Your post makes me realize the Ries is smaller than I imagined as Peretti is a very small footprint even if Steve lets you visit the blending room. I have always had a sense of excitement when i get to the door of Peretti.
Not to take this thread off-track, but Iwan Ries is on the second floor (first floor, if you’re European) of a Chicago office building. Although it does have a separate smoking lounge, which I haven’t seen, the store itself is pretty compact. Much bigger in reputation and history than in square footage.
I had opportunity to visit yesterday. Aside from the excellent blends (I bought some Tashkent), the store itself is just such a classic! I just like being there. Nowadays, it’s like being on another planet … a good one.
I last visited Peretti's on a business trip where I flew into Boston/Logan, and then rented a car to drive to a customer's location in New Hampshire. A storied shop, some of the staff can be a bit Yankee blunt to non-New Englanders, but I have always found them to be fair and informative.
My only problem was trying to get from Park Square to Interstate Highway 93 north. Let;s just say I got a little lost...
My only problem was trying to get from Park Square to Interstate Highway 93 north. Let;s just say I got a little lost...
So cool!
I lived in Pepperell in the early 90s for a short while, and visited the shop back then a few times. The owner Stephen was always around. So funny, I called them the other day, and Stephen answered the phone, and I mentioned meeting him back then, etc...
Such a lovely old shop and history.
Peretti is a last classic pipe shop, to be sure, but in the past I've been disappointed with the people working there. I used to buy their tobacco and send it to Peter Heeschen. He enjoyed it. But it's been a long time since I bothered going in there... personalities were less than predictable.
L&P has changed in the last 30 years. It was "the" place when it still had the shop near Boston common. Purchased my first pipe there. The Harvard shop is beautiful but as has been said is not quite the same now. Still first class and they have a great cigar selection and unlike most shops they sell opus x (I like those...) without an insane markup. Still spendy but a great special occasion cigar. They no longer focus on the pipe crowd. Local laws prohibit sales to college age people and I think that hurt them (being next to Harvard). And we pay a hefty sales tax here in MA. So they do what they can.
That said, Ernie Q at watch ciry has a killer cigar selection too and he knows more about pipe tobacco than any retailer in the state. Great selection of tins and marvelous house blends. And, contrary to popular opinion...they are nice.
Wish I was not put off by peretti staff in the past. I know they have excellent house blends but I have not purchased since McClelland went south...and they used McClelland in some of their better blends.
By all means go there (peretti) if you can. Staff has likely changed and it's a holdout brick and mortar with notable house blends.
L&P has changed in the last 30 years. It was "the" place when it still had the shop near Boston common. Purchased my first pipe there. The Harvard shop is beautiful but as has been said is not quite the same now. Still first class and they have a great cigar selection and unlike most shops they sell opus x (I like those...) without an insane markup. Still spendy but a great special occasion cigar. They no longer focus on the pipe crowd. Local laws prohibit sales to college age people and I think that hurt them (being next to Harvard). And we pay a hefty sales tax here in MA. So they do what they can.
That said, Ernie Q at watch ciry has a killer cigar selection too and he knows more about pipe tobacco than any retailer in the state. Great selection of tins and marvelous house blends. And, contrary to popular opinion...they are nice.
Wish I was not put off by peretti staff in the past. I know they have excellent house blends but I have not purchased since McClelland went south...and they used McClelland in some of their better blends.
By all means go there (peretti) if you can. Staff has likely changed and it's a holdout brick and mortar with notable house blends.