Let me preface this by saying I have been very much in the mood for English blends with Perique lately. A touch of Perique does something special nested next to a portion of Latakia.
Tin Description
Dark and mysterious! Rich with Latakia, Black Cavendish, dark stoved Virginias and Perique. A bit of oriental leaf adds an exotic spice. This is a tobacco for those seeking a big, powerful flavor that isn't harsh or overwhelming. One bowl, and you'll know just what caused the Deacon's Downfall!
I agree with the label - this one is not harsh, and there is a lot of flavor. For my particular tastes, too much of that flavor is the Perique. This is not to say the partners Greg and Craig overdid the amount of Perique - I'm confident they knew exactly what they were doing and arrived at the goal they were shooting for.
This is just too much Perique for my taste. If I want something this big, I'd rather the size come from other types of tobacco.
Hopefully my comments won't cause anyone to shy away from this blend, especially not those who love the big, bold, in-your-face English blends. My tastes lean more towards the types of blends people are always calling an "all day smoke."
The Perique adds not only some pepper, but along with this concoction you'll taste many of Perique's other pungeant qualities. Less the stewed fruit and more like dried mushrooms. That along with the smokey Latakia, salty unsweetened black cavendish, and a lick of Orientals and Virginia make for a strong, assertive, masculine smoke that will stand up to the blackest coffee, a bellyfull of the hottest chili, or a few fingers of something stiff.
Give this one a try. Perique lovers most definately shouldn't miss this one. Once the bowl settles down, a few minutes into the bowl, the Perique winds down just enough to allow your attention to drift to the rest of the blend.
