I have been "discovering" the pleasures of Perique tobacco lately. This "spice" tobacco lends a very characteristic signature to various blends which contain it. It is found in English blends, such as Dunhill Nightcap, as well as Virginia blends, like Esoterica Dorchester and Dunbar. (For a more in depth look into the history and process of making Perique, visit the official site for Percy Martin's farm. Lots of picture of them in action at www.perique.com.)
I obtained some pure
Perique for experimental blending purposes and began adding some to a few
of my regular smokes. Here are some of my trials to date:
1. McCranie's Red Flake is my favorite pure Virginia tobacco. I also like
Butera Royal Vintage Matured Ribbon. I mixed 3 parts of one of the Virginia
blends to one part Perique (note: this is a greater than normal percentage
of Perique).
2. C&D #066 (Star of the East) - again, about 3 parts to 1 part Perique
3. Esoterica Penzance - same ratio as above
I used a rather high precentage of the Perique initially to be sure and taste its contribution, which I sure did. In each case, a thick, creamy aspect was added to the familiar taste of the smoke. It became "richer" as if heavy cream had been added to a recipe. It didn't alter the flavor as much as it enhanced the character, the experience of the smoke. The only combination I didn't care for was the Penzance/Perique. I believe that is because Penzance is one of my favorite tobaccos of all and ANY change of it's sweet, smoky, complex flavor would be unwelcome.
If you want a readily available blend that breaks all the rules (50% Perique!!), try C&D #063 (Bayou Night). I don't care for this as is, but I enjoy blending it half and half with Star of the East. This is becoming a standard blend for me. I'm trying to get Craig Tarler of C&D to make this a new blend called Star of the Bayou.
Below is some historical and descriptive information on Perique I have gleaned from several sources (each noted).
The author of this info is James D. Beard.
It was posted to alt.smokers.pipes on April 13, 1996:
About 200 years ago, a Frenchman named Pierre Chenet, nicknamed Perique, learned all he could from the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians in Louisiana about curing tobacco. The method that produced tobacco favored by the local Acadian community was to take dried leaves, make them into twists, and pack them tightly in a stump. When the stump was full, pressure was applied to the tobacco by a lever fixed at one end in a notch in the stump and weighted at the other end with a heavy stone. The steady pressure caused the juices in the leaf to flow, and the tobacco to ferment and mellow. Some sources say that berries and other fruits were mixed in with the tobacco, while others are silent on this point. In any case, to quote from Robert F. Winans:
"Today when Perique is harvested it is air-dried, hung in well ventilated barns to cure nine to fourteen days at which points it is a gold in color. The leaves are then graded, made into twists, or 'torquettes,' weighing about 1 pound each. The twists are then placed in large, reinforced oak barrels lined with wax paper. Gradually over a period of several days, up to 30 tons of pressure are applied by the use of a large screw jack which requires the strength of at least two men to turn. The high pressure acts as a preservative in the fermentation process.
"After about a month of pressure, the barrel is opened and its approximately 500 pounds of fermenting tobacco are removed to be handled, softened, and repacked. This process may be repeated a few times. In about 12 to 18 months the tobacco is ready for sale."
(from New Orleans Online - http://www.noline.com/perique)
Louisiana's MOST UNIQUE product is also one of the least known.
When we think of states that produce tobacco Kentucky Tennessee and North Carolina immediately come to mind. However; possibly the finest and certainly the most rare and sought after tobacco that is produced in the United States is grown right here in Louisiana.
Perique tobacco can only be grown in the rich fertile soil of St. James Parish. Located about half way between New Orleans and Baton Rouge on the banks of the Mississippi River St. James is the only place in the world where Perique tobacco can be grown. Much like the Creole Tomatoes that are grown in the southern most parishes, there is nothing distinctly unique about the particular variety of tobacco that is grown to make Perique. It is something about the soil and the climate of this particular area that makes the tobacco grown here Perique. The same variety of tobacco grown anywhere else in the world will not be the same.
To make Perique even more unique it is processed in a way that has been practiced in this area since before Columbus discovered the new world. When the Acadians first settled in the area they found the native American Indians smoking this strange fermented tobacco. These friendly Indians showed these 'cajuns' how to cultivate and properly cure their tobacco. The name Perique was given to this unique product.
In the last few hundred years Perique tobacco has become a much sought after ingredient in the finest blends of tobacco for pipe and cigar smoking all over the world.
Perique's flavor is intensely strong as such it is not normally used in cigarettes although at one time Picayunne cigarettes did have a small amount of Perique in their blend. Picayunne still uses the slogan 'the taste New Orleans loves' on their packages.
In recent years the number of farmers who still grow Perique tobacco has been dwindling. At one time there were several 'factories' that processed the tobacco in the same way that the Indians did into that unique product that is Perique. Today there remains only one small processing plant and a small handful of farmers producing real Louisiana Perique.
From Mary McNeill (McClelland Tobaccos) - Smoke Magazine 6/97
Perique is a deeply aromatic tobacco with a fragrance somewhere between cooked fruit (prunes) and sautéed mushrooms. Like latakia, Perique is a naturally fermented condiment tobacco and, as such, is used rather sparingly. Its rich, black color and leathery texture belie its delicate flavor.
Before fermentation, perique appears most like Kentucky burley. During fermentation, the tobacco steeps in its own juices for 10 months before further aging. Perique is the truffle of tobaccos, rare and precious for its distinctive pungency.
The author of this
info is Buddy (Ilegetimi).
It was posted to alt.smokers.pipes on September 2, 1996:
Pershing Martin, a cousin of the last full time grower of Perique, told me he tried White Burley one year. He said it took longer to air cure before the fermentation process, but that the resulting Perique was fine. BTW, he said that Percy is the only full time farmer, but that two people grow Perique part time.
Note:
Pure Perique tobacco may be ordered from C&D in 2 oz pouches as part of
a sampler package, or in 1 pound packages. It may also be ordered in 50 Gm
tins from PCCA. And be sure to visit www.perique.com
for an in depth look at Percy Martin and his farm.
C&D Tobaccos
Phone: (800) 433-0080
Website: http://www.cornellanddiehl.com
PCCA
Phone: (703) 878-7655
Website: http://www.pipesmoke.com