Upcoming VaPer Showdown

[bigkev77]

olsen's 111 is a Va spiced with per and ky

[Slow Triathlete]

I won't put it in here if you guys don't want me to.

There are a few blends that will make it here into the showdown that are not "true" VaPer blends. They may have one or two other components but I tried to keep it so that the two main ingredients are Virginia and Perique.

[Slow Triathlete]

[SIZE=3]Okay, so I have smoked a few bowls worth of Reiner’s Long Golden Flake and am finally ready to review it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]First off, I have to touch on what this stuff looks like coming out of the can. I received this in a New to Pipes trade. It came in a big golden 100g can that looked like a gaudy German Christmas gift. Very little of the writing on the can is in English and most of it is in German. And there really isn’t a description of what is inside the can. Anyway, when I popped the lid I was very surprised to find what was inside. It had a total of 3 flakes in there that were about 4 inches wide and 15 inches long all wound up in there begging to be rubbed out. They looked like FVF flakes on steroids to be exact.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The tin aroma was very “Virginia-ey” with the normal dried fruit (raisons, dates, etc) smell wafting from inside. I could smell a little bit of Perique in there but not much. The flakes themselves were very golden in color (hence the name) but there were dark flecks mixed in here and there. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I went ahead and rubbed out the whole tin because I’m not what you would call skilled at smoking tobacco in its flaked form. I usually end up getting frustrated and then being mad the whole smoke so I just avoid that by rubbing it out fully. Once this was at the consistency that I like I went ahead and packed a bowlful. The tobacco was a bit moist but nothing like McC’s 2015 or some other blends that I have seen.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Lighting this up was fairly easy. I think it took about 3 matches to finally get this one going. During the first half of the bowl this was pretty much a sweet Virginia smoke. The Perique would slide in and out every once in awhile making its presence known but was not the main component of the first half of the bowl. I would say that the first part of this smoke was going rather well. It was a very smooth, easy smoke. Based on the taste I can tell that this blend has a lot of high quality tobacco in it. Once the blend got going I didn’t have to relight during the first half.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]In the second half of this blend, the Perique seemed to make an appearance more often and with a bit more strength. And the blend turned a bit creamier smooth and had a bit of a buttery taste to it. I know that this blend also is supposed to have a bit of White Burley in it so that may have brought about the creamy, buttery taste. I’m not sure. It was very pleasant however.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Overall, this is a very well put together blend and is made with some high quality tobacco. It has an initial flavor very similar to FVF but has some different taste undertones as you progress through the smoke. The price is another concern for me. While this is a fantastic blend, unless I win the lottery someday it will be in my rotation only as a “treat” smoke and not a daily smoke. If money is not a problem for you then I would say buy a few tins. One to smoke now and a few to cellar. If money is a problem for you then I would suggest that you try this at least once in your pipe smoking lifetime. It’s worth the extra $$ to try once. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]For the taste and the smoothness of this blend I think that it now holds the 5th place position in the showdown. I feel that it has a higher quality tobacco than those below it but the Perique amount wasn’t enough to go any higher.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]1) McConnell Scottish Cake
2) Escudo
3) GL Pease Filmore
4) H & H Anniversary Kake[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]5) Reiner’s Long Golden Flake
6) Treasures of Ireland – Limerick
7) Dorchester
Luxury Bullseye Flake
9) McClelland Bulk 2015[/SIZE]
10) [SIZE=3]GL Pease Telegraph Hill
11) Kajun Kake
12) Luxury Navy Flake[/SIZE]

[bigkev77]

Originally Posted by Slow Triathlete

I won't put it in here if you guys don't want me to.

There are a few blends that will make it here into the showdown that are not "true" VaPer blends. They may have one or two other components but I tried to keep it so that the two main ingredients are Virginia and Perique.

This is your baby. Make it do what it do. I am loving it.
My favorite thread

[Slow Triathlete]

Does anyone have any Paretti's Park Square that I can trade for?

[JacksonCognac]

I don't have any Park Square, but I wanted to drop in and say that this is a very cool thread, some interesting reviews... there are a LOT of vapers... this could take a while.

[Slow Triathlete]

[SIZE=3]Okay, this time my review will focus on another VaPer blend from pipesandcigars.com. This one is Hearth & Homes AJ’s VaPer. As with most of the H & H blends, this one is blended by Russ Oullette. This is how it is described on their site:[/SIZE]

Blended with Andrew (AJ) Smith, this is a different turn on the Virginia/Perique genre. A variety of red Virginias is combined with a generous amount of Perique, and the mixture is slightly mellowed and sweetened by Green River black Cavendish.

[SIZE=3]Now I had high expectations for this blend because I love their Anniversary Kake and I have smoked a few bowls of their Louisiana Red so I know that Russ knows how to blend a VaPer. I was not let down at all. Read on.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]First off the bag aroma was amazing! I opened up the ziplock and stuck my nose in. This blend has more of a sour smell than a lot of the other VaPer blends that I have tried so far. And you can also smell the Perique. That’s a good sign because now I know that there is a decent amount in there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The blend came to me a bit dry so I stuck it in a bowl, wet a wash cloth with distilled water and put it over the top of the bowl for about 6 hours. Every few hours I would take the towel off and stir the tobacco around so that it re-hydrated evenly. After that I let it rest for a few days and then started smoking it. This review is after 6 bowls of this blend. I smoked it in both my Peterson #268 Zulu and a Peterson #80S Bent Bulldog and it performed well in both.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Packing was easy as this comes in a ribbon cut. I mostly used the gravity method and then pushed down another pinch on top. This seemed to work out rather well. Lighting was also extremely easy. The aroma that came out of the bowl reminded me a lot of Scottish Cake for some reason. For the half of the bowl my initial impressions were that this was absolutely the best bulk blend VaPer I have ever tried. Everything seems balanced throughout the whole smoke. There are never any ups or downs and I am wondering if it is the addition of the Cavendish that keeps everything flowing smoothly. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]For the second half of the bowl the Perique does seem to pick up a bit. Not enough to deter most people but it definitely lets you know that it is there. This one smoked cool enough for me that it went all the way to the bottom of the bowl without any gurgling or steam sounds coming out of the bowl.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I will say that I did get one bowl going way too hot and smoked it way too fast. The result was a sour, “burnt” taste that lasted the rest of the smoke even after I had set it down to cool. My advice is to smoke this one slowly and you will be rewarded for the extra time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Overall, I liked this blend more than the Anniversary Kake that is available from the same site. Like I stated above, this is by far the best bulk VaPer I have tried in this Showdown. I have two others from them, Louisiana Red and Virginia Spice, that I can’t wait to smoke. This one has taken over 4th place.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]1) McConnell Scottish Cake
2) Escudo
3) GL Pease Filmore
4) H & H AJ’s VaPer[/SIZE][SIZE=3]5) H & H Anniversary Kake
6) Reiner’s Long Golden Flake
7) Treasures of Ireland - Limerick
Dorchester
9) Luxury Bullseye Flake[/SIZE]
10) [SIZE=3]McClelland Bulk 2015
11) GL Pease Telegraph Hill
12) Kajun Kake[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]13) Luxury Navy Flake[/SIZE]

[RJpuffs]

I got meself some VA and VA/Per's and have been popping tins like a kid on chrismas morn. Sammy G's FVF and St.James Flake, Mac B's VA flake, and GL P's Fillmore.

Dumb question time - I know what VA's taste like, but what is Perique supposed to taste like?

The FVF was out of this world - never had anything quite like it before, must order more. I tried the St. James today - it has the FVF hay-like VA flavor, but the perique seems to eluding me? I do get a pepperminty zing, and a sour-tabasco aftertaste on le' tongue. Is that the perique (or was it last night's chili)?

Tomorrow is Fillmore day, can't wait!

The MacB VA Flake was a dissapointment, after FVF probably anything would be a dissapointment.



RJ

[hyper_dermic]

Perique is both peppery, and somewhat like stewed fruit. Its a strange bird...
It quite depends on the blend.. and it changes as you progress through the bowl.. but peppery and stewed fruit is the best way i can describe it.

-hyp

[RJpuffs]

Originally Posted by hyper_dermic

Perique is both peppery, and somewhat like stewed fruit. Its a strange bird...
It quite depends on the blend.. and it changes as you progress through the bowl.. but peppery and stewed fruit is the best way i can describe it.

I guess my zingy peppermint would be close

I just had my first bowl of GL P's Fillmore. If my impression of FVF was WOW, for Fillmore I would have to say [SIZE=4]WOW.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Creamy, definite VA without the hay flavor of Sammy G, and (what I assume) is the perique. This baccy wants to BURN, I smoked this from 9am till noon, with breaks of course this is a pipe bowl not an urn. It burned down to a white ash all the way to the bottom. Savored every fleck of it. Mind numbing greatness. Must order more. Lots more. Brown truckfulls.[/SIZE]

I must thank all the primates herein for their awesome recommendations, with trillions of blends to choose from - the reviews and discussions on CS make it so much easier to experience these glorious flavors. My palate thanks you all!



RJ

[DubintheDam]

1. Scottish cake
2. PS Lux Bullseye
3. Escudo
4. Old Joe Krantz
5. Haddo's
6. Solani 633

3,000,000 place: Dorisco, the most God awfully creation every put on the planet! To finish the tin I have mixed: 4 parts Dorisco; 2 parts Pete's Sherlock Holmes, 1 part Nightcap and 1 part McConnells Pure latakia. It is now bearable, but really it needs another 2 parts solid VA to create a nice scottish blend!

I think these placings could shift around. Just popped a tin of Scot Cake this week...it is so sweet and grassy. I think it gets no. 1 because of its sweetness and consistancy/solidness. I also popped a tin of 633 this week, my first, very good quality, the perique is just 'brushing on the shore'. However first impressions were a little disappointing, very nice though, I think the tin needs to breathe a bit, i can see it moving up a place or two. OJK is really growing on me, to me it's a bit like a pipe, cigarette and cigar rolled into one, just a good old tobacco taste, hits the spot when you don't want to think too much.

P.S. I should add I still have to pop my tin of Reiner's LGF!

dub

[bigkev77]

Originally Posted by RJpuffs

I guess my zingy peppermint would be close

I just had my first bowl of GL P's Fillmore. If my impression of FVF was WOW, for Fillmore I would have to say [SIZE=4]WOW.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Creamy, definite VA without the hay flavor of Sammy G, and (what I assume) is the perique. This baccy wants to BURN, I smoked this from 9am till noon, with breaks of course this is a pipe bowl not an urn. It burned down to a white ash all the way to the bottom. Savored every fleck of it. Mind numbing greatness. Must order more. Lots more. Brown truckfulls.[/SIZE]

I must thank all the primates herein for their awesome recommendations, with trillions of blends to choose from - the reviews and discussions on CS make it so much easier to experience these glorious flavors. My palate thanks you all!

Guess I'm gonna have to try some Filmore. "Mind numbing greatness"

[Slow Triathlete]

[SIZE=3]Well I finally got to smoke some of Perreti’s Park Square over the past few days. A few people were kind enough to send some my way and now I have around 4 ounces of the stuff!! Thanks everyone.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]This is one of the house blends put together by the Perreti company at their store in Boston. Here is the description of the blend on their website:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Red Virginia, Matured Virginia and Stoved Virginia are delicately spiced with just the right amount of Perique to create a rich and complex blend whose character evolves and emerges throughout the bowl.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Boy was I surprised by the appearance and texture of this blend. It is listed on tobaccoreviews as a “broken flake” but the sample that I got would be classified more as a ribbon cut. The only word that I can think of to describe it is fluffy. It is very fluffy and springy and at first appearance appears to be really damp. Boy was I wrong. This blend seems to defy the moisture rules that I have come to learn. Packing it was extremely easy and it pushed down into the bowl without any pressure having to be exerted on it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The light was also easy. I had to wait for it to go out after the false light because it wanted to keep going!! Once this was lit it was off to the races!! I now see why this is one of everyone’s favorites. And again I am surprised at the quality and taste of a “house blend”. This is sold in bulk and like AJ’s VaPer and Anniversary Kake the taste and behavior of this blend outshines many of the more expensive tinned blends. The taste and burn stayed pretty consistent throughout the whole bowl. Doesn’t smoke hot and there is very little dottle when you get to the bottom.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I would classify this one as a mild to medium blend that could be smoked all day long if you wanted to. It has about a medium amount of Perique in it. Not the most I’ve smoked in a blend but certainly not the least either. It is also very smooth when you smoke it. The different tastes play off of each other but never outshine each other. I think that they mixed the individual components of this blend perfectly. I think that this one will take over 5th place. I enjoyed it more than Anniversary but I like the taste and Perique amount of AJ’s VaPer more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]1) McConnell Scottish Cake
2) Escudo
3) GL Pease Filmore
4) H & H AJ’s VaPer[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]5) Peretti’s Park Square[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]6) H & H Anniversary Kake
7) Reiner’s Long Golden Flake
Treasures of Ireland - Limerick[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]9) [/SIZE][SIZE=3]Dorchester[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]10) Luxury Bullseye Flake[/SIZE]
11) [SIZE=3]McClelland Bulk 2015
12) GL Pease Telegraph Hill
13) Kajun Kake[/SIZE][SIZE=3]14) Luxury Navy Flake[/SIZE]

[RJpuffs]

Originally Posted by bigkev77

Guess I'm gonna have to try some Filmore. "Mind numbing greatness"

PM if you want a sample to try.



RJ

[bigkev77]

Originally Posted by RJpuffs

PM if you want a sample to try.



RJ

Thanks RJpuffs, for the generous offer!!!!