longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 11, 2021 17:05:13 GMT -5
This thread will be my impressions of a whole boatload of burley blends I just received from LJ Peretti. One of our esteemed members suggested this thread based on ‘what was in the mail.’ I’m happy to oblige and it will be fun. Please be patient as I chip away at this… First, to shine a little light on my perspective, I’ll tell you how I got here. For a long time I smoked Old Dark Fired and Plum Pudding SR darn near exclusively. I was very content with these two blends and happy in my lane. Then the 2020 holidays came around and I really wanted to get into the holiday spirit so I pulled the trigger on some of this:  This stuff is so fantastic it changed my whole attitude. Nice rich tobacco smoke. Sweetness and aroma that are present without overwhelming the tobacco. Other aromatics that I had tried smelled great out of the tin but smoked kind of sharp. Thanksgiving day is the opposite of that. So I said to myself, - These “old school” aromatics might be a whole different ballgame - I have got to get some more LJ Peretti blends pronto… |
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 11, 2021 17:11:29 GMT -5
While reading up on LJ Peretti blends online, "these burleys are really exceptional" were a common comment across the board... So I ordered a bunch of burley blends. Peretti will sell you 1 oz of any blend for about $4.50. I considered this a "sampler pack" Blend 333 Burley Plug Cut Blend DD Blend 101 Blend 52 Cuban Mixture No Name Blend Original Mixture  |
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Post by terrapinflyer on Jan 11, 2021 18:28:35 GMT -5
That looks tasty! I await your impressions of these tobaccos, as the only ones I have tried on your list are 333 and Cuban. I have tried several other LJP burleys. I'll have to revisit 333 (and 33; I confuse them). I think I have some Cuban left, also.
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 11, 2021 20:16:30 GMT -5
Since this is all about the burley, I have started off with mostly 333 and Burley Plug Cut (BPC). A lot of talk online about these two blends being the same tobacco. My opinion is still developing but I can say that they are very similar. BPC seems to be a bit coarser in the cut. Both are supposed to be nothing but straight burley. Mine is not the most sophisticated palate but I can't detect anything other than really great tobacco in either one. A smooth rich smoke in the flavor "profile" of coffee, malt chocolate and cane syrup. Room note like something Grandaddy would have smoked.   My impression of these two blends: - I am definitely going to get an 8oz tin of one of these - Going forward I will feel like less of a man, and less of an American, when I smoke anything else |
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Post by urbino on Jan 12, 2021 3:59:58 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to the rest of these posts, longtom. Not familiar with any of these blends.
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Post by Legend Lover on Jan 12, 2021 7:56:16 GMT -5
I'm keen to read further... I'm a burley fan myself. Thanksgiving day sounds like it might be right up my street...another unobtainable one. Still, I'm happy with Amphora original and Solani Aged Burley Flake.
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Post by taiguy66 on Jan 12, 2021 9:48:33 GMT -5
I'm keen to read further... I'm a burley fan myself. Thanksgiving day sounds like it might be right up my street...another unobtainable one. Still, I'm happy with Amphora original and Solani Aged Burley Flake. Doubling down on Paddy’s comment above. Sounds like wonderful stuff! 👍😁 |
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 12, 2021 10:02:34 GMT -5
terrapinflyer, urbino, Paddy, taiguy... glad you are enjoying... I took a photography course just for this thread... Somewhere between Thanksgiving Day and this Burley adventure, I took a side quest into two OTC blends. Half and Half, and SWR. Really enjoyed both. I tell you that to tell you this: after a bowl of 333 yesterday evening in the System XL305... my impression is that this blend tastes alot like a really, really, really high quality SWR... rich smoke with a mild flavor, all tobacco goodness...  |
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Post by terrapinflyer on Jan 12, 2021 10:54:22 GMT -5
SWR gets overlooked sometimes, but it's a reliable smoke. Half and Half is not my bag.
I'll check my LJP stuff for others you might like. They're up on a high shelf with their chicken scratch labels, but if I bought them in paint cans, I've tried samples and enjoyed them.
Keep the observations coming!
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 12, 2021 13:45:39 GMT -5
SWR gets overlooked sometimes, but it's a reliable smoke. Half and Half is not my bag. I'll check my LJP stuff for others you might like. They're up on a high shelf with their chicken scratch labels, but if I bought them in paint cans, I've tried samples and enjoyed them. Keep the observations coming! Grandaddy smoked Half and Half... so there is a sensory memory thing going on there with me... I like it, but to cut back on the aromaticism I mix it with SWR and call it Half and Half and Half... |
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Post by urbino on Jan 12, 2021 17:17:15 GMT -5
Heh. I hereby put you in charge of naming things.
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Post by taiguy66 on Jan 13, 2021 11:58:35 GMT -5
terrapinflyer, urbino, Paddy, taiguy... glad you are enjoying... I took a photography course just for this thread... Somewhere between Thanksgiving Day and this Burley adventure, I took a side quest into two OTC blends. Half and Half, and SWR. Really enjoyed both. I tell you that to tell you this: after a bowl of 333 yesterday evening in the System XL305... my impression is that this blend tastes alot like a really, really, really high quality SWR... rich smoke with a mild flavor, all tobacco goodness... Wonderful stuff! Too bad it’s not available in my area. You’ll have to have another bowl for me. Yes... I’m twisting your arm! Cheers brother.👍😁 |
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 15, 2021 15:45:09 GMT -5
Final (for now) impressions of 333 and BPC to close down Part I...
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Both of these straight burley blends are fantastic, plain, old-school America. This is what your Grandaddy smoked and his before him. If you were to show up in front of the drugstore in 1909 smoking this blend they would not call you a Commie and run you out of town. Even if they knew what a Commie was back then.
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I still can't tell if they're the same thing or not. BPC seems slightly darker/moister/sweeter but that might be because of the cut. One thing I am sure of: in the very near future I will order an 8oz can of one of these.
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Next up, Part II The Aromatics...
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 21, 2021 16:10:12 GMT -5
About to go out of town for a week so I will wrap this up with a couple of posts here today... The Aromatics Blend DD Blend 101 Blend 52 No Name Blend Original Mixture First and most importantly. LJ Peretti really changed my whole outlook on aromatics. All of these blends that I sampled, have a very subtle and 'natural' flavor + aroma. In other words, the aromatic part does not overpower the tobacco, and does not taste like a chemical aroma has been applied. All of these blends, being burley based, sit atop the same delicious burley foundation. My personal favorite was the No Name Blend but I have to think that is just personal preference. You might like a different 'flavor.' As a side note, sampling all these blends that are based on the same burley, I was able to discern more flavors. For example the 52 blend has some 'sour oriental' leaf in it, and I was able to pick that out against the burley immediately. "Oh so that's what the oriental tastes like" My recommendation here, is to get yourself a sampler pack. At about $4 an oz you can do a taste test down the line. Here is the No Name Blend... bottom of the bag... this one went quick...  |
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longtom
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Post by longtom on Jan 21, 2021 16:46:47 GMT -5
Part III - Cuban Blend This is Peretti's oldest blend according to their website. And deserving of a special section on my post lol My review would not do it justice... go to tobacco reviews and read JimInks review, it is spot on... his impression is, the most complex mild tobacco he's ever smoked... Like the other aromatics... there is a very natural flavor here that is subtle and does not overpower the burley... unlike the other aromatics, this one has all kinds of flavors going on, all the way to a hint of spearmint... Nothing overpowering. Kind of like drinking seltzer water tastes like a hint of lemon that you can never catch up to... Highly Recommended.   |
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Post by taiguy66 on Jan 21, 2021 17:24:26 GMT -5
Roger that, thanks for the review.
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Post by Plainsman on Jan 21, 2021 18:20:21 GMT -5
Really excellent reviews, well-presented. Thanks!
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Post by Stearmandriver on Jan 21, 2021 19:25:15 GMT -5
LJ Peretti's is a fantastic blender. I made a similar post to this a couple years ago, sampling their oriental / English blends. Cambridge flake is still my single favorite blend I've found, and Tashkent and Royal are probably tied with Russ's Magnum Opus for number two.
I'm not a burley guy, but Peretti has an interesting English / burley crossover blend called D-7485 that I really like. It makes me think I need to try some of their pure burleys. If you like burleys and at least tolerate Englishes, you should give that one a try! (It has a fun historical aspect too, being originally personally blended for Ramsey MacDonald.)
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Post by urbino on Jan 21, 2021 19:52:05 GMT -5
Nicely done, longtom. You've got me adding these to my mental list.
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Post by mrlunting on Jan 21, 2021 20:59:49 GMT -5
Really excellent reviews, well-presented. Thanks! I agree. I am going to be adding these to my "to try" list. I look forward to reading about others in the future. |
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