You can support PPN today by making a small donation to help cover operating and research expenses. In 2014, I saw somewhere in a catalog a butterfly on a string, lifting a brick. And I thought, instead of a brick, why not a Peterson pipe? In 2010 we were back to a tin with a beveled edge, slightly different, but it had to be possible to stack it on tobacconist shelves.
“Why don’t you start with the Special Reserve tin for 2008? —that was in 2007, and I said, “I have no idea about graphic design,” and typical Tom, he said, “Just learn it! ” And this is how it started with getting involved with Peterson.
This means that you can save money on purchasing fresh supplies as the aged tobacco will keep for longer. You may also find that aged tobacco has a longer shelf-life than fresh, uncured tobacco. The 2011 tin was based on a chessboard, because we had just released the Ebony and Ivory Collection, the ebony and ivory pipes already in hand, and what’s black and white? It was my thought to go with something very different every year—not simply year after year of more or less the same thing, but come out each year with a surprise.
Over the years we have successfully sold over 2,000,000 pipes, and are the leader of the European pipe market. Sir Walter Raleigh Regular Pipe Tobacco is a traditional pipe smoking tobacco consisting of a blend of Burley tobaccos made in Kentucky. Pipe tobacco brands in tins, cans, or otherwise packaged – hundreds of blends to consider, from the incredibly rare Esoterica to the incredibly popular Captain Black. And as always, if we don’t have your tobacco, all you have to do is ask; we can probably track it down for you!
When smoked poorly, they can taste like hot air, but with good smoking technique they can span a range of tastes, and are usually sweet, tangy and fruit-like. VA’s are more prone to cause tongue-bite than any other tobacco, so there are a number of reasons Pipe Tobacco to practice good technique with these blends. Perique is a spice tobacco, usually used in Virginia blends. It has a dark, oily appearance, and a taste of pepper and figs. Its flavor is very strong, so it isn’t usually found in high percentages in a blend.
The fires influence the curing process and give Kentucky its smoky and sweet character. With some low cost airtight jars, you’ll be guaranteed a great taste every time. To read more about cellaring, take a look at the excellent article our Pipe Club of India member Shubhrajit Chatterjee has posted to his Tobacco, Pipes and Cigars blog. Tins that the tobacco is supplied in can be adequate, depending upon the tobacco , the external environment, and of course on the design of the tin. The round tins that many manufacturers use, with a screw top are preferable for storage to the rectangular tins with a pressed closure as they generally offer a much better seal. Round screw-top tins will generally provide a good enough seal for a few weeks of storage but beyond that it would be wise to transfer the tobacco to a proper airtight container.
Perique can be traced back to the Choctaw Indians in the mid-1700s who inhabited what is now Louisiana. The Choctaws taught French colonist Pierre Chenet the technique of making Perique who passed it onto the Cajuns. As a 13-year-old being introduced to farm work for the first time, much of what I experienced has stuck with me for a lifetime.
But it also needed to appeal to men—so keeping in mind both the feminine as well as the masculine side is important. At harvest time, the wilted leaves of the tobacco are hung up to dry for two weeks, stripped of hard veins, and packed into bundles (called torquettes). These torquettes are put into barrels under extreme pressure, and allowed to cure in their own juices (which collect as run-off at the top of the barrels). Over the course of many months, these bundles are periodically “turned”, and then placed again under pressure in the barrels. Without any air to interact with the tobacco, Perique ferments anaerobically, producing the distinctive taste. Dark Fired Kentucky is featured in several blends, such as Mc Baren’s HH Old Dark Fired and Peter Heinrich’s Dark Strong, and G.L.