Peterson Reviews

Peterson

1. 3P’s Perfect Plug
This is possibly the most talked about Peterson blend (at least from what I observe), and while I consider myself to be an “experienced” smoker, like the tin identifies as the target audience, I’ve always had a mixed relationship with 3P’s. I’m not particularly fond of prepping this tobacco- I do not consider it to be the easiest to rub out. I suppose this is a testament to the extensive pressing it goes through, but I’m also kinda lazy :lol: I do enjoy the tin notes of hay, prunes, and something slightly smoky and beef-jerkyish. I smoked this bowl out of a Venturi 1976 Bicentennial. Typically many think of aromatics as being heavily topped blends that smell like they should taste. 3P’s certainly doesn’t fall into this stereotype. I get a dark, pit-fruit like flavor (maybe plum?) and a bit of spice, but overall this is a pretty robust smoke. It’s stout enough that I reserve it for after dinner as opposed to with my morning coffee. I do have trouble differentiating the burleys from the Virginias in it, but I know the sweetness really comes out of the latter towards the end of the bowl. In the end I think 3P’s is an acquired taste. It’s blended nicely and burns well, but if you prefer milder smokes than I advise you steer clear. B

2. Nutty Cut
This has a very nice tin note that is predominately vanilla and sweet almond. The Cavendish overtakes the Virginias for center stage and it smells very much like a French confection. The cut is nice and the moisture consistency is decent- this didn’t require any “pre-drying”. I smoked out of a briar Yello-Bole Imperial. This reminded me a lot of a macadamia white chocolate chip cookie. It had spots of toasty vanilla and was moderately sweet overall. It offered a very pleasant room note but I will warn it can get bitey if puffed too hard. I’d say this was a fairly run of the mill aromatic that was tasty, but nothing too notable. B-

3. Sunset Breeze
I was excited to crack open this tin and discover a much more “aromatic” aromatic :lol: from Peterson. The blend is a nice calico mix of Burley, Virginia, and Cavendish that smells like vanilla, amaretto, and the faintest hint of peach. It must have been the name, but I was halfway expecting coconut and pineapple (like Jimmy Buffet was blending in Dublin) The consistency is fairly moist so I let mine dry for an hour on a plate prior to filling up my Chacom Manet. This is blend is like the lovechild of a Lane aromatic and a higher quality European tobacco. It delivers sweet, creamy smoke that gives you the distinct flavours of cherry and almond, but it burns dry and has zero bite. I smoked a bowl in the car with my mother and she complimented the room note twice during our drive across town. This is what I consider a “dessert” tobacco- perfect with black coffee after a nice dinner. I give this an A-.

4. Sherlock Holmes
This smelled borderline in the tin- right on the cusp of being delicious, but with something just a little off. There was a nice, bright Virginia scent that married well with some citrusy notes. The burley wasn’t as prominent but could be picked out in the background. The thing that threw me for a loop was the way I kept being reminded of a cigarette mixture when I smelled the blend. It wasn’t there every time, but it kept popping up, along with a tangy scent that went beyond the citrus notes. The ribbon cut was good consistency and I packed it up in my Dr. Grabow smooth, straight Patriot. Holmes was a bit bitey from the word “go”, but I was able to keep it under control by puffing slowly. I got a fair amount of grassiness with an orange zest note. The Virginias we pretty sharp but at one point they resembled the taste of cornmeal. The blend developed some sweetness towards the end but this was a bit too little, too late. I didn’t care much for this one and I warn anyone to take their time with it unless you have something on hand to nurse your tongue back to health C-

5. Irish Flake

This was a very thin cut flake that rubbed out quite nicely to release a bouquet of leather, hay, and note of smokiness from its curing. Very faint floral scents offered a bit of sweetness to the tin note. The moisture consistency was good and, while not springing, the ribbon packed nicely into my Dr. Grabow Big Pipe. This reminded me of a strong black tea- like Tazo’s Awake blend. While the flavors were somewhat stout, I would say the smoke itself was medium strength. The Virginias added notes of hay, but very little sweetness and the Burley did not offer the typical cocoa notes, but rather a sort of “briskness”. This is another Peterson blend that describes itself as being for the “experienced smoker” while I’m wet around the ears compared to a lot of guys, I have been piping for over a decade and I am only mildly impressed. There was a modicum of spice in the latter part of the bowl and it burned dry and well all the way down. Overall- not my cup of tea (pun intended), but not horrible. C+