*sigh*

After my really good experience with Mac Baren's "Navy Flake," and my burnt rubber/tar aftertaste experience with Escudo, I'm thinking perhaps Perique really isn't for me. Please keep reading. Please.

Yet again, I was revisited by flavors that made me stop 3/4 through the bowl and reset with some other kind of tobacco.

The top notes of first-light on the PSLNF were okay, compared to Escudo (the only other VaPer I have to reference), I found it lagging in dynamic nature, and I couldn't find much. It burned less "tarry tasting" than Escudo, and if I were to revisit one, I'd choose Escudo, if that makes a difference.

Here's the deal: Different pipe, VERY slow smoking approach (as is normal for me), palette cleanser (just water this time), nothing fancy. I left the tobacco a little chunkier to prevent too fast of burning on purpose. The same result happened as with Escudo to my pipeful of this.

As the President says repeatedly, "Let me be clear"...

1) I will revisit VaPers another time. I'll give it a month and see how it goes.

2) I do not begrudge anyone who likes them--right now, my palette is flat rejecting Perique. Yes, aged may help. I'm not going to buy tins of something I'm not into right now and go for it years. I'm poor.

3) I'm here to enjoy tobacco, not tolerate it until I "get the taste." Either I will or I won't. Luckily, I have plenty to choose from.

4) My tongue works. Really. I will be pursuing that which intrigues me, and take suggestions, but not peer pressure just because others say it's awesome. This would sell myself short and make me a pipesheep. I am not a pipesheep. I'd rather get to Nirvana on my own.

4) Please reread #1.

Okay, that said, I very much appreciated the comments in my Escudo thread experience. I don't need repeats of those posts.

It's okay I don't like this stuff right now. I don't feel qualified to give a "like" or "dislike" final decision on this, but I'd like my experience here to be read, even if it's by me in two years and I'll say, "Geez, what a noob," as I puff my Escudo in bliss.

Things may change. In fact, I'm counting on the fact they do.

WTF,,,you HAVE to like it, EVERYONE HERE LIKES IT,,,if you can't enjoy it then lie about it,,,it'll be a lot easier on all of us that way,,,

Sheesh, what was I thinking? I'm going to lie from now on.

If anyone gifts me Perique blends, and I trade them off, it's because I'm generous, not because I'm lying.

You are too funny kyle,
Not because you arent liking the perique, but just the way you put things into words.
I am kind of liking the perique myself. Well, according to what Ive tried I do.
Those being,,,Luxury Bullseye flake,Reiner long golden flake, and Exhausted Rooster.
I actually ordered a tin of Exhausted Rooster, and a tin of GLP Filmore.
Supposedly the filmore will be strong on the perique side, and Im looking forward to it.

Glad you aren't a pipesheep.

I have fallen in love with VaPer blends, a while back I tried a couple & they just suited me perfectly, but I can totally understand your reaction. I feel much the same way about 90% of the latakia blends out there, it just reacts with my chemistry in an odd way, & is very offputting. I don't know if it is just the type of latakia, as there are certainly a few particular blends that are right up my alley, just not many.

I really gotta get a hold of some VaPers after the holidays. I think i've been missing out. The only one that I have is GLP Cumberland which is awesome.

I'm kind of a clown, sorry. My mother probably didn't pay enough attention to me as a child or something...now all she wants me to do is come over constantly and fix her appliances...funny how life works.

I really, really, really wanted to like VaPers. I mean, I'm pretty into this hobby right now, and I've got that "...holy crap I'm new to this and it's awesome I want to love eeeevverrryyytttthhhiiinnnggg!!!"

I tell you what, though, Latakia is becoming my thing. I'd use smoked toothpaste and smoked lip balm if I could. I love grilling food with mesquite and bathing myself in the smoke as I cook and then get tons of compliments on how I smell when I go out for a drink later. I love smoked anything.

Adventures in pipe smoking, eh? It's such a fun hobby. Not too many of them out there you can have such varying tastes and opinions and STILL be bound by what matters.

I can at least make smoke soap.

*handsonhips*

Hey now, since when do I hijack YOUR threads and get off-topic?

Oh, that's right, all the time.

I can't say I'd pay for a whole order of smoked lip balm or smoked soap, but if I came across any, I'd likely buy a stick and a bar.

PS, your Borg tactics will not work on me. I am the next Locutus.

Kyle, before you give up on VA/Pers let me recommend my favorite that has a very mild dose of Perique. It's Park Square by L.J. Peretti. It has a great VA taste with just a bit of Perique to SLIGHTLY spice it up. It's not a cheap tobacco but you can buy it by the oz.

Smokey