You might think about McClelland's Frog Morton. It's a Latakia blend, but it's got a sweetness to it (not a cased sweetness like an aromatic, though), and I found it to be one of the best blends for crossing over into a new genre.
VaPers can be tricky...it's hard to know what to recommend without knowing just how Perique-y you'd like to go. You can always try Orlik Golden Sliced, which has almost no perique in it and would sort of like dipping your pinky toe into the shallow end of the VaPer pool (which not to say that it's lower quality, by any means - its naturally sweet, tasty, and a very easy smoke). For something a little sturdier, you might look at Telegraph Hill by G.L. Pease. You'll definitely notice the perique, but it's not over-the-top...plus the Virginia in that blend makes it a very nice smoke.
All three of those are widely available online and none of them will break your budget.