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Dried Fruits and Spice: Mac Baren's HH Acadian Perique
With our Mac Baren HH promo in full swing, I thought it was about time to revisit some of my favorite blends in this natural tobacco line. Being the Perique fiend that I am, I immediately reached for our communal tin of Acadian Perique. It's certainly not a new blend to me; in fact, it regularly makes its way into my rotation.
For those of you unfamiliar with the blend, it's a complex mixture of Virginias, Burleys, Mac Baren's original Cavendish, dark-fired Kentucky, Orientals, and, of course, a fair bit of Acadian Perique. Focused on the manufacturer's heritage of natural, un-topped tobaccos, all the blends in the HH line focus on the natural flavor of the tobacco, bringing complexity through a myriad of components, rather than an artificial topping.
Acadian Perique is cut into fine ribbons: a consistent mix of lighter Virginias and darker Perique and Kentucky, with smaller portions of Cavendish and Orientals evident upon closer inspection. The tin note smells of dried fruits, particularly plums, and spice — all natural tobacco aroma, with no hints of topping or casing to be found. Fresh out of the tin, it can be a bit moist, so I would suggest drying out what you plan to smoke for a few minutes.
Upon initial light, you're greeted with sweet Virginias and a distinct spiciness from the Perique. A few puffs in, the earthy notes of the dark-fired join in, with slight peppery tones from the Orientals making their way into the background. The "original Cavendish" is not directly noticeable, as it isn't at all like the black Cavendish we often find in extra-sweet aromatics. It, instead, works to complement and marry the aforementioned flavors together, while keeping it all balanced on the palate. With all components in play, the Virginias lose a little of the initial sweetness — not completely, perhaps most similar to a strong black tea or coffee with one sugar.
The main highlight of this blend, though, is the Acadian Perique. You see, it's much lighter and smoother than certain variants and works to complement some of the other components rather than overpower them. There's no harshness to be found, instead taking on the flavor of dried fruits and spice. According to Mac Baren, only five percent of this blend is made up of this truffle of tobaccos, but its distinct taste and complementary nature does seem to suggest a higher ratio.
Another impressive quality of this blend is the sheer consistency. Those same complex flavors remain noticeable from charring light to the end of the bowl, never going sour or growing harsh. It also has quite a bit of body and strength for a Mac Baren product. I would place it just under Old Dark-fired in nicotine, with perhaps an equal amount of body. In some ways, it reminds me of C&D's Riverboat Gambler, another of my favorite blends — particularly in the way the Turkish, Virignias, and Perique interact with one another. The smoke is pretty consistent as well, with relights seldom needed. A nice white ash develops early on, providing a fluffy cushion for an even burn all the way to the bottom.
Overall, I'd say Acadian Perique stayed just where I left it: near the top of my "favorites" list. It's not an all-day smoke like some other Mac Baren blends, but for the warm and rainy days ahead of us, I suspect I'll be reaching for our communal tin a little more often.
Have a favorite Mac Baren HH blend? Feel free to share in the comments section below!
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Comments
I wondered if you have a tobacco line up for yor day. What order do you smoke blends in if you are going to have several bowls in a day? It would make a great future post. Maybe connect it to the opening day of baseball and call it you batting line up.
That's a great idea, Para Bellum. I tend to prefer lighter VAs or Va/Periques in the morning, saving more robust, complex blends for later on in the day. A night smoke for me is almost always fairly full-bodied though, usually something more savory with a fair bit of complexity as well. Let me put my thoughts together and maybe we'll publish another post soon about the daily "Batting Line Up." Thanks again!
I, too, fell in love with this MacBaren blend. I'm just coming back to the pipe after a 8 - 9 year hiatus. I used to smoke everything, except my only aromatic was Peterson's Sweet Killarney once in awhile in the summer. Anyway, I find now I've been shying away from English blends on the whole, and instead really focusing on Virginias, especially Flakes and even more increasingly, VaPers. I always loved Perique anyway, but this blend makes me ask this question: Is "Acadian Perique" just a catchy marketing name or is there, in fact, another kind of Perique (Acadian) OTHER than the traditional Louisiana Perique that was the ONLY Perique when I used to smoke before laying off the pipe for so long? If so, where is the Acadian region where it is grown?
@Marc Adamchek Hey Marc. Acadian Perique generally refers to the blend of St James Perique AND Green River Burley from surrounding regions that is brought in raw and prepared using the same methods (in St James Parish). This blend is what most (if not all) people have smoked, as the cost of straight St James Perique is prohibitively expensive.