Information AboutPerique |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PERIQUE | |
| pipe smoking | |
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The tobacco plants are manually kept suckerless and pruned to exactly 12 leaves through their early growth. In late June, when the leaves are a dark, rich green and the plants are 24-30 inches (600 to 750 mm) tall, the whole plant is harvested in the late evening and hung to dry in a sideless curing barn. Once the leaves have partially dried but while still supple (usually less than 2 weeks in the barn), any remaining dirt is removed and the leaves are moistened with water and stemmed by hand. The leaves are then rolled into "torquettes" of approximately 1 pound (450 g) and packed into hickory Whiskey barrels. The tobacco is then kept under pressure using oak blocks and massive Screw Jack s, forcing nearly all the air out of the still-moist leaves. Approximately once a month the pressure is released, and each of the torquettes is worked by hand to permit a little air back into the tobacco. After a year of this treatment, the perique is ready for consumption, although it may be kept fresh under pressure for many years. Extended exposure to air degrades the particular character of perique. The finished tobacco is dark brown, nearly black, very moist with a fruity, slightly vinegary aroma. [http://www.saveseeds.org/library/books/Tobacco_Leaf/tobacco_leaf_1897.html Tobacco Leaf] Considered the Truffle of Pipe tobaccos, perique is used as a component of many blended pipe tobaccos but most people consider it too strong to be smoked pure. At one time, the freshly moist perique was also chewed, but none is now sold for this purpose. Less than 16 acres (65,000 m&2) of this crop remain in cultivation. Most Louisiana perique is cultivated by a single farmer called Percy Martin in Grande Pointe, Louisiana. 1 For reasons unknown, the particular flavor and character of Louisiana perique can only be acquired on a small triangle of Saint James Parish, less than 3 by 10 miles (5 by 16 km). Although at its peak Saint James Parish was producing around 20 tons of perique a year, output is now merely a few barrelsful. Most of the perique used in pipe tobacco is not perique at all, but green river burley that is processed in the same manner as perique. Although the process produces a strong, spicy tobacco, it is a far different product than the genuine perique grown on Percy Martin's farm. While traditionally a pipe tobacco (and still available from some specialist tobacconists), perique may now also be found in Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company 's perique Cigarette s under the Natural American Spirit brand in an approximately 1 part to 5 blend with lighter tobaccos. These cigarettes are marketed in a black box. PERIQUE LIQUEUR Distiller Ted Breaux has been distilling Perique Liqueur de Tabac, a liqueur from Perique tobacco since 2006. The liqueur is distilled in the Combier Distillery in Saumur , France. FURTHER READING |
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