Black (Perique)

American Spirit is the brand of the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company known for its claim of unadditized tobacco; the black-pack Perique version is prepared, in keeping with the "unadditized leaf" concept built around the brand name, without any sweetener or humectant. American Burley leaf forms the blend's backbone; Perique, fermented in its own juice in oak barrels in Louisiana's St. James region, is added over it. Perique is obtained by fermenting a red-Burley-derived leaf under pressure, giving the blend a sharp spice that ranges between plum, fig, and pepper.

In character it offers a full, dry smoke; the absence of sweetening leaves a pronounced earthy and nutty taste on the tongue, while the Perique adds tangy fruit touches in between. Nicotine load is above medium, so it isn't suited to smoking on an empty stomach or quickly. It can serve as an entry point for smokers looking for unadditized Burley taste and wanting to get to know Perique's spice; for someone coming from flavored blends, the absence of sweetness requires a noticeable adjustment.