Chateau Henri No. 13

Chateau Henri No. 13 is a Virginia-Perique mixture in the Chateau Henri series of the Cologne-based house Peter Heinrichs. Per the maker's description, selected Virginia leaves are hand-rolled and processed into curly cut; a pinch of Louisiana Perique and double-fermented black Cavendish are added to the blend. The curly cut allows the slices to be rubbed out for packing and gives a slow, cool burn.

Virginia's bready sweetness forms the blend's backbone; Perique layers a sharpness recalling plum and spice on top of that sweetness, while black Cavendish rounds out the texture. Nicotine strength doesn't rise above the medium band, while flavor intensity is pronounced. It is a suitable record for smokers wanting to get to know the Virginia-Perique family who are used to working with rolled cuts. The Chateau Henri name comes from the firm's tobacco and pipe shop in Bergheim.