I've been at it for about 3 weeks to revive the Balkan as it was dryer then the Gobi desert, but I had good faith as the smell of the tobacco was really good and strong. And when dried properly, leaves no dottle in the bowl. . Dunhill 965, Standard Medium, and London were in the same range, but smoked quite differently. Specifically, the yenidje! About a month ago, my best friend who owns a cigar shop did inventories and found some old stuff under the counter he really couldn't sell anymore. I was lucky. The last part of the bowl is the best as all the different tobaccos harmoniously sing together. My first experience with this mixture dates to 1962 when I was given a tin by a friend who had been in London on vacation. Well, I was not dissapointed. Not strong or overpowering at all. so my 2 cents are- don't expect to be knocked on the head with epic greatness, don't listen to all the flowery stanzas.. just smoke it and see for yourself.. i like it very much, update: I found a small clump of hairs in my tin.. couldnt tell if they were of human or animal origin.. could this be the secret ingredient to balkan sobranie? Unequalled tobacco, this mixture remains a mystery. They've been sold out. Every bowl. It's been quite a long time since last time I had a bowl, but I was very familiar with this tobacco, so I can rely on many pleasant recollections to write this review. Is anyone e lse having the same problem? Really good stuff excellent flavor & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. He also was the proprietor of the finest tobacconist in town; alas defunct due to the health Luddites and their diligent spreading of manure. Not sweet, but not really bitter like some oriental-heavy blends are. Sure, maybe the initial experience won't be the same, but, overall, the smoking experience should be just as enjoyable and with a lot less waiting and frustration. Every time I cracked a tin open I'd marvel at the mosaic of colours, ranging from black, grey and bright leaf. (I use quotes here because I know it has gone through several incarnations and is quite different than what it was decades ago.) It lights well, and burns fairly slowly as is typical for latakia/oriental blends. Outstanding. It's taste was definitely much better than it's smell, full-bodied and smoky, and the room note was not too aggressive, there's somewhat of a "tang" to it, but you could easily smoke it unnoticed in a group of cigarette smokers. To this day I don't see why some blender with a microscope and a Japanese degree of patience couldn't reverse engineer a can of pre-sale Balkan strip by strip, testing the pieces against known samples and smoking from each separate pile to verify its identity as accurately as possible. Despite the pouch, the tobacco comes rather humid, and needs to be broken a bit to be packed correctly. There are much better offerings available today and I will not be purchasing another tin of this "one tin per purchase" rip-off (and I truly expect my review will be "ripped" into, so have at it guys). British tobacco was it, too. Join Our Mailing List! Super clean taste. Get exclusive updates on all our fresh offerings, sales, and promotions -- right to your inbox. Not sure what to make of this. AhhhhhhBalkan Sobranie. I then flavored it in with the Syrian Latakia until it reached the smokiness I desired (I had some Sobranie on hand for comparison purposes). This is probably the most famous Balkan blend ever. Stop the madness boys you're reviewing something that no longer exists. Layer after layer of astonishing tobacco flavor all perfectly put together. identity verification to validate that fact. It probably was the best Balkan mixture long ago and it's a shame it disappeared. Never a dull or harsh moment, I savor every sip from the pipe. & Conditions | DMCA 5 This is one of the greats. The winelike aroma of the virginias translates to the flavor and is sublime in the mix. Very neutral aroma that does not disturbs the room. Initial Flavor: Pungently sweet! ** 4 tins per customer only, we will reduce any order to that, sometimes you have to share !! And the same beginning as with Mixture 759. The tin note is unmistakably dominated by the Latakia, but the Orientals and Virginias in the right proportion also add a lively distinction of their own. Similar Blends: Ashton's Artisan, Peterson Balkan Delight, Old Ironsides.. (the 'very pleasant' under room note is my opinion, not someone else's) This is definately a mood altering substance. I withhold most further details of the shop on the unlikely chance I can return someday and the remaining tin will be up there on the top shelf, having once been stuffed back to make room for more recent things. I will endeavor to keep this easy smoking, great tasting blend stockpiled from now on. It was to me simply unique. But is it good, absolutely. The aroma is heavenly, and I repeatedly left the room and re-entered so I could enjoy the room bouquet. You do not need to tamp it a lot and it burns down nicely to a grey ash. I sampled a 50 gram foil pack from Italy vintage 2007. You can see how it is a hard composition to blend, with ingredients often hard to obtain, and whose consistency over 130 years has been variable to say the least! A tin was once given to me as a Christmas gift by my sister-in-law. My tin was stored sealed from 1995 until 2002. I feel elated and relieved that I managed to have TBS so that now, I can become a better judge when it comes to distinguish between, the somehow subjective appellations of "Balkan" and "English". 50g Ribbon Description Almond butter, butter cream frosting, meringue, brown bread, plum pudding, candied fruit, pinot noir, armagnac. Composition: The composition is that of the pouch version and the '80's Gallaher version. Its ash is light and gray, without noticeable cake. My taste changed to a matured virgina, by 1966, especially in plug form and today is still my first choice. Balkan Sobranie. A smooth mellow blend that is simply delicious. 'Perfection' I have tried many different brand's over the year's,that claim to be a near perfect copy. There has been said a lot about this tobacco, mostly praised to the skies, it's all true. I could not smoke this all day, but could smoke 2-3 bowls in a row if this were still obtainable. 10/12/07 ? After a couple of years, I was also gifted with a small portion of a pouch of real early 80's Sobranie White. on SP.com, with quantity-based discounts as well. First third of the bowl is quite mellow and mild, but the flavour and complexity increases the further down the bowl you go. As time went on and I matured, this blend slowly grew on me . Is this the best tobacco in pipe history, as many smokers claim? Mid-bowl: Aah! I feel it can be smoked anytime of the day accompanying many pleasurable activities be it reading a novel, fly fishing, walking the dogs, even after cigars and cask strength single malts. 9 of 10. I smoke Virginia. However, how does one describe the indescribable? I guess I first tried it nearly 35 years ago. The cut is a fine ribbon, almost like shag with chunky bits of latakia visible. The dominating Virginias bring a good amount of tang and subdued sweetness that sometimes, play with the Orientals that are deliciously sour with a sparkling taste, for lack of a better word. 4th Generation Pipe Tobacco I won't waste time on deep rambling discourse. Still nowadays the TBS and the 759 are THE benchmark for all Oriental Mixtures. This is a hard to find tobacco unless you go to the secondary market. So J.F. Pease. Germain, not the "Real McCoy" or even the 2005 Gallaher version for that matter. I prefer to take it slow, just so thin wisps of smoke emit from the pipe. Everything about this blend is perfectly balanced. If I had plenty of money, I'd have more Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. I think it is awful, as I did the last tin of it. In short..the blend against which all others must be compaired (save Red Raparee). Something like an espresso without sugar. Probably. It was very simalar to the Original Mixture only much fresher and fuller in taste than those acient Tins you will find on ebay. There wasn't much virginia citrusy virginia "pep" but you could still smell it's "expensive cigarette" qualities, I think you can blame the age of the tin for that. Tin note of musty sour vegetation and pungent smoky. People say 965 is the standard to judge English mixtures by. We have in stock for your choice! I could smoke it all day (and did). I have exceptions to all of the above. 10 it became kind of the Holy Grail of the pipe tobaccos. This is very rare and hard to get! I just opened a 200 gram gold foil bag of the three remaining I purchased in 1967. We will deny any order we believe has been placed by a minor. The heavy dense smoke floats lightly over the palate. leaves fingers a bit sticky from the natural tobacco oils, not from humectants. The finish was not abrupt, not harsh, it just sort of faded away. The cut is comprised very thin ribbons that are a little too moist, but given the cut, it dries quickly. As far as Italy is concerned BSOM does remain the only mixture you can truly name "balkan". Having smoked the late 1960s and the 1960 versions, I found the red Virginia was a little more prominent, and the wine-like, earthy, woody, floral Syrian Latakia was used, which created a drier, lightly less fragrant smoke. Finally I was able to secure a tin. The sad part is that this tobacco is no more. Just lit you almost taste the pure latakia. Alas, the blend changed. As for flavorits ok. The Yenidje is really nice and to my palate offers an ever so slight bit of creamy aromatic spice. It works for me. Very minimal relights, burns down to a fine, dark gray ash. I have opened two tins of this in the last 5 years both from t he original release 2011. Once I opened a can and discovered that one of the stems (it had its share of stems) was in fact a rusty nail. It seeped into my jackets and the children when young used to love sniffing at those jackets. Well worth the wait , subscribe to be notified upon restock, and grab up as much as you can. this blend builds up to a medium to full strength. 320 N McPherson Church Rd Fayetteville NC 28303. Pre-Owned. I had heard the stories. So you should keep that in mind reading this review. Every bowl. This is everything I'd hoped for in a Balkan - a much stronger version of Balkan Sasieni, which this is and more. On opening the pack it has a strong balkan sweet and sour scent (big surprise). Hence the new blends simply could never be the same. This was the case with the Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. Take care of and estimate your favourites, they may disappear as suddenly as TBS did. Tin note is mostly Virginia/ Oriental. The flavor is rich, dark, smokey, spicy, somewhat like a cigar, but ever so much more complex. The Virginias drive this tobacco for the most part, with the Orientals making an appearance from time to time, all this under the supervision of a most delicious Latakia that has a red wine like flavor. Is it back in production or is this old stock? Regardless, it does have a decent nicotine punch, more so then Penzance or Caravan. I don't mind the premium prices this blend commands; it's worth it. Its available at pipesandcigars. It has been almost 50 years since I last smoked the Sobranie Original Mixture in a pipe and yet I can remember it's taste and aroma as clearly as if it were yesterday. This was a complex blend of virginias, latakia, and many exotic leaves from the Turkey/Macedonia area with names like Syrna, Izmir, Xanthi, Yenidje, etc. I opened this tin given to me as a gift by dm14 and I thank him for it. Cannot ship to Maine, South Dakota, Washington, Utah Maximum Purchase: 1 unit Free Shipping Orders over $95 in US Ship Worldwide The year tells you how good it is. 2023 TobaccoPipes.com Isadore Redstone sensed this void in 1995 and negotiated with the Lane Company to manufacture the old blend under a new name "Balkan Saseini." A very smooth first part with lots of latakia flavor and well balanced taste. As another old codger, I am grateful for Leiconnsel's review below on this truly classic tobacco. IMO, the 70s version, which is the oldest I have smoked, was outstanding. Browse by Category, Family & more Hide Filters Show Filters Price Update There are no products listed under this brand. On ebay, astronomical amounts were (and still are) asked and paid for these tobaccos. Most of the time, I like stronger blends over weaker ones and in larger pipes than smaller ones. Of course now it's a matter of reviewing the pouched version by Gallahers (Imperial?) in Slavic languages) either there or in London, their eventual home, along with their delightful, white Turkish cigarettes, and their renowned Russian Black and Gold (- tipped) cigarettes.
