Having never tried the original might have made me impervious to the persuasion of the brand name, but to be perfectly honest, the tobacco that was inside my pouch came across as highly overrated and ultimately a pretty unremarkable affair to me. I suspect that one of the blending tobaccos was an unflavoured Cavendish. Many people say of the Balkan Sasieni, McClelland's Blue Montain are examples of tentatives from your blenders to get close of the Balkan Sobranie. If I had to choose but one tobacco this would be it. For that reason, we limit the purchase of this tin to one per customer. Nearing the end of the bowl the nuttyness from the Latakia returns to round off a wonderfully smooth smoking experience. of spice and a mild sweetness. But not in a bad way, think Crme Brule. That is what makes this blend so wonderful. Hence the new blends simply could never be the same. & Conditions | DMCA , Dont Buy It If You Arent GoingTo Smoke It, When can we have the goods? ==Highly Recommended!== prep. Unfortunately, by now the cigarette industry had turned its unblinking eye upon turkish tobacco, consuming all there was. Just like every other pipe smoker on the planet I really wanted to try this. From 1962-63 through 1978 when I stopped smoking a pipe regularly, my tobacconist sent me two 8 ox tins of Balkan Sobranie each month and that included my tour in Vietnam in 1967-68. I've had no luck trying to blend existing blends to emulate the original Balkan. The flavor on first light is latakia dominate. Perhaps its uniqueness is one of the reasons why so many pipers love it. On July 1, 1968, Gallaher Tobacco acquired the blend and the trademarked name. Nope. I dont know if this tobacco have the same strength, flavor and intensity that 70's or 80's sobranie, but anyway this sobranie is a spectacular tobacco with a Latakia very present from start to finish. The Virginias had darkened quite a bit. I wish more could be imported, I think I ordered a tin from here and I have gotten a few elsewhere. It's clear to me that smoked fresh this is no lightweight English/balkan. Sorry, I havent been around long enough to know better. More's that pity that it is now defunct. I picked up exactly that. The tin note was sweet and smoky it had an Oriental smell to it, but the Latakia was wonderful. The high quality of the tobacco in Balkan might have been just as important as the types of tobacco in it. Purchased a new tin of The Balkan Sobranie when a small batch became available on SmokingPipes.com in December 2019 for about $15. So I will back off of this stuff until there is an adequate supply and then I will buy a truck load of it because I really like it. Smoked Balkan Supreme.love yet again. I don't see how one could find fault in this fine blend. Why no other blender has ever been able to recapture the amazing balance, complexity, creaminess, coolness, and wonder of Balkan Sobranie, I don't know. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most prized and well blended orientals that you can get your hands on. tin. For the better part of the 20th Century, this blend was made by Sobranie House under the aegis of the Redstone family. The nic-hit is just short of the center of mild to medium. I smoked a good amount of it, but largely because there were so few latakia blends that were easily available. The pipe smoking market appears to be becoming larger thus the time was right for a new version, a new "vintage" of Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. I deem this an excellent, one of the best Balkan blends ever & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. Very tasty and I feel this blend is one most any pipe smoker would findpleasurable. There are other options like the mentioned here from Peretti and White Knight , Magnum Opus and others. I think it's both over-hyped and well deserved. What I paid was ten times the original price tag still on it. But I may be deceived. In the first years of the new millennium only a pouch version was available. a pipe and Balkan Sobranie is to be savored. Wonderful tobacco provided by one of the best online tobacconists. I noticed today on a certain online retailer (theyre not a site sponsor so Im not sure if its cool to name them) that Balkan Sobranie was for sale$25.99 per tin, limit one per customer. There are so many old blends I'll never get to sample, yet I've managed to fulfill a dream by getting to try this one. All tobacco is made the old fashioned way. Is the tobacco as good as the '90's and beginning of 2000 version? Add to Wishlist. I was lucky enough to snag a couple of tins when the past shipment arrived. A crowning achievement in the tobacco blending craft without question. This is a pure Turkish smoking experience. Very close to what I remember, perhaps Ed Klopin Sr. wanted to duplicate the mix. A wonderful smoke. But, I don't care. Who knows? The resurrection of this blend has been so well received there are continuing shortages. Maybe these are the good old days! The yenidje seems to have been the same in all versions. My friends all wondered how I could smoke such strong tobacco. reproduced in any manner without the expressed written consent of STC Holdings LLC. I'm impressed by the quality vs. price. Hard to find but worth the wait. For those who appreciated the soggy aged Virginia note, try Germain's King Charles Mixture, Royal Jersey Latakia Mixture, or Esoterica's And So To Bed. Again the Latakia had a tendency to separate but with a thorough mixing it is much improved of you stay vigilant! 10 again One can only hope and pray.. I never smoked any other version of this, but the original had to be 100% better than this flavorless stuff to acquire it's legendary status. I know this is it usual but Years ago I was an occasional cigarette smoker and I really enjoyed the cigarettes made from this brand. Fresh it is fairly straightforward, a little harsh, full flavored English tobacco. Too bad I was too young to try it when fresh and available. Those who regularly smoke them in the past, already know. To be able to enter the world of English/Balkan mixtures this way, spoiled me. On ebay, astronomical amounts were (and still are) asked and paid for these tobaccos. This is a ?blue-collar? I do find the 90s version to still be good and similar to the current Germain version, but overall it was a shadow of its former self. If I had plenty of money, I'd have more Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. and ?protean? After reading the whole story about Balkan Sobranie I decided to buy a pack og 50g Gallaher packed tobacco, just to see will it live up to the reputation. I see why this blend commands a premium & if I had plenty of money, I'd have plenty more Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. The inital flavour is of that lovely nuttyness that only Latakia can provide. I don't know, but it should be among the top five. This is the closest I have ever tasted to the original product. I find Nightcap, Penzance and Black Mallory to be more complex. the blend i am smoking is the current j f germain version. I suppose a classic chapter in pipe-smoking is now closed, although I am sure that lovers of this blend in its heyday would envy us our personal acquaintance with people like, say, G.L. It was like smoking butter. Almost no sweetness, the olive notes tasted rancid, and the latakia was so muted as to be undetectable. I do hope they reintroduce the 759 as I would be more intersested in it, but they have done a fine job with this. As the tobacco rose on the initial light and one tamped it with the index finger and relit, all the wonderful, contradictory adjectives began to pertain. Regardless, it does have a decent nicotine punch, more so then Penzance or Caravan. As another old codger, I am grateful for Leiconnsel's review below on this truly classic tobacco. Another old favourite of mine back in the day. This is also the case with Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. Samuel Gawaith's Balkan Flake, supposedly 30% latakia and 70% Virginia (despite the Balkan name) is a good, honest, high quality tobacco to which one could maybe add high quality Cavendish, Yenidje and deer tongue and get somewhere close to Balkan (despite Balkan Flake's caked form). My buddy brought this over to try. Those were the days, my friend, I thought they'd never end. Age will make all the difference. Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje? Its post-modern re-incarnation, BALKAN SASIENI, is the same mix, yet not the same mix at all: the grade of tobaccos and the proportions may be the same, but modern-day orientals seem to be blander, more generic than formerly, and the Cypriot ?latakia?, a nice tobacco in itself, is like California ?chablis? I smoked a few tins of this several years ago (before it became a classic) and found it good but unmemorable. Not really sure what Germain was going for with this, but don't bother. During the pursuit of perfection, excellence was achieved. He considered the Cognac the perfect shape, growing thicker as the smoke proceeded, keeping the pipe cool. Related products. Being a master, he didn't start me on the kiddie-poo dessert blends like Black&Gold, no, no. This was one of the first pipe-tobaccos that I really enjoyed on all levels, and, naturally, it was the pipe-tobacco everyone else hated. The latakia did not hide, nor was it subtle. It was always ?caviare for the general?, and not, lately, much of a money-maker: English tastes, in this as in everything else, have become coarsened and vulgarised; and so, once it was deprived of its big American public, this blend simply became problematic and unprofitable. Everyone has different tastes, that's what makes the world go round. There is very little of the campfire and leather latakia-type taste. What else can I say about this blend that hasn?t already been said? People say 965 is the standard to judge English mixtures by. I am puzzled about availability. Sutliff Pipe Tobacco. The perfect aid to peace and contemplation. Tobacconists does not sell cigarettes on this site, nor do we sell tobacco Since TR has now carved out the new BS under Germain, (a good thing), here are my thoughts on the old Balkan Sobranie. Anybody out there game? At least I find it impossible now to say from the room note alone what Balkan has been smoked, but with Balkan Sobranie there never was any ambiguity. . It contains sweetened black Cavendish and a fair amount of orientals and latakia, but I would not class it as a full Balkan. First the mixture is not homogeneous in any respect. Blend with a characteristic, a bit stronger room note and taste. Peaty and earthy, briny, peppery and a little bitter, leaves a dry sensation on the tongue and a smoky mineral aftertaste. That's an English, this is a balkan. It had been 15 years since I had seen this "Varietal". and before I spent the $95 I thought twice.. and then, of course, pulled the trigger. Together with Balkan Sobranie Mixture 759 and Balkan Sobranie Virginia no. I said, no problem I'll buy it from you. Something that was better in the pouch version. Likewise akin to Smokers' Haven's Krumble Kake and Esoterica's Penzance in flavor and strength, but like comparing a profesional ice skater to a hockey player. The cut is comprised very thin ribbons that are a little too moist, but given the cut, it dries quickly. You know how things get distorted after so many years "ahh, those were the GOOD old days.". I remember this was what it was to smoke a pipe. Has a rich experience for me and this tobacco was a unique in months because even when stored for so long, still provided good smoked, full of flavor. No. Latakia plays a front role but is not overwhelming. Vintage The Balkan Sobranie Cigarette Empty Tin Box Made In England Opens in a new window or tab. This review covers the latest, pouch version. 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. Balkan Sobranie is, perhaps, the most legendary pipe tobacco on the market. This used to be my favorite English blend before it became so hard to get. You are lucky indeed. Last year a friend picked up some pouches from Japan: the tobacco was good, but a pale shadow of its glorious former self. Everything about this blend is perfectly balanced. The cut of the tobacco out of the pouch was very rough, and had a good number of twigs, etc. Orlik Pipe Tobacco What I'm amazed to see is how much wrong info circulates about this tobacco now. BSOM brings me back to the mid 70's. It was like a big glorious hit of midnote with some bottom. During the pursuit of perfection, excellence was achieved. Joe worked closely with GBD on developing new shapes, e.g., #263 extra long Canadian, the ?glass-blasted? For joy. We're all poorer for the loss. Questions, or to order by phone: 888-689-6876. A tin was once given to me as a Christmas gift by my sister-in-law. The smell is definately english/balkan in nature. leaves fingers a bit sticky from the natural tobacco oils, not from humectants. 2000-2023 Laudisi Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Dating back to around the 1920s, this is a combination of wonderful Virginias, excellent Orientals and enough Latakia for a robust and flavorful mixture. I always found its sister blends, RATTRAY?s Red Raparee and DUNHILL?s London Mixture more conservatively and more finely integrated; in comparison, Sobranie seemed a little bloated sometimes, a little relentless. The room note was pretty awful (until you were hooked), almost as gross as that of a yesterday's cigar. As good as this blend was, I still prefer both of the Pease blends mentioned. )which would make this more of an english blend than a Balkan. Germain & Son willing to make the tobacco. Fernandez San Lotano Requiem Connecticut, Aganorsa Leaf Guardian of the Farm Cerberus, Alec Bradley Black Market Filthy Hooligan, A. Fuente Don Carlos Edicion De Aniversrio, Cavalier Geneve Black Series II Visa Jalapa, Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Sun Grown, Rocky Patel Cigar Smoking World Championship, RoMa Craft Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion, Romeo y Julieta 1875 Connecticut Nicaragua. Im glad to hear your thoughts. I've tried a number of blends that tout themselves as a "replacement" for Balkan Sobranie and I dreamed of what the original must be like. Complex, but not over the top. By: Smeckma. Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje, possibly a Coumarin infusion? Over the past year I have been slowly smoking 50gm's from the early 1990's and this review is based on that now finished tobacco. No other tobacco I've ever smoked had so many simultaneous flavors going on, where you could taste and smell each one, yet still experience the balanced whole. It was all I'd hoped it would be and so much more! 320 N McPherson Church Rd Fayetteville NC 28303. Not strong or overpowering at all. Balkan Sobranie White, the finest tobacco I ever encountered. Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje? Very very nice tobacco, I love it, If you can only choose one tobacco, I choose Sobranie. Purchased From: Pipestuds Consignment Shop. I would call it a shame, but there are too many truly great mixtures around now to mourn this stuff at all. The virginias are of the higest grade. Leiconnsel, yours is the finest review I've ever read here. Four Big Stars for the new Original Mixture! Gross!" The balance of Virginias, Orientals & Latakia: favors the Orientals. The stars are unrelated to this spectacular tobacco. Perfection is rare. In fact, if there is any downside to this tobacco, it is that it smokes too cleanly to yield a proper cake (In any reasonable time). Roomnote: The old Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture was (in)famous for it's for most people baaaad roomnote. Very nice once-a-day smoke. The new pouched version of Original, while good, is vastly inferior to both 759 and Original of old: not as rich, and sometimes a bit too pungent and harsh, a bit out of balance. Interesting.. Package: A 50 gram tin with a somewhat cheap version of the old stately artwork. I cannot add anything significant to your eloquence. Overall: A classic Balkan that I hope someone re-introduces again in its original form. Be The First To Know About Exclusive Products And Deals! I can only imagine how good the original issue was; I smoked it in my college days (1970s) and also smoked the Sobraine-made Smokers' Haven blends (which I still smoke in their Germain incarnation) but the taste memory has faded over the years. The blend was fairly dark and seemed to pack very well. THE ORIGINAL BALKAN SOBRANIE PIPE TOBACCO IS BACK 50 GRAM 1.76OZ FOUNDED BY A RUSSIAN FAMILY 1879 THE ENGLISH MIXTURE WITH VIRGINIA AND MELLOW LATIKIA, ORIENTAL AND CAVENDISH LEAVES BALLANCE A ROUND FLAVOR MEDIUM TO ROBUST BODY. My efforts were rewarded today with my first bowl ever of Balkan Sobranie. In short, Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture is back! Most importantly,unlike many other "Balkan" blends this one has "real" depth. Somewhat regarded as a classic and rightly so, however it has become somewhat degraded in recent years, no doubt a by-product of being taken over by the Gallaher tobacco conglomerate. The bowl burned downed slowly to a fine ash. As I smoke this down the flavors mix nicely, and I'm done too soon. Very minimal relights, burns down to a fine, dark gray ash. It reminds me of two blends sort of: Pease's Charing Cross and Bohemian Scandal. It lights well, and burns fairly slowly as is typical for latakia/oriental blends. Especially, if it means spending outrageous sums of money. Exceptionally over-hyped based on the name alone. But the new blends out there (Paul Olsen's, Ten Russians, Larry's Strike Force, Penzance, Knightsbridge) are all certainly worthy heirs to the throne, and I don't feel cheated that I like at a time where I can have such a wide range available to me. It is a quite good tobacco, which to me ranges somewhere in the medium spectrum of things, occasionally jumping up to full strength but never settling there. Really this is different tale, but the 40 year old stuff is the real deal as far as im concerned . It is not really bad, but something got lost in the transition. Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje? In my opinion, no. The very grassy, citrusy, barely dark fruity and earthy Virginias have little of the complexity it once had, and theres more of here than before. you certify that you are at least 21 years old and consent to an age and Well, it was one of the most pleasant, smooth and complex mixtures I've ever smoked. 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. This tin, my tin, had more or less 30 years, and was perfectly conserved, yesterday a smoked the last bowl during all the time I used a Savinelli King Cross, This is a small pipe, burns a 20 minutes, but a did a 40 minutes for enjoy each portion of this tobacco. 10+10 out of 10. This is by far the best English Balkan blend ever made including the suppose Gallagher version. I see why this blend commands a premium. (the 'very pleasant' under room note is my opinion, not someone else's) This is definately a mood altering substance. It has a sweet & sometimes salty flavor when the right taste receptor is hit & has an enticing aroma. The flavors are deep and I really can't do justice in words how great the aroma is, both from the tin and the smoke, just exquisite. Like probably so many other pipers, I eagerly awaited the opportunity to find this blend in stock and purchase. follow discussion on this recipe here and if you have anything to add please chime in. It was an occasional treat, like the driest gin. |Retailer Directory Smoked Balkan Sasieni.loved it. I stumbled onto it in the late 1950's, having started as a punk kid with drugstore blends like Mixture 79 (I am embarrassed to admit). Borkum Riff Pipe Tobacco Costly but nothing like buying Tins of Sobranie off ebay. I will endeavor to keep this easy smoking, great tasting blend stockpiled from now on. was it merely an oversight at the factory, or is this really some kind of mythic witches brew. The taste is medium. 10 it became kind of the Holy Grail of the pipe tobaccos. . I tried the over priced ebay offerings of Vintage Sobranie mixtures and was delighted but it was aged so much that it dried out (So it wasnt as good as my first experiences with this great tobbaco mixture. in any case, all humor aside, it hasnt effected the quality of the smoke. $7.99. The smoke, always changing yet always characteristic and steady, could never be ignored, no matter what you were doing: each draw was a conscious pleasure, the whole, like true art, more than the sum of its parts. Balkan could smoke wet if you didn't dry it out just right, and hot and bitey if too dry. Peaceable puffing. First third of the bowl is quite mellow and mild, but the flavour and complexity increases the further down the bowl you go. But having the rights is 1 thing, bringing out the tobacco on the market is something veeeery different. Given the legendary status of House of Sobranie tobaccos, I'm sure many will be dissapointed but the taste of the re-introduction--heritage and legend aside--makes it a staple for my rotation (at least to the extent that I can find it). Tobaccos Treasure Island (Spiced Rum) Rated 4.89 out of 5 $ 5.50 - $ 54.99 Select options. I just smoked one of my last bowls. It contains Virginia, Syrian Latakia and eastern Tobaccos. Almost as if someone had tossed some diamond dust into the tin and shook it up. Being too young to have ever bought this over the counter, I felt I had to try the blend that everyone in the pipe club lamented they could not buy anymore. With so many good tobaccos on the market today I'm very happy with the selection I have, to be great It has to be in production once and awhile. it was distinctive enough to evoke comment and to me had a more than discernible hint of leaves being burned on a damp Autumn day in England. |Pipe Shows, |Pipe & Tobacco Reviews It was cheaper, and it had the stronger flavor I liked without being Galoises(sp?). I guess I first tried it nearly 35 years ago. This is perhaps the most interesting review thread on here, dedicated as it is to a legend rather than to anything that still exists. I say ?real? Finally got to smoke my fabled white whale, Balkan Sobranie.TRANSCENDENCE!!! Blended and aged in the British Isles, Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Penzance now that is another story :) Hope this helps those who can't get their hands on it I speak the truth, my friends. Don't forget: this is a one time alert. Here's the package of Balkan Sobranie cigarettes for the people never saw it. And yesss, halfway the bowl the oriental tobaccos (I think Kavalla) are coming to the front. The Orientals are less potent, offering earth, wood, floralness, a light dry sourness and a touch of buttery sweetness, along with a little spice as a supporting player. A must try! Bob . I will always thank him for his gift of friendship to a man 50 years his junior. Mo's flavor profile seems right to me. As I said in my first review, it is difficult to make comparisons with this blend because even in the days prior to the current Germain production, there were many changes to BS. In my early days of pipe smoking, I was on the quest for the best tobacco. Cost about $4. I suppose I should move on and find something that grants me such pleasure again. I find it to be better balanced and the flavor is outstanding. I don't know if he wholesaled GBD to other dealers in the U.S., but certainly he bought his stock directly, and at all times had just about every grade of every shape they made on hand and available in the periodic brochures he sent to those on his huge mailing list. However, it isnt one that is widely smoked or one most pipe smokers have even been lucky enough to try. I would not recommend it to very beginners (altrhough bit was one of my own choices in my early beginnings some 45 years ago), Pipe Used: all brands I posess (about 45), Purchased From: different tobacco stores all ovet the world. Im glad I got it and will continue to smoke it until its gone. It's a "Turkish cigarette" (Oriental blend) which means there's nothing in it but Oriental tobacco. The taste is a step past that center. All rights reserved. I'm nursing my limited supply. A great blend, but there are blends available all year long that are just as good by GL Pease, and also his Drucquer and Sons blends. The orientals are definitely the main player here, they're spicy and complex. I can find nothing wrong with any aspect of this blend, if in stock constantly it would be my every day/ all day smoke. Then Gallaher produced this blend until the mid-2000s. Quick view. The Orientals (Macedonia being one of them) provide a lot of earth, wood, floralness, a light dry sourness and buttery sweetness, along with a little spice and leather as a supporting player. It's got a nice beat, and I can dance to it - even if it's a slow dance over in a dark corner. I prefer it in the truck on a road trip, or in the evening sitting in my smoking chair. I was really interested in buying some, seeing how hard it was to come by. As Balkan blends are a bit lighter on the Latakia and heavy on the Orientals it is a bit different than a regular English blend, but not as light as P resbyterian Mixture. Mid-bowl: Aah! Still Fresh, Purchased From: Pipestud's Consigment Shop. Also, I'd not get any sweet or earthy notes from the virginia leaf.
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