However, how does one describe the indescribable? Before production ended, Balkan Sobranie suffered from a dumbed down recipe and its quality plummeted. 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. Four stars despite the number of changes that occurred. Balkan's near universal appeal in those days to lovers of English/Balkan/Oriental blends as a steady or special smoke attests to that fact. 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. The first time I tried this tobacco was recently; it was a 6 year old 50g packet that had been well kept. I first tried this in college. I just opened a 200 gram gold foil bag of the three remaining I purchased in 1967. He was instrumental in my starting to smoke a pipe in the early 80's as he hated my cigarette habit. It probably was the best Balkan mixture long ago and it's a shame it disappeared. They perfected Sobranie (which simply means ?parliament? The above review doesn't cover the current version. Really good stuff & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. The latakia plays a supporting role despite there being a significant quantity of it in the blend. The next thing I know, I have 4 pipes and about twelve blends of tobaccos in hand, along with a quick education from a master. I managed to get hold of a pouch of this mixture and after carefully rehydrating it, went on a very pleasant trip down memory lane. 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). Both reek marvelously, are roughly at the half-way mark as far as Latakia, and seem to have less Oriental than either the Pease mixture mentioned above, or the Cornell & Diehl mixture. Availability: . 2000-2023 Laudisi Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Germain & Son is the maker of some other legendary tobacco, Penzance. You are lucky indeed. Smoked Balkan Supreme.love yet again. The cut of the tobacco out of the pouch was very rough, and had a good number of twigs, etc. When I first opened the tin and looked at the contents I was a little surprised. Be The First To Know About Exclusive Products And Deals! Air time and letting it open a bit was all it took to take this to a new level. Those were the three pipes he believed in, BBB, Petersen, Comoy, Sasieni and even Barling having already begun to slide. Germain & Son have experience in "imitating" the House Sobranie products. It's a sweet and smoky treat. Opinions are to Balkan Sobranie what armpits are to Vishnu. This is a gentle mixture that I'd smoke any time of day were it not for its rarity. . Creamy, smoky and sweet. 2011.. Arango Cigar Co. became the one that acquired the rights of Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. Lighting is easy enough, but you may need to tamp it a bit. Again the Latakia had a tendency to separate but with a thorough mixing it is much improved of you stay vigilant! I haven't gotten the percentages down to a science but I started with equal portions of the virginia's, Orientals, and Yenidge. It is tasty and boasts a super-fine ribbon cut that behaves beautifully when loading and lighting. Enjoy. It remains extremely consistent throughout the bowl and I frequently smoke it to the bottom without realizing it at all. And I am always happy to try and evaluate new mixtures. A cool and long-lasting smoke. I cannot say I was impressed with the last but at least it was not dominant. Also, I'd not get any sweet or earthy notes from the virginia leaf. Published review content of this website is considered the It contains Virginia, Syrian Latakia and eastern Tobaccos. Not everyone appreciated the room aroma. So J.F. With that said . Costly but nothing like buying Tins of Sobranie off ebay. The smoke is creamy and smooth. By: Smeckma. My only gripe is that 70% of the blends that I smoke are made by Germain and most of them are almost impossible to come by. Very tasty and I feel this blend is one most any pipe smoker would findpleasurable. But who could resist, especially after retrieval of an eight ounce can from a ten can rotation, grabbing an immediate smoke? I first tried this in college. Seattle Pipe Club Pipe Tobacco What else can I say about this blend that hasn?t already been said? Strength: Room Note: Taste: Customer Reviews (22 Total) Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars They had two and I only bought one to try it. Alot of people complaining that it is never available, most of the best tobaccos are hard to find which is one of the things that makes them so good. If you can lay your hands on a pouch, do so. I hear you can get this across the pond. I wonder if Balksn Sobranie Smoking Mixture will ever re-emerge in the US of A as Dunhill has recently. 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. I find it to be better balanced and the flavor is outstanding. Dont pass up the chance to try this. Every time I cracked a tin open I'd marvel at the mosaic of colours, ranging from black, grey and bright leaf. Man oh man oh man! I cannot compare this to the original, but on its own merit, this was one great smoke. As much as I loved (and continue to love) latakia, I can't say I ever really loved this particulat mixture. The high quality of the tobacco in Balkan might have been just as important as the types of tobacco in it. I will always share a bowl of this with my best pipe friends, as everyone should have that luxury once in their life. History. The blend smokes reliable from top to bottom with the flavor shift of full and soft to spicy then sweet/sour. Very happy to see it reintroduced. Of the many Balkan blends available today, I would say that G&H's Balkan Mixture is the closest match to this, only the G&H product is considerably better. Something like an espresso without sugar. Don't see something you want? 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. Is it back in production or is this old stock? 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. Still Fresh, Purchased From: Pipestud's Consigment Shop. The virginias appear to be aged nicely. There has been so much praise written already about this blend and on this day I can say that it is all true! It's deeply came to me with amazing satisfaction. 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. Does this sound contradictory? Packing characteristics are good, which I find true of all ribbons. 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. 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. Maybe tobacco grown in the Balkan region has some affect on the flavor. The smell of the tobacco was very moist and incredible, unlike any other brand save for a few English blends that I had experienced. The middle part was a bit heavier but still a good medium taste with a full room note and ample white smoke. Specials, and Other News! Low and behold a yahoo mail message pops up at the top of my screen saying its in stock on Friday the 13th. Per tobaccoreviews.com: "Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture is one of the most legendary Latakia-based blends in history. 1.75 oz. If you are asking if it's same blend as when it was smoked some time ago. We would have to do a separate review for every issue of this legendary tobacco. Who knows? On one hand I was glad I did, on the other I was sad because it was one of the few sachets circulating all over the world. Don't forget: this is a one time alert. As for flavorits ok. That's part of the hype I hear also; that it's such a great Latakia bomb it's super strongall lies. It's just really hard to find. The brand was originally produced by Sobranie of London in 1920, and became a top-selling brand worldwide. Specifically, the yenidje! It is not nearly as heavy with Latakia that Penzance is, nor is it quite as creamy regarding the mouth feel although there's some. The return of the classic Balkan Sobranie now manufactured by JF Germain in the British Isles! The Latakia presence is less intrusive, and as a whole it is a very satisfactory smoke. This should be approachable to all but the most puny of smokers. Though I was not accustomed to latakias at the time, I instantly loved it, from the first smell from the can to the last puff. This review is for the old, original Balkan Sobranie, prior to the removal from the US market. No latakia mouth. To say the least, Ed's Balkan is superb, try it and see if it matches the Sobranie blend. My initiation into pipe smoking was with a tin of this 'nectar' Yes, I was permanently spoiled. tin. I see why this blend commands a premium. Nevertheless, if you palate is not used to the strength of mixtures like the Dunhill my mix 965 and similar, you will not enjoy this blend very much. Happy Smoking! His life experience was invaluable to me in many ways. Like everyone else who's been smoking as long as I have, I can confirm that this is nothing like the old tins we used to smoke decades ago. I have several cans of each stashed away, based on the raving advice of a friend and colleague. The unflavored soda note from the yenidje is virtually missing. I prefer it in the truck on a road trip, or in the evening sitting in my smoking chair. Due to limited availability, we are only allowing purchases of 2 of each of the limited edition Balkan Sobranie pipe tobacco.If multiple orders are placed, they will be cancelled & charged a 10% cancellation fee.or for half the price, try our English Blend No. This blend is the "BESTEST" tasting blend ever! To enjoy this blend, the best way is use a pipe with small bowl. The finish was not abrupt, not harsh, it just sort of faded away. To my knowledge, the only other ingredient, that which imparted some of the creaminess and the hint of vanilla, was deer tongue, the leaf of a weed(!) At the recent Chicago Pipe Show (2004) I found someone who was selling a 2 ounce "pop top" tin from the late 70's at a reasonable price and bought it. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos I am grateful for having had the opportunity to smoke plenty of TBS for many years. This stuff tasted so good in fact, it makes me ponder; How does a tobacco blend that tastes this good, be made without a topping or flavor additive? That and its uncompromising flavour do not augur success with the masses. The subtle interplay between the Orientals and the Latakia along with the suspected aged virginias became sublime.as well as whatever word denotes that which is greater than sublime. 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. Shows what they know. After waiting for over a year, I finally got a chance to try it. Select One Balkan Sobranie White, the finest tobacco I ever encountered. I have read so much about this blend I had to try it. Pleasant smoky aroma, with a slight odor of burnt sugar. Texture of the cut is fine, mostly uniform ribbons which felt just a bit too wet. This is really your most fowl smelling tobacco! One of the best pipe tobaccos i have ever smoke. I opened this tin given to me as a gift by dm14 and I thank him for it. I've always been curious about which type of Latakia was used maybe both? . Varia: Regarding lady nicotine you can notice that you are dealing with an "elder" tobacco. All rights reserved. Quite frankly, this tobacco is much better than I remembered. When I first reviewed BS, I did it with the old TR website and compared several eras to the new blend by Germain. It is a brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured. There are very few aromatics that I like anymore. I'm impressed by the quality vs. price. Let the smoke slowly out of your mouth and inhale through your nose and you'll see what I mean, all the hype about this tobacco is true and th ats a rare thing, when it's available again, make sure you get some, because out of the hundreds of different tobaccos I've tried over the years this would have to be one of, if not the best I've ever had, just remember, if your not into latakia, don't bother, blue smokes a tanging, enjoy. I finally summoned the courage to open the first tin. Peaty and earthy, briny, peppery and a little bitter, leaves a dry sensation on the tongue and a smoky mineral aftertaste. 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. Unique,mild and full of flavor .. but something is telling me there is more to it than just a tobacco blend. I remember the blend being "light and dark" ribbons but this 25 year old tin of tobacco (dated to 1979) was "dark and darker". They've been sold out. in the lid of the old Balkan Sobranie, retracting it from the lip and reclosing the can, thus piercing the inner tin lid, the escaping hiss was divine. The lighting, and smoking qualities are indistinguishable from the Sasieni. The Balkan Sobranie tobacco business was established in London in 1879 by Albert Weinberg (born Romania 1849), whose naturalization papers dated 1886 confirm his nationality and show that he had emigrated to England in the 1870s at a time when hand-made cigarettes in the eastern European and Russian tradition were becoming fashionable in Europe. Easy to understand why it is treated as the gold standard in Balkan style blends. Nice rough cut and really slow burning. I've tried dried deer tongue leaf broken or crumbled in blends and gotten nothing out of it. This review covers the latest, pouch version. I do not like to smoke this outdoors. Certified secure site accepts: Milan Tobacconists, Inc. I am smoking this in my wide chambered Savinelli Baronet Bruyere 315 EX PrinceThe smoke is exotic, well rounded and brightly mouth filling, running the entire length of the palate.There is so much going on, but still the flavours seamlessly intertwine tip to tail and even marry. Is the tobacco as good as the '90's and beginning of 2000 version? In my early days of pipe smoking, I was on the quest for the best tobacco. Add to Wishlist. There is very little of the campfire and leather latakia-type taste. AAHhhhhhhh. I am however glad I got a pouch for the sake of having tried it, but I doubt I'll go hunting for another pouch in the future. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild.