Some reviewers have claimed this to be sharp or harsh and I did not have that result, but it could be due to the age of the tobacco. And even with the utmost care and dedication it fatigues my palate after I'm done. If you like Latakia and lots of it, you will love this stuff, a true Balkan blend. The strength is a couple of steps short of medium. smokers to be superior. Perhaps all of the above. Not strong or overpowering at all. Balkan Sobranie. RM 2E8Y7W8 - Balkan Sobranie Turkish Cigarettes. Easily qualifies as a four star blendIMHO, of course!!! Get exclusive updates on all our fresh offerings, sales, and promotions -- right to your inbox. It is a brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured. Penzance now that is another story :) Hope this helps those who can't get their hands on it I speak the truth, my friends. The special cut of Virginia & Perique has a place in almost anyone's rotation. After 45 minutes of drying I loaded it into a brand new Peterson 317 that had never been smoked. 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. http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/109613-homemade- balkan-sorbanie-original-mixture.html. Actually another word comes to mind, but we'll leave it at junk for the younger more impressionable segment of our fellow readers. Peterson Pipe Tobacco Nightcap (Dunhill)1.76, Peterson Pipe Tobacco My Mixture 965 (Dunhill Blend)1.76oz. Not really sure what Germain was going for with this, but don't bother. We used words like ?ephemeral? When the product becomes available, the alerts will be sent in the order in which customers signed up for the alerts. To this is added a large quantity of fiery, tenebrific, real, SYRIAN latakia, all of it held together by the background?and it is very much a background?of red Virginia. It is incredibly smooth and creamy, with a mild sweetness and a dry, salty smokiness that reminds me more of Syrian Latakia than Cyprian (I don't know for sure which one is present). 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. This is a tobacco that evolved quite nicely as you progressed with you smoke, never got dull or sour. Varia: Regarding lady nicotine you can notice that you are dealing with an "elder" tobacco. I like subtleties up to a point, beyond which I cannot detect them. Orientals dominate the taste, almost to the exclusion of all else. It was a little dry so I had to add a little humidor to revive it. Specials, and Other News! I guess I hate the others - they only remind me of the real gal. 10+10 out of 10. Aroma of very delicate floral Orientals, slightly sour, smoky latakia and just a kiss of sweetness from the Virginia. Give it some time to age, and it's easily one of the best Balkans on the market. I just smoked one of my last bowls. Maybe tobacco grown in the Balkan region has some affect on the flavor. Plus, you can easily get your hands on them! . Smokers are delighted in its medium-to-robust body, incense-like aroma and satisfying taste. 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. 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. We will deny any order we believe has been placed by a minor. I simply do not like cigarettes and the foul smell and taste of such tobacco! The flowery notes are likely their stock of Yenidje. Majority of medium brown leaf, with specs of bright Va and black dark fired. Seems all the latakia smokers I know in person prefer Balkan Sasieni to Sobranie - insofar as the contemporary blends are concerned. We opened this tin of tobacco at the Chicago Show and laid a portion out on a newspaper to dry a bit. The heavy dense smoke floats lightly over the palate. It was really good, superior to Caravan, Balkan Supreme, Balkan Sasieni and just as yummy to me as P&W's #10 with a little more weight and a cooler temperment. Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje, possibly a Coumarin infusion? Since in Italy it's still fully available, I can submit a review of the latest pouches. I am a Latakia devotee and have combusted a number of Balkans and other Latakia infused blends over the years. The same topping as the 1981 and pouch version. All tobacco is made the old fashioned way. There were also undertones of olives and spice. Not terrible, but nowhere as good as the many Dunhill mixtures I occassionally got to try. It's a sweet and smoky treat. This is kind of like hearing a pipe organ with a big 32 foot stop after hearing smaller ones for a while. Yes, this tobacco is all that I remembered it to be. It's one of those tobaccos that you can't help smoking an immediate second bowl of, and I caught myself doing just that numerous times. Perhaps all of the above. They had two and I only bought one to try it. Pipeworks and Wilke has two blends with Yenidje: No. Smoking this mixture was a unique experience. Layer after layer of astonishing tobacco flavor all perfectly put together. The label on the tin is cheap looking and not printed well but I dont care I want whats inside. Somehow, with all of that, it managed a very pleasant room note. It has a sweet & sometimes salty flavor when the right taste receptor is hit & has an enticing aroma. Nope. Rewarding to smoke. View All Close. Size: 1.76 Oz. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component. Failing that I'm going to give Macedonian Mixture a try as well. I have exceptions to all of the above. It's not even Balkan Sobranie 'Lite', but just has to be seen as a new thing - comparison to the old stuff is useless and misleading. The incense like aroma and fantastic taste is hard to describe and must be experienced at least once. I gave it a star because I think that it is probably a good blend,but it's always gone instantly. I'd do it again. FREE Shipping on all US orders over $95 | When Will My Package Ship? Perhaps, despite the common wisdom, Balkan used it fresh. Burns at a reasonable pace, cool, clean and moderately smooth with a very consistent, mildly sweet and floral, savory, campfire flavor. I simply loved the flavor. SUTLIFF BALKAN SOBRANIE #759 MATCH. (50 Grams) Packaging: Tin Limit One Tin Per Customer The medium to fine ribbon cut lights easily, the intoxicating flavor is instantly upon me. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component. Just like every other pipe smoker on the planet I really wanted to try this. The insistent Turkish twang was fun, but not all the time. But despite the large demand the tobacco became less and less available and the production finally stopped. 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. Initial Flavor: Pungently sweet! However, the guys at Ed's Original Tinderbox in Santa Monica hooked me up with their Balkan blend. I suggest trying to find your local brick and mortar because none of us will ever get it on here. And I truly mean that. Part of that is that I've missed the glory days of Sobranie. After a few puffs, the tobacco flavors begin to meld & it just keeps getting better until the very end. We will never sell or use your personal information for anything other than supporting your account, A.J. Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco. Not when Hearth &am p; Home makes an equally good and much more available blend. They were definitely not alike. Balkan Sobranie Pipe Tobacco One of the most sought after pipe tobaccos still produced today, Balkan Sobranie is a Latakia-based blend that even the most dedicated enthusiast often has not been able to try. Trouble is finding it!. Almond butter, butter cream frosting, meringue, brown bread, plum pudding, candied fruit, pinot noir, armagnac. But not in a bad way, think Crme Brule. Burns to a fine grey ash. Had a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. A great smoke. It's deep richness with a most profound & perfect taste is just so wonderful,that I can not begin to imagine it ever being captured again! Take care of and estimate your favourites, they may disappear as suddenly as TBS did. Similar Blends: Any latakia blend, but not quite. I would say this tobacco smokes better a bit drier that most others even of the same species. Germain & Son has succeeded in producing a worthy version of the legendary Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture! Leaves the bowl clean and dry, and leaves a clean refreshed smoky palate. Us |Contact Dating back to around the 1920s, this is a combination of wonderful Virginias, excellent Orientals and enough Latakia for a robust and flavorful mixture. Well, here in Italy the traditional and legendary 759 isn't available anymore, so I haven't had a chance to try it. Leiconnsel, yours is the finest review I've ever read here. But, I don't care. A crowning achievement in the tobacco blending craft without question. I enjoy this but enjoy other English tobaccos better. Every time I cracked a tin open I'd marvel at the mosaic of colours, ranging from black, grey and bright leaf. Pre-Owned. 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. Is the tobacco as good as the '90's and beginning of 2000 version? When Germain reintroduced the Sobranie Original Mixture, I was eager to try it. More's that pity that it is now defunct. Waited a few days until I was off work to try it, opened it up, and found mold growing on it. The strength is in the center of mild to medium. Is this new iteration of the blend worthy of all the hype? I fell in love with it immediately, my stable of english blends are rather limited since I reach for it only when in the mood for Latakia which is about once or twice a week, I have to add that this is a blend, not a latakia orgy which really agreed with me. The tobacco cut varies from rough to smooth and needs a bit of a rubbing out to help it burn evenly. Things were working together and it my taste buds were loving it. I've never smoked anything like it before or since. . The Virginias offer some grass and hay, a little dark fruit, and a hint of citrus. No bite whatsoever. These packets, though lacking any dating, were "Made in the United Kingdom" and were imported by (the now defunct) James B. Russell, Inc. of Upper Saddle River, NJ. Yet they did not update the tobacco selections. Unfortunately, there was no Original Mixture. 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. After a few puffs, the tobacco flavors begin to meld & it just keeps getting better & better until the very end. The Gallager version is, to my taste, rich and satisfying; smokes cool and is perfectly balanced between components. to try and capture it, but one couldn't. If I had plenty of money, I'd have piles of Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture in the cellar. That was at the age of 15 behind the cycle sheds at Grammar school. If you like Balkans, what's not to like here? A very good friend of mine that smoked pipe since his youth in the 1930's passed away a couple of years ago. by the House of Sobranie and now produced in the Esoterica Tobacciana Not sweet, but not really bitter like some oriental-heavy blends are. Among the most celebrated and legendary English blends, Balkan Sobranie dates to the 1920s when it was crafted by Sobranie of London a blending house established in 1879 by the Redstone family. Price: At 4noggins a tin of this new version costs $10.19. Had a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. Not so much a difference of taste, as one of attitude! Notify me when this product becomes available! The whole pouch seemed like a big pouch of black cav. This is a review about the 2011 made by Germain Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture: Sometimes a product that is no longer available becomes legendary. Without question this was the most anticipated tin I have ever opened. tobacco that gives this blend its characteristic flavour and aroma. I left out room note as I lived alone at that time. Those were the three pipes he believed in, BBB, Petersen, Comoy, Sasieni and even Barling having already begun to slide. So it is a keeper. It works for me. Balkan Sobranie White, the finest tobacco I ever encountered. There are no words to describe this wonderful, fantastic, exciting english mixture. Remember that not all of the tobaccos available back then are available now. A TRUE MASTERPIECE. Smoking the mixture leaves you with what I would call a heavily clouded atmosphere of smoke left in your room that is similar to London Fog. I sprang for two pouches of this from someone selling the stuff in Spain. There are many Balkan blends currently available on the market which are great in their own right without needing comparison with Balkan Sobranie, but nothing has quite matched the sensations of BS, at least in my experience, and judging by the affection displayed in many reviews, the experience of many others as well. . Once my pipe was filled I went out in the hall of the resort to light it. I've never had a freshly opened tin that was not perfect for smoking. It smells like sandlewood incense! Germain & Son willing to make the tobacco. I will prove the New Balkan Sobranie and I really wish they would have achieved a blend as good as the original, because I think just like that, honestly, never will be. Interesting.. Package: A 50 gram tin with a somewhat cheap version of the old stately artwork. First: I never really imagined smoke the legendary The Balkan Sobranie. Top of the top. 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(!) Im not very fond of Latakia heavy blends and was pleasantly surprised that the Latakia doesnt overpower the Orientals or Virginias. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos That and its uncompromising flavour do not augur success with the masses. And, I will not ever, EVER, pay as much for a tobacco again. Really this is different tale, but the 40 year old stuff is the real deal as far as im concerned . Tin appearance of black, dark brown and medium dark leaf comprise this magical blend. For a very broad reference I would say it is somewhere between Esotericas Penzance and G.L. A fine grey ash results and despite the high Latakia content it doesn't flavour the pipe too much. It smoked cool, it burned well, and the balance and flavor was fantabulous. The job ended before I did. This blend is the peak for me: 10+ out of 10! After having smoked Rattray's Black Mallory, Pease Caravan, Renaissance and Samarra, and Esoterica's Penzance, I now understand the difference between a Balkan and an English. Posted by Bob Sizemore on 8th Jan 2023 Didn't particular like. Never had the chance to try this one, because It's never in stock, I use to check it here every day for a year, I gave up. Balkan Sobranie The return of the classic original Balkan Sobranie blend. I simply loved the flavor. Escudo Navy De Luxe Pipe Tobacco I just received 50 more grams of it in today's mail. 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). I almost feel that one star is too good for it! The overall flavor profile reminds me of a glass of Lagavulin scotch thoroughly diluted with seltzer water. This one gets two stars. I removed the cake of tobacco and set out to re-hydrate it thus: Placed in a kitchen type strainer (sieve) over a pot of boiling water for a few moments the tobacco softened. Finally got some, opened it up looked and smelled fantastic. I need to find a source, because I'd smoke this all winter. In my typically college age bulletproof life of 35+ years ago, I remember buying the weird knife top tin of this spectacular baccy in Peterson's on 42nd St in NYC. IF you can obtain it. I found it somewhat similar to penzance which I prefer over anything else. Virginias, and other fine tobaccos for a bold, earthy smoking experience with notes I cannot compare this to the original, but on its own merit, this was one great smoke. The 1980's and later versions used Cyprian Latakia which added a little different sweetness to the mix. First third of the bowl is quite mellow and mild, but the flavour and complexity increases the further down the bowl you go. Sasieni, Macedonia Mixture, Odesa, and on and on. It's no hype when it comes to this blend. Probably. The cut was rather coarse and zigzagy, not quite a proper ribbon cut, and the tin note was tangy, sort of fermented, because of the orientals. I've never had tongue bite from a Balkan before. I was young and callous and therefore felt that this blend was very harsh. Oh boy, now what? but still smooth. I was lucky enough to get a sample of this legendary blend, and I just had to do a review. It works for me. Legendary. Finally got to smoke my fabled white whale, Balkan Sobranie.TRANSCENDENCE!!! The quality of the tobacco is excellent. 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. Its good. 1, I'm not quite sure how old this can is as it was a gift and 2, I did not smoke my usual 2oz for the review. What can I say about this blend. I guess I first tried it nearly 35 years ago. I dont really find the blinds to be similar but this one stands on its own is a goo d Balkan. An all day well balanced smoke. I prefer it in the truck on a road trip, or in the evening sitting in my smoking chair. Very happy to see it reintroduced. Ok ..lets all get over the Balkan Sobraine tag because this stuff isn't anything like the stuff I smoked in the '60's and 70's, in fact, it reminds me of Bill Baily's Balkan a bit. Product: Balkan Sobranie Balkan Sobranie 50g, Just a few hours after the e-mail, I miss it again, that only after a few hrs of being available it's again sold out I have been told that Smoker's Haven 'Our Best Blend' is a near-match to the Balkan Sobranie white, and that their Exotique is very similar to the Balkan Sobranie black. Isadore Redstone sensed this void in 1995 and negotiated with the Lane Company to manufacture the old blend under a new name "Balkan Saseini." It's a shag cut, with pronounced latakia and musty smelling orientals. He was instrumental in my starting to smoke a pipe in the early 80's as he hated my cigarette habit. I remembered a friend describing to me that the difference between the "old" and "new" is the Latakia in the "new" is more noticable. Conclusion: Applause! Pipe News |, |About 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.