I was very sad. Balkan Sobranie Pipe Tobacco | Smokingpipes.com 10/12/07 ? All rights reserved. Dan Tobacco Pipe Tobacco This spectacular blend stands on top of the rostrum of the Hall of Fame, together with famous 759, and only few others. We will deny any order we believe has been placed by a minor. Here is what my journey eventually brought me to. It was to me simply unique. Four stars despite the number of changes that occurred. Are there better bl ends? I can't improve on Leiconnsel's descriptions of opening the lid with the built-in knife, and of the multiple layers of aroma and flavor. Free Shipping You know how things get distorted after so many years "ahh, those were the GOOD old days.". This is fact for both, The Balkan Sobranie and the 759 Mixture. I simply loved the flavor. View All (61) Balkan Sobranie Balkan Sobranie 50g Reviews. In fact, the difference might be compared to that between the Glenfiddich Scotch (sharp) and the Glenlivet Scotch (soft), albeit not so distinct?. I try to pick a time when I can set aside an hour to sit quietly and enjoy this fine tobacco. It has cost 8 Euros for 50 grams and I have no problem with that, I'd pay twice the price. As far as Italy is concerned BSOM does remain the only mixture you can truly name "balkan". I simply loved the flavor. I smoke Virginia. By: Smeckma. BUT it is a very nice baccy all the same; mild, well-behaved and very smooth indeed. Im glad I got it and will continue to smoke it until its gone. The orientals are definitely the main player here, they're spicy and complex. My efforts were rewarded today with my first bowl ever of Balkan Sobranie. This BSOM makes you reach for that elusive flavor with each draw. 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. After a couple of years, I was also gifted with a small portion of a pouch of real early 80's Sobranie White. The king of balkans! Sure, a truly faithful representation would cost a lot, but what a ready market in the curious, and in anyone else who wanted to smoke heaven to the extent his budget permitted. Had a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. It was dry as dust, despite being sealed. As for the nicotine it was rather medium, but that was offset with the full-bodied smoking experience. (Or by virtue of present supply, Sasieni). Anyway, back to the smoke at hand. Perhaps its uniqueness is one of the reasons why so many pipers love it. As others wrote before, the current production has really few to do with the old. I smoked it constantly from 1975 through the early eighties, sporadically since then till it's disappearance. Current Stock: Decrease Quantity: Increase Quantity: Add to Wish List. Not when Hearth &am p; Home makes an equally good and much more available blend. If you ever get to try this blend, don't rush past savoring the pouch aroma! The ribbon cut was tricky to load, and if clumped up could cause voids. Tobaccos Treasure Island (Spiced Rum) Rated 4.89 out of 5 $ 5.50 - $ 54.99 Select options. So with that in mind, I find the new Original Mixture to have the same creamy/savory quality of the 90's mixture. Smoked Balkan Sasieni.loved it. Balkan Sobranie - The Country Squire Tobacconist 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. It was new and perfect one ! To everything there is a season, if I may coin a phrase. Legendary. The unequalled art of original TBS and 759 is the most perfect ever marriage of the very best Latakia with the very best Orientals in a bed of robust Virginia, delivering an overwhelming palette of aromas. If my wallet actually agreed with me, I would be seeking out much more of this wonderful English blend. It has now disappeared altogether. 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. AAHhhhhhhh. escaped her lips. 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. So I'm writing what I think I recall here. Peaceable puffing. 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. Perhaps a Sobranie cocktail cigarette once every few months. . The sad part is that this tobacco is no more. The Latakia presence is less intrusive, and as a whole it is a very satisfactory smoke. Not sure what to make of this. I do hope they reintroduce the 759 as I would be more intersested in it, but they have done a fine job with this. Packing/lighting: Packs well with a lot of spring. I follow the Machiavalian point of..availability. Curisoty and the words of that tobacconist, got the better of me when I saw an unopened tin from the sixties on Ebay. this blend builds up to a medium to full strength. Mo's flavor profile seems right to me. I have about 1.5 ounces left and it will only be smoked with good friends. Balkan Sobranie Pipe Tobacco (1.76oz) - Hiland's Cigars It was a beautiful blend just like it was in the 1980s. 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. Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco. Leiconnsel, yours is the finest review I've ever read here. A crowning achievement in the tobacco blending craft without question. Germaine is producing some of the finest tobacco available and this is no exception. A wonderful smoke. The quality of the tobacco is very high. I was telling that story to my wife a year ago, and started getting back int to the pipe since then. The above review doesn't cover the current version. It is my understanding that the version that I was smoking was not the quality of tins sold in the 1970's. Almond butter, butter cream frosting, meringue, brown bread, plum pudding, candied fruit, pinot noir, armagnac. This is SOMEWHAT of a comparision, understanding that I am comparing a new tin verses an aged tin and the 90's era Original Mixture was, by most accounts, not the best era of the blend. This review is for the old, original Balkan Sobranie, prior to the removal from the US market. They've been sold out. Those who regularly smoke them in the past, already know. When he passed, I was notified by his widow that I had been left his cellar and pipe collection. In just a few minutes I judged that the tobacco was moist enough, placed it on a dish and then a few minutes later, into a "ZipLock"?.After allowing the moisture to migrate throughout, overnight: Sobranie vs. Sasieni The pouch aroma is very inviting (noticeably more so than Sasieni). It works for me. I've heard that its inclusion is why Balkan was labelled a ?smoking mixture? And there may have been some pressed bright Virginia as well. Maybe tobacco grown in the Balkan region has some affect on the flavor. It is not really bad, but something got lost in the transition. After a few puffs, the tobacco flavors begin to meld & it just keeps getting better until the very end. As I smoke this down the flavors mix nicely, and I'm done too soon. 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. tin. it has been 40 years since I have smoked any. Another old favourite of mine back in the day. Sampled from a fairly fresh 50g pouch which would be almost twenty years old by now. Smoking this mixture was a unique experience. Penzance now that is another story :) Hope this helps those who can't get their hands on it I speak the truth, my friends. Roomnote: The old Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture was (in)famous for it's for most people baaaad roomnote. My initiation into pipe smoking was with a tin of this 'nectar' Yes, I was permanently spoiled. Be patient your time will come.. One day the manufacturer stops making the blend or closes their doors. Very happy to see it reintroduced. Awesome smoke and definitely the finest Balkan I've tried so far! . 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). Smoked Balkan Supreme.love yet again. Trouble is finding it!. Hours of Operation: Our website is always open and you can place an order at any time. What can I say about this blend. I left out room note as I lived alone at that time. Sorry, persons under the age of 18 cannot use this site. I signed up for email alerts thinking it would never happen. The very first thing that stands out for me is how "buttery" the Orientals are in this blend verses others. For joy. I usually don't enjoy latakia, but i do enjoy a balkan blend from time to time. Similar Blends: My favorite, Wilke's Crystal Palace. It is almost all black and had compressed, so I broke it and rubbed it out. The original Balkan Sobranie is the holy grail of pipe tobacco, and when even its subsequent, inferior versions garner four stars from virtually every reviewer in these pages, it deserves more than a few words from an old codger who's never found an acceptable substitute. 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. Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Balkan Sasieni - Tobacco Reviews Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje? |, We use the SafeSurf Rating System to signify that PipesMagazine.com is for adults only. Pipe News |, |About Afterwards, it loaded nicely and lit without trouble. Better, he used to say, to let the expert blenders blend and then find what you like rather than try and have a store, or you yourself, do the mixing. Balkan Sobranie We would have to do a separate review for every issue of this legendary tobacco. This is my first and regretfully one of few remaining experiences with this wonderful tobacco; angels doing the tango on my tongue. Tobacco Reviews | Sobranie of London - The Balkan Sobranie Really good stuff excellent flavor & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. Don't see something you want? It only was a matter of time that someone would want to bring out the legend again. What I wanted to do is to see if this tobacco lived up to my memory of it. I had the good luck to come across a previously opened but sealed tin, half full, stored in a consistent temperature. After a decade, being reminded of the Sobranie flavor made me want to buy a pipe and some tobacco ASAP. 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. The more recent version, however, was absolutely disgusting. Join Our Mailing List! I'm glad to hear your thoughts. This was sampled from a fairly fresh eight year old, 50g Gallaher's pouch back in 2010; This BSOM makes you reach for that elusive, sweetness with each draw. If I had to choose but one tobacco this would be it. 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? It clings to itself almost like a shag. It is too late and the tins that are still around are selling for hundreds each or more. I remember this was what it was to smoke a pipe. Balanced to a fault, yet it's the sum of its ingredients that makes it so distinctive and so hard to imitate. The brand was originally produced by Sobranie of London in 1920, and became a top-selling brand worldwide. If you smoke yourself you will not notice that but people around you will utter their displeasure. Very neutral aroma that does not disturbs the room. 'But none' have even come mildly close in anyway-as far as I am concerned. I don't know any of the ingredient ratios, but I was told that the ratios changed every year to compensate for seasonal changes in the individual ingredients' strength and taste. PS: Save your coin if you think that Sasieni is going to get you any closer to those bygone days I personally think it's somewhat better than BS but not much. 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. It's kind of funny. I wish I could. I spend a few days carefully rehydrating the contents to the perfect RH %. The blend was fairly dark and seemed to pack very well. You must log in or register to reply here. I wanted to make sure my review didn't reflect a myth. The 1990s and later versions have drier in taste than it was in the 1980s, due to the decrease in the red Virginia, which disappeared by the mid-1990s. Balkan Sobranie Pipe Tobacco - Cup O' Joes I remembered a friend describing to me that the difference between the "old" and "new" is the Latakia in the "new" is more noticable. Yet at the same time, it is cool, smooth, soft, and velvetly. It probably was the best Balkan mixture long ago and it's a shame it disappeared. Balkan Sobranie. Dating back to around the 1920s, this is a combination of wonderful Virginias, excellent Orientals and enough Latakia for a robust and flavorful mixture. Like probably so many other pipers, I eagerly awaited the opportunity to find this blend in stock and purchase. It was cheaper, and it had the stronger flavor I liked without being Galoises(sp?). After waiting for over a year, I finally got a chance to try it. Not a terribly expensive blend, so value is not really a concern. I think I prefer 759 more than this one. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Virginia supporting. Exceptionally over-hyped based on the name alone. I already asked to seek further into the depths of his store, but with no result. 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. Ones ?below? Balkan Sobranie literally was Our Best Blend at that time. I added only a small portion of the cavendish (about 1/3 of what the other tobaccos were. I had no trouble keeping the pipe lit, and was pleased I chose a group six pipe to smoke it in. They also make all the Esotericas. [email protected] Use Coupon Code "SPECIAL15" On Order Over $190 And Get 15% Discount. I've never had tongue bite from a Balkan before. I prefer to take it slow, just so thin wisps of smoke emit from the pipe. Im not very fond of Latakia heavy blends and was pleasantly surprised that the Latakia doesnt overpower the Orientals or Virginias. I just smoked one of my last bowls. I feel I need more time to deliberate upon the subtley. Perhaps all of the above. Anyway I am basically a English/ Balkan smoker Very few other satisfy. It was totally different with other balkan or other latakia. 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. If this were not a gift, I could not justify the outrageous prices I have seen ($100-165. Please let me know: pearsond -at- odsgc.net. Orientals dominate the taste, almost to the exclusion of all else. Four stars, because of its good quality and its history. 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. Note to "sounds7": For your taste, how many "parts" of the Wellauers Latakia do you use? Mid-bowl: Aah! I feel like a snobby tobacco smoker when this is in my pipe. 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. Plenty of names of non site sponsors mentioned. Nope. Carey Magic Inch Briar Tobacco Smoking Pipes, Captain Black Pipe Tobacco Pouches & Cans, or for half the price, try our English Blend No. Surely not! Absolutely wonderfully done by J. F. Germain & Son who prove their well earned reputation! I opened this tin given to me as a gift by dm14 and I thank him for it. In my early days of pipe smoking, I was on the quest for the best tobacco. For that reason, we limit the purchase of this tin to one per customer. tobacco that gives this blend its characteristic flavour and aroma. What to compare it to? And I truly mean that. Won't bite or get harsh. 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. Despite that I was allowed to finish the bowl, the darling :) So here also: points for authenticity! I can find nothing wrong with any aspect of this blend, if in stock constantly it would be my every day/ all day smoke. The tobacco for what it is worth did seem a bit dry (just the way I like it). Alas, the blend changed. I simply loved the flavor. It reminds me of two blends sort of: Pease's Charing Cross and Bohemian Scandal. Is this new iteration of the blend worthy of all the hype? This Balkan Sobranie pipe tobacco is a reintroduction of the legendary original recipe made famous I find Nightcap, Penzance and Black Mallory to be more complex. I was fortunate enough to come across some on ebay at a resoanble price (of course it was only for the packaging). 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. You are lucky indeed. The 1990s and later versions have drier in taste than it was in the 1980s, due to the decrease in the red Virginia, which disappeared by the mid-1990s. The tobacco came super-dry in the pouch and required almost a month of rehydration. It burns very cleanly and leaves a white/grey ash. I haven't gotten the percentages down to a science but I started with equal portions of the virginia's, Orientals, and Yenidge. on SP.com, with quantity-based discounts as well. Very tasty and I feel this blend is one most any pipe smoker would find pleasurable. It's the same for Dunhill, Rattray and other traditional brands. It's 1977 and my local Tobacconist at the Alpine Haus in Casper, Wyoming sold me a tin saying, this was the best. The light unflavored soda note or two along with some dry wood, earth, floralness from the yenidje is always noticeable. There is an acidic nuttiness like roasted walnuts, and a perfect sweetness as well. This is due to the blend's extremely limited production. in any case, all humor aside, it hasnt effected the quality of the smoke. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component. Notify me when this product becomes available! I started loving the pipe when I was a teen. Currently made by Germain in UK. I shall give you my evaluation in a few days need I say more about the experience of the first bowl this morning. Very rich complex flavors.. Worth every penny! I smoke this in a group 5 straight billiard and it is quite nice with hot tea, coffee, or in the evening with a fine single malt scotch. Also, I'd not get any sweet or earthy notes from the virginia leaf. Ran out in the late 80's. I still have a dozen unopened tins from 1981 and 1982. This is perhaps the most interesting review thread on here, dedicated as it is to a legend rather than to anything that still exists. Ah well, this is a blend so beloved, that many have tried to replicate it but none have succeeded for this very reason. Before the (retroactive) taste test, here's some more history. I finally summoned the courage to open the first tin. 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. British pipes were it, and though Joe had other makes on hand, I don't remember any Danish or Italian goods. Thanks for the recommendations! The tobacco ? Stop the madness boys you're reviewing something that no longer exists. I thought I had found my tobacco. It was worth the wait. A few pouches from the mid-nineties survive and I hope they keep well. I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this. Combustibility: As with every version I know, excellent. $7.99. Well, this has finally become unavailable to me. I often mixed it with other tobaccos to get something closer to what I wanted, sometimes adding some perique or cavendish.
