balkan sobranie in stock
It leaves the pipe rather clean. I will always share a bowl of this with my best pipe friends, as everyone should have that luxury once in their life. in any case, all humor aside, it hasnt effected the quality of the smoke. Orders over $95 in US, Safe Payments I've tried Balkan Sasieni, the current Balkan Sobranie, the current Best Blend from the current Smokers' Haven, and Balkan Sobranie throughout the '70s, '80s, 90's and '00s, as well as Margate (probably the currrent Best, as Germain now blends for Smokers' Haven, I've heard), Caravan, Penzance, McClelland's Yenidje Highlander and Yenidje Supreme (which lacks latakia), and countless other English/Balkan/Oriental blends from the late-lamented Dunhills to those corner tobacconist bulk-bought or hand blended attempts to clone Balkan. I don't see how one could find fault in this fine blend. Presentation, blending, and moisture aside I put flame to tobacco and it took it quite readily, giving nice volumes of fragrant smoke. Really good stuff excellent flavor & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. Carey Magic Inch Briar Tobacco Smoking Pipes, Captain Black Pipe Tobacco Pouches & Cans, or for half the price, try our English Blend No. I enjoy this but enjoy other English tobaccos better. It needs to be dried out quite a bit before smoking. Latakia plays a front role but is not overwhelming. However, the guys at Ed's Original Tinderbox in Santa Monica hooked me up with their Balkan blend. I never thought a blend containing Latakia could be enjoyed so much until I smoked The BSOM. On opening the pack it has a strong balkan sweet and sour scent (big surprise). Germain & Son has succeeded in producing a worthy version of the legendary Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture! During the pursuit of perfection, excellence was achieved. Packaging: Tin I was telling that story to my wife a year ago, and started getting back int to the pipe since then. Published review content of this website is considered the The BS at that time was basically a latakia dump with just enough VA and oriental leaf to add a hint of sweetness. |Home 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). If this was still available,I'd smoke it at least three time's a day.It must be around 30 year's since I first tried it & loved it!Recently a friend sent me some from the USA & it was like being reunited with your best & favourite friend that you have lost track of for many year's. The best of the very best. By: Smeckma. The job ended before I did. If I had plenty of money, I'd have more Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. And when it is gone, I will miss it. For joy. Is this THE Balkan Sobranie? 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. I don't think it was ever labelled by Smokers' Haven. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Meticulously recreated by JF Germain in England. I find this blend to be smooth, gentle on the tongue and glorious whe n rolled thru my nose. The last part of the bowl is the best as all the different tobaccos harmoniously sing together. Costly but nothing like buying Tins of Sobranie off ebay. I think it was a mistake to name this Balkan Sobranie; it would have done much better as a new blend under its own name and in its own right, because, for what it is, it's actually very good. If you can lay your hands on a pouch, do so. The room note was pretty awful (until you were hooked), almost as gross as that of a yesterday's cigar. I found it somewhat similar to penzance which I prefer over anything else. |Retailer Directory 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. Good English, definitely nowhere near the top. Together with Penzance some of the best tin-smells ever. The strength is a couple of steps short of medium. Very little hydration needed. You must log in or register to reply here. There were many very nice old Dunhill and GBD pipes along with about 50 odd assorted tins of aged tobacco. This is what a pipe tobacco is supposed to be! I think I'll pack another bowl! This review is for the old, original Balkan Sobranie, prior to the removal from the US market. 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 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. The light unflavored soda note or two along with some dry wood, earth, floralness from the yenidje is always noticeable. (50 Grams) I have exceptions to all of the above. A great smoke. I remember this was what it was to smoke a pipe. This is, indeed, an excellent balkan. That being said it hasn't degraded too much and still is a extremely fine tobacco. I gave it a star because I think that it is probably a good blend,but it's always gone instantly. I loved it. Pipe Manufacturer & Retailer Spotlight | Tobacco Shop in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. Legends. Cool and slow burning, it was a tobacco that imposed itself on the smoker, providing a great variety of flavors within the Balkan range. I usually don't enjoy latakia, but i do enjoy a balkan blend from time to time. 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 used to smoke this back in college days and of course, at the time had no idea what I had in my bowl. In my honest opinion the best choice that they could have made! I never had the original one, but this tobacco is quite good in its own right. What I wanted to do is to see if this tobacco lived up to my memory of it. 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. Is this new iteration of the blend worthy of all the hype? Dunhill 965, Standard Medium, and London were in the same range, but smoked quite differently. BUT it is a very nice baccy all the same; mild, well-behaved and very smooth indeed. It is too late and the tins that are still around are selling for hundreds each or more. on SP.com, with quantity-based discounts as well. FREE Shipping on all US orders over $95 | When Will My Package Ship? Because it is with this tobacco as with wine. For my next smoke I will prepare a bit better though, I will leave the tobacco to dry for 15 minutes or so and also I will accompany my pipe with a bottle of strong red Argentinian Syrah or Californian Zinfandel, maybe even Croatian Dingac if my wallet allows it. I must say I am very disappointed. Better! What I was missing in the 1981 version were the oriental tobaccos that halfway the bowl began to sing the dominant part. and elsewhere. They had two and I only bought one to try it. The stars are unrelated to this spectacular tobacco. Bottom of Bowl: It is over too quickly. A wonderful smoke. If youre fortunate enough to find this blend in stock, get it while you can. I find it to be better balanced and the flavor is outstanding. But who could resist, especially after retrieval of an eight ounce can from a ten can rotation, grabbing an immediate smoke? The tinned version (c. 20 years ago) had for me an almost mystical, incense-like quality, very powerful, that somehow induced a trance like state. One day the manufacturer stops making the blend or closes their doors. This is a 2.5 star blend compared to Black House or Nat Sherman 536, rating it "recommended" only if you're determined to try it and can find a tin cheap. Very rich complex flavors.. Worth every penny! Only a few got somewhat near to it. Limit One Tin Per Customer The quality of the tobacco is excellent. It's similar to Sasieni, just the balance of the blend is more harmonious. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) here is the perfection and my score is 10 with eulogy and obviously 4 stars. . I was young and callous and therefore felt that this blend was very harsh. I haven't gotten the percentages down to a science but I started with equal portions of the virginia's, Orientals, and Yenidge. During the pursuit of perfection, excellence was achieved. Complex, but not over the top. The Original BS smoked mellow, cool, dry and somewhat sweet. But let us be honest: the incredible variety of mixtures available today and there are a lot of excellent ones offer several perfectly acceptable and enjoyable alternatives for EVERY pipe smoker. Thousands of pipe smokers have been lamenting since. For me, this is a very difficult tobacco to review as I don't really have anything to compare it to. Size: 1.76 Oz. Balkan Sobraine is the mix to judge any Latakia blend by. 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. Curisoty and the words of that tobacconist, got the better of me when I saw an unopened tin from the sixties on Ebay. This is a pure Turkish smoking experience. The nicotine content is not heavy at all, but a solid medium. I was lucky enough to get a sample of this legendary blend, and I just had to do a review. Because it is so hard to secure, I tend to only allow myself its indulgence at special times (while on vacation, reunionsnew additions to the family, etc.) Those were the three pipes he believed in, BBB, Petersen, Comoy, Sasieni and even Barling having already begun to slide. The pouch aroma is of very intense, almost overwhelming Latakia. 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. 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. Who knows? Outsanding!! Also they have men in service that formerly worked for the House Sobranie. Smoking this mixture was a unique experience. The legendary Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture has now been reintroduced by Arango Cigar Co. So, I finally opened the tin and took my time burning through it. Without question this was the most anticipated tin I have ever opened. Very nuanced, cool and even burning to the bottom of the bowl, but unless you just have to see for yourself or just have to have it for your collection, you probably shouldn't waste your time. A deserved reputation. Finally I was able to secure a tin. And not unimportant, the topping is also spot on! 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. 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. I would call it a shame, but there are too many truly great mixtures around now to mourn this stuff at all. If you are even remotely interested in Balkan blends, you owe it to yourself to try this. I give it a 75. The outstanding characteristic of this blend, to me, is the complexity and changing nature through the course of the bowl. as it blooms midway down the bowl. The flavor is very nice but, could use a bit more weight to it. Four stars despite the number of changes that occurred. The smoke note however was more like what I remembered, though for a more accurate Proustian journey I will have to try to obtain an unopened tin from the 1960's if they still exist. 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? . I wish more could be imported, I think I ordered a tin from here and I have gotten a few elsewhere. It was dry as dust, despite being sealed. A crowning achievement in the tobacco procurement & blending craft without question. Is it as good as the 70's, 60's and before version? The bowl burned downed slowly to a fine ash. Taste of Virginia was somewhat subtle but in good manners, any stronger taste would, in my opinion, interfere with the Latakia and spoil that special feeling. Perhaps all of the above. It lights well, and burns fairly slowly as is typical for latakia/oriental blends. Im not very fond of Latakia heavy blends and was pleasantly surprised that the Latakia doesnt overpower the Orientals or Virginias. 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. This blend did not achieve legendary status for no reason. Here is what my journey eventually brought me to. The first time I tried this tobacco was recently; it was a 6 year old 50g packet that had been well kept. I sprang for two pouches of this from someone selling the stuff in Spain. . Germain's Balkan Sobranie is a fantastic Balkan mixture. Very neutral aroma that does not disturbs the room. The insistent Turkish twang was fun, but not all the time. 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. I now understand why so many bemoan the exodus of this from the US market. I need to first say that below, Leiconnsel's review must be the gold standard for all reviews on this amazing blend. It has now disappeared altogether. Afterwards, it loaded nicely and lit without trouble. 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? 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. Log ged in and had two in less than 30 seconds. I don't see how someone can give it "one star" based on them missing the drop..? It has a grayish hue to it, which upon closer inspection, is a wonderful sparkly crystallization. We will deny any order we believe has been placed by a minor. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Virginia supporting. After using the paper towel method and transferring the whole thing into a jar, I waited for a few days so that the tobacco flavors settle. Oh boy, now what? The finish was not abrupt, not harsh, it just sort of faded away. The quality of the tobacco is very high. Turkish and VA dominate the aroma, but latakia is still there firmly. it touches upon every flavor component.. sweet, bitter, salty, sour, savory, spicy etc.. but it remains one package.. it is not a shocking experience.. it is kind of gentle and simple in a way. U.S).Yes, this is the standard by which all other Balkans are compared to, but I do think Greg Pease has surpassed it IMO. A LEGEND. So it is a keeper. (I use quotes here because I know it has gone through several incarnations and is quite different than what it was decades ago.) 524 (excellent, but not a "Balkan Sobranie") and No. It was worth the wait. The Balkan Sobranie Cigarettes Tobacco Tin - EMPTY - Medium Size $34.00 Free shipping Vintage, THE BALKAN SOBRANIE, No.759 MIXTURE, TOBACCO TIN (4 Inch Diameter) $8.50 $4.50 shipping Tobacco Tins Vintage EMPTY Lot 7 MY LADIES DUNHILL FLAKE BALKAN SOBRANIE & MORE $95.00 $20.15 shipping or Best Offer Initial lighting the Orientals show their true floral, slightly spiced flavors. Much cheaper too, about $2.50/oz. Before lighting the first bowl I was scared by a possible great strength and power. But producing vast quantities, no, they cannot do that. You are lucky indeed. Simply amazing stuff, and I mourn that it's almost gone. It may need a couple of relightings, but after each one of them the taste seems to get even better and richer. My lucky day. 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. Well, it was one of the most pleasant, smooth and complex mixtures I've ever smoked. I've had no luck trying to blend existing blends to emulate the original Balkan. 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). And yet, the aromas and flavors of the other ingredients were not overwhelmed. Before production ended, Balkan Sobranie suffered from a dumbed down recipe and its quality plummeted. Enjoyed the original many moons ago. 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. I need to find a source, because I'd smoke this all winter. Dating back to around the 1920s, this is a combination of wonderful Virginias, excellent Orientals and enough Latakia for a robust and flavorful mixture. To my suprise I received some 5g sample pouoches, some old stuff of no significant meaning, 2 tins of Dunhill 965 murray's and a 50g pouch of Balkan Sobranie. Sadly, though, it's not hard to understand why. Since in Italy it's still fully available, I can submit a review of the latest pouches. Especially in its latest version, which I bought in december 2003 in Venice, the tobacco is drier and stronger and thus obligates me to enjoy it only occasionally. The virginia presents itself in the form of a winelike aroma. I've never seen a tobacco change so much even from year to year (maybe just the Dunhill 965 did). The cut of the tobacco out of the pouch was very rough, and had a good number of twigs, etc. Requires an average number of relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Rattray's did not come close at all. I actually prefer it over Sobranie.. 3 Balkan Supreme. I simply do not like cigarettes and the foul smell and taste of such tobacco! It won?t be easy to find, but it is floating around out there. Join Milan Tobacconists on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest for Real-Time All of that said this is a 4 star smoke. 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. Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco. Medium strangth was fascinated me, nearly full taste was enchanted me. 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? Varia: Regarding lady nicotine you can notice that you are dealing with an "elder" tobacco. The ribbon cut was tricky to load, and if clumped up could cause voids. This is kind of like hearing a pipe organ with a big 32 foot stop after hearing smaller ones for a while. The virginias appear to be aged nicely. Ive got most of the recommended blends here but will have to look into a few of the others. 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. Fresh it is fairly straightforward, a little harsh, full flavored English tobacco. Sutliff Match Pipe Tobacco Victorian (Dunhill Elizabethan) $2.68 - $146.87. I see why this blend commands a premium. So many talented blenders out there these days who have put their spin on it and have done well! On ebay, astronomical amounts were (and still are) asked and paid for these tobaccos. It was truly like meeting an old friend, after many years of not seeing them, and picking right up where we left off. The various component tobaccos weave a tapestry of flavors that seem to change constantly and there is enough Latikia to keep my attention. I picked up exactly that. . 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. As for flavorits ok. Not all will try it, but those who do will weep again. 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. The mixture was overwhelmingly harsh and acrid really vile stuff. Surprisingly, Sutliff's recreation is close to the original. Otherwise who cares I will spend my tobacco money on something else!!!!!!! A typical English blend, in the vein of Dunhill London Mixture and 965, but more rounded and less full in its taste. 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. I say ?real? Free Shipping I am still smoking it occasionally, out of tins remaining from the 70's through the 90's. 400 (closer, but not close enough). Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos The sad part is that this tobacco is no more. There has been so much praise written already about this blend and on this day I can say that it is all true! A calm and smooth creamy smoke with hints of that 'Turkish' taste here and there - but they are very very mild indeed; so mild that you will often forget that they are even there. Despite all of my gripes with the blend I thoroughly enjoy the flavor, and imagine it will become significantly better with age and added complexity. I already asked to seek further into the depths of his store, but with no result. This is not present in the taste, but it stays in the room note from match to the end. Then it was no fills in Virgins, and then it was fills in them, too. Had a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. Rewarding to smoke. Balkan Sobranie. I also like the shag cut because it burns easily without many relights and leaves a gray ash in the bottom of the bowl without excessive moisture contamination. But such pleasure, such balance, such lack of bite, such a variety of delicious flavors melded into a rich, creamy whole that was somehow also light and fleeting. If you receive this confirmation repeatedly, you will need to enable cookies so that your response can be saved. Anstead's Tobacco Company. WARNING: Smokingpipes.com does not sell tobacco or tobacco related products to anyone under the age of 21, nor do we sell cigarettes. I emptied the contents into a mixing bowl and began thoroughly mixing the contents, first by lightly tearing some of the longer shag strands and then pulling the Latakia from the bottom and sprinkling it throughout. I try to pick a time when I can set aside an hour to sit quietly and enjoy this fine tobacco. Not sure what to make of this. Balkan Sobranie is, perhaps, the most legendary pipe tobacco on the market. Perhaps, despite the common wisdom, Balkan used it fresh.