Maybe the preparation or selection of red & brown Virginias topped off with tasty Yenidje, possibly a Coumarin infusion? I still have a dozen unopened tins from 1981 and 1982. I will always share a bowl of this with my best pipe friends, as everyone should have that luxury once in their life. The taste is medium. The stars are unrelated to this spectacular tobacco. 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. That and its uncompromising flavour do not augur success with the masses. Sorry, persons under the age of 18 cannot use this site. Log ged in and had two in less than 30 seconds. Nothing I could expect, as well as the beautiful contrasted colours and the oily texture of the tobacco in the tin. This is my first and regretfully one of few remaining experiences with this wonderful tobacco; angels doing the tango on my tongue. It's a great mouth pipe, hand pipe, and sitter. Nice rough cut and really slow burning. 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. Do your self a favor and try at least one tin you won't be sorry. My 5 star rating is based on the original blend but I have never tried this newer iteration. As far as Italy is concerned BSOM does remain the only mixture you can truly name "balkan". Unfortunatley production of this tobacco will cease at the end of this year, so I will be stocking up as much of it as I can for the furure. I simply loved the flavor. In fact, I'm now finding some of my previous favorite blends to be lacking. 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. Cyprian latakia is present along with turkish in the nose. I would like to start out by saying that i am extremely annoyed by the two main ways this blend seems to be reviewed.. on the one hand, there is the reactionary camp who compare their current experience to the echoes of memories of long lost years.. then there is a progressive camp that seems all too willing to embrace and wax poetic on something they have recently discovered. There has been so much praise written already about this blend and on this day I can say that it is all true! If you have a chance to try some, by all means, do it. I know it seems heresy to give this blend three stars. Nunca esta disponible, pero es de lo mejor que nunca jamas he probado, un equilibrio y sabor casi perfecto a un precio correcto. I don't think it was ever labelled by Smokers' Haven. Better! The virginias appear to be aged nicely. 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. Filters. I must confess I did not notice the Turkish in the beginning but later during the smoking it came to my attention and the experience was not all that superb. Ok, I'm a bit of a nicotine wuss so I do not smoke it on an empty stomach. If you stop being attentive to the way you smoke, it can bite. Almost no sweetness, the olive notes tasted rancid, and the latakia was so muted as to be undetectable. On lighting, I was struck by the overwhelming depth that is so rare in any blend these days and the distinctive taste of the special Orientals in this classic. It was smoked easily until the end of the bowl. 2023 TobaccoPipes.com Not a terribly expensive blend, so value is not really a concern. It was, however, obvious that the tobacco had become thoroughly dried over the years. BSOM has been the very first meeting with latakia mixtures (the second was the John Cotton's 1&2). Samuel Gawith full Virginia Flake (Rubbed out well). Upon lighting I noticed a very nice sweetness playing with Latakia it was unparalleled. I'm nursing my limited supply. If nothing else, they served as the inspiration for the whole genre of Balkan mixtures available today, and some of my favorite blends fall into that category (Odyssey, Abingdon, Magnum Opus, Wilderness, etc.). Pease. Burns cool, clean and a tad fast as its thinner cut now. The burn is cool, smooth and easy to maintain. I wish I could. Between 1965 and 1970 I smoked pound after pound of the real Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture. Ok, now to the tobacco. Again, whatever. It is a lost age. A very good friend of mine that smoked pipe since his youth in the 1930's passed away a couple of years ago. 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. There is very little of the campfire and leather latakia-type taste. One cannot regret smoking this, it really is a great smoke. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It's hard to add to the excellent reviews of this wonderful tobacco. I see people trying to sell 1 year old tins for upwards of $40 a piece just because of the scarcity of the blend. I'll start with the presentation in the tin. The last part of the bowl is the best as all the different tobaccos harmoniously sing together. Yes, WAS. I said, no problem I'll buy it from you. I have read so much about this blend I had to try it. 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). If my wallet actually agreed with me, I would be seeking out much more of this wonderful English blend. but still smooth. Thanks. 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. It is legendary for a reason, and it certainly isn't nostalgia. I am no expert, but this stash is an education for the senses. THE LEGEND. I cannot add anything significant to your eloquence. Tobacco is a thin ribbon cut of black and brown, with a little tan mixed in. If I had plenty of money, I'd have piles of Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture in the cellar. Not when Hearth &am p; Home makes an equally good and much more available blend. Put my name on the list to try the new one out. Dan Tobacco Pipe Tobacco Though the original manufacturer has since ceased production, Germain's revives the iconic blend, comprising Latakia, Orientals, and Virginias for an exceptionally traditional English mixture. Customer satisfaction Over 30.000 customers. I welcome other reminiscences, additions, corrections; but, N.B. It has a sweet & salty flavor with an enticing aroma. This pipeweed is certainly an icon and one of the best oriental blends out there. I see why this blend commands a premium. For my tastes, the #1 of all of these Hall of Fame blends. No bite whatsoever. or Best Offer +$5.40 shipping. Does this sound contradictory? I'm glad that I was able to enjoy this rarity at a time when it was perhaps at it's best, and wish I had stashed a few tins away to be happily re- discovered. Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco. I have not tried either yet. Its tangy,Smokey and sweet at the same time. 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. To enjoy this blend, the best way is use a pipe with small bowl. . Very neutral aroma that does not disturbs the room. 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. Awesome smoke and definitely the finest Balkan I've tried so far! Sadly, though, it's not hard to understand why. The pouch aroma is of very intense, almost overwhelming Latakia. The return of the classic Balkan Sobranie now manufactured by JF Germain in the British Isles! There are other options like the mentioned here from Peretti and White Knight , Magnum Opus and others. and elsewhere. And yesss, halfway the bowl the oriental tobaccos (I think Kavalla) are coming to the front. Who knows? I remember coming home with a can of Balkan Sobranie. For some reason, this seems to be listed twice here, so this review is the same as the Sobranie of London entry. Virginia, Latakia, Yenidje (oriental) of the best quality. I won't go into the more esoteric territories trying to describe it (others have done a good job on that already, both for the original and the reincarnation), suffice to say I do enjoy it, but not every day and in modest quantities. 50g Ribbon Description 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. Most related blends already contain Virginia and latakia, so the ratios are problematical. As time went on and I matured, this blend slowly grew on me . 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. RF 2K702D2 - Kyiv, Ukraine - September 03, 2022: A pack of Sobranie Gold cigarettes closeup on white. 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.) Unfortunately, the versions I've tried ranged from "decent but unspectacular" to "horrible." The smell alone is divine. After a couple of years, I was also gifted with a small portion of a pouch of real early 80's Sobranie White. 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. this blend builds up to a medium to full strength. Disclaimer: This review is based on four bowls as this is a late 80's tin and I am savoring it slowly due to its demise. But 18 months ago the blend changed and was but a shadow of its former self, a truly dark day had dawned. 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. |Join I loved it. The cut is a fine shag like the ribbon which is a little finicky getting lit and keeping it so but chalking that up to a moisture thing mostly I believe. This starts out with a nice, sharp flavor of latakia and orientals and is perfectly balanced. But is it good, absolutely. I get my email notification go straight there to order & poof gone! Many other blends have the same problem. Resembling the tobacco in my 1981 tin. The sad part is that this tobacco is no more. They, too, were masterpieces. The flavor becomes more balanced as you get into the first quarter of the bowl. Matter of personal preference. It only was a matter of time that someone would want to bring out the legend again. The aroma and flavors are very much in sync. Shows what they know. Germain's Balkan Sobranie is a fantastic Balkan mixture. Most of the time, I like stronger blends over weaker ones and in larger pipes than smaller ones. I occasionally pack up some Sobranie just to enjoy it, and I fully believe the tales of yore about how good this blend was. The winelike aroma of the virginias translates to the flavor and is sublime in the mix. In fact, the difference might be compared to that between the Glenfiddich Scotch (sharp) and the Glenlivet Scotch (soft), albeit not so distinct?. I won't waste time on deep rambling discourse. Free Shipping Two stars, because of its good quality and its history. Nice english, occasionally a hint of soap on the lat. There is an acidic nuttiness like roasted walnuts, and a perfect sweetness as well. Sampled from a fairly fresh 50g pouch; This BSOM makes you reach for that elusive flavor with each draw. follow discussion on this recipe here and if you have anything to add please chime in. Although, you may want to let the tobacco dry a bit before smoking. Try a Sutliff match blend, Balkan Sasieni are better than this. Purchased From: Some tobacconist in Spain. He was instrumental in my starting to smoke a pipe in the early 80's as he hated my cigarette habit. The above review doesn't cover the current version. To say the least, Ed's Balkan is superb, try it and see if it matches the Sobranie blend. 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. Give it some time to age, and it's easily one of the best Balkans on the market. But I may be deceived. . The mystique surrounding this blend from years past is well deserved. British pipes were it, and though Joe had other makes on hand, I don't remember any Danish or Italian goods. leaves fingers a bit sticky from the natural tobacco oils, not from humectants. Rocky Mountains USA but I'm an Irishman at heart. This one gets two stars. 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). Supply < Demand, . 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. I have smoked for three years this unforgettable tobacco. Top of the top. 2 Reviews; 2 Reviews. Out of stock tobaccos are still offered as always. I do not like to smoke this outdoors. You could taste the latakia and orientals, but they were not ove rstated. 2(No detectable difference was found when compared to Balkan Sobranie)for Only $9.95 with no limit on the number of tins!! Here's the package of Balkan Sobranie cigarettes for the people never saw it. Find the perfect balkan sobranie stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. I smoke Virginia. I prefer to take it slow, just so thin wisps of smoke emit from the pipe. Nic-hit was felt in the mouth and throat but nowhere else. 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. It was worth the wait. The more recent version, however, was absolutely disgusting. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) here is the perfection and my score is 10 with eulogy and obviously 4 stars. What else can I say about this blend that hasn?t already been said? I already asked to seek further into the depths of his store, but with no result. I suppose I should move on and find something that grants me such pleasure again. it has been 40 years since I have smoked any. Super clean taste. Usually one tamp and relight. There were also undertones of olives and spice. Not terrible, but nowhere as good as the many Dunhill mixtures I occassionally got to try. This tobacco is so fine that if it was food you were eating, you'd want to regurgitate it and eat it again. There aren't any really. I'm impressed by the quality vs. price. My taste changed to a matured virgina, by 1966, especially in plug form and today is still my first choice. This is by far the best English Balkan blend ever made including the suppose Gallagher version. People say 965 is the standard to judge English mixtures by. I suggest trying to find your local brick and mortar because none of us will ever get it on here. smokers to be superior. In short..the blend against which all others must be compaired (save Red Raparee). Packing and Lighting: easy to pack, but a little fussy to light. An all day smoke that lacks the depth and complexity of past manufactures. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to smoke plenty of TBS for many years. I smoked a good amount of it, but largely because there were so few latakia blends that were easily available. This spectacular blend stands on top of the rostrum of the Hall of Fame, together with famous 759, and only few others. Nevertheless to me it's still a high quality tobacco. Rewarding to smoke. Part of that is that I've missed the glory days of Sobranie. copyright intellectual property of the reviewer and STC Holdings LLC and may not be In its aged form, I still prefer 759. Posted by Bob Sizemore on 8th Jan 2023 Didn't particular like. It's similar to Sasieni, just the balance of the blend is more harmonious. It is not a Latakia blast; however, the Latakia is more in the background keeping the groove solid as a drummer often does in jazz. Ones ?below? JavaScript is disabled. To me the (alleged) Smyrna provides a delicious musty, spicy note that I don't have the pleasure of tasting often. To be able to enter the world of English/Balkan mixtures this way, spoiled me. Finally got some, opened it up looked and smelled fantastic. The smoke intensifies through the bottom part of the bowl, with the low notes coming as a nice contrast to the bright sourness of the first light. On ebay, astronomical amounts were (and still are) asked and paid for these tobaccos. The deep bitter sweet undertones of the mixture, combined with a certain degree of mineral saltiness had me transfixed, as if submerged within Alban Berg's music; a beatific state interrupted only when the wife, alarmed at the strong odor, would barge into the room--broom in hand--to chase me out of the house. This tobacco in my humble opinion should be the standard by which all Balkans are judged by, it is that good. . The sweetness is there, the smoothness is there, the complexity is impressive, the Latakia is not overwhelming. Note to "sounds7": For your taste, how many "parts" of the Wellauers Latakia do you use? I opened this tin given to me as a gift by dm14 and I thank him for it. 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. Happy Smoking! I like this blend, holp it will be steady supplied. I would call it a shame, but there are too many truly great mixtures around now to mourn this stuff at all. Rarely, is that the case with a balkan. It works for me. For those who like how the Latakia played with the Turkish, and both were supported by Virginias, smoke either GLPease's Westminster, or Cornell & Diehl's 968R (Red Odessa). That being said it hasn't degraded too much and still is a extremely fine tobacco. 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. Super smooth, blended perfectly. I hope that the folks at Germain have considered the demand and are prepared to meet it rather than leaving pipe smokers frustrated with a lack of supply. The year tells you how good it is. I just opened a 200 gram gold foil bag of the three remaining I purchased in 1967. Sutliff Match Pipe Tobacco Victorian (Dunhill Elizabethan) $2.68 - $146.87. Is it worth 100.00 a tin, no. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great. The amount of red Virginia was decreased by 1982. 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 2011 Chicago Pipe Show's "Balkan Sobranie Throwdown" was a competition to see who could produce a blend that most perfectly emulated the revered Balkan mixture. The tobacco ? I remember it being leathery and spicy, not my cup of tea at the time. Not all will try it, but those who do will weep again. (50 Grams) Packaging: Tin Limit One Tin Per Customer It smells like sandlewood incense! A cool and long-lasting smoke. I first tried this in college. Their room note bespeaks a gentleman's presence. I guess I first tried it nearly 35 years ago. Blended and aged in the British Isles, Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture is comprised primarily of Latakia with a mixture of Orientals, Virginias, and other fine tobaccos for a bold, earthy smoking experience with notes of spice and a mild sweetness. I can easily believe they were every bit as great as their reputation claims. I'm going to try to find a steady source for this, but can't afford to shell out the $25/pouch I gave for these. I am rooting for them as this is very highly recommended! And the same beginning as with Mixture 759. The fine ribbon cut needs some airing out. Unfortunately, by now the cigarette industry had turned its unblinking eye upon turkish tobacco, consuming all there was. Anybody out there game? Limit One Tin Per Customer It's a slow burning, cool and dry smoke with an incense like aroma, very smooth. Pipe: GBD Bull Moose, group 3 bowl Cut: rubbed out, moisture on the perfect side of dry. He considered the Cognac the perfect shape, growing thicker as the smoke proceeded, keeping the pipe cool. The outstanding characteristic of this blend, to me, is the complexity and changing nature through the course of the bowl. 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. As time went on and I matured, this blend slowly grew on me . Now I know how was the original and now i can compare. Oh yeah, I forgot, "It's not the way it used to be, when it had yenidje, and I walked up hill both ways to school during blizzards, and used pliers to pull out my own tooth". Sampled from a fairly fresh 50g pouch which would be almost twenty years old by now. If you want to obtain a tin you have to keep an eye out on international fora and tobacco sites and just be VERY lucky because when it is available, poefff it's already gone.. Appearance: Over 80% black leaf, with a few nut brown to dark brown strands, ready rubbed in a medium cut ribbon. It almost borders on being monochromatic unless smoked slowly. Having now tried this blend, I can now rationalize the crazy prices I see on the web. This remains, for me, the quintessential balkan blend, characterized by the strong oriental elements, but with enough Virginia to provide complexity and sweetness. Primarily floral notes upon the nose, delicate once humified. The tin note was nice. I need to first say that below, Leiconnsel's review must be the gold standard for all reviews on this amazing blend. Another reason I think it's Smyrna, and please correct me if it isnt, is that when smoked fresh it is a little harsh on my tongue and palate. It lights well, and burns fairly slowly as is typical for latakia/oriental blends. This is kind of like hearing a pipe organ with a big 32 foot stop after hearing smaller ones for a while. Funny how all the tobacco is in the old closet of a humidor that had been the cigar area, and the cigars are now in a nice large humidor up front where the tobacco had been. If all this good smoke is coming from the tobaccos alone, that's incrediblealmost magical! 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. Now I am back to the pipe after a time out for raising two great sons. Perhaps it was the tin that attracted me, the white one with the two women on the front. Alas, the blend changed. Maybe tobacco grown in the Balkan region has some affect on the flavor. Esoterica Pipe Tobacco The job ended before I did. I find it to be better balanced and the flavor is outstanding. The virginias provide a solid backdrop for the supporting cast of Turkish tobacco of which, to my tastes at least, Smyrna (not izmir) is the star. Balkan could smoke wet if you didn't dry it out just right, and hot and bitey if too dry. I bewailed the last tin in my Weed Store, sold to an undeserving oik who wanted to try 'Sumfin' new. I smoked a few tins of this several years ago (before it became a classic) and found it good but unmemorable. Oriental tobacco was standardized and sold uniformly, no more to be readily had as the local varietals with exotic names. Both should be tried. Balkan Sobranie. When he passed, I was notified by his widow that I had been left his cellar and pipe collection. The whole pouch seemed like a big pouch of black cav. . As such it is an oriental fronted mixture balanced with a good amount of Latakia, where the Latakia never seems to take over. $7.99. It was dry as dust, despite being sealed. Joe made a similar agreement with GBD, and became the largest distributor of that pipe in the world. Outsanding!! ==Highly Recommended!== prep. The smell was heavenly. Like most germain produced tobaccos sobranie dries to a certain point in a rather short time, and I find 20-30 minutes brings it to a nice moisture level, being slightly dry but having that oily texture. Air time and letting it open a bit was all it took to take this to a new level. And even with the utmost care and dedication it fatigues my palate after I'm done. This was an open secret at the store by the '60s, and many's the two, four or eight ounce can of Our Best Blend we opened and found inside the Balkan Sobranie rice paper or card stock insert. This has more legends than any other and according to my tobacconist has been going downhill for years. Packing and lighting are straightforward. Smell from the tin: Yummie! It is almost all black and had compressed, so I broke it and rubbed it out. 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. 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. Then it was no fills in Virgins, and then it was fills in them, too. Yes, this tobacco is all that I remembered it to be. Not so heavy, incredibly smooth tobacco, giving a gentle sweetness and a dry, salty smoking that reminds me of Syrian Latakia.It was smoked easily until the end of the bowl. The 1980's and later versions used Cyprian Latakia which added a little different sweetness to the mix. Now to describe the taste! Just lit you almost taste the pure latakia. The "Junk" you're writing about is produced by J.F. I would smoke this one regularly if it were available. Taste: Regarding taste the tobacco is a good mix of the pouch version and my 1981 tin version. 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. 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. The lack of clarity is the fact that the site has two listings for BS [sic] THE B S. If Gary Pease ruled the world you'd all have your pipes confiscated and your palates tested for nerve damage. It was to me simply unique. Tin note of musty sour vegetation and pungent smoky. 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? Similar Blends: No other Balkan on the planet I've tried tastes as good but some have come close Really good stuff & I'm not a big Latakia fan but it facilitates this blend's sweet, creamy, smoky flavor. Never a dull or harsh moment, I savor every sip from the pipe. The Latakia is leathery, smoky with an characteristic peat flavor. The leaf was long and stringy - like seaweed. Anyway, there is more latakia then in the pouch version. The pipe smoking market appears to be . 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. Layer after layer of astonishing tobacco flavor all perfectly put together. This is, indeed, an excellent balkan. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component.

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