I often mixed it with other tobaccos to get something closer to what I wanted, sometimes adding some perique or cavendish. I sampled a 50 gram foil pack from Italy vintage 2007. Very close to what I remember, perhaps Ed Klopin Sr. wanted to duplicate the mix. 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. This pipeweed is certainly an icon and one of the best oriental blends out there. If you receive this confirmation repeatedly, you will need to enable cookies so that your response can be saved. Tobaccos Treasure Island (Spiced Rum) Rated 4.89 out of 5 $ 5.50 - $ 54.99 Select options. Germain & Son has succeeded in producing a worthy version of the legendary Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture! The strength is a couple of steps short of medium. Lots of moisture. I like it, not as aromatic as I remember from the 70s. I have drank from the Holy Grail and the wine was awesome! This stuff have cool somoke, something light and very rich. O.k., whatever you say. Best were proportionately milder, and the only one stronger than Best was Exotique, which was merely Balkan with some prime cigar leaf added. I ended up scouting for more and managing a few more ounces at outrageous prices. Peaceable puffing. Turkish and VA dominate the aroma, but latakia is still there firmly. Log ged in and had two in less than 30 seconds. Resembling the tobacco in my 1981 tin. it was distinctive enough to evoke comment and to me had a more than discernible hint of leaves being burned on a damp Autumn day in England. Here you can really notice that there is more of the dark smoked leaf in the 2011 version. It does have an interesting history. Four stars despite the number of changes that occurred. A few years ago I became curious about it and was of course shocked to find that original unopened tins were commanding over $100 on ebay. : the more it tries to be, the more it is not. I cannot compare this to the original, but on its own merit, this was one great smoke. . You can see how it is a hard composition to blend, with ingredients often hard to obtain, and whose consistency over 130 years has been variable to say the least! Had a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. I can't describe it to you - I'm not a wordsmith. Ideally, I should have kept it in the freezer. Escudo Navy De Luxe Pipe Tobacco Presentation, blending, and moisture aside I put flame to tobacco and it took it quite readily, giving nice volumes of fragrant smoke. A pipe smokers nirvana. Flavour becomes nuttier as the bowl is smoked and gives off a subtle aroma with an aesthetically-pleasing white smoke too. As for flavorits ok. In the full-English range, so over forty percent Latakia, and around twenty five percent Oriental. Just like every other pipe smoker on the planet I really wanted to try this. I've never had anything labeled Balkan that was remotely close to this. It works for me. The very first thing that stands out for me is how "buttery" the Orientals are in this blend verses others. It contains Virginia, Syrian Latakia and eastern Tobaccos. 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. or Best Offer +$5.40 shipping. Meticulously recreated by JF Germain in England. I say ?real? Westminster is a complex finely tuned mixture that will appeal to those who appreciated the splendid English blends that once were easily found, Red Odessa is a straightforward, profoundly old-fashioned English Blend that will bring back wonderful half-memories. Especially, if it means spending outrageous sums of money. I will endeavor to keep this easy smoking, great tasting blend stockpiled from now on. The middle part was a bit heavier but still a good medium taste with a full room note and ample white smoke. We would have to do a separate review for every issue of this legendary tobacco. Better! I am grateful for having had the opportunity to smoke plenty of TBS for many years. )which would make this more of an english blend than a Balkan. When I first reviewed BS, I did it with the old TR website and compared several eras to the new blend by Germain. Shopping Options No filters applied. 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. There is an acidic nuttiness like roasted walnuts, and a perfect sweetness as well. I know of no other in which this essentially condimental tobacco is so much to the fore. I wish I could, but that just ain?t happenin?. Buy Sobranie Cigarettes With affordable prices | Cigsway.com The various component tobaccos weave a tapestry of flavors that seem to change constantly and there is enough Latikia to keep my attention. My friends all wondered how I could smoke such strong tobacco. Questions, or to order by phone: 888-689-6876. I follow the Machiavalian point of..availability. Also they have men in service that formerly worked for the House Sobranie. Nope. There were many very nice old Dunhill and GBD pipes along with about 50 odd assorted tins of aged tobacco. So they have found J.F. RM 2E8Y7W8 - Balkan Sobranie Turkish Cigarettes. 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. Rating?I can't smoke it "all the time", due to supply?however, this is a "Four Star Blend". . 10/12/07 ? Again, whatever. , Dont Buy It If You Arent GoingTo Smoke It, When can we have the goods? The room note was pretty awful (until you were hooked), almost as gross as that of a yesterday's cigar. Nevertheless, if you palate is not used to the strength of mixtures like the Dunhill my mix 965 and similar, you will not enjoy this blend very much. I first tried this in college. I never thought the day would come and I would open it, but finally given to temptation here I amSo,the tobacco has indeed had quite a bit of age on it, but it was still quite moist and the surrounding paper stained. Oh boy, now what? So many of the reviews for this mixture are perorations for something beautiful that is gone, and entirely appropriately so. Germain has really done a fine job with this blend, so much so that for my personal taste, the new era BS wins hands down! On ebay, astronomical amounts were (and still are) asked and paid for these tobaccos. Bright spices highlight carefully layered creamy notes of full creosote and there is an unidentifiable charming "classic" room note surrounding it all.The gravity and power are there too, so it must be respected.Let it brood and let it come in its own time. Men wept when the original supply was discontinued. After a few puffs the sweetness comes forth, the Virginia's. I said, no problem I'll buy it from you. Well, it was one of the most pleasant, smooth and complex mixtures I've ever smoked. Every bowl. The latakias has utterly melded and permeated the rest of the blend. I suppose I should move on and find something that grants me such pleasure again. |Home Purchased From: Some tobacconist in Spain. It is however, most complex and rich tasting, with a very unique nasal almost heady quality which I really enjoy; different than nicotine. For joy. The pipe smoking market appears to be becoming larger thus the time was right for a new version, a new "vintage" of Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. Man oh man oh man! 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. Germaine is producing some of the finest tobacco available and this is no exception. Balkan's near universal appeal in those days to lovers of English/Balkan/Oriental blends as a steady or special smoke attests to that fact. I thought I had found my tobacco. Nearing the end of the bowl the nuttyness from the Latakia returns to round off a wonderfully smooth smoking experience. I smoked the Smoking Mixture for 11 years. Having heard so much about this blend I was prepared to be under whelmed, but it really does live up to the hype. Most importantly,unlike many other "Balkan" blends this one has "real" depth. I've been at it for about 3 weeks to revive the Balkan as it was dryer then the Gobi desert, but I had good faith as the smell of the tobacco was really good and strong. Then Gallaher produced this blend until the mid-2000s. Those were the three pipes he believed in, BBB, Petersen, Comoy, Sasieni and even Barling having already begun to slide. I've never had the old Sobranie from the golden age, so I cannot compare them but will review this blend on its own merits. I bewailed the last tin in my Weed Store, sold to an undeserving oik who wanted to try 'Sumfin' new. I'm no expert but I think that both today's Sobranie and Sasieni (made by Stokkebye) are using poor quality VA's that produce that (combined) effect and sensation of, as another reviewer has written, "smoking hot air". It was worth the wait. When Germain reintroduced the Sobranie Original Mixture, I was eager to try it. The winelike aroma of the virginias translates to the flavor and is sublime in the mix. Perhaps it was the tin that attracted me, the white one with the two women on the front. Otherwise who cares I will spend my tobacco money on something else!!!!!!! Maybe tobacco grown in the Balkan region has some affect on the flavor. Balkan was definitely true to the old bromide that the worse the room smelled, the better the tobacco (don't the girls just love the smell of Cherry Blend). 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(!) UPDATE February 2004: Ok, in the past 2 years I had the chance to smoke several tins of the old version of Original Mixture, and also of 759. Tobacconists does not sell cigarettes on this site, nor do we sell tobacco The virginias appear to be aged nicely. But I have since then tried a very well-kept tin from (I think) the 40s or 50s, which was a little dry (but moistened back up with a small piece of orange peel), inherited by a friend of mine by his late grandfather. It's got a nice beat, and I can dance to it - even if it's a slow dance over in a dark corner. A TRUE MASTERPIECE. I'm anxious to try the new Grand Orientals series from McClelland to see how they compare to BS (specifically, Yenidje Supreme, Yenidje Highlander, and Yenice Agonya) and will update this review at that time. Purchased From: Pipestuds Consignment Shop. I thought to myself "Yes, this is exactly what my palate envisioned pipe smoking would be, and it is Good.". Very rich complex flavors.. Worth every penny! Taste is medium and consistent, with notes of smoky, very bitter wood, floral, toasted bread, leather, musty herbal vegetation, incense, dry earth, acidic/spicy, citrus peel/zest, a mildly sweet stewed tangy fruit background note, and a very peppery retro. 10+10 out of 10. although i have nothing of great worth to say to sway someone one way or the other i can try to describe my own subjective opinion briefly and to the point, but the ultimate judgement or perception is up to you. Gross!" But having the rights is 1 thing, bringing out the tobacco on the market is something veeeery different. To enjoy this blend, the best way is use a pipe with small bowl. Balkan Sobranie literally was Our Best Blend at that time. 2. 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). I remember smoking the tinned one a number of times and then the one in the metallic paper pouch. I've never had any version other than Germain's entry and again it's "Junk"! Browse by Category, Family & more Hide Filters Show Filters Price Update There are no products listed under this brand. A cool and long-lasting smoke. I rarely smoke now. Perhaps all of the above. Smokingpipes has been down for a few days for maint. Still, a very delicious smoke. Composition: The composition is that of the pouch version and the '80's Gallaher version. It's simply that good. It was always ?caviare for the general?, and not, lately, much of a money-maker: English tastes, in this as in everything else, have become coarsened and vulgarised; and so, once it was deprived of its big American public, this blend simply became problematic and unprofitable. Packing and lighting are straightforward. Size: 1.76 Oz. A great blend, but there are blends available all year long that are just as good by GL Pease, and also his Drucquer and Sons blends. Awesome smoke and definitely the finest Balkan I've tried so far! Balkan Sobranie is, perhaps, the most legendary pipe tobacco on the market. Usually one tamp and relight. Once open the tobacco rests in a paper as is often customary with on top of that a thin round insert with nothing on it. So you should keep that in mind reading this review. And not unimportant, the topping is also spot on! But ITS GONE NOW, like many others, by the way. 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. Balkan Sobranie Products - Cup O' Joes Sutliff Balkan Sobranie #759 Match, sold by Oz - CupOJoes.com I packed and lit it up. I will always share a bowl of this with my best pipe friends, as everyone should have that luxury once in their life. I can find nothing wrong with any aspect of this blend, if in stock constantly it would be my every day/ all day smoke. I think that I've had a bit of this once in a while. I am however glad I got a pouch for the sake of having tried it, but I doubt I'll go hunting for another pouch in the future. 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. 2000-2023 Milan Tobacconists, Smell from the tin: Yummie! The new pouched version of Original, while good, is vastly inferior to both 759 and Original of old: not as rich, and sometimes a bit too pungent and harsh, a bit out of balance. Appearance: Over 80% black leaf, with a few nut brown to dark brown strands, ready rubbed in a medium cut ribbon. I'm getting low on Sutliff Balkan Sobranie 759 Match that I've enjoyed right along, from SP. | Sitemap, J.J. Fox Provost Mixture Pipe Tobacco Tin - 50g, J.J. Fox Squires Mixture Pipe Tobacco Tin - 50g, Robert Lewis Wingfield Mixture Pipe Tobacco Tin - 50g, Sutliff Balkan Sobranie 759 Match Pipe Tobacco, Balkan Sasieni Original Formula Pipe Tobacco. Track Order. Every time I cracked a tin open I'd marvel at the mosaic of colours, ranging from black, grey and bright leaf. Primarily floral notes upon the nose, delicate once humified. A great smoke. The taste is medium. The Gallager version is, to my taste, rich and satisfying; smokes cool and is perfectly balanced between components. !Thats my opinion.Exellent in all respects. It is tasty and boasts a super-fine ribbon cut that behaves beautifully when loading and lighting. A must try! Sponsored. The yenidje seems to have been the same in all versions. Ok, I'm a bit of a nicotine wuss so I do not smoke it on an empty stomach. In the first years of the new millennium only a pouch version was available. To say the least, Ed's Balkan is superb, try it and see if it matches the Sobranie blend. My favorite came with a black label and I think it was called Mixture #759. And long gone. 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. The virginias are of the higest grade. In the late 70s and 80s I took this mixture for granted and smoked a lot of it and I highly appreciated it until it suddenly disappeared. My humble recommendation: Try the Sobranie or Sasieni in larger pipes that have been broken in with other "Englishes"?.These blends are a treat, and relights are uniquely satisfying. In my opinion, no. Now I really hope that Arango and Germain also will bring out Mixture 759 and Virginia no. Very tasty and I feel this blend is one most any pipe smoker would findpleasurable. I'm glad I bought a tin at the price I paid for the novelty and to satisfy my curiosity, but there are plenty of comparable blends that are frankly more pleasing to smoke. Nice english, occasionally a hint of soap on the lat. Germain, not the "Real McCoy" or even the 2005 Gallaher version for that matter. age and identity may be punishable by law. BUT it is a very nice baccy all the same; mild, well-behaved and very smooth indeed. This is really your most fowl smelling tobacco! I have found many delicious blends that perfectly match my needs, and I enjoy smoking them as much as I did TBS. The tobacco note was odd, phenolic, like TCP (trichlorophenol), a smell you sometimes encounter on the London underground. You see, this story is what I think of when I hear the name Sobranie. JavaScript is disabled. Hence the new blends simply could never be the same. I was young and callous and therefore felt that this blend was very harsh. The very grassy, citrusy, barely dark fruity and earthy Virginias have little of the complexity it once had, and theres more of here than before. It is smooth but not overly so. Smoking this mixture was a unique experience. Join Our Mailing List! Balanced to a fault, yet it's the sum of its ingredients that makes it so distinctive and so hard to imitate. No Virginia top notes here. It comes pretty wet out of the tin. 1971, oh tremendous!!! I prefer to take it slow, just so thin wisps of smoke emit from the pipe. Interesting.. Package: A 50 gram tin with a somewhat cheap version of the old stately artwork. 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. Unfortunately, there was no Original Mixture. Please for the life of Pete, tell me where once again I may get this fine tobacco that I have been without now since the 1990's. I hear you can get this across the pond. Outstanding. 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. Like many of the more traditional English blends, Balkan Sobranie's original mixture has changed hands a number of times, leading to different versions. Possibly both types of Latakia, maybe some unsweetened Black Cavendish, maybe a "smidgeon" of Deer Tongue or a pinch of Vanilla Cavendish, who knows? At least for this one time, the cost of the tin was well worth it. Notice | Advertising Balkan Sobranie Original Mix Match | Smokingpipes.com The whole pouch seemed like a big pouch of black cav. I finally summoned the courage to open the first tin. Really great because you can taste the love and craftsmanship. I think I prefer 759 more than this one. The production ceased in 2005. He also was the proprietor of the finest tobacconist in town; alas defunct due to the health Luddites and their diligent spreading of manure. Here's the deal, folksfor as long as it's available, I will own this. It has been almost 50 years since I last smoked the Sobranie Original Mixture in a pipe and yet I can remember it's taste and aroma as clearly as if it were yesterday. For that reason, we limit the purchase of this tin to one per customer. Smoke a bowl and cherish it! I find it to be better balanced and the flavor is outstanding. In short, Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture is back! 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. The Redstones were a Jewish family who left (fled?) |Forums 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". As good as this blend was, I still prefer both of the Pease blends mentioned. 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). Mac Baren Pipe Tobacco This used to be my favorite English blend before it became so hard to get. My first pipe experience whatsoever came when I told my mentor that I just didn't have the palate for fine cigars (the $3 ones tasted the same as the $30 ones to me) and that I was far more interested in trying pipe tobaccos. I do find the 90s version to still be good and similar to the current Germain version, but overall it was a shadow of its former self. Mid-bowl: Aah! Specials, and Other News! Do your self a favor and try at least one tin you won't be sorry. Its good. A crowning achievement in the tobacco procurement & blending craft without question. Balkan Sobranie. Incense notes abound, the latakia is over the hill though. THE LEGEND. The Balkan Sobranie tobacco business was established in London in 1879 by Albert Weinberg (born Romania 1849), whose naturalization papers dated 1886 confirm his nationality and show that he had emigrated to England in the 1870s at a time when hand-made cigarettes in the eastern European and Russian tradition were becoming fashionable in Europe. Dating back to around the 1920s, this is a combination of wonderful Virginias, excellent Orientals and enough Latakia for a robust and flavorful mixture. Everything was perfectly balanced and smooth. The light unflavored soda note or two along with some dry wood, earth, floralness from the yenidje is always noticeable. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. WARNING: Smokingpipes.com does not sell tobacco or tobacco related products to anyone under the age of 21, nor do we sell cigarettes. I smoked a pretty good amount of the BS that was sold in the 1990s, and just recently opened a pouch of the last version (sold outside the U.S. until around 2005, if I understand correctly). but that makes sense considering this is considered the benchmark, therefore a lot of imitations have hit upon it, and some very well. Updates on New Cigars, Pipes, Pipe Tobacco, Accessories, Big, full, round, heavy, large, expansive. The origins of the Balkan Sobranie blend is somewhat shrouded in mystery. Despite that I was allowed to finish the bowl, the darling :) So here also: points for authenticity! Because this is the weak spot of J.F. No Syrian or Yenidje in it though. It's a sweet and smoky treat. Rattray's did not come close at all. All tobacco is made the old fashioned way. Esoterica Pipe Tobacco There are some very good Balkan/heavy english mixtures available,but none can ever replace Balkan Sobranie. 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. Free 877-70MILAN (64526) customercare@milantobacco.com I loved this classic, and will always remember what a special experience it was to have some. |, We use the SafeSurf Rating System to signify that PipesMagazine.com is for adults only. I remember the blend being "light and dark" ribbons but this 25 year old tin of tobacco (dated to 1979) was "dark and darker". After waiting for over a year, I finally got a chance to try it. The last few years that this tobacco was marketed it was nothing like the blend that I experienced in the early 80's. I left out room note as I lived alone at that time. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. I have tried may blends that claimed to be close to the blend,having never tried the original I could only base them on their own merits.
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