I would call it a shame, but there are too many truly great mixtures around now to mourn this stuff at all. 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. Davidoff Pipe Tobacco Sutliff: Balkan Sobranie Original Mix Match Pipe Tobacco Product Number: 005-443-0347 Sutliff's Balkan Sobranie Original Mix Match combines sweet Virginias, Latakia, and Macedonian Orientals for a familiar smoke based on the classic, time-honored blend. 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. 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. Well, it was far less strong than I expect, and regarding the taste/body who knew anything about that? It was the perfect blend IMHO. 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. In an age where everyone grows up eating McDonalds, stove top stuffing, drinking diet soft drinks and smoking mass produced cigarettes most people wouldn't know quality when they taste it, be that food or smoke. 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. I never smoked any other version of this, but the original had to be 100% better than this flavorless stuff to acquire it's legendary status. Availability: . Very close to what I remember, perhaps Ed Klopin Sr. wanted to duplicate the mix. Individual reviews are the opinion(s) of the contributor and do not reflect the opinion(s) Is this THE Balkan Sobranie? Nunca esta disponible, pero es de lo mejor que nunca jamas he probado, un equilibrio y sabor casi perfecto a un precio correcto. It was dry as dust, despite being sealed. Being a master, he didn't start me on the kiddie-poo dessert blends like Black&Gold, no, no. Sutliff Pipe Tobacco. Also, I'd not get any sweet or earthy notes from the virginia leaf. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Peaceable puffing. Easily qualifies as a "five" star blend IMHO, of course!! to try and capture it, but one couldn't. The smell is very unusual but pleasant at the same moment. It still is a very tasty, oriental-dominated blend, and one which has no equals. After a couple of years, I was also gifted with a small portion of a pouch of real early 80's Sobranie White. I LOVE IT! When available. 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. what i like most about it is not necessarily the overall impression.. i like the details and the subtlety. I've never had any version other than Germain's entry and again it's "Junk"! On ebay, astronomical amounts were (and still are) asked and paid for these tobaccos. |Radio Show I've never had tongue bite from a Balkan before. |Forums The perfect aid to peace and contemplation. A crowning achievement in the tobacco procurement & blending craft without question. 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. Not sure what to make of this. No Virginia top notes here. Whatever or however the process, this is the Holy Grail of pipe tobacco. But. 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. The first time I tried this tobacco was recently; it was a 6 year old 50g packet that had been well kept. It almost borders on being monochromatic unless smoked slowly. Phone/office hours are 9am-7pm US/Eastern (GMT -5:00) Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm on Saturdays, and 12pm-4pm on Sundays. Joe maintained that the curing after carving was determined by grade, Virgins, and later Pedigrees and Uniques, getting, of course, the longest cure.). 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. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Although, you may want to let the tobacco dry a bit before smoking. I signed up for email alerts thinking it would never happen. 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. From the company's (the name and the recipe's) sale and in sale after sale after that the blend has been cheapened and diminished, with production moving to Jamaica (?Made in the U.K.?) The room glowed with the fullness of the Blend. Very happy to see it reintroduced. This one is smooth and bold with good sourness from the orientals and slight smoke from the Latakia. I would light up and after the first few puffs, everything around me would cease to be important. Not sweet, but not really bitter like some oriental-heavy blends are. As time went on and I matured, this blend slowly grew on me . The Latakia was toned way down, yet was a presence. I simply loved the flavor. Costly but nothing like buying Tins of Sobranie off ebay. 2. The brand was originally produced by Sobranie of London in 1920, and became a top-selling brand worldwide. 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). The smoky, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia is the lead component. 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. Medium bodied smoke, you get enough lat, but it's not really an extraordinary English. Perfectly worth buying here, and wildly overpriced on the secondary market everywhere else. Pleasant smoky aroma, with a slight odor of burnt sugar. Air time and letting it open a bit was all it took to take this to a new level. I need to first say that below, Leiconnsel's review must be the gold standard for all reviews on this amazing blend. Somehow, with all of that, it managed a very pleasant room note. I went into the smoking car of the NY Central RR, opened the tin and smoked. And there may have been some pressed bright Virginia as well. 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. Penzance now that is another story :) Hope this helps those who can't get their hands on it I speak the truth, my friends. Lat is definitely there but not forward. JavaScript is disabled. I smoked it constantly from 1975 through the early eighties, sporadically since then till it's disappearance. Perfection is rare. I may try it again when I have some extra money. IF you can obtain it. If all this good smoke is coming from the tobaccos alone, that's incredible almost magical! Very fine shag (described as ribbon but is much more fine than most) cut in long strands. If I was given the difficult choice of one tin, either TBS or 759, I would go for TBS. This is, indeed, an excellent balkan. Almost no sweetness, the olive notes tasted rancid, and the latakia was so muted as to be undetectable. The pipe smoking market appears to be . This blend is the peak for me: 10+ out of 10! Mo's flavor profile seems right to me. Pouch Aroma: Rich, woodsy, smokey, leathery, hints of nuts Packs: very easily Lights: Very easily. Sorry, persons under the age of 18 cannot use this site. It is surprisingly mellow and not at all high in nicotine. When the towel is dry, I'll gently mix the contents and repeat until the moisture level is right. Not sure what to make of this. My first experience with this mixture dates to 1962 when I was given a tin by a friend who had been in London on vacation. As good as this blend was, I still prefer both of the Pease blends mentioned. Those were the days, my friend, I thought they'd never end. Highly, highly recommended. Low and behold a yahoo mail message pops up at the top of my screen saying its in stock on Friday the 13th. No. RM BXP2A6 - Advertisement for Balkan Sobranie cigarettes used in magazine circa 1927. When the product becomes available, the alerts will be sent in the order in which customers signed up for the alerts. More's that pity that it is now defunct. Based on certain similarities of taste I suspect that Balkan Sobranie may have also contained some Maryland, but likely no more than ten percent. 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. A musty, fermented, sour and Latakia rich smell invades the nostrils as I fill my pipe. The Virginias offer some grass and hay, a little dark fruit, and a hint of citrus. There are very few aromatics that I like anymore. A cool and long-lasting smoke. Requires few relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. 5 This is one of the greats. What can I say for me this is the gold standard for Balkans. I have not tried either yet. Unfortunately, by now the cigarette industry had turned its unblinking eye upon turkish tobacco, consuming all there was. Note that a bowl or two will ruin your taste buds for the night for any other subtle, delicate smoke! 2000-2023 Milan Tobacconists, Balkan Sobranie. It remains to be seen if the new production, coming from a quality blender that currently has trouble meeting demand for its best blends will be able to supply enough product and of high quality. Hard to find but worth the wait. Here's a current review for March 2018. Appearance and Tin aroma: medium broad-cut ribbons. Had a lightly lingering after taste and room note. Balkan Sobranie $ 30.00. I now understand why so many bemoan the exodus of this from the US market. Majority of medium brown leaf, with specs of bright Va and black dark fired. S. smoker . I could not smoke this all day, but could smoke 2-3 bowls in a row if this were still obtainable. This will provide you with the best smoking experience. The flavor from top to bottom was full and rich. )which would make this more of an english blend than a Balkan. And long gone. Never bites. Primarily floral notes upon the nose, delicate once humified. 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 I just opened a 200 gram gold foil bag of the three remaining I purchased in 1967. Together with Penzance some of the best tin-smells ever. Now I am back to the pipe after a time out for raising two great sons. Whatever it was, I spent several years following this up by trying to find another "balkan". Kudos, friend. Anybody out there game? 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. The taste always had a somewhat bitter start - somewhat like Nightcap - but the rest of the experience was addictive. Noooo idea, I've never smoked that one like I said before. Turkish and VA dominate the aroma, but latakia is still there firmly. Oh boy, now what? I find this blend to be spectacular if allowed to sit, packed, for several hours to dry. Smoked slowly, this is cool, deep and satisfying without being overwhelming. was it merely an oversight at the factory, or is this really some kind of mythic witches brew. But also of the Smoker's Heaven tobaccos that for years counted as THE replacement for the original Balkan Sobranie tobaccos. (I still haven't cracked the tins I recieved from him.) So I'm writing what I think I recall here. Aroma: Smoke, sweet vinegar, wood chips, cherry pit, concentrated fig, pomegranate jam. The quality of the tobacco is very high. It was actually in a can, not the tin shown above, and with black and white illustrations and lettering. Published review content of this website is considered the I do hope they reintroduce the 759 as I would be more intersested in it, but they have done a fine job with this. This is a pure Turkish smoking experience. It smokes very cool, but I find it burns quite quickly even when quite moist, which is odd for such a cool smoking tobacco. We opened this tin of tobacco at the Chicago Show and laid a portion out on a newspaper to dry a bit. follow discussion on this recipe here and if you have anything to add please chime in. Cheers! 910 864 5705 [email protected] Information. Very tasty and I feel this blend is one most any pipe smoker would findpleasurable. AAHhhhhhhh. No Syrian or Yenidje in it though. It's similar to Sasieni, just the balance of the blend is more harmonious. 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? Despite that I was allowed to finish the bowl, the darling :) So here also: points for authenticity! The virginias are present and provide their own standard notes for the first half of the bowl, but as the smoke strengthens they fall deeper into the background and the smoky, spicy flavors take over. I see people trying to sell 1 year old tins for upwards of $40 a piece just because of the scarcity of the blend. 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. Inventory changes daily, call us at 630-834-7777 to place an order. And even with the utmost care and dedication it fatigues my palate after I'm done. A very smooth smoke that developed slowly and continuously. It had been 15 years since I had seen this "Varietal". and before I spent the $95 I thought twice.. and then, of course, pulled the trigger. I gently separated the cake and allowed it to absorb some of the water vapor from the water below. That being said it hasn't degraded too much and still is a extremely fine tobacco. Tin appearance of black, dark brown and medium dark leaf comprise this magical blend. . Master blender Russ Ouellette was the hands-down winner, and this is his championship mixture: Black House, comprising a variety of tobacco for a complex English blend. http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/109613-homemade- balkan-sorbanie-original-mixture.html. Browse by Category, Family & more Hide Filters Show Filters Price Update There are no products listed under this brand. It's clear to me that smoked fresh this is no lightweight English/balkan. You could taste the latakia and orientals, but they were not ove rstated. Never a dull or harsh moment, I savor every sip from the pipe. History. Still nowadays the TBS and the 759 are THE benchmark for all Oriental Mixtures. Its moderately smooth with a very consistent, mildly sweet and savory, lightly floral, very grassy flavor. Probably. Under no circumstances did it live up to everything I have heard and read all this time, unless it is not the same blend any more. 1 in stock. The Virginias had darkened quite a bit. Certified secure site accepts: Milan Tobacconists, Inc. A smooth mellow blend that is simply delicious. No bitterness. The 1980's and later versions used Cyprian Latakia which added a little different sweetness to the mix. reproduced in any manner without the expressed written consent of STC Holdings LLC. The mixture was overwhelmingly harsh and acrid really vile stuff. My Girlfriend hated it, told me I looked like a Hippie Farmer. 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.