Sutliff Tobacco Company Balkan II #512

This is a fine Balkan. Anyone who associates Ataldis with only goopy aromatics is in for a pleasant surprise.

This is oriental and latika forward but nicely balanced. Not a lat bomb bu any means. Nice sweet overtone.

This is a top notch smoke and a fine choice for an all dayer.

Give it a try.

Sutliff Tobacco Co. - Balkan II #512.

There's no arguing that the title Coarse Cut suits this blend well. Moisture's good, although maybe a little dry for long term storage.

The smoke has a good enough milder English flavour. I don't get the commonly found smack of smokiness, but lighter wood, and more of a wisp of smoke, from the Lat'. The Turkish gives a kind of 'dry' flavour, if that makes sense? The Virginia, although easily the lighter of the three, gives a sweetness that smoothes and mellows the smoke. I find the burn fairly good, even if it's somewhat quick, and the temperature cool.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: not particularly nice.

Although I can't say I dislike this, it bores me after a short while. So, it's lumbered with two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

A fine Balkin blend , lights and stays lit easy , burns to the bottom of bowl. No bite a tad smoother then other Balkin blends so You can smoke it all day. A good addition for your rotation I give this a 3 star rating try it and prove me wrong OR agree that's its worth a 3 star... hoo-boy

This was a very descent tobacco. Not a complex or very rich English, it none-the-less was quite enjoyable. It could be bland at times but then at other times the virginias would shine through and become surprisingly good. For an Altadis blend, I found it to be a winner.

Soli Deo gloria!

Wide ribbon cut with a few straggling wide chunks. Great Balkan pouch note. Smoky, earthy, fragrant wood notes, and a sweet undertone.

The moisture in my 2oz pouch was perfect, not on the dry side like StevieB. Packwell, just break up any large chunks prior.

This Balkan has a certain spice note that isn't common with most of my favorite. Its spicy on the tongue, but its not unpleasant tongue bite. The orientals are floral, and pair well with the smoky and woody Latakia. A slight saltiness is always something I truly look for in a Balkan and this delivers that perfectly. The Virginia brings a nice bready sweetness to the mix.

Its been much cooler here in Michigan the past few days, dipping down into the low 50's up north. This has been a great companion with a cup of evening coffee, watching the sunset earlier and earlier each night.

I always dogged on sutliff and their goopy aromatics. But dang they make some nice solid English/Balkan blends!

If this is richer in strength than Balkan I, I'm sure glad I didn't get that one! This is very weak tasting to me. Probably would be a great all day smoke for those that like a lighter English. I guess my palatte is hard to penetrat because I do not find a blend like Night Cap terribly strong either. So take my word with a grain of salt!

I'm not terribly fond of this blend. The Turkish tobacco is a bit bland, lacking character. Too mellow with very little staying power. By the halfway point they have very nearly faded to the background. The Latakia is too light. The Virginias carry a little sweetness, but very little flavor. Having said all that, it's not quite bad enough to warrant one star. It is capable of giving a very modest amount of satisfaction. 2 stars.

Balkan II was the first Balkan style English that I smoked. While I have had better since, I still really enjoy smoking it and choose to do so often. I currently have 12 ounces cellared and will buy more when I run out.

The spicy Orientals take the lead but the Latakia plays in important role how do you smoky almost campfire aspect to the tobacco. The Virginia’s come into play in the background, Adding a sweet almost grassy flavor, especially as tobacco ages.

The room now is rather pleasant especially for an English/Balkan style tobacco. Even my friends and family members who generally dislike the smell of English tobaccos (unlike myself), comment on the pleasant smell, comparing to incense (as used at Catholic Masses). It is therefore one of the few non-aromatics that I will smoke when around non pipe smokers.

Overall, it’s a good blend, especially for the price.

Other blends I enjoy include Nightcap, Early Morning Pipe, SPC Plum Pudding, SPC Mississippi River, and PS Luxury Navy Flake.

Tin note: smells like an English blend. Lat forward with a mild leathery smokiness.

I bought a small sample of this in bulk. Moisture level was smokable when it arrived but I always dry and put in mason jar for a month or two before sampling. It lights easy enough and stays that way. I get a taste of latakia initially that fades fairly quickly to oriental. The oriental ( I think) tastes kind of like rye bread or toasted rye seeds. The orientals dominate most of the way through then the whole thing just gets bland and harsh towards the end of the bowl.

This wasn't all that bad but there are so many more, much better tobaccos, blends like this that I will not be purchasing anymore.

This is not a complex smoke. It presents you with a woody smokiness over a rye bread crust sweetness. Smokes very easily as it arrived at an appropriate moisture level. While there isn't a whole lot going on with this one I really do enjoy it! It's akin to enjoying a simple smoked lager; simple, well-made, and simply different.