While in a local B&M, I wanted to provide a sale, so bought a can that he had collecting dust on the shelf. I found this to be a very satisfying tobacco for my tastes. It has a nice medium flavor without the peppery flavor of the Skiff and burns very, very cleanly. I took my pipe and the can of Sasieni on a motorcycle ride yesterday and had a nice smoke on the side of a local river. I only had to relight once and found that it burned to a nice clean white ash. The flavor was delightful all the way to the bottom of the bowl, which I can't say for some other English tobaccos that I smoke. I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for a regular English.

I never smoked Balkan Sobranie, so I don't have its ghost lurking in my memory. In some respects I guess I'm glad that I don't as I can enjoy blends like this without comparing it to a legend. In my book this one is a fine tobacco blend.

Four stars.

This is a fine tobacco, heavy on the Latakia but nuanced and interesting. I'm a fan, particularly in the second half of the smoke when things meld a bit. At first it's just Latakia and some vague Oriental in there to temper. . .but later the Virginia sweetness develops wonderfully. Still, there's flavor here that's slightly off. Something murky and a little soapy. Perhaps a product of less expensive ingredients?

As earlier reviews note: This is cut finely, packs well, burns cool down to fine, white ash. And those characteristics are really what commend this blend. To me this is an English/Balkan/Oriental standard. It's a pleasure to smoke and is certainly one I'll turn to now and again.

I’ve read it is produced by same producer as Paul Olsen MOB Balkan (P.Stokkebye, in Denmark), and some think it is the same mixture, but I find this one richer, fuller, more creamy and less artificial.

Perhaps it is in the borderline between a Balkan and an English Mixture. I just think it can be recommended for those in search of a good mix of Latakia, Virginia and Orientals. And at a very reasonable price.

RdX score (tasted in 10 different pipes): 90.10

The latakia content of this blend is very well balanced. It is not hiding the high quality virginia and oriental addition. Beside the nice flavors of virginia and orientals you are having the irresistable taste and deep coolness of the latakia.

If you are a fan of balkan blends this will be a unforgetable experience for you. If you are not, well, it worths to have it in your "tasted tobaccos" list. A real Balkan..

In the late 1990s when the ever-valiant Greg Pease took a blind taste test between a Sobranie that had reached the end of its road and an upstart Sasieni and misidentified them, I was making my own non-blind comparisons.

Sobranie white had been my continuous everyday favorite since the late 1950s and my tests ended with a sense of relief. My transition from 200g cans of Sobranie to 200g cans of Sasieni was a very smooth one, although I soon discovered that the 50g pouches didn't always preserve the quality. On the other hand, the Sasieni bulk turned out to be very good.

After the recent mysterious delays in shipments my current order arrived reeking of cherry with a taste to match, and burned hot. When I returned it the dealer wrote that they checked it out and it seemed to them that it was consistent with previous shipments and hasn't changed. He added that since they had no other complaints he believed this was an isolated incident.

I give four stars to Balkan Sasieni for what it has been and for what I hope it will continue to be - and also hope that there's not something rotten in Denmark.

This is a decent balkan blend - no glaring faults, but nothing to write home about. It should please the middle of the road crowd who like a blend that tastes like a balkan without all the heavy spiciness of the stronger ones. "Early Morning" pipers should be able to step into this one without too much fuss. As for me, when I want a latakia blend, this won't be the one I reach for but I wouldn't throw away a free tin, either.

Did the fact that the tin makes this look like Balkan Sobranie have any influence on my tastebuds. Probably. Hard to escape biases. Too bad... but I don't think this one would have worked for me anyway.

There's nothing especially bad about it, but there is nothing extraordinary either. Unless I do a major turn-about, I doubt I will ever buy another tin.

Secondly concerning the description of leaf contained: the Latakia used here is from Northern Cypress and it uses Macedonian leaf for oriental. No specific Virginia types are mentioned. by comparison The original Balkan Sobrane used Syrian Latakia and Yenendje and red ribbon Virginia with some dark leaf virginia

The flavor of Balkan Sasieni is decent. It is a good tobacco but it is nothing like Sobranie because the tobaccos used in its creation are very different than the original Sobranie.

Perhaps it should be judged simply on its own merits and not any comparisons to past blends based off of psychology created by name and packaging likenesses. Lets face it, They are using those likenesses to get you to buy the tobacco and thats it. I could list a number of Balkans that are closer to sobranie than this mixture. Compton's Macedonia is one but even it is not really close to Balkan Sobranie. Until someone blends with Syrian Latakia, red Virginias, Yenendje and other orientals in the right proportions, there will be no Sobranie substitutes

3 stars as a Balkan/English blend 1 star as a Sobranie knockoff. That averages out to a 2 star rating

I think it's ok. Between 2 and 3 stars right now. I might buy another tin.

short edit.... i am picking up more on the orientals midbowl now.. but i am also noticing that this can be very difficult at times to smoke.. if you smoke it even a little bit fast the latakia/oriental can get pretty sour - which might explain a lot of negative feedback.. i still like it a lot - but i can see why some people might not.

another edit.. I just have to up this to 4 stars.. over time I just like this stuff more and more. I find it as pleasant as my black mallory which is saying a lot because that is another very nice blend.

Balkans are my favorite style of blends. My experience with this blend -- and perhaps others here have been reviewing different versions -- differs somewhat from what other reviewers have noted.

Oriental flavors are forceful and very much present from the very first light. They dominate the first half of the bowl, then they give way -- completely -- to the latakia, which is the dominant flavor for the remainder of the smoke. The Virginias remain always in the background (which is what I expect from them in a Balkan blend).

There is very little time, over the course of a smoke, when the oriental and latakia flavors actually overlap and interact. In a dozen pipefuls -- smoked in a variety of pipes dedicated to Balkan blends -- the results have been identical: First half: Orientals; Second half: latakia. As a result, the two elements never seem able to combine for that indescribable oriental-latakia creaminess that the best Balkans deliver. And while I love latakia, for some reason I don't like what this becomes in the second half of the bowl.

In all of my experience as a pipe smoker of 28 years, I've never before encountered a blend that seemed so decisively divided in character down the bowl. As a result, this is not, in my opinion, the "standard" by which one should judge other Balkans.

In fact, after numerous bowls, I have come to a disheartening yet strong suspicion: That this "new" version of Balkan Sasieni (the tinned blend from Villiger/Stokkebye) actually is relying on oriental FLAVORING rather than actual quantities of high-quality leaf. My theory may be off-base. But the only other blends I've smoked that behaved this way -- that lost their predominating flavor halfway down the bowl and then just got unappealing -- were cheaply made aromatics with added flavorings that burnt off halfway down the bowl. (And flavorings, in lieu of leaf, would also account for the "competitive" pricing that some reviewers have noted.)

Whether I'm right or wrong, I still hope this blend can improve with age, because I stocked up, based on the blend's earlier reputation. For now, I'm going to toss the rest of my tin. I'll wait to see what happens in a couple of years with the other tins.

Taste-Aroma: Top 1/3: Soft and smooth oriental and Latakia, but no where near the taste-aroma effusion of GLP's Odyssey. Odyssey is full, BS is medium.

Middle: From there, it went downhill, producing a peppery effect, or tongue bite, with an aromatic, raw cardboard taste and aroma.

Consecutive bowls had this diagreeable taste and classic tongue bite.

Nicotine: Medium strong

Room Note: Light, fragrant nutty

Overall: I don't know how one reviewer knows it has propylene glycol(PG) as a humectant but maybe this is the source of the cardboard taste or the tongue bite. It has great potential at the start but develops a poor quality down the bowl, and subsequent. I think it's overpriced. One star.

The main components of this blend; orientals, latakia and virginias; compliment and contrast each on nicely.

The fine ribbon cut packs and lights easily. If you are looking for a strong hit of latakia from this blend, you will be disappointed. While present it plays a supporting role to the oritentals, it is in the background adding a fullness and smoothness to the orientals. In this blend the orientals take front stage. Also the virginias pop up from time to time adding a toasty sweetness.

Smoking this blend puts one in the mind of drinking a fine iIslay scotch, with the smokey spicy flavor and subtle sweetness.

It's on the mild side for my tastes.

My wife is fond of this one, so I get to smoke it inside.

I'd love to give it four, and it comes close. But it's a stronger three than it is the latter.

Get a tin and enjoy.

For very reflexive moments.........oh genuine taste and very good flavor ! Yes, this is good ! This one is my favorit Balkan Blend today. Note : SMOKE IT SLOW !!! if you don't smoke it slow it becomes bit and not pleasant. But if you smoke it slow.....it becomes a wonderfull complex blend with very balkan taste and flavor. ------- PS= similar to the P.Olsen Balkan ? yes, but sasieni is better because genuine. The Olsen blend probably is Balkan sasieni with very lot chemistry. So i prefer the sasieni !!!

I did not care for this very much; rather monochromatic and dull. I doubt if there is any Yenidge in this at all. I tried to detect it, alas none came through. I also found this tobacco burned too hot for my liking. There are much better tobaccos out there by G.L. Pease and CAO/DAN and others which cost a few dollars more but deliver much more satisfaction; as far as my palate goes.

My first tin of this blend as distributed by Villiger Stokkebye was something of a surprise. The first thing I noticed was the strength of the blend. More in the Nightcap range than the pouch blends. The latakia content was foremost with the oriental component definitely taking second chair. However, right out of the tin, the burn was excellent and right to the bottom of a tall W.O. Larsen. The flavor was consistent from the top on down: smooth and full bodied. Not an all-day smoke, but something for a quiet, refective time.

This one may find its way into a regular rotation for me.

Burned well....but not overly complex to my palate.

This would be one of those blends that you feel blessed to find while at a remote location after forgetting your kit at home. For me this won't be kept as a staple...but I may keep the pouch to dip into at a later point in time.

I got a tin of this recently and have smoked it beside Gawith Hoggarth's Balkan Mixture and it doesn't compare to that one. This isn't bad, though, it's just weaker by comparison. A bit cheaper though. Still, I no longer consider this 4 star. A strong 3 instead.

Original Review from 6/23/2007 follows

I ordered some of this from www.Cupojoes.com and got just a couple of ounces to try since I was ordering "Full Virginia Flake" to see what the 4 stars were about. I got this jiffy quick and decided to try it first. The first bowl went pretty uneventful, with just a hint of the fullness here or there. No big deal, I don't place much stock in the first bowl.

The second bowl on the other hand (and every one since then), was awesome. Did I figure out how to pack it or did my taste buds just figure it out? Hmmm. Anyway, I've never had the Balkan Sobranie, but this was great. It started out and I'm thinking, this isn't sweet at all, and I usually like sweet tobacco. There is this clean, refreshing spicy quality to it, scinitillating, rich and smooth. It's a bit of a slow light but stays lit easily once you get it going.

Midway through I'm sure now that I was mistaken, there is some faint sweetness to it, but this is a plus combined with those tantalizing natural flavors (must be the orientals). The clove smell from the pouch must be the latakia that is giving it that taste that is so hard to describe. I like that too, far better than Benjamin Hartwell's Chesdin Mixture. I'm always looking for better stuff and will definitely try some of the other Balkan mixtures that are supposed to be better but in the mean time I'll keep some of this around and it will definitely be in the regular rotation until I find something better.

Incidentally, CupoJoes was a fast shipper and even though I accidentally ordered one that was wrong, they offered to swap for what I wanted (Penzance), if I shipped it back to them. Very decent of them and they will defnitely be getting most of my mail order business.

Balkan Sasieni contains Macedonian leaf...as did Sobranie 759...and there is where the comparison should lie, except there is no way to compare the two. Balkan Sobranie 759 is gone; Balkan Sasieni is available...and it ain't bad, at all. One could do far worse...and I have.

This tobacco has a distinctly Danish character, not an English one. Sobranie House of London pulled out of America when the tobacco lawsuits started, and who can blame them?

Balkan Sasieni is a surprisingly good Latakia/Oriental blend by modern standards. Its nearest competitor is Greg Pease's "Blackpoint," which is no small tribute. Blackpoint is more sophisticated and interesting, but Balkan Sasieni can hold its own.

It is somewhat of a stretch to call this a Balkan blend; the flavors are a bit bright, though stimulating and refreshing. It will likely be a regular in my cold-weather rotation.

A very good smoke for the money!

Note: Balkan Supreme, from Stokkebye [same manufacturer], is similar and pleasant.

The two blends are similar - no question, but there are both differences in physical appearance and taste between the two blends. To me, Balkan Sasieni is a more elegant and refined blend with less up-front Latakia and it tastes (paradoxically) sweeter and has more tangy "sourness" than Supreme.

It's that unique sourness of Balkan Saseini that I love and Supreme does has some of this, but at a much lower level. I'm probably splitting hairs here, because there is a lot of similarity between the two blends and Supreme is much less expensive, but Balkan Sasieni is the better blend in my opinion (and perhaps, due to its more expensive price, should be!)

And, despite the Danish heritage and PG shared by both blends, Balkan Sasieni is in a class by itself and remains my favorite Balkan. At once sweet, sour, rich, and mild. Balkan Sasieni delivers these attributes uniquely and the Balkan lover is treated to a tremendous smoking experience.

All this aside, Balkan Sasieni is a perfectly respectable mixture and a perfectly ordinary Balkan blend. The base of bright Virginia is of a typically high, strident nature, but in no way diminishes from the flavor experience because there is so little of it. There is a good deal of Latakia which works perfectly well with the Orientals but can become harsh and bitter-sweet if smoked too fast, but a Balkan should never be smoked fast to begin with. The Orientals, which are, after all, what a Balkan should be about, are entirely average and provide exactly the sort of pungent perfume and wood quality that they are supposed to with no amazing surprises of astounding innovations or variations in flavor. Puff slowly and respectfully and you will be in for a full-bodied though entirely amiable smoking experience.

The likes of Greg Pease or Dan Tobacco make some simply amazing Balkans that will knock your socks off and make you want to do nothing but sit and smoke until you can simply smoke no more, Balkan Sobranie of sainted memory may well have done the same thing, but I am nearly past the point of caring. If you have never smoked a Balkan blend and desire the basic essence of what the style is all about, Balkan Sasieni will give you that and nothing more.

On opening the tin the aroma from Sasieni is only a family resemblance to the Sobranie - the latter being much more comlex and rich. In the bowl both have a somewhat rough beginning but while Sobranie blossoms into a hypnotic, well-rounded smoke, Sasieni remains earth bound and does not deliver on the initial promise of the tin aroma. Both the latakia and the orientals in the Sobranie are superior, producing, in combination, that incense like note. The find the kind of satisfaction that Balkan Sobranie used to provide I now turn to Penzance or Odyssey.

The comparison is based on a Balkan Sasieni tin dated April 2006 and a Balkan Sobranie pouch from about 1993.

On its own merits Balkan Sasieni is an eminently smokable light to middle weight Balkan, but to enjoy it one has to put all thoughts of the Balkan Sobranie away.

I realize that they were not able to acquire exactly all of the tobaccos that were in Sobranie, but if it tasted anywhere near this then I do not see what all the fuss is about. That being said, this is a good tobacco for those wanting a light Balkan and I can see no major fault in it, except that it fails to live up to the reputation of it's predecessor.

For a rich spicy Balkan try Charing Cross by G.L. Pease.

Like a lot of good English/Balkan blends, Balkan Sasieni realls what I love most about Indian/Pakistani cuisine, and that is heavy, rich spicy flavors where at times the ingredients work in unison, but at other times each & every element gently pushes its way to the fore.

I don't know if the fact that I got it in bulk has anything to do with its actual quality --it's quite possible that 50g tins are better- however, the weed I got is but the palest shadow of the original Sobranie.

The cut is pathetic; thin short ribbons, almost a shag, that pack unevenly and break into quasi-powder if you rub them loose. Nothing like the even thick flakes of the old BS. The pouch aroma lacks the intoxicating promise of BS; it's flat and unappealing, with a hint of fermentation.

The VA's while good, lack the fullness I had associated with good Balkans. Also, the orientals are timid, albeit giving a sweetish note to the blend that is not unpleasant. The latakias, however, are the most timid variety I've ever tasted and they become almost a whisper. They're there but you have too really pay attention to find them. The variety is almost for sure Ciprus and not Siria, and lacks the great cedar and pine woods aroma that the old BS gave.

The room note is barely tolerable. Thre are lots of "Balkans" that will be well appreciated by non-smokers but Sasieni is not one of them.

About the best recommendation I can give on it is that it lights easily, keeps lit without trouble if you take the trouble to painstakingly separate the ribbons and let the mix aereate for a few hours before packing it again. It usually burns down to the bottom of the pipe with very little dottle or none at all.

If you want a decent BS wannabe, try one of the GLP blends, like Oddyssey or Charing Cross. Another good Balkan blend is SG Perfection, albeit quite different.

A cut that is a little too fine for my taste, a slight nip of the tongue unless handled carefully, and an almost cigarette-like acrid room note could make this a "somewhat recommended" blend. These factors do not by any means outweigh the decent qualities that this product can provide to the Balkan smoker, however, and some may find these qualities actually more in line with their own particular tastes.

Overall a decent product and a significant member of the Balkan family of blends.

Meerschaum Man Smoking a no name rusticated bent meer acquired long ago

This is a pure tobacco treasure: full, dark, exotic, mysterious, like a beautiful woman on the Orient Express that turns the corner and disappears into a compartment. Sasieni actually gets better as it gets down the bowl, revealing a complexity of nuances, some subtle, others distinct and aggressive. This is the type of excitement I expected from Nightcap. Alas, that blend doesn?t hold a match to this one.

I can?t smoke this all day due to its strength and the fact that if smoked just a little too quickly, can start to burn the tongue. It?s almost a small price to pay for such a luscious, chewy smoke. And it?s a great value, too! I can?t say enough about this one. It will definitely be part of my regular rotation.

Five of five stars

9-1-05 update: i've downgraded. still spicy, exotic, rich stuff, but it's overwhelming and will set your tongue and palate afire. too bad that such a harmonious blend of orientals is just a little too over the top. i still appreciate this blend for what it is, but i can't smoke it very often without serious injury.

PS remember the print inside the lid of the old BS tins? "A long cool smoke to calm a troubled world" and all that. Then something about the addition of "rare yenidje leaf".

By the way, I think the new version of Balkan Sobranie is closer to the old version than is the Sasieni. However, it also lacks the oriental element. It is pretty good, though, and I like it better than the Sasieni. Paddy.

My experience gets better as I smoke through my 2 - 4 ounce supply. Balkan Sasieni has a uniqueness as there is a slight floral edge in the taste. It still has the campfire, exotic spice taste, but it's almost as if one is burning a "sweeter" wood in the campfire like hickory, spruce, or cedar. Those who did not enjoy, but still embrace Balkan blends; follow my calabash / bulk advice and see if that changes your review.

Tiger

After about a year, while still a high quality tobacco, it simply doesn't keep my interest for very long. While smoking it I find enjoyment. Afterwards I'm not as enthralled with this as I am with something like Charing Cross.

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If Balkan Sobranie was *half* this good, I can understand why it was a classic mixture.

I find this a light, creamy tasting mix of latakia sweet/smokienes, tangy orientals and mild cigar notes. It has all the flavor complexity of some of Pease's finest, and the quality of Dunhill's tobacco. I've seen it likened to Caravan. I never warmed up to that blend but feel that perhaps Sasieni accomplishes what Carvan doesn't...at least to my taste buds.

Very smooth and well behaved. The only detriment I find with it is that at times I may consider it *too* light in flavor and strength. It is perfect for a humid summer afternoon or cool morning.

It is a leaf I will likely keep around most of the time.

I found that a wider bowl provided the necessary elbow room for this blend to really show its stuff. I prefer my regular smoke to be a bit bolder than this, but for quality and balance this stuff is right at the top of the heap.

Having sampled some Original Balkan Sobranie, and having smoked this aged Sasieni, I would say that they are close, but Sobranie still gets the nod.

The aroma is wonderful (if you like Latakia). Big emphasis on Latakia here.

The cut is excellent. Easy to pack, light and keep lit. Burns to a clean white ash.

If you like English blends, particularly 965 (my no. 1 favorite), then I think you will really enjoy Balkan Sasieni.

Bottom line: This and Dunhill 965 is what Holmes smoked. I don't care what the book says.

UPDATE: I was given a sample of Peter Stokkebye's "Balkan Supreme" via Guy and Jackie Wallace at Affordable Pipes. This stuff, as far as I can figure, IS "Balkan Sasieni". Should you have a craving, they are there to help you obtain this in bulk.

I suppose, that as many pipe smokers may have done, I have followed a progression. My first tobaccos were of the Amphora, Sail, Borkum Riff, Middleton's' ilk. Then, after a pause of some years, to the Englishes from Dunhill, Rattray, McClelland and others. A few years ago I had come across the Balkan Sasieni Blend packaged in a 200gram tin. The package art bore strong resemblance to that of the Balkan Sobranie Tinned Cigarettes that I enjoyed in the late sixties, so I had to give it a try.

I find, as with most every tinned tobacco, that it should be allowed to dry a bit before smoking. This tobacco conducts itself as a polished gentleman. Packing is easy, lighting and maintaining the light is a snap. The ash is pale and powdery, rather non-caking, and will readily smoke to the very bottom of the bowl. Relights, after some minutes or some hours are a joy! I don't know how to explain it, other than to say that relights result in bursts of full flavor, which I haven't experienced in any other tobacco.

The first bowl, or the first dozen bowls, held my attention and toyed with my senses! Is it Spicy? Salty? Sweet? Tart? Nutty? Meaty? The fact is that the subtle shifts of flavor within each pipe full are varied but always conveyed with an underlying zest and spice?quite like the Balkan Sobranie (see same).

I realized that I would always like to have Sasieni on hand and had made a habit of picking up a few tins (200g/7oz.) at the local shop. Then panic! The U.S. Distributor, James B. Russell Inc. went out of business. I went without any for a few months until I found a shop in Missouri that had a supply in bulk?.bought it?just under five pounds.

In reading another's review (with regard to current supply status of Sasieni), I emailed Stokkebye, in an attempt to secure future supply of this prized blend. After all, the Balkan Sasieni is "Made In Denmark". I asked Stokkebye if they had this or a similar Balkan Blend. Their response was that they had similar blends that I might like " PS-52 Proper English" and "My Own Blend 7000". They added: "You will see Sasieni back on the market in the spring as well"

I never smoked the Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture very often when it was available, preferring the so-called Luxury 759 Mixture. I always liked the Original Mixture, but only bought it when I could not get 759 or Crown Achievement.

The Balkan Sasieni is not noticeably different from my memories of the Original Mixture, in fact, it may well be exactly the same as the Sobranie. It has been at least 15 years since I had the Sobranie version.

Balkan Sasieni is a very good Balkan. It is well blended and there are very few stems in the mix. Once it is dried a little, it packs and burns well. It is a strong flavor that will only appeal to latakia lovers.

I wish that the packaging was different. Sobranie went to the vacuum sealed pouches late in its run and these pouches are not as reliable as tins. It is not uncommon for these pouches to lose their seal and ruin the tobacco.

Originally I had rated this 3 out of 4, but I have revised that to 4 stars. I just finished smoking a bowl in a truly huge Ser Jacopo (a 3 hour pipe) and was rewarded with a truly satisfying smoking experience. The flavor builds very nicely to excellent heights of good Balkan taste with no bite, no throat harshness and no tongue burn. While I have a variety of blends in my primary rotation, I will be keeping Balkan Saieni on hand.

However, I still return to it for the Taste and Aroma. It does have a sour component frome time to time but even this is enjoyable. The creamy spiciness is wonderful.

I started out with the cheap drugstore stuff, and while I found the vanillas were tolerable (and Captain Black Royal, the blue one) I wasn?t really satisfied.

After my father passed away my mom saw my pipes and gave me Dad?s old humidor, which was the gift she had given him on their first anniversary years before I was born. I had stared at the thing my whole life never realizing what it was! I opened it up and noticed a bit of residue, maybe a thimble?s worth inside. I sniffed it? Wow! This had to be the good stuff I instinctively knew existed but didn?t know where to find.

I asked her what it was and she said, ?Balkan-something.? To the Internet I flew, and after a few days of research figured out that it must have been Balkan Sobranie. The closest thing today is supposedly Balkan Sasieni, so I went to Cousin?s Cigar in Cleveland Ohio and bought some.

All I can now say is that I love English blends. I wish I had started there, and maybe more people should. Balkan Sasieni didn?t bite me, and getting bitten was a problem of mine. I eventually tried Dunhill 965 but Balkan Sasieni just plain beats it. I think it smells like leather and barbeque sauce when you sniff the container. Its flavor is more layered, so with each puff you get to the next level of taste. I first noticed nicotine with this blend, something I?d never consciously noted before (it wasn?t overwhelming, just noticeable). This may be because I like Balkan Sasieni so much I actually pack a large pipe full and finish it, not something I often did before. I?m not saying it?s terribly strong, but it seems stronger than the aromatics I?ve tried.

If any fellow young guys are reading this, don?t be scared by anyone who tells you that English blends aren?t for beginners. I wish I would have tried it sooner. My favorite thus far is Balkan Sasieni, which I found gentler and tastier than 965.

You were onto something Dad! If only we would have talked about this?

PS: Don't give my rating for the Room Note too much credit. I only smoke outside, so it's just a guess.

It compares to some extent with Dunhill's Aperitif and 965 in that you will taste the lighter Orientals more than the Latakia. While not as sweet as Aperitif due to a bit more Latakia being in the blend, it is certainly sweeter than 965.

I was able to smoke back to back bowls of Sasieni, which is not usual for me and "English" type blends -- if this is an English. And I thought it burned rather hot if puffed too rapidly.

If you like Oriental, Turkish, Latakia types, here you go. I've certainly had worse.

The tobacco has a strong Latakia component right off, which sets the tone for the ensuing smoke. It smokes cool and smooth throughout, with a sharp, nutty twang from the first light.

I find that tobaccos go through stages of appreciation, from first impression, to comparisons with similar blends to the refined judgement of experience over time and many smokings. This is an invariably good smoke.

My first impressions, as stated above was the sharp Latakia which was consistent from the pouch as well as in the pipe.

Compared to others - I have recently smoked several of the Dunhill blends, including 965, Durbar, London Blend and Early Morning Mixture, as well as Frog Morton on the Bayou. The Balkan Sasieni is clearly the purest expression of an English style Latakia blend. These others have their merits, but the Balkan Sasieni does not triffle with subtlty.

Over time - the tobacco is every bit a pleasing each and every time I smoke it.

This is a pleasure to smoke. It wears its stripes clearly on its arm but smokes coolly and comes across with a nice finese.

Enjoy!

The tobacco is ribbon cut, with the color of the tobacco being mostly black and some brown. The pouch aroma is musty latakia with a tinge of sweet virginia. I know that there are orientals lurking in the blend, however, I cannot detect them in the pouch aroma.

The tobacco lights easily, with the usual two match light. The flavor is very good. The latakia and virginia make their presence known at the very beginning, whereas the the orientals seem to play in the background, somewhat muted but nonetheless there. The smoke was very enjoyable until near the end of the bowl, where a little bitterness comes through. This has occurred everytime in several different pipes. This is a good tobacco that I recommend. I wonder what the original Sobranie was like!?

I've typically favoured Virginia blends with a light casing (not outright aromatics, mind you), but Balkan Sasieni is a real treat indeed. The first time I tried it a long time ago, I didn't care for it at all, but further experience demonstrated that the hype surrounding this blend is well-founded. The aroma and flavour, whilst quite strong compared to what I am accustomed, are enticing. The only problem I have with it is that my tobacconist only sells it in the pouches and not in bulk.

If I had to choose only two blends with which to satisfy myself, this would definitely be one of them!

Balkan Sasieni is a ribbon cut balkan blend available in 50g packages, 200g tins, and bulk. My sample was bulk. Moisture level was acceptable and it dries readily if left out to air. The blend itself is medium to dark leaf in a ribbon cut that packs easily.

Being an oriental based balkan, the sweetness level is fairly low and the emphasis is on spicy and nutty flavors, as well as the aromas associated with the tobacco, including the substantial latakia content. I found that this had very good smoking characteristics and a complexity that developed nicely in the bottom half of the bowl, particularly after letting sit for a while. The complexity is different than in blends with a higher sugar content, as it is due to the subtler spicy elements rather than the stoving of the VAs in the bowl.

This is a very nice balkan in its own right and makes for an enjoyable smoke when a the palate calls for a drier, rather than sweeter, tobacco.

October 2002

Unfortunately I have never tried the legendary Sobranie. This may in fact rid me of the biases that have discredited Sasieni as being inferior.

The blend is composed of high quality dark tobacco cut at a fine texture, easy to fill in most pipes and burns well to a fine ash. The flavour is richer in latakia and orientals, which creates a spicy woodsy flavour that I enjoy very much. As with most tobaccos, this one is best enjoyed when smoked slowly.

All in all, an excellent blend with a complexity and sophistication that can be compared to a fine Cuban cigar. Although, the 25 CN $ I paid for the 50 gram pouch is far too much, I would most definitely try it again if encountered at a more reasonable price. 3 stars!

Sasieni is far brisker; Turkish and latakia interact with much more zest. Nuttiness and smokiness build to a delicious height in the last third of the bowl. This is a more sec experience than Sobranie, and twice as enlivening.

Balkan Sasieni is the best tobacco news I've had in years!

Appearance: This tobacco is probably 75% dark brown/black, perhaps 15% medium brown and 10% yellow and pale green, in a short, narrow ribbon cut.

Packing and Lighting: Being in short ribbons, this tobacco packed quite easily in my old Hardcastle "Hallmark" pot and lit up easily with very little crown. The initial flavor was very smoky and rich, but with some initial sharpness and sweet tones that I consider a a warning sign for potential tongue-bite. Still, there was some promise here as I picked up undertones of holiday spice and some of the mustiness of old leather.

Exposition: My main problem is that the initial light-up flavor didn't last - what started out mouth watering and spicy rapidly turned sour and musty. There were still hints of what lay beneath, but I was having trouble picking them out.

OK, fifteen minutes into the bowl and things are a little better - some of the sourness has turned darkly sweet and the mustiness is reduced. There is a wonderful sense of rich, smoked meat that I get from Balkan blends, but it's rather thin in this one...is it the pipe?

The Story: I've hit the halfway point now, and things aren't much better. The sweetness has turned from dark brown sugar to something like cheap sulphured molasses, the spice flavor has faded to a whisper and the latakia just tastes...ashy. I tried dumping the ash, using pipe cleaners, letting it rest for a few minutes, all to no avail.

Denouement: Down at the bottom, the tobacco didn't want to stay lit and the flavor had turned bitter and sharp, both factors conspiring to give me a mild case of tongue bite. Argh! I think I'm going to just dump the rest out.