Second impression after three bowls: this tobacco is one of the worst I have tried so far. It burns out too quickly, very hot, no matter I changed the pipe to a bigger or smaller bowl, doesnt make any difference. Taste is unknown, everything is mixed up and covered by the kentucky.

I will not go any further with this tin, and back to the usual Sobranie and Balkan clones (Schurch, SG Balkan, Erinmore balkan mixture etc.). For me, never more.

soli Deo gloria

And since those days, I’ve given up entirely on trying to figure out what constitutes a Balkan blend as opposed to an English, Scottish, or Oriental. Are there differences in kind? Degree? I find I genuinely don’t care about nomenclature anymore. I just want a good smoke. And BBBB is just that.

In the tin, BBBB is a ribbon cut mix of beige, brown and black with a nose dominated by the sappy, plumy, wood-fire scents of Latakia. The cut allows for an easy pack and consistent burn with impressive volumes of rich smoke. I’m not certain if it’s true, but I’m inclined to believe that at least some of the components of the blend have been sweetened up a little. I’m not complaining about that, because this smoky-sweet style of Continental Latakia-mixture is perfect for a late evening smoke on a cool night.

BBBB isn’t the most complex “Balkan” on the market, despite the reputed presence of Dark Fired Kentucky and Perique. But with a little age (the batch I’m smoking now was jarred a little over 2 years ago) it’s a very enjoyable, robust, and generous treat.

Opening the tin, both the Latakia and the Orientals are well noticeable. Moisture content is perfect out of the tin, so stuff, light and puff.

The taste is sweet and smoky, with a hint of Turkish Delight in it, and a peppery note from the Perique in the background; creamy taste from the Latakia. Not much to say, really; this is what I would call a great blend. I had the chance to directly compare with Erinmore Balkan Mixture, and BBBB won hands down. Burns coolly down to a voluminous, light grey ash, no dottle.

My next order will be a bulk package.

in few words: A POOR QUALITY LATAKIA BOMB BLENDED WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NOT DETECTABLE.

Taking this blend on its own merits, it is of good quality, burns well and throws one a "change up" with the fire-cured Kentucky leaf. I do not sense the Perique, and that is probably a good thing or else the spiciness of BBBB would be just too overwhelming. As it is, I could wish for something sweet, even darkly, to off-set the acrid, pungent spice.

If I were a fan of blends with a very strong emphasis on pungent Oriental tobaccos and Latakia with little sweetness, then Bx4 would be a worth keeping around. This has enough flavor and burns well-enough to smoke slow and easy to avoid mouth pain. It also avoids the excessive bitterness that is akin to eating a mature dandelion salad.

Rating it in its own class, B4 is B, B+. It has more going for it than I found in Caravan, Kensington, Black Point or McClelland's original three Syrian Latakia blends (Rose of, Full Balkan and Super Balkan). Abingdon would be in the same tier, but I like Abingdon better.

MClelland's recent releases of blends with Syrian Latakia and varietal Oriental blends are changing the landscape for me, putting McC well into its own category of delight among its contemporaries. This is relativizing my perceptions on Latakia and Oriental mixtures these days.

Nothing remarkable, but fairly pleasant Ltakia and oriental flavor, with respectable strength. Nice after dinner smoke.

I can't give it a ringing endorsement. But I will, most assuredly, return to this and smoke it again and again.

The first time I filled my bowl with this, I expected a classic, but deeper VaPer: I could actually smell the Virginias pre-light. When it was lit however, they disappeared. There was no brightness in the flavor, and I immediately decided I wasn't going to enjoy this particular smoke.

At first, only the Latakia was present, but it had a bit of richness beneath that became more developed as the bowl burned. By the end of the first third, I knew this was a blend to which I would be returning. It burns unbelievably cool and slow, producing tons of creamy, white smoke that, unfortunately, doesn't pass the girlfriend test (I'd been testing a few cheap aromatics lately that smelled better to her, but tasted worse to me).

Ultimately, you're not going to get too much out of this if you're looking for a traditional VaPer. If you like Orientals however, BBBB is a bowl full of thickly layered, toasty, spicy goodness that never once turned bitter or sour , even when smoking in a wind.