Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Balkan Sasieni

Very high quality English blend. This by far has been my favorite English blend. It has all the good qualities expected with an English and none of the bad ones. Isn't mild like Frog Morton Across The Pond, but isn't as putrid as Nightcap. I find this to be somewhat like Early Morning Pipe, but with the addition of just the right amount of Latakia to make it perfect. Highly recommended.

After a hiatus from pipe smoking for several years, I got back into it in 2006. Wanted to try Balkan Sobranie, and discovered it was no longer available. So, based on the reviews I decided to try Balkan Sasieni. I'm really don't know how close it is to the Balkan Sobranie OSM, but this has been a consistently great smoke IMHO. Rich smoky aroma, smooth, tasty, great burning quality, it is definitely worth trying if you haven't already. Strangely, for me, the pouch version I tried in 2006 seemed a little better than the current tinned version (although the current one is still great). Did the recipe change again?

I love the heavenly pouch aroma--Latakia and turkish, smidgeon of sweeter Virginias--with notes of spice and leather. Upon lighting, I taste the Latakia mostly, with the Turkish soon following. The Virginia stays mostly in the background, but coming through at the end of most puffs. This is a moderately complex blend, dominated by a "peaty" quality and a definite tang;I also pick up on the spice and leathery notes at times during the smoke. In a big bowl, I have had the nicotine creep up on me by the end of the smoke, but I still put the strength somewhere bewteen medium and full. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars--not the Grail of my tobacco quest, but my mainstay English/Balkan mixture. As an added bonus, my wife likes the room aroma.

While smoking the Balkan Sasieni blend it reminded me of the smell in a European catholic church because of the incense-like taste of the tobacco. The tobacco has a good balance between slightly spicey notes and a calming nostalgic note. I love this blend especially in the evening after work it creates a warmth allowing for a voyage into a more tranquil and noble atmosphere for the time of the smoke. The tobacco leaves a very pleasant room note which is not too strong.

Let me preface this by saying I'm a huge lover of Balkan blends and even most English. This one is not unlike the others, except in delivery. While some try to blow you away with strength and latakia, Balkan Sasieni is smooth and soothing. An all day smoke for me. Not mucb in room note, but big on flavor and high quality Orientals. Ya just wanna climb inside the tin, cover yourself up with the stuff and never crawl back out... it's that comforting!

Would give it 5 stars if I could. A solid 4 stars instead! Well worth the coin...

This is perhaps my second favorite blend after Dunhill's London Mixture, which is typically my all day smoke. This is lighter in Vitamin N than London Mixure, and typical to a Balkan blend, Latakia is the star of the show (as opposed to the Oriental/Turkish forward London Mixture).

Both the tin note and after taste are closer to that of an English Mixture than say Durbar or Nightcap, and certainly it has a more mild taste and nicotine content. If you are looking for a very smoke-able all day Balkan, you could certainly do worse.

When I first opened the tin, I wasn't super impressed by the initial smokes. I was glad that I was able to smoke it straight out of the tin though.

While I know there's history here and that that this isn't the original, (nor is it Sobranie, which I never tried either) I've had enough Latakia/Oriental blends to say that this is very decent stuff. And yes, certainly there is likely better, but for how much more money? The price is just too right, and it's also readily available these days.

As far as it compares to Peter S Balkan Supreme- that's got way more Latakia. I find all the PS tobaccos to be Lat. bombs. Don't get me wrong, I like Latakia, but I'm tired of being beaten in the face by it. I'm a Balkan guy now, thank you.

I've been smoking Sasieni sparingly since it really started to grow on me; I might not be able to order another tin soon. What secured my sympathies for this blend is a note of clove which probably is not actually clove, but some element sure does come off like it. I didn't detect it at first, but within several weeks of opening the tin, it's there now. Subtle and complex as well, but the snobs might not agree. No bite either.

I'd consider buying this in a pound bag if it was available. 4 stars, and yes I know I'm reverent.

Excellent balkan blend. Full flavor without being a nicotine bomb. Very balanced in which the Orientals interweave with the Latakia tobacco. If you like Balkan blends you should give this one a try.

Is this the original Balkan Sorbane? Close, but no cigar. That does not mean this is an inferior blend. Quite the contrary, I found this to be a very nice English Oriental, with a bit more of a smoky taste than the original Sorbane. A quality smoke, smooth, rich and not overwhelming. I like it. Is the difference between the Sorbane and Sasieni extreme. No, but I think this one will certainly tie neck and neck with quality of flavor. If they took this one off the market, it too would become the Holy Grail for some.