Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Balkan Sasieni
(3.08)
Original formula Balkan smoking mixture was created in London at the beginning of the century by the master of Tobacco Blenders who first combined the aromatic pleasures of the choicest of Macedonia and Latakia leaf with the richness of Old Virginia to give the pipe smoker an unrivaled smoking pleasure.
Details
| Brand | Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) |
| Blended By | Peter Stokkebye |
| Manufactured By | Scandinavian Tobacco Group |
| Blend Type | Balkan |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | Denmark |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.08 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 31 - 40 of 283 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 06, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Well now, this is just some delightful stuff.
In the early days, after first picking up the pipe, I purchased this STG Balkan Sasieni having absolutely no inkling of what folklore there was surrounding The Balkan Sobranie. But I wasn’t comparing this tobacco to any others (even though many others were in the reviews I was reading on this, as well as The Other Balkan Sobranie -- i.e., not the original). To paraphrase Greg Pease himself: “perhaps the newcomer to the pipe is more fortunate than we old guys are, since they have fewer lost loves to shackle them."
Frankly, when I first tried this, I was not impressed. It was too weak, too frail, too airy, too pathetic – it was not Irish Flake – and me, being the greenhorn novice (ex-cigar smoker), I was looking for big, bold, expressive tobaccos (silly me). I bought a bunch of this Sasieni, so I just put it all away and told myself I would have to come back to it some rainy day.
Well, that day was today. This is just a GREAT Balkan -- Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Virginia tobacco, perfectly blended as a Balkan. Is it the best Balkan I’ve ever smoked? No. Is it good? No, it’s not. It’s fantastic! If I feel like smoking Penzance, I’m going to reach for some Penzance; if I feel like a bowl of Arango, I’m going to grab that Balkan. If I feel like a Balkan Sasieni, I’m going to reach for this stuff (or it's first cousin, JF Germain's Balkan Sobranie). This Balkan Sasieni is at once cultivated, friendly, tame, mellow, and very approachable. It’s perfectly balanced, well-blended, burns well, and -- best of all – it tastes great (to me and my palate at least).
Rating pipe tobacco is such a subjective endeavor. It’s hard for me to find a tobacco that I don’t love, but then I dissed Presbyterian with a single star, and I snubbed both GL Pease Westminster and Dunhill Flake with mere two-star recommends – both highly rated blends – so, there ya’ go (again, "subjective" -- we're talking taste buds, palates, preferences -- individual, particular, idiosyncratic) . . .
Still suffering from PTSD following the passing of McClelland and departure of Dunhill, I will be stocking even more of this for peace of mind (that feeling of being safe or protected from unforeseen, calamitous circumstances). 4-stars.
In the early days, after first picking up the pipe, I purchased this STG Balkan Sasieni having absolutely no inkling of what folklore there was surrounding The Balkan Sobranie. But I wasn’t comparing this tobacco to any others (even though many others were in the reviews I was reading on this, as well as The Other Balkan Sobranie -- i.e., not the original). To paraphrase Greg Pease himself: “perhaps the newcomer to the pipe is more fortunate than we old guys are, since they have fewer lost loves to shackle them."
Frankly, when I first tried this, I was not impressed. It was too weak, too frail, too airy, too pathetic – it was not Irish Flake – and me, being the greenhorn novice (ex-cigar smoker), I was looking for big, bold, expressive tobaccos (silly me). I bought a bunch of this Sasieni, so I just put it all away and told myself I would have to come back to it some rainy day.
Well, that day was today. This is just a GREAT Balkan -- Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Virginia tobacco, perfectly blended as a Balkan. Is it the best Balkan I’ve ever smoked? No. Is it good? No, it’s not. It’s fantastic! If I feel like smoking Penzance, I’m going to reach for some Penzance; if I feel like a bowl of Arango, I’m going to grab that Balkan. If I feel like a Balkan Sasieni, I’m going to reach for this stuff (or it's first cousin, JF Germain's Balkan Sobranie). This Balkan Sasieni is at once cultivated, friendly, tame, mellow, and very approachable. It’s perfectly balanced, well-blended, burns well, and -- best of all – it tastes great (to me and my palate at least).
Rating pipe tobacco is such a subjective endeavor. It’s hard for me to find a tobacco that I don’t love, but then I dissed Presbyterian with a single star, and I snubbed both GL Pease Westminster and Dunhill Flake with mere two-star recommends – both highly rated blends – so, there ya’ go (again, "subjective" -- we're talking taste buds, palates, preferences -- individual, particular, idiosyncratic) . . .
Still suffering from PTSD following the passing of McClelland and departure of Dunhill, I will be stocking even more of this for peace of mind (that feeling of being safe or protected from unforeseen, calamitous circumstances). 4-stars.
Pipe Used:
Tom Eltang rusticated poker
Age When Smoked:
4 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 04, 2017 | Medium | Medium to Strong | Full | Strong |
This blend is bliss.
I'm going to steer away from the conventional review style due to the great reviews that exist here on this blend; but I will give you a good gage here:
Imagine if nightcap was tangier, a bit more sour and had a bit more complexity in the forefront, with additional hidden nuances in the background. This is Balkan Sasieni. Its Nightcap's more complex brother. Extremely satisfying. You would do yourself a mitzvah if you tried it.
I'm going to steer away from the conventional review style due to the great reviews that exist here on this blend; but I will give you a good gage here:
Imagine if nightcap was tangier, a bit more sour and had a bit more complexity in the forefront, with additional hidden nuances in the background. This is Balkan Sasieni. Its Nightcap's more complex brother. Extremely satisfying. You would do yourself a mitzvah if you tried it.
Pipe Used:
Falcon
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking pipes
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 01, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This blend is very interesting.when you crack the tin the smell you get is a typical balkan blend smell combining spices,woods ,coals,leather and some sourness with dark fruits.the moisture level is ok.packs and lights easy and might need some relights.while smoking the taste is balanced very well between latakia and orientals.spices,woods,leather.camp fire with some sweetness.the virginias offer some citruses,dark fruits and sourness in the backround.burns slow ,cool and wont bite.the nicotine level is medium.burns clear till the end.not an all day smoking blend.definitelly it fits well with a churchwarden pipe and a nice glass of brandy!
Age When Smoked:
Straight from the tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 09, 2014 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
A very good and true Balkan blend. True because the orientals are definitely out in the front of the lat on this blend with the Virginia merely along for the ride.
A nice blend that will smoke cool and will not leave you with the dreaded lat mouth. I recommend this blend, but will likely not buy much more of it as my tastes go more for the creamy lats such as Blue Mountain, Penzance or Three Oaks Syrian, rather than the more sour blends such as this one. I also think B Sasieni is not as well balanced as the aforementioned blends.
It definitely has its fans and if this flavor profile sounds like your preference, then you will probably like it too. If pressed to compare it to something, I would probably say Odyssey, but I would give Odyssey the edge.
A nice blend that will smoke cool and will not leave you with the dreaded lat mouth. I recommend this blend, but will likely not buy much more of it as my tastes go more for the creamy lats such as Blue Mountain, Penzance or Three Oaks Syrian, rather than the more sour blends such as this one. I also think B Sasieni is not as well balanced as the aforementioned blends.
It definitely has its fans and if this flavor profile sounds like your preference, then you will probably like it too. If pressed to compare it to something, I would probably say Odyssey, but I would give Odyssey the edge.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 16, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 09, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
A pleasantly well balanced English blend, well suited for all day consumption. The Virginias are matured, what Orientals are here are well balanced and not perfumey in the least, the Latakia is fairly mellow (which is nice in a Stokkebye blend, for a change). I suspect it a very close sibling to Proper English, if not indeed the same but tinned. Reasonably priced for an import.
Passes desert island test with room to spare.
Passes desert island test with room to spare.
Pipe Used:
Briar billiards
PurchasedFrom:
Emerson's Cigars - VA Beach
Age When Smoked:
New production
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 18, 2014 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
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?
PurchasedFrom:
Mars Cigars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 22, 2011 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This has been my GO-TO blend for well over 10yrs now and I really enjoy this blend. My first intro to english blends was Dunhill ( London Mixture ) which I still smoke and find just as enjoyable even though " Murry " isnt the blender. As said by many in these reviews you always remember your first, and I've stuck with it. Hell I have 10 tins tucked away for the future. Now to get back to Balkan Sasieni, I was at my local tobac shop early this afternoon and sat down with a pipe of this fine blend. I dont find BS as sweet as some seem to find it, the sweetness does peak thru once and a while but I just find that it is a smoky, spicy and creamy smoke, and at under 8 bucks a tin you could do a whole lot worse for a whole lot more. I've smoked this blend in all sorts of environs, hot, cold, rain, snow and some humid days when I thought why in the hell am I even smoking? ( But we all know the answer to that ). I'm not a fancy reviewer I dont review a tobacco by how many condiments I can try and name to describe a blend. I just try to let folks know if a blend is worth a try and YES THIS IS.
Your Brother in Smoke
3/4 Stars
Your Brother in Smoke
3/4 Stars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 12, 2005 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 11, 2020 | Extremely Mild | None Detected | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
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.
Pipe Used:
Nording
PurchasedFrom:
watchcity cigars
Age When Smoked:
Right out of the tin
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