Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Balkan Sasieni

Balance is the word used alot and I could not agree more. This is a wonderful balkan that rings all the bells for me. No sharp edges, not a lat bomb, smokes clean and packs easy. I smoked this long ago when it was offered in a pouch but did not care for it. But then I was into aros and cav blends. Times change, tastes change I guess. Is it the original formula? Who cares as this is what is here now. If you push this it can turn harsh so go slow and easy. Since STG is so huge it kinda makes you wonder what is in most of the tins you buy now days anyway. Same smoke, different label??? If you want to delve into the world of Balkans, this is a great starting point. Update: I'm upgrading to 4 stars as this is a great blend and continues to impress the hell out of me! Smoke in peace-Lager

Balkan Sasieni is an archetypical old school English blend; an excellent example of its genre. It’s not heavy on the Latakia, but it’s not light either – smokier than EMP, Durbar, Presbyterian and Campanille. It is harmonious, loads easily and burns well, does not bite and has the perfect moisture to smoke straight from the tin. It does not have anything distinctive to set it apart from classic blends of this style, for me it’s interchangeable with some of the best and this is not a bad thing at all, especially when Sasieni comes at a lower price.

If you like or are interested in oriental tobaccos, this would be an excellent place to start. A while back i forgot a nearly full, opened tin of this in my drawer. When i found it perhaps 6 months later it was extremely dry, and rather than rehydrate it i just loosely packed a balkan cob and gently fired it up. My memory of it moist isn't perfect I'm sure, but this blend was utterly engaging, sweet, sharp and musty dry. It is exceptionally punchy in the oriental department and they seem to be extra resinous and herbal and piney in flavor in the best possible way. The latakia is softer as well and its flavor begins seamlessly at the lower end of the orientals' flavor spectrum, creating a lovely whole. I shouldnt say i recommend everyone to dry their tin till its crispy, however that is how i will be enjoying my balkan sasieni from now on. An excellent value, a truly flavorful balkan and a solid intro to the genre. I prefer this to the new sobranie iteration, though they are similar. Easy to recommend. If you find the Pease stable of balkans a bit too rich, this would be an excellent choice. Conversely if you love them, this may be a bit more subdued than you may like.

This is my go-to. My favorites are smoky latakia forward blends, and this does it absolutely right. Fantastic just a few days after opening the tin or having been aired out for quite some time. Smokes very cool, to a fine gray ash. Typical of most of the balkan style blends really, this one is another fine example of the breed.

The description on the tin hints at it: This is legendary Balkan Sobranie's twin tobacco or replacement. So what is it?

First of all, it's a genuine Balkan mixture with the Orientals and the Latakia in the forefront and the Virginias in the background. And the Latakia is what you smell first when you open the tin: There's a full bodied, pungent, peaty, and spicy scent complemented by sweet, floral, incense-like notes.

The ribbon cut makes it easy to fill your bowl, in doing so I personally prefer the Frank method. It usually only takes a single charring and true light to get your pipe burning evenly.

Balkan Sasieni has a rich smoky, tangy flavor with some sweetish, exotic, floral aftertaste, that will please any lover of English tobaccos. At first, the Latakia dominates the taste, but as the bowl progresses it makes room for the Orientals and the Virginias. That way it burns down slowly and coolly leaving behind some dark grey ash, all the time being mild on your tongue. Despite the full taste nicotine content is not as high as to make your head spin. It's a great, satisfying all day smoke.

The room note is spicy and incense-like.

This is a wonderful Balkan blend, it starts with a nice Latakia bitterness, my wife always comments on the nice aroma in the room when I smoke this. Half way down the bowl, it becomes a wonderful experience, rich and tasty when gently sipped. It burns well and doesn't need much relighting, it has a lovely vapour that just adds to the experience. It is smoky and rich. It is similar to Balkan Sobranie, which I really enjoyed, but not quite the same, not as sweet and not as tasty. It does have that crackling , splutter near the very end that BS had, which is fun. This is good value at £10/50g tin in 1kg bulk. If you like Balkan, this is a very good one and one of my favourite overall, and I will keep a few tins of this. I also like the Dunhill London Mixture, EMP, MM965, Delux Navy Rolls, and ElizM. and Ashtons Artinsen's Blend & Schurch's Tarek Robusto. I have 10 pipes, one Savinelli 603 Punto Oro bought from new in Sheveringtons for £120 in 2000, the rest are Savinelli Autographs and 2 Dunhills all second hand on ebay - good briar pipes do help the enjoyment. 10 pipes is a good number to have, could still do with a couple more 🙂

This is the one that got me into Latakia. Open the tin and you get a typical Latakia, charred, oily, sooty scent. like last nights campfire the next morning when its cold and a pile of blackened embers. But thats the magic of a well blended Latakia. Its the curtain that reveals each scene as you make your way through the bowl. From start to finish it provides floral then vanilla then coffee then herbs. A well blended latakia always performs. Easy to light, easy to smoke. This one gets even friendlier if you let it sit for a year, opened or not.

**UPDATE** Im boosting it up to four stars. Its really grown on me. I liked it ever since the first bowl, but with a little airing out and perhaps a little time, i have grown to love this blend. Smokes cool, has a very nice taste, mainly latakia, mixed with a good amount of oriental muskiness, and a little virginia sweetness. Fantastic smoke!!



This is a delicious blend. the perfect mix of latakia and orientals. Perfect late afternoon/night time smoke for me, especially now in fall time when its a little colder.

The most prominent taste i would have to say is latakia, with orientals a close second. The virginias do provide a pleasently sweet background flavor which becomes more noticeable if the pipe is beginning to go out. This is a fantastic blend that isnt too strong, could possibly be an all day smoke if i ever wanted one,

This is a great tobacco. It's unlike any of the English blends that I know so far, and definitely more rounded than any aromatics.

Unlike many tins, the Sasieni arrives at the perfect moisture level for smoking, easy to pack and easy to light. When you buy several tins of various tobaccos at the same time, this is the one you get to smoke first while the others are drying. +1 rating just for that!

Because of the proper moisture level, you get all of what you pay for instead of paying for water weight, and the price matches the quality.

It smokes perfectly before needing to be tamped and re-lit. No need to puff like crazy or too hard to keep it lit, and because of the proper moisture, you almost don't need a pre-light to get it started.

Sasieni is spicy without tongue bite and has a distinctive herbal taste that closely matches what you expect from the smell upon opening the tin. It's earthy but without tasting like dirt. Very pleasurable!