Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Balkan Sasieni

Okay, this tobacco is probably one of the best Balkan / English blends I have ever tried. It is extremely similar in my opinion to Dunhill MyMix965. It is presented on fine ribbon cuts, mixing all lovely leafs - virginias, orientals and rich smokey latakias. Comes ready to smoke, no drying necessary. Tin note is marvelous - sweetness and smokiness together in the best possible format. Mechanically- packs great in the pipe, light easily and burns steadily to fine dry ashes. Flavour profile - rich spicy taste and a wonderful aroma of campfire. I love this blend so much! If you are looking for a keeper on the Balkan / English dept this one is a true contender. STG and Peter Stokkebye did a fantastic job here.

Alright boys and gals, here's what's up. When you buy this baccy, you take it outta the tin and put it in a jar. You can smoke some of it right away and it'll please you, for sure. But make sure to keep some in the jar for a month. Now I just got back from a walk in the streets of Montreal during a quiet Saturday night. And this was the most pleasure I got from this famed blend so far. I noticed how the nose exhale made the smoke taste like a faint mint. I'd never really gotten that before with the sasieni. I thought it was really great, especially since this blend can be pretty monochromatic and one dimensional. Albeit, it's a great dimension, truly. Anyway, I think it's important for anyone who likes Balkan blends to try this one out. You won't regret it.

Excellent medium bodied Balkan. The Squadron Leader of Balkans if you will. Not over powering. Great balance and taste. No bite at all. Great quality tobacco. One of my favorite blends. If you like Balkans give it a whirl. You will not be disappointed

(Note; I had reviewed this tobacco in 2010. It is still a staple in my rotation. I am reporting my review here, in this new account)

So many times I had tried to give up the vile cigarettes for the more noble pipe. I always failed, leaving behind a well balanced and poorly smoked collection of beautiful pipes and hundreds of wasted tins of the widest assortment of tobaccos.

A month ago, however, I picked up a tin of Balkan Sasieni and since can no longer inflict myself the injury of the tasteless cigarettes smoke. I am in love with this blend.

It is perfect, creamy and fragrant, leaving as captivating an aftertaste as it is intriguing throughout each bowl which I smoke down to a thin powder of whitish ash.

This tobacco is easy to appreciate and to smoke, which I can recommend for the novice, as I am. It burns well and smokes consistently, its delicate taste and scent remaining nearly unaltered until the end.

I too smoked BS back in the day - started with a Meer I bought at the college bookstore & still smoke regularly. Just put up my fifth bowl of this blend & feel I am starting to really appreciate it. My tin says it was made by STG, & I didn't date it, but it SEEMS to have some age on it & was well worth the wait. It is indeed a medium level Balkan in all respects but the tin aroma, which is classic & full of promise. The smoke delivered, as well, a creamy rich Lat with plenty of Oriental spice & pleasant sourness added in. The base is top quality all the way to the clean grey ash, developing a slightly sweet background to the Lat/Orient aroma present all through. Great blend to start on for a newbie or 'aro' smoker who wants a change.

Like most people I stumbled into this blend searching for its legendary predecessor. I'm glad I did. This is such a treat.

If you're thinking about trying this, buy a couple tins, some to smoke and some to cellar.

I think we should be hesitant to sing the praises of this little tin too loudly, lest the manufacturers come to their senses and double the price. Cry all you want about the Balkans of yesteryear- I'll be just fine with a supply of this subtle and satisfying blend. Everyone seems to complain that it isn't Balkan Sobranie. Maybe that's because it isn't Balkan Sobranie. That's like complaining that Squadron Leader isn't a popsicle. Everything here is harmonious. It's mild and cool, yet full of flavor. Some may pine away for some mixture that they can't even remember the taste of but, for my money, there are legendary blends floating around to satisfy just about anyones tastes. I used to ride a tricycle, too- but I don't miss it. My Weebles are a different story...

This has become my favorite blend. I was not a big Lat fan before trying this--most of the blends I had tried with Latakia in them seemed too harsh and lacking in flavor--and the only reason I tried this was on the recommendation of a friend in a pipe club I'm a member of. But with this blend--from the opening of the tin to the bottom of the bowl--it's a smoke to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Upon opening the tin, it's easy to see (and smell) that what's contained is nothing but great quality tobac. Nice ribbon cut strands with just the right amount of moisture, I usually smoke this right out of the can with no drying needed (and I usually like my tobacs on the dry side). From the first light to the bottom, this is the coolest smoke I've ever tried. The quality and temperature of the smoke itself feels like cool air over the mountains.

There's plenty of flavor here as well, from the sweet Virginias to the rich Macedonian Orientals, and you'll want to savor this smoke to taste everything it has to offer. This is not a smoke, however, that you have to babysit (say, like Ten Russians), just a very good, very cool, tasty all day smoke with a little bit of something extra that makes you want to smoke it just enough that you don't take what is has to offer for granted. I have, however, smoked this mindlessly, while tinkering in my shop and enjoyed it just as much.

It lights easily and stays lit pretty well. No bite on this at all and there have been times when I've pushed it just to see. Again, it keeps its cool under pressure unlike any other tobacco I have tried.

As far as room note goes, there's just the right balance between Virginas, Latakia and Orientals in here to make this still seem pleasant. My girlfriend (who doesn't normally like the smell of Latakia) has asked me (on more than one occasion while smoking this), "What is that? (as in, what blend are you smoking now?) When I tell her it's Balkan Sasieni (again) she usually says, "Oh, that's not bad. I kind of like that." Which tells me two things: 1. Every time she smells it, she gets a different room note (which correlates to the feeling I have when I smoke it--every time I smoke it, I pick up on new things in the blend), and, 2. The room note changes to the extent that I savor this smoke--the more carelessly I huff, the stronger, more Latakia-ey it smells, and the more I savor this, the more those flavors come through (in both the smoke and the room note). I know this could probably be said with most blends but none so truer than with this blend.

I will put my bias up front - this is my staple tobacco.

I had the great pleasure of smoking Sobranie (and still have a little bit that I guard carefully) - Sasieni is not Sobranie. Not the same thing at all. It lacks the full-on flavor and peculiar, delightful deep bass note that Sobranie has; they are different tobaccos.

To my taste, Sasienie is tangy at the top of the smoke, evolving into a mellow, creamy sweetness in the second half of the bowl, with latakia present throught. Unique and simply lovely, if you have the taste for it.