Sobranie of London The Balkan Sobranie

After reading the whole story about Balkan Sobranie I decided to buy a pack og 50g Gallaher packed tobacco, just to see will it live up to the reputation. On opening the pack I was greeted by the well known Latakia scent, followed by sweetish notes of Virginia and the last came to my attention the Turkish tobacco, very much similar to cigarette tobacco. I cannot say I was impressed with the last but at least it was not dominant. Texture of the cut is fine, mostly uniform ribbons which felt just a bit too wet. I was impatient while filling my first bowl straight out of the pack which I later regretted, but I will come to that. Gallaher's Balcan Sobranie lit up fast and quite uniform and first puffs hit me with the smoky Latakia, not quite as strong as I expected but still strong enough to be enjoyable! Trough the bowl the mixture burned well, did not have to relight my pipe at all except after some tamping which was necessary after some half bowl was gone to ashes. Now to describe the taste! Predominant Latakia did a good job of giving the mixture that full body which I like so much. Taste of Virginia was somewhat subtle but in good manners, any stronger taste would, in my opinion, interfere with the Latakia and spoil that special feeling. I must confess I did not notice the Turkish in the beginning but later during the smoking it came to my attention and the experience was not all that superb. I simply do not like cigarettes and the foul smell and taste of such tobacco! Lucky for me the Turkish did not impose itself too much so I just ignored it. After the bowl was done I just turned it upside down and fluffy gray ash came out leaving the bowl clean but to my surprise also leaving some evident drops of water which condensed during smoking but not to the point that intervention would be required.

All in all, it was a very pleasant experience and I am looking forward to repeating it. For my next smoke I will prepare a bit better though, I will leave the tobacco to dry for 15 minutes or so and also I will accompany my pipe with a bottle of strong red Argentinian Syrah or Californian Zinfandel, maybe even Croatian Dingac if my wallet allows it.

I know it seems heresy to give this blend three stars. Part of that is that I've missed the glory days of Sobranie.

My first pipe experience whatsoever came when I told my mentor that I just didn't have the palate for fine cigars (the $3 ones tasted the same as the $30 ones to me) and that I was far more interested in trying pipe tobaccos. The next thing I know, I have 4 pipes and about twelve blends of tobaccos in hand, along with a quick education from a master. Being a master, he didn't start me on the kiddie-poo dessert blends like Black&Gold, no, no. He gives me a pouch of early-90s Sobranie White.

I remember this stuff from back when it was cool to smoke a pipe. I remember the room note. I remember this was what it was to smoke a pipe. I packed and lit it up. It was like smoking butter. That's about all I can say. I thought to myself "Yes, this is exactly what my palate envisioned pipe smoking would be, and it is Good."

After a couple of years, I was also gifted with a small portion of a pouch of real early 80's Sobranie White. This too tasted wonderful, but... But. The latakias has utterly melded and permeated the rest of the blend. It was like a big glorious hit of midnote with some bottom. It was velvety and luxurious, but I could tell that this would have floored me if it was ten years newer and the orientals could come out and play more. And the latakia, for all that time, seems to have lost its oomph. The whole pouch seemed like a big pouch of black cav.

After losing one of my 80s pouches to mold, I've now jarred all of them up in Mason jars in the basement and sealed them up tight. I occasionally pack up some Sobranie just to enjoy it, and I fully believe the tales of yore about how good this blend was. But the new blends out there (Paul Olsen's, Ten Russians, Larry's Strike Force, Penzance, Knightsbridge) are all certainly worthy heirs to the throne, and I don't feel cheated that I like at a time where I can have such a wide range available to me.

In comparison with all those others, Sobranie certainly stands up well, even at this late date. It's got a nice beat, and I can dance to it - even if it's a slow dance over in a dark corner. I give it a 75.

BSOM brings me back to the mid 70's. I started loving the pipe when I was a teen. BSOM has been the very first meeting with latakia mixtures (the second was the John Cotton's 1&2). Digging my memories I still remember the great surprise I received from this incredible, incense-like, perfume. Nothing I could expect, as well as the beautiful contrasted colours and the oily texture of the tobacco in the tin. I kept the tin unsmoked for quite long time, just opening it and smelling that wonderful aroma. Before lighting the first bowl I was scared by a possible great strength and power. Well, it was far less strong than I expect, and regarding the taste/body who knew anything about that? Of course now it's a matter of reviewing the pouched version by Gallahers (Imperial?) and I think nobody needs any further comment. As others wrote before, the current production has really few to do with the old. It's the same for Dunhill, Rattray and other traditional brands. Nevertheless to me it's still a high quality tobacco. As far as Italy is concerned BSOM does remain the only mixture you can truly name "balkan".

Well, this has finally become unavailable to me. I just smoked one of my last bowls. I'm going to miss this. People say 965 is the standard to judge English mixtures by. O.k., whatever you say. That's an English, this is a balkan. Again, whatever. Balkan Sobraine is the mix to judge any Latakia blend by.

I've been smoking this as long as it's been an option to me- the last four years. It has cost 8 Euros for 50 grams and I have no problem with that, I'd pay twice the price.

So, how does it taste? It's the smokiest smoke I've ever had. Rather sweet base, campfire room note. (the 'very pleasant' under room note is my opinion, not someone else's) This is definately a mood altering substance. In America these days, if I remember correctly, there's a bunch of funny self help ladies running around talking about 'Aroma-therapy'. Well if they put this in their new age purses, maybe I'll listen.

Smoke it if you've got it.

So many of the reviews for this mixture are perorations for something beautiful that is gone, and entirely appropriately so. There are many Balkan blends currently available on the market which are great in their own right without needing comparison with Balkan Sobranie, but nothing has quite matched the sensations of BS, at least in my experience, and judging by the affection displayed in many reviews, the experience of many others as well.

What made Balkan Sobranie unique was probably the incense like scent of the Yenidje. It seeped into my jackets and the children when young used to love sniffing at those jackets. The taste always had a somewhat bitter start - somewhat like Nightcap - but the rest of the experience was addictive. At least I find it impossible now to say from the room note alone what Balkan has been smoked, but with Balkan Sobranie there never was any ambiguity.

The last of my tins went up in fragrant smoke recently. A few pouches from the mid-nineties survive and I hope they keep well. Last year a friend picked up some pouches from Japan: the tobacco was good, but a pale shadow of its glorious former self.

In remembrance of things past ...

I was lucky. I had heard the stories. Legends. I had heard, and I thought they were exagerated. Then I happened on a shop in the Rockies while I was on assignment there. White tin - real McCoy. They had two and I only bought one to try it. The job ended before I did. I withhold most further details of the shop on the unlikely chance I can return someday and the remaining tin will be up there on the top shelf, having once been stuffed back to make room for more recent things. Funny how all the tobacco is in the old closet of a humidor that had been the cigar area, and the cigars are now in a nice large humidor up front where the tobacco had been. Shows what they know. I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this. I ended up scouting for more and managing a few more ounces at outrageous prices. I'd do it again. So the turkish varieties did it, fine. Whatever it was, I spent several years following this up by trying to find another "balkan". There aren't any really. I guess I hate the others - they only remind me of the real gal. I smoke Virginia. And sometimes I cut in some Turkish. I still wonder if the dumbest thing I ever did with regards to this hobby was to not buy that second tin.

My friends i have just opened a 200gr tin of Sobranie Original and i am smoking it in a Dunhill group5 shell aplle. Outsanding!!!Thats my opinion.Exellent in all respects. I notice that the Latakia is not at all heavy in this blend. The virginias are of the higest grade. One of the best pipe tobaccos i have ever smoke.

Notes: A blend now long gone. I am still smoking it occasionally, out of tins remaining from the 70's through the 90's. It does have an interesting history. For the better part of the 20th Century, this blend was made by Sobranie House under the aegis of the Redstone family. This was a complex blend of virginias, latakia, and many exotic leaves from the Turkey/Macedonia area with names like Syrna, Izmir, Xanthi, Yenidje, etc. On July 1, 1968, Gallaher Tobacco acquired the blend and the trademarked name. The blend was found to be too costly to manufacture and so it was simplified, being produced by Gallaher through the 1970's, 80's and then finally ceasing in 1995, with the last tins reaching eager pipesters in 1996. Pouches continued to be manufactured but this is another story.

Isadore Redstone sensed this void in 1995 and negotiated with the Lane Company to manufacture the old blend under a new name "Balkan Saseini." Unfortunately, by now the cigarette industry had turned its unblinking eye upon turkish tobacco, consuming all there was. Oriental tobacco was standardized and sold uniformly, no more to be readily had as the local varietals with exotic names. Hence the new blends simply could never be the same. Finally, even the Saseini was taken over by Orlik a few years ago, closing the chapter on the book of Sobranie with finality.

Ah well, this is a blend so beloved, that many have tried to replicate it but none have succeeded for this very reason. However, for many, the newer blends are just as enjoyable, if different. And sadly the latakia does not age gracefully, losing much of its potency after 40 years in the tin.

Appearance: Over 80% black leaf, with a few nut brown to dark brown strands, ready rubbed in a medium cut ribbon.

Aroma: Smoke, sweet vinegar, wood chips, cherry pit, concentrated fig, pomegranate jam.

Taste: Smoky-sweet, nutty, round, mellow. Almond butter, butter cream frosting, meringue, brown bread, plum pudding, candied fruit, pinot noir, armagnac. The heavy dense smoke floats lightly over the palate. Supremely rich and dense in flavor, yet as light as a souffle. Rewarding to smoke.

Comparisons: Similar to the GL Pease blends in the same way a red crayon drawing resembles Rothko's "Red on Maroon"; the flavors are there; but this is infinitely more complex and more subtle. Likewise akin to Smokers' Haven's Krumble Kake and Esoterica's Penzance in flavor and strength, but like comparing a profesional ice skater to a hockey player.

Bottom Line: The ultimate expression of the oriental leaves. For those who seek a refined latakia-oriental blend rich in flavor, but retrained in raw power and bluster.

Disclaimer: This review is based on four bowls as this is a late 80's tin and I am savoring it slowly due to its demise.

Appearance and Tin aroma: medium broad-cut ribbons. Turkish and VA dominate the aroma, but latakia is still there firmly.

Packing and Lighting: easy to pack, but a little fussy to light. I had the same experience with 759. 4-5 lights to start and it would go out ocasionally.

Initial Flavor: Pungently sweet! The Yenidje is noticable.

Mid-bowl: Aah! Incense notes abound, the latakia is over the hill though. Room note is a killer to those who don't smoke. I think I prefer 759 more than this one. Still, a very delicious smoke.

Bottom of Bowl: It is over too quickly. this blend builds up to a medium to full strength. I could not smoke this all day, but could smoke 2-3 bowls in a row if this were still obtainable. What to compare it to? It reminds me of two blends sort of: Pease's Charing Cross and Bohemian Scandal. As good as this blend was, I still prefer both of the Pease blends mentioned.

Overall: A classic Balkan that I hope someone re-introduces again in its original form. Balkan Sasieni, while good, is not close to the original. In its aged form, I still prefer 759. Too bad I was too young to try it when fresh and available. If this were not a gift, I could not justify the outrageous prices I have seen ($100-165. U.S).Yes, this is the standard by which all other Balkans are compared to, but I do think Greg Pease has surpassed it IMO.