Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Balkan Mixture

I bought this bulk about 6 months ago. Smoked 2 bowls, didn't care for it, tossed it in a jar. I tried it again today.

Ribbon/shag cut, black, oily, wet. A bit difficult to load. Lights easy, stays lit. Leaves a fine gray ash. Taste is funny though; I do get the latakia, virginia but the lakeland essence is on top of everything ruining the smoke. Others have said they don't get the lakeland, well then it must indeed be inconsistent because I don't think it's possible not to detect this flavouring.

All in all, not my cup of tea.

I'd been trying to discern whether my local tobacconist had any latakia blends (my local tobacconists never seem to know what I'm talking about when I ask for things like - "Do you have any plug tobacco?" I just get blank stares. Ho hum.) and after doing a bit or research this seems to be the only one. Given the reviews here so far that seemed quite a fortunate thing. I've only once before tried a Latakia blend, Punchbowle, and quite a few years ago that was. As soon as I opened this it hit me right away - that smell! Oh, I looooove Latakia. I seem to remember Punchbowle being pretty heavily laden with the stuff and it having a really sort of medicinal quality about it. This is of the same sort of mix I think. Lovely smell.

The smoke starts with the L right up front and it takes a few minutes for everything to round out, with quite an acidic or zesty start, I find, that sometimes seems almost bitey but I think it's just strong natural flavours flaring up. Once they merge and all the various tobaccos are in action it has a wonderful taste; complex, sweet yet dry. As for "soap" - wha'?? Though sometimes the full potential of this mix only appears fleetingly it is satisfying pretty much all the way through. It's easy to smoke, burns well and rarely needs a relight.

I don't find it very strong however, and have tended to smoke this as my first pipe of the day and then can smoke it regularly and it keeps on calling me back for more. I love the taste and have dedicated a pipe and a tin to this, bought a second pack (my tobacconist stocks this in pouch form with a different design to the tin above - the one they show on the GH website) as soon as I was running low of my first and regularly have a sniff of this. Until I can get hold of other VOL tobaccos this is going to stay a regular for me. If there's one quibble it is that the orientals could come in a bit more, but I'm still getting my palatte adjusted to the VOL mix so I may not be sure what I'm tasting.

Good stuff. I like I like.

I'd give this 2.5 stars if I could.

The shag cut is a bit difficult to work with. There are many other Balkans that are less expensive and easier to purchase. This tobacco can taste a bit medicinal.

That said, this is a very pleasant medium Latakia blend with a hint of the unique GH flavor profile.

If you like shag cuts, or like GH products, and want to try something with a reasonable amount of Latakia that isn't a lat bomb, this is worth trying.

I ordered a tin of this several months ago. On opening, the solid, tightly packed mass of dark brown and black ribbons, contained in an inner plastic envelope, seemed a little moist for me. I took a couple of smokes, then set the tin aside to concentrate on some bulk blends. On going back to it after about six weeks, the moisture level had reached perfection, just slightly moist to the touch.

This is a good medium Balkan/full English style of tobacco, with a largely Latakia/Va profile. There is just a ghost of Lakeland essence, if you go hunting for it, but it is not at all off-putting. Then again, I like Lakelands.

There are very good orientals present, but they don't come to the front of this blend at any point of the smoke. The flavor has a good richness, a dry semi-sweetness with a solid Latakia bottom. Very smooth, no sharp edges. Burns beautifully for a Balkan. Last night's smoke, in a Peterson 80s Shannon, was an hour of pure enjoyment.

This is absolutely recommended. I am ordering more to cellar, and may update this review once I have some with some age on it.

I find the taste and strength to my liking, but I have variable attitudes to latakia. In this mixture I found it burned well but 'the nose' was a little pungent for me.

I found the taste much more delicate and there is no bite whatsoever to be found.

A fine blend. I'm too new to pipe smoking to be able to get into the "does it taste like Balkan Sobranie?" argument but either way this is a good smoke. Creamy mouthfeel, gloriously incensey room note and a good balance of Latakia and Orientals boosted with some choice Virginia. Strong enough for contemplative moments but mild enough to smoke several pipefuls a day. I would have liked a dash more Latakia in the blend but many will disagree and this is a personal observation not a criticism.

I'm keen to try some of the more exotic Balkan blends such as those made by GL Pease, but this is likely to be my "general purpose" blend for the foreseeable future.

Please note that my review is based on a tin purchased in 2004. I guess this is what's meant by "shag cut" as I've never seen such fine, stringy tobacco. I take a pinch out of the tin and cut it up to make the strings shorter. I have found it best to pack very lightly as it easily packs down into an unpleasant plug. After I discovered how to pack this well I was rewarded with a lovely rich and smooth smoke. It does have a very slight Lakeland flavour, but I'm not sure it's scented (maybe that's just their Va's?) As per most other Lakelands I've tried the flavour isn't complex but over the course of the smoke it seems to deepen, maybe become more rich. It makes me want to relax in a oak-paneled den, sitting in a leather wing-back chair. Alas, the sofa in my basement will have to do.

I have smoked a variety of Gawith, Hoggarth & Co offerings, and completely enjoy their fine Virginia Flakes. As a fancier of all things English and Balkan I expected to enjoy Balkan Mixture as well. I find that it lacks enough interest for me to smoke when compared with others that I regularly smoke.

Appearance: Upon very close inspection I can detect at least 4 different hues of leaf in this mixture Virginias are in abundance, darker browns of Oriental with nearly jet black Latakia. The cut is a somewhat varied rough ribbon cut.

Tin aroma: This smells like a moderately complex mixture with a nice soft smokiness. The Virginias are evident, with rich earthy tones and under-currents of fig/raisin and cocoa. The smoky Cyprian Latakia makes the main statement, plenty of smokiness with underlying astringent tones of bergamot and sandalwood. Just under the surface I detect the Orientals giving the mixture?dryness? and lending depth to the mélange of flavors. A slightly damp and musty oder is evident as this product arrives fairly moist.

This tobacco is excessively moist requiring at least ½ hour's drying time to smoke well at all. I employed the ?once like a baby, once like a lady, finally like a gentleman? method of layered packing. The pipe I've chosen for this review is a Cassano rusticated Canadian well seasoned with English/Balkan mixtures. I have pre-smoked it with several bowls of this mixture to remove other mixture prejudices.

Lighting usually is a single match affair, and with a friendly ?lighting tamp? I was well on my way. As expected, the initial flavor is very smoky with an astringent (very gently so) quality I?ve come to expect from Orientals. Latakia and Orientals tend to live ?nasally? for me, so I often employ the ?French curve? method of inhaling the slipstream smoke. The Virginias set a firm background and foundation on which the Latakia and Orientals play with my senses. This blend slowly builds in flavors and complexity with each puff.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors gaining intensity in unison. Unfortunately, the humidity I tried to avoid by drying this before smoking it has come back into play. This has happened with every sampling in every pipe I've smoked it in. The initial strength of the Latakia is slowly giving way to other components, the Orientals slowly numbing (not at all in a bad way) my soft pallet and nasal regions. The Virginia comes through a bit more assertively from time to time with rich fruity and sweet tones. While the quality of leaf in this blend is very high, none of the desired complexity and flavors develop enough to really captivate me. This is what I call an ?autopilot blend? not requiring concentration. That is not a bad thing in itself, just that there are other blends that I appreciate more in this category for far less money.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, moisture has become a defining issue for me. Try as I might I can't find a satisfactory way around this, and the result is a steamy though quite flavorful smoke that I just don't enjoy enough to include Balkan Mixture in my rotation. Overall it is fine tobacco, with a nice round soft flavor, too bad the moisture level is too much for this seasoned smoker to tame.

A nice ?autopilot? Balkan blend from a fine Lakeland tobacco blender.

Supplemental Notes: Rating for those interested in numbers **

Notes: Many blenders have tried to come up with substitute for the now defunct Balkan Sobranie original (white) mixture. This is Gawith and Hoggarth's offering. G&H are excellent blenders, and this comes remarkably close in many respects, though not all. I have smoked several ounces of this in several pipes. I always seem to enjoy it in a smaller pipe, such as an Ashton X (Dunhill Group 2-3).

Appearance: A brown to black thin to medium cut ribbon, fully rubbed out.

Aroma: Sweet, round aroma. Red claret wine, dried cherries, plum pudding, incense stick, walnuts.

Taste: Mellow, smooth, sweet complex. Subdued flavor, reminiscent of the Sobranie mixture. Bing cherries, plum-cake, German lemon-butter pancakes, walnuts. Rich and creamy, almost voluptuous, on the palate, with winey flavors and frankincense.

Comparisons: Amongst the so-called Balkan blends, this is one of the most under-rated. It is the essence of the Balkan Sobranie, only with the volume turned down. It lacks the potency and vibrancy of other blends, such as GL Pease's Bohemian Scandal, but it has the balance of flavors down quite well.

Bottom Line: Smokers who loved the Balkan Sobranie, but are prepared to accept a gentler, quieter version will be well-pleased. Those who demand a potent latakia-heavy blend will be disappointed.