Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Balkan Mixture

I bought 50g bulk because i'm a big fan of the GH Balkan Flake but found that the flake is a superior blend. The soapiness is much stronger with Mixture and there is much less of the pine resin topping that I love from Balkan flake. The quality of the tobacco is as always for GH very good, burns cool, doesn't bite and leaves a lovely white ash but for me the Virginias are a little sower and the soapiness adds a bitter taste. These are the two main flavours.

Perhaps not as bad as this review makes out but still not a patch on GH Balkan flake. 1.5 stars.

This was my first Balkan blend I tried, and it actually turned me off Balkans and other orientals due to the more unpleasant after taste, hot burning, and less than pleasant aroma. Of course I just may not like Balkan blends, but have since tried other oriental blends that I prefer more.

The content of the tin is wet and should be aired. It contains Latakia, but Orientals rule here. When rushed, it bytes the tongue.

In the end, it's nice Oriental, but for me this place is already occupied by Presbyterian Mixture. Balkan is cheaper - for reason.

This is good blend of high quality tobaccos and, Like DrDyson, I can't find much to critiscise here. I didn't feel it was too heavy on the Latakia or remotely soapy. It didn't burn hot for me or bite. It didn't get bitter or tarry. It didn't feel weak, nor too strong.

In fact it was a bit boring.

It did have lots of levels to the flavour profile but none of them were particularly extraordinary. The trouble is that there are lots of Latakia mixtures which distinguish themselves, in my estimation, in various ways and this one just didn't. It's just too middle of the road for me. I suppose that some may think of this quality as a virtue but I don't.

However, it's top quality leaf and pretty smooth. So it may be a good starting point and benchmark for those wanting to experiment with Balkans.

I had the opportunity to buy this blend from a nearby tobacco shop at 25g pouches.

I think this blend is much more a Latakia blend than a Balkan Mixture. On the pouch under the Balkan Mixture line it writes also "Latakia Blend". The Latakia proportion is too much for me here. I get bored, fortunately the pouches are only 25 g.

I had the sense that the latakia has a greasy, resinous taste. This may be interesting or pleasant for some of the pipe smokers. On the other hand this taste may be soapy for others. Maybe just because of this it leaves a strong taste on the palate which was OK for me.

I think it worths trying. Not a bad blend, neither a perfect one.

A fine tobacco, made with fine quality leaves, but not one of my favourites. The smell of the tin reminds me of my mom's make-up powder, a fragrance that you can find, though damped, during the smoke. It's a smooth, mellow tobacco, maybe too much; I usually look for rough edges in Balkan mixtures, this is too "soft" for my taste. Wonderful tobacco, but definitely not my cup of tea.

This is another fine product by Gawith & Co., but the labeling IMO is not accurate. It has the aroma of a fine, smooth Balkan, rich in the pungent turkish and latakia (smells and looks like peat moss). The cut is a fine ribbon (packing was not too difficult), almost a shag. Moisture seemed high, but upon lighting, I didn't encounter any problems (three lights max). Flavor upon lighting: different, very smooth, but a floral aroma and flavor comes through. I am convinced that their "lakeland" style virginia is what is used in this blend. This blend does not taste at all like a typical "Balkan". I find it hard to catagorize it. It has the floral, perfume taste similar to "Bob's Chocolate flake (without the chocolate), but with a nice background of latakia and turkish leaf. It is very smooth with tongue-bite almost non-existent. It gathers strength slowly down the bowl, but not much overall. I smoked this all day for about three days in a row without any tiring due to fullness (my 2oz. went quick!). Leaves a fine dry ash when all is done with no dottle and a fine dusting in the bowl. This blend is not one I will buy again, but would not turn it down if offered to me. It is definitely worth trying for a change of pace.One note of warning, dedicate a pipe to this as it does leave that floral aroma in the pipe and the after taste in your mouth may not mix well with other blends. Overall I rate it 3.5 out of 5 points.

Tin note is Latakia forward with a bit of musk and some lite sweetness. My sample was 6 years old and aged nicely. Moisture level was sill fine in a sealed Mylar pouch. Packs very easley for a medium ribbon cut. First lighting is Orientals and Turkish, the latakia is defiantly there but balanced with the Orientals. I suspect if there were any toppings on this they are long gone from the aging. This is really just a lite English blend with very little sweetness. I found nothing wrong with the blend other than its just so so.

Package note of campfire, sour, and a slight stewed fruit. The ribbon cut tobacco is mostly brown with a little tan and black. Tobacco is dry and needs no prep. Burns is normal with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected; thou I feel it could benefit from some. Taste is medium and consistent, with notes of mild sweet grass, lemony, smoky wood, leather, floral, earth, and quite spicy. Latakia is being molested by Indian cured leaf on a bed of Virginias, very unique. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is not bad, but not great either and lingers in the back of my mouth.