Brebbia Balkan (Mixture No. 10)
(3.43)
Full bodied blend of finest Oriental leaves, dark fired Kentucky, Louisiana perique, and 40% of Syrian latakia.
Details
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.43 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 14 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 03, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This blend is forty percent Latakia, and as you would expect, is the star component; very smokey, earthy, musty and woody. I’m not sure I believe all of the Latakia is Syrian, because there’s a little sweetness and smoothness that I associate with Cyprian present. The earthy, floral, nutty, dark fired Kentucky adds some smokey woodiness, with a little less spice than I expected. The perique offers some spice, raisin, and plum notes in virtually every puff. The Orientals are smokey, dry, woody, vegetative, lightly spicy and floral, with a mild sourness. The perique, Kentucky and Orientals are basically all supporting players, though you will notice them in every puff to various degrees. They don’t mention Virginia as an ingredient, but I sense its presence at times. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is almost as potent as the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh, but has a couple of rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a mostly consistent, mildly sweet and very savory rich, deep flavor, though not as complex as expected. Requires a tad more than an average number of relights and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste, with a campfire-like room note. Not an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.
-JimInks
-JimInks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 23, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant |
Ahhh Brebbia. This is a fine example of a Balkan hybrid, yet regardless of how I name it, it's darn good. The overriding flavor profile is Latakia and if you are in the mood for a stout (Kentucky-Latakia) rush, you have found a good one. The smoke is some of the most dense I have encountered and the perique sits in the background so to let the stronger tobaccos shine through. I love the simple green label and the tin is almost twice the size as a normal one though with no increase in tobacco. This can be sipped or engulfed and there was little difference with regard to tongue bite, this burns oh so cool. When I want latakia, and latakia with some muscular players standing along side, this would be the blend I go to. Its devoid of VAs and has a more brine like presentation, mixed with the sour (Orientals) I'm reminded of a strong cup of salted beef broth with a teaspoon of sour cream. I would give this higher marks, but 3 is pretty respectable considering I like a little sweet with my sour. Bowl size selection is imperative with this blend. A small bowl and its tamed to a wonderful growl, a larger bowl and Brebbia Balkan roars! All in all a fantastic blend and one not to be missed. TYLJFMB
Pipe Used:
Stanwell Apple
PurchasedFrom:
Pipesandcigars
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
I think Balkan Mixture #10 will be leaving us soon since Syrian Latakia is no longer available and this blend requires a heaping helping of the stuff. Smoky and somewhat sweet with a lot of strength thanks to the Kentucky. The Perique was barely noticeable. My tin was old and the tobacco was quite ripe and I enjoyed smoking a few bowls over a few days, but really was not enamored enough with this blend to do anything other than take it to a monthly pipe club meeting where I placed it on our tobacco bar.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 14, 2014 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Strong |
This is an unusual Balkan blend. I mean that it has a particular taste, different from the others Balkan mixtures you can find in the market. First of all the base is not Virginia but Kentucky and for this reason you have a full-bodied blend but not sweet. There isn’t any Virginia in it. Second, the taste is mainly a full smoked taste, thanks to the high amount of Latakia (an incredible 40%) and thanks to the fire-cured Kentucky. Last but not least the spicy Perique. All of it very well-balanced with finest oriental leaves. In my personal opinion this is a very good Balkan mixture, with a great personality. If you like English mixture, hardy but not sweet you have to try it. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 18, 2019 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Brebbia - Balkan (Mixture No. 10).
Since I like a selection of English and Balkan blends to dip into in the morning, opened Mac Baren HH Balkan yesterday and didn't rate it too highly, I opened this up earlier; my dog woke me at 5:00am, so needed I to fill my time!
The blend has been cut quite coarsely, there's one or two twiggy pieces which need discarding. A mixture of different shades of brown, with a small amount of black. I found my tin a bit too dry.
I like this more than the Mac B' from yesterday. Although the two contain Kentucky, the Kentucky in this lacks the potency and harshness of yesterdays; it fills out the flavour, without turning it into an acrid mess. The Latakia's the lead tobacco, being pleasantly smoky, but not cutting or sharp. The Oriental gives a luscious flavour, and is the supporting leaf to the Latakia. I get some incisiveness from the Perique, but it's a light addition. Because of the hydration being low it burns a touch quickly; the only negative.
Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: I quite like it.
Brebbia Balkan? The only reduction for the rating from four to three stars is the moisture being low. A good blend though:
Recommended.
Since I like a selection of English and Balkan blends to dip into in the morning, opened Mac Baren HH Balkan yesterday and didn't rate it too highly, I opened this up earlier; my dog woke me at 5:00am, so needed I to fill my time!
The blend has been cut quite coarsely, there's one or two twiggy pieces which need discarding. A mixture of different shades of brown, with a small amount of black. I found my tin a bit too dry.
I like this more than the Mac B' from yesterday. Although the two contain Kentucky, the Kentucky in this lacks the potency and harshness of yesterdays; it fills out the flavour, without turning it into an acrid mess. The Latakia's the lead tobacco, being pleasantly smoky, but not cutting or sharp. The Oriental gives a luscious flavour, and is the supporting leaf to the Latakia. I get some incisiveness from the Perique, but it's a light addition. Because of the hydration being low it burns a touch quickly; the only negative.
Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: I quite like it.
Brebbia Balkan? The only reduction for the rating from four to three stars is the moisture being low. A good blend though:
Recommended.
Pipe Used:
Altinok Lee Van Cleef: Friday pipe
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
9 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 13, 2015 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I was not expect much before opening this tin. Thanks to tobaccoreviews.com I got a chance to know this wonderful Balkan blend. This is a savoy full Balkan blend that really surprises me with big flavor without excessive sweetness in it. I think this will please seasoned balkan smokers instead of newbies.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 13, 2023 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
A very tasty, medium strength but subdued blend. It’s not a Latakia bomb. No bite. Needs drying when opened. The flavor is spicy but in a creamy way. Room note is classic Balkan but again restrained. A very good addition to the ‘oriental’ rotation.
Pipe Used:
Brigham
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 12, 2023 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
Not as distinctive as the Latakia Flake for which I gave four stars. I purchased my tin in 2018 and it still says 40% Syrian Latakia. I do definitely get a Syrian Latakia character as I get a taste of decades old dried-up cinnamon stick! From the Perique, even with this age, a little tingling on the tongue. Ambient aroma (room note) of burning birch bark, and a bit of a peppery edge to the nostrils. One negative for me is the taste of burnt pine nuts, which I attribute to either a rustic Italian-grown tobacco, or perhaps Turkish Soukham. Aftertaste is rather pleasant, reminding me of poppy seeds. Overall, positives and negatives earn this three stars, and it helps to have a good thick dark ale as a side kick, or if you want to really jump start your day try it with a cup of French Press dark roast coffee with a shot of cream (no sugar).
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 06, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Balkan has a deep note of smokey campfire and sour buttermilk in the tin which left me very excited for this one. The moisture level was just a little too much and needed about 5-7 min. of drying time to get it right. The smoke has the lat out front from the start and it will stay there throughout the bowl. It is smokey and woody as expected. The KY seems to fall in behind that with added woodiness. The Turkish may also have some woodiness to it, it is slightly floral as one would expect and provides that buttermilk like creamy sourness. The perique must have been a very small percentage of the overall blend as I could not pick it up until after about the first 1/3 of the bowl. It adds a light spice note and a hint of plum for me. Overall, this is a fine blend the lat did not overwhelm the other tobaccos to the point of drowning them out but was a little more forward for me than I would prefer. Those who like a very dominate lat blend should try this. The body of the smoke is a solid medium but the nic is closer to mild to medium. I could smoke 2 bowls a day without any issues but a third did leave the tongue slightly tingly so I could not smoke this all day. While it will not break into a rotation I did enjoy it and am glad it took the time to run it down as it has been hard to find for me.
Age When Smoked:
4 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 30, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Smoking Brebbia Balkan is like sitting in the middle of a forest fire and smelling the rich woodsy smoke. Recommended to Balkan and Latakia bomb lovers.
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