Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Erinmore Balkan Mixture

I received a 15g (1/2oz in old money) sample of this with an order of other tobaccos. I tried it hesitantly as I was worried that the flavouring used in Erinmore flake would have found it's way into the Balkan mixture. I needn't have worried; if there is a casing here it is indetectable.

The mixture comes in a beautiful rough cut at almost optimum humidity for instant smoking, which is exactly what I wanted to do when I got a wiff of the pouch aroma.

It packs and lights exceedingly well, needing no special care all the way to the end of the bowl.

The smoking experience is wonderful. The blender has hit a balance of latakia and orientals that seems taylor made for my taste buds. Just enough body to satisfy while not overpowering the subtle spicy-sweet undertones.

The latakia gives a refined and pleasing amount of wet-soil-and-wood-smoke. While I got a flavour reminiscent of spiced orange peel wafting through from the interplay between the virginias and orientals. It brought to my mind the wonderful earthy, fragrant spiced, honey sweetened smells you get from a Morrocan kitchen.

This is, by a long chalk, the coolest smoking tobacco I've ever tried. It does not matter how distractedly you puff this stuff simply will not bite.

The back of my pack says that it is blended by Orlik and I have to say that this blending house is producing some really top notch tobacco at present.

I know most wives don't like the smell of latakia but it might be saved here by the other tobaccos. I couldn't say for certain as any smoke is Verboten en Erdmannchen-Haus.

Erinmore tobaccos (among other brands like Dunhill) were produced by Murray Sons & Co (Belfast, Northern Ireland) until 2005 when the company went out of business. Production is now with the Scandinavian Tobacco Group STG, Copenhagen/Denmark. The presentation of “Erinmore Balkan Mixture” looks like a messy mix of different kinds of Ribbon and Shag Cut, and plenty of crumbs, therefore it burns rather hot. Regarding the cut, STG does really a much better job on the Dunhill blends. Moisture in tin is ok for me, although some might prefer to allow a short drying time. Beside a rather hot burning, good smoking mechanics. All aromas deploy very consistently throughout the bowl.

The backbone of this blend is Virginia, mainly with bread and yeast notes. Latakia is always present, but never dominating. Abundant, well balanced Orientals donate spice, body and depth. Wood and smoke are dominant flavours; I love this. On retrohale a light pepper note is noticeable. Incidentally I feel a subtle coolness on my palate. Rather complex aromas. Full, creamy, velvety, deep, not heavy. It’s definitely the Virginias and the Orientals that play the game, not Latakia. This blend is quite sweet but still ok. It might be natural tobacco-sweetness, as well as some added sweetness. When you smoke this mixture you should be dedicated. It’s not a smoke for in-between or while doing other things. It is a gorgeous blend. Pleasant aftertaste and room note.

Bought this from a local shop, popped the tin right open and a strong smell of a spicy BBQ sauce hit me. No idea how to describe it differently, but it's definitely something I enjoyed about this tobacco right after opening the tin. Not knowing what to expect(first English/Balkan blend), I packed this inside my pipe with the Frank method and lit it up. What I immediately noticed was the very good moisture level out of the tin. The tobacco lit right up and wouldn't had required a second light if I hadn't tamped it. Me, being a traditionalist, I fired it up again, after the false light and it didn't go out until half the bowl. I'm sure I could've kept it lit even more, but being new, I kinda suck.

Anyway, the smoke has a tangy, rich and mellow taste. The latakia is definitely there, but in small amounts. It pops up unexpectedly and condiments your smoking session pleasantly. I haven't had a problem with the nicotine in this, hell, I've even went as far as inhaling once or twice in order to feel the strength and I just can't feel it(it is there, though, as far as the other reviews say, so I'll go fora medium in strength). It might be due to being an ex-cigarette smoker, I guess.

Overall, I recommend this blend for anyone who wants to start experiencing the wonderful taste of latakia based blends.

There is not alot to say about this one.

Its a very well balanced and rather mild balkan blend. In that regard i strongly recommend it for beginners which would like to delve into the balkan blends. You really don't have to take care much about this blend, just fire it up and enjoy. From the beginning to the end it simply tastes nice, spicy and with a hint of dark sweetness and of course the heavy, dark earthiness which is the hallmark of balkan blends. Its smoke is velvety and as far away from being harsh as any possible. Even if you mistreat it tongue bite will never occur.

I cannot find any downside at all in this blend, and again, i recommend it for the beginner in balkan blends. For the advanced or experienced smoker i recommend this as an everyday smoke.

And yes, it is not as complex in taste as other balkans would be, but this is not necessarily a bad thing and regardless this blend is far from being flat or one dimensional. Overall one simply cannot go wrong with this one.

Pro tip: if you like this blend then buy some more, it will be gone in 2016!

Despite the fact that I've read that the EBM is considered to be as the most 'flat' among the balkan blends, I personally loved it. Beautiful, complete and somehow smooth taste from the orientals, a perfectly balanced virginia and somewhere behind the scenes there's a pinch of latakia lurking to offer a full body-taste. Room note, according to wife: tolerable enough to postpone the divorce, a somewhat smokey odour that reminds us that our wives sheldom like BBQ...A must have in my cellar anyway!

The first time I tried "Erinmore classic" in rectangular yellow box in front of more than thirty years. It was "something different" than anything I've previously tried, but we stayed in good memory and I'm always happy to return to him whenever I had the opportunity. This mix of pleasantly surprised me. It remained all the qualities of the 'old' Erinmore, but now with a nice dose of premium Latakia which fit nicely with the old, recognizable surface! For praise!

To this day, it's been a love/hate situation with Erinmore and I. Erinmore Flake is enjoyable, though nothing that special. And Erinmore Mixture is just foul.. kind of like smoking an exhaust pipe dipped in fruit. We smoke pipe tobacco. I guess Erinmore was smoking something else when they came up with Mixtue.

Erimore Balkan Mixture however, really shines. It's just suited to my tastebuds better overall. I love the orientals in there, and the latakia is present, but not over powering.

It's a sippers smoke, nice and cool burning with great flavor. I don't see myself getting tired of this anytime soon.

Having tried Erinmore Flake to honour my grandad, I read a few reviews of this blend and decided to try it, lured in by the comparisons to Dunhill's EMP (which just sounds so wonderful although sadly I won't be able to try it).

I must say that I find this tobacco really agreeable. The tin aroma is pungent and one can really detect the orientals in there. This blend turned me on to English blends and I discovered how the natural flavours and aromas of the tobacco taste and smell far superior to aromatics. I do find, strangely, that this blend is at its best smoked in the morning and recall having a bowl in the drizzle of a grey French morning at a the Aire Baie de la Somme.

It packs well, stays alight and smokes well all the way to the bottom.

I will certainly keep it within my regular rotation. Good stuff.

A truly knockout tobacco by Erinmore; this is one of the few standalones I've tried and tested to date. If the smoking rooms of yesteryear were alive today, then I'm pretty certain that this is what the bespectacled and moustachioed gentry would be smoking inside those heavy oak-panelled walls.

Richly enticing, wholeheartedly deep, and boldly smoky; It's not bitter, nor overpowering. The burn is at a lovely constant and the pipe never seems to draw moisture or gurgle, regardless of the design. What we have here is a fine example of the sum parts of a given blend working together in harmony and balance.

To cap a bang-on smoke, credit must go Erinmore for the availability of their 15g samplers; delightfully packaged as nothing less than a mini version of their regular 50g pouches. It's the perfect size for the curious and non-committal sceptics, and for those rovers who merely wish to traverse a broad spectrum of pipe tobaccos, without breaking the bank to do so. In an age where many pipe shop owners see the act of giving a free bowl as something affecting profit margins in a negative way, these samplers are the next best thing.

Every company should follow suit.