4noggins Britt's Balkan

At first light this tobacco is sweet with a very faint vanilla flavor. This is a very smooth smoke and I get almost a bit of a nutty after note, I get no bite. Very enjoyable to smoke. Smokes nicely throughout the bowl. It smokes on the medium side. There is no bite at all. I really enjoyed this blend. The vanilla adds a really nice touch for anyone looking for a different kind of Balkan.

Truly an outstanding smoke. All the components are of high quality. The key feature for me is the addition of the vanilla topping. It combines with the Orientals to create a fairly strong floral note that really makes this blend. There is also a gentle sweetness that is present from beginning to end. One of the best Balkan blends I've smoked. Mild to medium in body. Medium to full in flavor. A real treat.

A Balkan with a hint of vanilla? You Bet! This is one fine weed. At first blush, I thought that this blend from 4 Noggins was good, but not great. After a couple of months in a jar, I took it out for another try and boy, I'm glad I did. The hint of vanilla serves to just take the edge off and smooth out this cool burning blend. Everything just works well together here. I could understand why a "Balkan Purist" may be reluctant to try Britts because of the vanilla, but I suggest a small investment in a couple of ounces and see where it takes you. Britt's arrives a bit moist and I think it smokes best on the dry side. Britt's offers a nice complement to my other Balkan favorites without really straying off the farm. Highly recommended.

I'm very impressed with this bulk offering from 4noggins. This is the best Balkan blend I've come across. The cut is somewhere between a shag and ribbon, beautiful coloring. It arrived just a tad moist, but, because of the thin ribbon cut, was perfect to smoke with just a few minutes of drying time. The aroma is one of fine Orientals and Latakia, with just a hint of vanilla from the Cavendish. This was my biggest concern when ordering 8 oz. without ever having tried it (something I rarely do). How would the slight vanilla flavoring affect my enjoyment of this blend? Well, I shouldn't have worried; it's pure bliss! It stays well in the background, smoothing out the Orientals and adding a wonderful sweetness to the room note. It packs and lights like a dream, needing virtually no relights, and burns to the bottom of the bowl leaving a wonderful white ash with little or no dottle. Because of the thin ribbon cut, it can burn more quickly than other coarser cut blends, so take your time and enjoy it. The Virginias are top- notch and add another dimension of sweetness along with the Cavendish. This is now one of my "go to" blends, and I'll soon be placing another order for a pound of this remarkable leaf. Four stars, without a doubt! Grab some and try it yourself!

4noggins - Britt's Balkan.

I wasn't aware that this had a slight topping, but when I took my first few puffs I thought "that is one seriously creamy Balkan, damn". Then, I logged on to Tobacco Reviews and things were made clear! If anything, that attests that the topping is noticeable! Mild yes, but present nevertheless. The tobaccos are balanced with one another nicely: it give a flavoursome smoke, but it has very little sharpness, or astringency. It would be wonderful for a beginner: a dichotomy of a soft aromatic, and a rich Balkan, with a medium amount of nicotine.

This wouldn't do me as a go-to, but it's easily worth a recommendation.

Three stars.

A complete surprise with this mild, if not complex, Balkan blend. Orientals and Virginia are the highlights with Latakia taking over from the Orientals about halfway through the bowl.

Do not be put off by the "Vanilla" label - you can hardly taste it and it is more of a subtle hint that binds the clean flavours of tobacco together. Smoked straight out of the pouch it is slightly moist but lights well and stays lit. Burns coolly and produces no bite at all, and offers no bitterness. Top class blend that kept me away from my usual aromatics.

Edit: after about half a year this blend continues to be a "quiet achiever". As with all 4noggins blends, its advantage lies in relative "sparseness" of flavours so they do not conflict with each other. There is no discernible taste of additives, so you only taste tobacco plus the gentle low-key undertone of vanilla. While it is an unusual to add any flavouring to a Balkan, it works a treat in this blend. Top marks again, Mr. Gottlieb.

The fragrant, incense-like Orientals provide a lot of earth, wood, floralness, herbs, vegetation, dry sourness, some spice, very mild buttery sweetness, and light smokiness. They are the lead components. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty, floral, vegetative Cyprian Latakia is a strong supporting player. The rather acidic, alkaline-like bright Virginia offers a lot of tart and tangy citrus, sourly tart lemon, bread, sugar, vegetation, floralness and spice. It sits in the third position. Giving the bright some competition is the red Virginia. Its aspects include tangy ripe dark fruit, earth wood, bread, sugar, vegetation, light floralness, a pinch or two of spice, and a slight vinegary McClelland essence. The rich vanilla topping moderately sublimate the tobaccos as it synergistically helps form a very consistent, creamy sweet and savory, floral, spicy, mildly sour, campfire flavor. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are medium. It won’t bite, but the spice and floral content are high enough to recommend a slow sipping pace. Has a few small rough edges. Needs a light dry time. Well balanced, it burns clean, mostly cool, and if not dried, a tad slow. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. The lightly lingering after taste is marred by the alkaline/acidic notes. The room note is tolerable. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

Over a year ago when buying some GL Pease blends from 4noggins and after going on reviews read here I decided to give Britts a try. I bought 8oz, gave 4oz to a friend and cellard my share in a large mason jar. I did give it a go right off the bat but felt it could benefit from some aging. 8 months later it was a joy to smoke after a long day. When opening my jar the first thing that you pick up on is smokey Latakia in the blend. Its not overpowering but is the frontrunner in the blend followed close behind by Orientals. Britts burns dry and cool and ive never have had gurgle, a hot pipe and never any bite. For some reason I have never been able to pick up on the vanilla that has been talked about so much. Im not an every day smoker but this is a blend that i would consider an every day smoke. Solid 3.

Update: over the 3 years that I've been familiar with this blend it has really grown on me. This can and does make a fine every day smoke as we'll as a bluebird day smoke. This is a great puff that in my opinion is under appreciated. I'm giving this that extra star.

When McClelland announced that it was closing its doors, I started thinking to myself, "How can I replace some of the blends I like?; and maybe it's time to start looking at really learning to blend on my own so I don't get left int he cold one day." The second thought is for another day, but how to replace an aromatic English blend? So I came upon 4Noggins and their Britt's Balkan. Glad I did. It's delicious!

I started off by buying a one pound bag. I'm thinking of buying a few more just to cellar. Again, it's delicious and creamy. Nice full smoke and terrific room note. I say, "room note", but I like to smoke outside. Still, half the enjoyment of smoking a pipe is reaching back out to smell the smoke in the air. I love it, and this one does not disappoint.

The quality of the tobacco is nice. Burned slow, burned cool. No bite and the lingering taste afterwards was nice. Had a nice little nicotine hit which I like. While I do enjoy the taste and smell of a good bowl, I also like a little nicotine punch. A bit of an extra reward, as I see it.

By the way, I think "aromatic" can get a bar rap out there. This has vanilla added to it. It's not over the top but does add a nice sweet and creamy layer to the blend. So if you're looking for a fine tasting, aromatic English, this should definitely be on your list. Stock up though.

Holy smokes Rich hit it out of the park on this one! I keep 2 balkans on hand at all times. Britt's balkan and Larry's blend. Larry's for when I want to be kicked in the throat with top notch orientals, Britt's for when I crave a balkan but want something mellower and a tad sweeter. Whoever thought of a vanilla balkan? Rich did, that's who, and man I'm glad that he did. Tried on a small sample, quickly ordered 8 ounces, now down to scraps I am looking at a pound or two, or maybe 5. Smells like sweet oak sawdust in the bag, hits all the right sweet, sour and smoky notes when smoked...heavenly. Highly recommended, get over to 4Noggins and get you some.