Synjeco Synjeco's Balkan

A bulk offering of Synjeco. On their website it says: “A full-bodied classical English mixture with high grade Virginias, a lot of Orient, 10% Dark Fired Kentucky, 40% Latakia and a pinch of Perique.” On a scale of 10 they rate it 8 in strength. My personal rating would only be a 5 or a 6. When I dig my nose into the bag I can smell some Black Cavendish, which is not mentioned.

Good stuffing and lighting properties, and good but fast burning too. It needs some draws until all tobaccos are well under fire to get a proper presentation of the blend’s flavour. The body of this blend consists of Virginias. I doubt whether they are “high grade”, as the manufacturer’s description says. I find it very hard to perceive the well-known Virginia flavours. Maybe they are pushed aside by the other, rather robust tobaccos. I can definitely pick-up Black Cavendish, Orientals, some Dark Fired Kentucky and a little peppery Perique. On the other hand I cannot find that healthy dose of apparently “40% Latakia”. Certainly, there is some smoky Latakia in this blend but it is far away from being a Latakia bomb.

Over all, it is a mixture of medium strength with emphasis on the Orientals. Since I like Orientals, that’s fine for me. Each tobacco donates a restraint amount of flavour of its kind only. No deep-digging, lingering taste.