Dan Tobacco Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend
(3.11)
This full strength blend consists of the best Virginia grades with various Oriental tobaccos, 10% dark fired Kentucky leaf and over 40% latakia with a pinch of perique.
Details
| Brand | Dan Tobacco |
| Blended By | Dan Tobacco |
| Manufactured By | Dan Tobacco |
| Blend Type | Balkan |
| Contents | Kentucky, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin, 250 grams bulk |
| Country | Germany |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable to Strong
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.11 / 4
|
Reviews
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 21 - 30 of 45 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2021 | Very Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
I smoked this blend when it came out; whenever that was. After my first tin, I slowed down to occasional smoking and, finally, it disappeared out of my rotation. I haven't smoked Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend since. This tin was acquired in a buyout from another pipe smoker circa 2016 and he said he had it for four or five years. I remembered this blend as a strong and spicy English that was a chore to smoke compared to other English blends I was smoking at the time; all bristling with pepperiness and dense and very strong. I remembered correctly, as, this is the most dense and strong blend I've opened in more than a year. The tin was sealed rather weakly and opened easily. The aroma was overwhelming from the battle that was going on between the Latakia, the Perique and the Orientals all trying to be number one; and, there in the back row, was the Kentucky going "me too, me too" The tobacco was almost smokable right out of the tin and I gave my first smoke about an hour of air out time. I don't want the reader to misunderstand; this is a very good Balkan blend and I enjoyed it - to a point. The top halves were very spicy and tongue prickly at first before settling down. The bottom halves smoked more in a normal expectancy way, but, still dense and strong. My complaint about this blend is rather odd, in that, its a lot to handle and I immediately thought about ways to tame it down. Blending with less strong blends that have little to no Latakia or Perique is the solution. I found a 50-50 mix with Hearth and Home's AJ's VaPer to be about as good as it gets. I don't say this very often, but, being this much to handle keeps BBBB from four star status and I give it three and recommend it to all smokers as quite an experience.
Pipe Used:
Larry Roush lovat 2002
PurchasedFrom:
an Ebay seller
Age When Smoked:
unknown, but about ten years old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is good English blend, but just a bit too austere for me. What's that mean? I prefer blends with a toasty and slightly sweet (naturally sweet, not artificial) flavor. This one is a bit too "dry" in wine terms. This is pure tobacco flavor and I don't detect any flavoring. Some of you may love that, but I have to settle for three stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 30, 2015 | Strong | Strong | Overwhelming | Extra Strong |
A friend of mine will rarely even try a sample of any other tobacco he is so enamored by BBBB. He generously gifted me a tin and continously inquired as to how did I like it. Normally I never open a tin until it has been cellared at least a year, but I gave in to opening this after only a month (he can be very persistent). It was POWERFUL!!! Actually a little overwhelming and not what I had expected. Some reviews here have stated the Latakia is Syrian and perhaps it is, but it was nowhere as smooth as other blends which clearly indicate their Latakia to be Syrian (e.g., Balkan by Brebbia, Syrian Latakia Blend by Mclintock). I cannot say this will make my regular rotation, but perhaps I simply need to smoke this in a smaller pipe like a Dunhill Group 2S or my similar sized Castello (I'll update following a couple of bowls in those) instead of in my Brigham pot. All in all it came a bit damp in the tin but 20-30 min of dry time for a bowls worth solves that. It burned slow for its cut leaving no wet dottle at the bottom of the bowl but the flavour profile remained consistent so if you want a true Latakia bomb this would be it as the orientals and the virginia played a very backseat role throughout the smoke. This leads me to wonder if another factor may be the lack of aging so I'm going to wait at least three months before my next sampling. Given the 1.76 oz tin price at $25 here in Canada (mostly damn taxes which they then tax a further 13% HST at the till!!!) I think I will be smoking the Balkan by Brebbia (the best price here at $22). Another blend which has a similar strength profile but a more balanced taste profile would be OLB by B&B in Ashville NC.
Pipe Used:
Brigham pot, MM Legend,Castello Old Antaquari pot
PurchasedFrom:
Was a gift but you can order it from P&C online
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 07, 2014 | Extremely Strong | None Detected | Extra Full | Pleasant |
Well, where to start? First of all this is one of the strongest Balkans I have ever smoked. The tin aroma is very nice, moisture level perfect, packs well and lights just fine...stays lit as well. Plumes! Yes plumes of smoke. This had my car filled with smoke like a Cheech and Chong movie. 🙂 The problem that I have with this fine mixture is it's just too damn strong for me. Its not harsh though like some strong blends are, this, I think, has a nicotine throttle shifted to high gear. Too much for me unfortunately. I had to laugh as I started sweating and feeling a little nauseated, laughter then tears because I really liked the flavor and the pungent aroma of this one. Nutty, some feathery leathery notes along with a winter's chimney outpour and some salty sourness. If you can handle this...have an iron constitution then by all means wo/man up and get this, you will not be disappointed, a fine powerhouse indeed. THLOGSSUTW
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 28, 2010 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Cracking the tin brought back aromatic memories of Dunhill blends, like Aperitif, many years ago, very nice indeed. There are some long ribbons in Bailey's Balkan, with short pieces of Latakia and brown. All are of a medium width.
Taking this blend on its own merits, it is of good quality, burns well and throws one a "change up" with the fire-cured Kentucky leaf. I do not sense the Perique, and that is probably a good thing or else the spiciness of BBBB would be just too overwhelming. As it is, I could wish for something sweet, even darkly, to off-set the acrid, pungent spice.
If I were a fan of blends with a very strong emphasis on pungent Oriental tobaccos and Latakia with little sweetness, then Bx4 would be a worth keeping around. This has enough flavor and burns well-enough to smoke slow and easy to avoid mouth pain. It also avoids the excessive bitterness that is akin to eating a mature dandelion salad.
Rating it in its own class, B4 is B, B+. It has more going for it than I found in Caravan, Kensington, Black Point or McClelland's original three Syrian Latakia blends (Rose of, Full Balkan and Super Balkan). Abingdon would be in the same tier, but I like Abingdon better.
MClelland's recent releases of blends with Syrian Latakia and varietal Oriental blends are changing the landscape for me, putting McC well into its own category of delight among its contemporaries. This is relativizing my perceptions on Latakia and Oriental mixtures these days.
Taking this blend on its own merits, it is of good quality, burns well and throws one a "change up" with the fire-cured Kentucky leaf. I do not sense the Perique, and that is probably a good thing or else the spiciness of BBBB would be just too overwhelming. As it is, I could wish for something sweet, even darkly, to off-set the acrid, pungent spice.
If I were a fan of blends with a very strong emphasis on pungent Oriental tobaccos and Latakia with little sweetness, then Bx4 would be a worth keeping around. This has enough flavor and burns well-enough to smoke slow and easy to avoid mouth pain. It also avoids the excessive bitterness that is akin to eating a mature dandelion salad.
Rating it in its own class, B4 is B, B+. It has more going for it than I found in Caravan, Kensington, Black Point or McClelland's original three Syrian Latakia blends (Rose of, Full Balkan and Super Balkan). Abingdon would be in the same tier, but I like Abingdon better.
MClelland's recent releases of blends with Syrian Latakia and varietal Oriental blends are changing the landscape for me, putting McC well into its own category of delight among its contemporaries. This is relativizing my perceptions on Latakia and Oriental mixtures these days.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 06, 2010 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I think I like this. I think.
Nothing remarkable, but fairly pleasant Ltakia and oriental flavor, with respectable strength. Nice after dinner smoke.
I can't give it a ringing endorsement. But I will, most assuredly, return to this and smoke it again and again.
Nothing remarkable, but fairly pleasant Ltakia and oriental flavor, with respectable strength. Nice after dinner smoke.
I can't give it a ringing endorsement. But I will, most assuredly, return to this and smoke it again and again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 13, 2009 | Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
To me, this is a Balkan blend. Thick, creamy, and tastey with an after taste that lingers for hours. It comes off with a little bitterness at first but becomes spicer at about 2/3 bowl. This blend is very much like Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding. A blend I love. Just not as sweet maybe and spicier. At least I know what bowl to dedicate this blend to.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 17, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
Just after the bad experience of the Dunhill (Orlik...) MM965 re-visit, which I really need to forget... The term "Balkan" is something a bit abused in most cases, including BBBB, and I have collected several tins which contains it. The common feature I notice is that "Balkans" are tipically mixtures (or flakes) with heavy load of Latakia, while they should had an Oriental over-load (particularly Macedonians). That being said, and the yet noticeable amount of reviews TR has registered, I would simply add that BBBB is something reminding me an old article (mid 80's) appearing on an italian review named "Amici della Pipa" (means Pipe Friends) on Balkan Sobranie's. The reviewers (Mr. Zonta and Mr. Stevanato, I will never end to thank their skill and endless love to pipe) described that Balkan 759 was the only english able to get addition of Kentucky (the one coming from the crushing of Toscano cigars). I experimented that... and re-thinking of it now smoking BBBB. Uh: Balkan 759 + K was much, much stronger, but BBBB is something like that, in a milder way. Let me add that it is much better in a large bent. Cannot give four star, but I will.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 07, 2006 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Full | Tolerable |
This is a full strength blend and mighty enjoyable! Predominantely, I am a Virginia Plug pipe smoker but do enjoy a medium/strong Balkan as part of my rotation.
I am impressed with this tobacco and the fine flavor I get every time I smoke. Early in the smoke I get a very fragrant flavor and aroma that stays with the bowl all the way through the smoke. I don't see this as overpowering at all...and in many ways its complex nature builds throughout the smoke...yet it has a subtle quality throughout as well.
I have smoked this in the early morning, afternoon, and evening and don't have a real preference time-wise. However, this blend when accompanied with a fine brandy around 10PM is wonderful!
I smoked the majority of this Balkan in a 1972 dunhill group 5 straight billiard.
Highly recommended for the experienced smoker!
I am impressed with this tobacco and the fine flavor I get every time I smoke. Early in the smoke I get a very fragrant flavor and aroma that stays with the bowl all the way through the smoke. I don't see this as overpowering at all...and in many ways its complex nature builds throughout the smoke...yet it has a subtle quality throughout as well.
I have smoked this in the early morning, afternoon, and evening and don't have a real preference time-wise. However, this blend when accompanied with a fine brandy around 10PM is wonderful!
I smoked the majority of this Balkan in a 1972 dunhill group 5 straight billiard.
Highly recommended for the experienced smoker!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 17, 2006 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
I think this is a very nice blend, If you like latakia, this is a goody.
If my tobacconist was out of Nightcap and I was in the mood for some, I would ask if he had a tin of this.
I think it has a touch more nicotine than Night Cap and a little less Perique.
More Perique would make it superb I bet.
Recomended
If my tobacconist was out of Nightcap and I was in the mood for some, I would ask if he had a tin of this.
I think it has a touch more nicotine than Night Cap and a little less Perique.
More Perique would make it superb I bet.
Recomended
target="_blank"
