Dan Tobacco Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend

This blend is strong, and typical for the genre. There isn't anything special about this blend, but it doesn't disappoint either. You really cannot go wrong with it, as the components are well balanced. It packs a substantial nic hit, but can still be used as an all day smoke. Therein lies the appeal for Billy Bailey's Balkan blend. You can get a lot of mileage on this blend before it starts to bite.

3/4 solid daily Balkan for those of us who like our nicotine fix.

Quality tobacco. Latakia is main , Virginia assisting, Kentucky and Orientals in a support role. Smoke is medium-full, cool and dry. Aftertaste is lingering. Not an all day smoke. Worth to try it.

I gauge all Balkans by Balkan Sasieni as to me it is the absolute best Balkan I've had to date. Bill Bailey's Balkan is good, but comes up a bit short of Sasieni. BBB is stronger and sharper and seems to me more Latakia forward. The Kentucky adds backbone but cancels other components. Moisture level was good in the tin and could be smoked without drying but the mixture still seemed sharp. I let the tin sit for about two months and it seemed to calm down somewhat. Nicotine is above medium. You can push this and it won't bite, but if nicotine affects you beware. Not an everyday smoke, but good with an Ale, Lager or a good Scotch. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste. I think more aging may mellow it a bit and time will tell. Smoke in Peace-Lager

I am puzzled at some of the previous comments labeling this a one star tobacco. Perhaps these reviewers have had very little experience with a full bodied latakia tobacco. I found Bill Bailey's to be rich and creamy. Strong-yes, but quite satisfying after a good meal. Having said this I also found Bill Bailey's not the most complex blend or most interesting blend and thus not suitable for an every day smoke.

soli Deo gloria

It is very good latakia blend, but It is not "medium to strong". It is medium in the best case. My favorit strength is "Irish Oak". The Oak's strength is "medium to strong" and I believed the BBBB is same. No, I think the strength rating should be downgraded.

I arrived at BBBB after I had smoked a lot of C&D Pirate Kake trying to satisfy an escalating craving for Latakia. PK finally delivered the all-you-can-eat lat dose I'd been looking for and for a while I didn't care to try any other tobaccos. So I'm not sure how I ended up with an 8 oz bag of BBBB, but I did, and I have to say the first few pipes were a revelation. Given my rather coarse palate this is not saying much, but still the relative complexity that this tobacco delivers while still retaining a sizable Latakia load is noteworthy. The smoke from the charring light is sour but it quickly settles into a a robust and well-rounded satisfyingly nutty smoke that allows the orientals to come into play and the virginias to contribute a hint of sweetness. A cigar-smoking reviewer below noted that this blend reminds him of maduro. I've had very limited experience with cigars, but on many an occasion I've found myself thinking of that same association myself. This is a big part of what is satisfying or repellent about BBBB, depending on what your idea of big flavor is. I'm a nicotine wimp, so I've never been able to smoke a bowl of this at one sitting. I like to let it go out, set it aside, and come back to it later. The room note is decidedly nonsmoker unfriendly and quite different from the aroma you get when you're smoking it, which somehow feels warmer and nuttier. If you leave the room where you've been smoking it and come back to it after some time has elapsed, you're likely to detect a rather stale (Turkish cigarette?)scent. No cigar comparison there. This blend definitely leaves a strong taste in your mouth that even vigorous tooth brushing will only mask temporarily. It is one reason I smoke it less and less. Oddly there's just enough of a hint of virginia sweetness in this blend that it has prompted me to seek out more of that flavor and less of the latakia smokiness.

Smoking Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend is like taking a bath. I'm not quite sure I really want it, but then when I'm actually in it, I don't want to get out.

The first time I filled my bowl with this, I expected a classic, but deeper VaPer: I could actually smell the Virginias pre-light. When it was lit however, they disappeared. There was no brightness in the flavor, and I immediately decided I wasn't going to enjoy this particular smoke.

At first, only the Latakia was present, but it had a bit of richness beneath that became more developed as the bowl burned. By the end of the first third, I knew this was a blend to which I would be returning. It burns unbelievably cool and slow, producing tons of creamy, white smoke that, unfortunately, doesn't pass the girlfriend test (I'd been testing a few cheap aromatics lately that smelled better to her, but tasted worse to me).

Ultimately, you're not going to get too much out of this if you're looking for a traditional VaPer. If you like Orientals however, BBBB is a bowl full of thickly layered, toasty, spicy goodness that never once turned bitter or sour , even when smoking in a wind.

I wish there were a 2.5 rating for this one. It is really pretty extremely okay.

The first bowl had me quivering with an average latakia delight. I was in an almost stupor. Mmmm. Enough to inhale, half way.

When I finished with the beginning part of my sample (a good few ounces) I was half way to thinking I had found a smoke to hold me over. Soon after I picked myself up and noticed that I had smoked this many times before, yet, strangely, never remembering it.

O.k. So. What's it taste like. Lots of latakia that's just not harsh. An Oriental portion of interest. An added sweetness. American states here are pretty much as to be expected these days, there is but murmur from the southern coalition, and they seem to be unneeded.

(double joke, but true)

pause, I still kind like it. maybe

I grabbed this along with a tin of Gordon Pym, and between the two I think I would choose this blend over Pym. Pym is good in its own right, but this blen really sings to the english lover. Plenty of latakia with a good punt of perique and oriental with the Va's provide a little sweetness. Of a particular note, no bite at all, even when puffing like mad on it.