Wellauer & Co Balkan Mixture

Although the country they operated out of (Switzerland), was known for flavored tobaccos, this brilliant old blending house went against the grain by producing some of the finest English style blends ever produced. And believe it or not Wellauer & Company also was known for its brand of chocolates and other confections. The only way I could get their tobaccos back in the 1980s and early '90s was to swap tobacco with an old Pipe Smokers Ephemeris member who had me send him tobacco he couldn't get there.

I am not sure to this day what really constitutes a Balkan Mixture, but to my mind it is heavier on the Virginias and Latakia and lighter on the Oriental components. And this one hit all the right notes with me. I liked the depth and strength, although I admit I have smoked many blends over the years that seem to have the same overall presentation. Not a stand out, but darned good.

I was pretty sceptical since the Wellauer Blends are not made in Switzerland, but produced by a German company based in Berlin, notorious for gas station aromatics, such as the German version of Rum&Maple. Opening the tin, I found the tobacco packed in a plastic bag. Does the job, but cheap appearnce. What a surprise! Great Latakia taste, smooth, earthy. The oriental are not in the foreground, but present. Almost no sweetness, what I like (not always). My usual favorites include Night Cap, Roman Peters Sobranie, Maltese Falcon, and similar. I hadn't thought this one would come close in quality, but it does. Added to my rotation.

Very good mixture, with a 50% latakia I would guess. Perfect after lunch or dinner, it is quite similar to the Dunhill Nightcap, in strength. I rate it 3 stars, and will buy it again. in my opinion, it is lacking something since the taste is quite linear.. maybe it is me seeking for some perique which is not here. Or the balkans are not at the same level of latakia.. Anyway, worth giving it a try if you smoke balkans, absolutely.

A very interesting (Balkan-English) tobacco mixture: according to the manufacturer's description (welltabac.ch), it is a mixture of Syrian Latakia, Burley and best Virginias. Orientals are completely absent. Tobacco in transparent polyethylene in a tin is very fragrant and consists of pieces of different cuts. I use a medium-sized smoking pipe because it is so convenient to stuff the tobacco inside. The intense aroma of the mixture is quite specific in this blend. Perhaps because of the Syrian Latakia. There is a dense aroma and rich smoke. It is not for an all-day smoke since too much intense aroma of the blend. I do piping during evenings after dinner, this mixture is suitable for relaxation and blowing out the accumulated negativity of the whole day. A cup of black tea or coffee would fit to the piping. For lovers of Balkan & Latakia blends, this mixture is suitable as a comparison with other similar mixtures. I recommend to try. However, it is not easy to get it in the North America. Partially in Europe, the blend is available under limited conditions as well.

This mixture is a perfect test of how to smoke a pipe to enjoy a tobacco: if you smoke it quickly the taste will become cigarette-like. But if you manage to smoke it slowly, then it will be satisfying, although Balkan Mixture is not a top level EM. 3,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Delicious! Very well balanced tobacco! The individual characteristics of the used blending tobaccos are integrated, the play very good together so that they develop complexity. I know i repeat myself, but i have to say it once again. The great performance of this blend is it's great balance while maintaining the taste of the used single components.