J. F. Germain & Son Balkan Sobranie

As much as this blend is talked about, I just couldn't get it. I suppose I'm not a fan of Balkan blends like I originally thought. The tin note smells amazing: smokey latakia with a sweet - almost caramel - aroma. It was very wet, so I gave it about an hour of dry time before packing. It packed decently, but I had to take care not to pack it too densely since it was still rather moist and thin. It took 2 false lights before it caught and I got a nice blast of smokey flavor. I suppose the thing that I really don't like about this tobacco is the rather "musty" taste that accompanies the latakia. There is some sweetness to it though, but that damn musty taste just ruins it for me. It might be the orientals, but I love Virginia/oriental/latakia blends and smoke them often. I just can't really get into this blend. I'm going to let it age for a while before making a final decision, but as of right now I can't see this being something that I'll smoke often. I would recommend it to someone who really likes Balkan blends. I'll stick to my English Oriental or Squadron Leader for now.

I have never tried the original Balkan Sobranie so I had no preconceived notions as to what this should taste like. I was fortunate enough to have a good sample sent to me from a forum buddy. Fortunate, because I will Not have to spend anymore on this as I was not too impressed.

I am not one for the heavy lat hitters and this one definitely falls into that category, but still, there are some I enjoy and perhaps it is a matter of balance. I feel this one lacks that proper balance that would make it more amenable to my palate. I would opt for several full English blends before this. GL Pease Odyssey for one and then several germain produced blends such as Penzance and the Smoker's Haven imported blends.

So somewhat recommended.

I was gifted a two ounce bulk sample by reviewer 430pat when I purchased a large number of other tins from him recently on ebay. Thank you pat, it is a wonderful smoking experience. This current iteration of an old blend is from the J.F. Germain Co., a blender/tinner I have known and admired for decades. They have done a good job. Of course, being a longtime english smoker, I have had the pleasure of smoking this blend off and on for about fifty years - from the old razor-cuts down to the Gallagher roll-up pouches. The current iteration is the second best version I can remember; the sixties Sobranie Ltd. being the best.

The bulk appearance is browner than I remember the original, which had lighter components flecked with blackish bits, but this is no problem. The aroma is heavenly and not at all perfumey as I have read in some reviews. The cut is a rather fine ribbon - my favorite cut for a pipe blend. There was only a very minor amount of woody components and it required only a short dry-out time to a ready-to-smoke consistency. From the first puff I knew I was into something nice and very reminiscent of the original blend. It smoked soft and friendly in the top half of the bowl and, from the mid-bowl point on down, only got better. Like Hearth and Home's Ambassador's Blend, it had one of the finest finishes I have ever smoked. I was also gifted a two ounce bag of Orlik/Dunhill 965 in the same week (it was Christmas time, after all) by another longtime pipe smoking friend and I will review it and compare the two mixtures in an upcoming 965 review.

I very much enjoyed my experience with Germain's Balkan Sobranie Mixture and I'm still enjoying it as we speak. I highly recommend this blend to all pipe smokers for what it is and for what it strongly hints was the original blend. A solid four stars.

For the record I never have tried the ‘original’ but it is revered and probably sought after as much as the Holy Grail. A good fellow in the club brought some in and I was able to try it. Where we meet, a lot of members, myself included will bring in pipe tobacco for others to try. If it were not for that my reviews would probably still be in the double digits as there is just way too many offerings out there to try (buy) and I would go broke buying them all. The tin note (jar) had a sourish, fermented earthy smell to it and upon first light I kind of got a tart, dry taste if using wine analogy, not too impressed actually. About a third way down the flavor improved a little more for my taste buds. This is definitely a predominant Oriental/Turkish smoke in my opinion with the Latakia in the background. The second bowl tasted much better probably because my taste buds knew what to expect. I was not really wowed with this one but on the other hand it is a good blend. Probably not a fair review with my limited samples but if I could get a hold of a tin I would but not something I would go out of the way to get. As with any sample given to me my review is not to insult the giver but we all cannot and do not like the same things which makes attending the club fun as we all get to try different blends that sometimes our pocketbook could not afford. Thanks again club.

=====2015 update=====

A little over a year ago, I opened a new tin of BS and was somewhat disappointed with it. Back in the eighties and nineties, BS was my favorite tobacco, and this new incarnation, though close overall in taste to the original, didn't quite measure up to my expectations—really, it bummed me out. Today, literally (I just smoked a bowl minutes ago) I can safely say the blend I once loved is back!

What happened? I decanted the remainder of the tin last spring and let it sit in a sealed mason jar for a year. What a difference this made! I can safely say this is the blend I once loved! A year of sitting in a jar took off the edge and mellowed it out to perfection. So, my advice to those who experienced a similar situation is, enjoy a few bowls fresh, then decant it, seal it in a jar and let it sit for a year (at least) and then try it again. BS is back! The only problem I have now is trying to get some more without breaking the bank.

This, for my money, is the best Balkan/English blend ever made.

===old review below===

If you've ever read my first review, Storm Front, you'll know that Balkan Sobranie was once my go to smoke. Considering the availability and often times high price of this most recent incarnation, I thought I'd never set sight on this blend ever again. Fortunately, at the beginning of 2013, I asked Scotty, from Pipes&Cigars, if he had any tins sitting around the shop, and, lo and behold, he replied yes! Not only that, he sold it to me for the then low current retail price of $12.95! This was when no one else had a tin in stock and you could only find them on Ebay (with typically inflated Ebay prices). P&C came through for me! Way to go P&C! This year, 2014, I finally opened that tin, and here are the results...

As is often stated in other reviews, this is not the same baccy I used to enjoy back in the day. This new version is sharper, and cut differently than the older version (the older BS had a thinner cut). Another reviewer mentioned the older pouched version as being "soda-y" and, if what he means by that is being more OTC friendly, for the masses as it were, than I fully agree.

There was something better about the old version, something that this newer one doesn't have, what that is specifically I can't say. Perhaps it's just the passing of time and development of one's taste buds. In any case, I enjoyed this most recent incarnation, but, you know, some current day knockoffs like Black House, Blue Mountain and White Knight may actually better represent the smoke I once loved (rather remarkably). Still, it was a pleasant ride down memory lane.

Just got a tin of the new release, which is supposed to be based on the original recipe, it is a good medium strength English blend. I really do not understand why this was so revered, it is indeed good, but not the best blend I have ever tried. I have never smoked the old stuff and maybe it was better, but this is as close as we are ever likely to get and I will cellar some for the future as it may get more impressive with age.

UPDATE: I'm raising my review from three to four stars. I recently opened a tin that I had cellared from the first batch and WOW! The flavors have melded beautifully and the Virginias have already begun to get some bloom on them, this blend is simply fantastic with four years of age on it and I'm looking forward to see what it's like with five and ten years of aging, simply sublime!

I'm old enough to remember the original Balkan Sobranie. Granted, our viewpoints change, but this is pretty light in the land of Latakia and strikes me as similar to....well, just a lot of blends. It worth a try, but I wouldn't sell the farm over this, nor go running back to it.

I have no narrative about my memories of Balkan Sobranie of previous manufacturers and iterations. The only other Balkan Sobranie I have smoked was in the foil pouch gifted to me by a friend returning from Italy. I liked it. This edition manufactured by J.F. Germain is utterly different and is reviewed here on its own merits.

Without historical referent, and without waxing about my appreciation for Germain's blends under their own and other labels, Balkan Sobranie is stupendous. It burns well in small to large chambers, straight-walled and conical drillings morning, noon and night. It is velvety smooth, a touch creamy, a touch spicy, a touch smokey and altogether interesting. It tastes delicious and finishes with intense flavor, devolving to a fine ash associated with unadulterated tobacco leaf.

I find that this blend is about a harmony between tobaccos Oriental and Latakia, these being the main contributors to the flavors of the mixture. The Virginias are in the distant background, noticeable mostly in the first third of a bowl and phantasmic thereafter.

The cut is very thin, probably closest to a shag cut. Aromas from a tin are abundant and inviting. Packing moisture is just right for aging, and the mixture dries down quickly as needed.

There is not a whisper or a suggestion of anything not to like. Quite the opposite. It will be taste that will make me want a tin of this available within arms reach throughout the week.

English/Balkan mixtures are an acquired taste, and certainly an acquired smell; if you don't like Latakia, they're intolerable. Personally, I prefer Virginias on the whole, but I sometimes get into a Latakia mood. When I do, I usually go for Gawith & Hoggarth's Balkan Mixture or No. 25 Mixture. I have to say, though, that this new incarnation of Balkan Sobranie is good stuff; and, especially, it's much more robust and complex than the other two. I don't have a discriminating enough palate or a sufficiently accurate memory to be able to compare it to the “old” Balkan Sobranie. It's enough for me that the orientals, Latakia and Virginia components are well-balanced and skilfully blended in terms of flavour and consistency. This is an interesting and rewarding smoke all the way down the bowl, with no negatives that I can identify (apart, possibly, from the room note considered from the point of view of the Innocent Bystander). I suspect that there will soon be a scarcity problem - because Germain will not want to flood the market with it, and people will hoard it (i.e. the same problem as there is with Penzance). If you can get it, though, and if you like Latakia mixtures, you really can't do better than this.