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WhiteKnight is a medium bodied, very complex and well balanced Balkan style blend created to evoke memories of one of the most iconic pipe tobaccos ever made.
Notes: When we won the 2011 Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown at the Chicagoland Pipe and Tobacciana Show, with our entry, BlackHouse, it caused quite a stir, and the blend has become one of our best sellers. We followed that up with Fusilier's Ration, which was modeled after Bengal Slices, and it too has become incredibly popular. There was one other blend that I loved, that I thought about making a tribute to, because I enjoyed it so much. But I resisted, due to the iconic stature of the tobacco. After a couple of years of work, though, I finally put together a blend that I feel so confident in, that we're ready to bring you BlackHouse's cousin - WhiteKnight.
Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture is legendary among those of us who were privileged enough to have smoked it. It had gone through some changes, but my memories are from the blend as it was in the late seventies. Using Cyprian Latakia, remarkable yellow Virginias, and amazing Macedonian Orientals, including the Queen of Tobaccos - Yenidje, WhiteKnight has received rave reviews from people who sampled it prior to release.
If you love smooth, fragrant Latakia blends with a bright, sparkly character, I think that WhiteKnight will find its way into your regular rotation.
Favorite Of 18 Users
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3046) |  |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I started smoking Balkan Sobranie in 1982, so I missed the 1970s version on which this is based, and was slightly different than what I was used to. However, a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to have sampled the 1960s BS, and this is fairly similar to it. The main differences are the Orientals are a little spicier, there's a little less Cyprian Latakia, and a little more sweetness here than the 1960s version, which used Syrian Latakia until the 1980s. The mild soda note from the woody, earthy, herbal, floral, slightly spicy, dry Yenidje is milder here than in the Sobranie I regularly smoked. The earthy, woody, floral, herbal, vegetative, sweet, slightly spicy Macedonia plays the same background notes. The yellow Virginia is lightly grassy and citrusy in both while the red Virginia is lightly tangy, dark fruity, woody and earthy. The red Va. lacks the punch of earlier Sobranies. The lead component is the Cyprian Latakia, which has the usual smokey, earthy, sweet, woodsy flavor, and is balanced nicely by the other components. The Orientals are supporting players. The Virginias form a base for the other varietals, but you always notice them.
I found it a tamer with less depth and body than all the pre-2014 Balkan Sobranie versions. This is a little dry out of the tin (dryer than any Sobranie I ever smoked), and I find it a little more flavorful with a slight bit of moisture. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does have a few rough edges as did the Sobranies. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent, mildly creamy sweet and savory flavor that translates to the short lived, pleasant after taste and room note. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl and requires few relights. An all day smoke that's about as close a copy as you will find.
Edit: 8-17-2016 Having smoked 1960 Balkan Sobranie on this day, I notice it's still fresh and moist out of an newly opened tin, and tastes very much like WhiteKnight. The older version has a slight less sweetness - and a little more dryness - and does sport that "unflavored soda" note from the yenidje more than WK does. This leads me to suspect that the strain of yenidje may have changed in recent times. The other difference is between the prior use of Syrian Latakia (smoke, wood, earth, wine essence and some fragrant dryness) versus the current Cyprian (smoke, wood, earth, and some sweetness), but Russ has done a good job of compensating for that difference.
-JimInks
87 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteelCowboy (685) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have a pipe in my mouth most of the day and as a result, I tend to switch off from blend to blend. But when I received Russ Ouellette’s newest incarnation, I have gone through almost the entire tin in three days! Does it taste like the 70’s version of Balkan Sobranie? No, but the intent was to pay tribute to this iconic blend and I think Russ has done that here. Personally, I find this to be more complex although not quite as smooth as Balkan Sobranie, but that could easily be due to the lack of age. I would not take that as a criticism, it isn’t. This blend comes ready to smoke out of the tin as it is fairly dry (not too dry). The mixture of ribbons and rough cut leaf smells a little bit sour, a bit leathery and smoky in the tin. I find the smell of the Orientals to dominate. In the pipe it smokes slightly sweet and creamy with a wide range of flavor. WK is one of those blends that a new nuance can be found with each new bowl. It’s a little tamer than Black House and the combination of Macedonian leaf is sublime. WK is billed as medium in body and I find that to be pretty much the case, although the flavor is medium to full. I have smoked this in a half dozen different pipes, but I have had the best results in a reverse Calabash. The only question that I have about this blend, and it is a minor one, surrounds how much benefit it will WK receive from long term aging. I only question this because it is on the dry side and I have had better results aging blends with a tad more moisture. But I intend to add enough tins to the cellar to find out. All in all, this is one outstanding tobacco and may even be Russ’ best effort to date! Highly recommended!
Pipe Used: Eltang Tubos and others
Age When Smoked: one month
64 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
Looooong ribbons of blonde-to-black, it certainly looks like the old Sobranie. Tin nose of succulent orientals with latakia - no surprise there. The blend greeted me as fairly dry, dryer than I'm used to seeing. I'm not sure that was intentional, as Sobranie was one I usually had to dry out before smoking.
Russ strikes me as always getting to the essence of his "clone" blends, or "memory evoking" blends or whatever one cares to call them. I thought BlackHouse and Fusiliers portrayed their influences very well. This one is no exception, although it doesn't have that burst of flavor that Sobranie had. Jiminks calls it a "soda note" and after quizzing him on that, we agreed that it was what we were both experiencing... he just found a better way to describe it than I did. He absolutely nailed it. Anyway, not much of that "soda note" here, at least not like the original had. On the other hand, this strikes me as closer to the Sobranie I'm familiar with than the new Sobranie blend does. Now I haven't smoked a lot of the '70's Sobranie and one of the batches I smoked didn't fare so well 40 years later. Further, I can't really remember the ins and outs of the good batch but it was sublime. WhiteKnight doesn't ascend to that height. But it's still an excellent tobacco and evokes memories of old Sobranie for me. Russ seems to be able to do that very often. While I may not smoke this blend a lot, the talent required in creating it is obvious. Put simply, if you liked the old Balkan Sobranie, pick up a tin of this, and I'll bet you can put more of your sadness about the old stuff going away than you might think!
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentleman Zombie (729) |  |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A very nice tasting Balkan mix. Very smooth and creamy. The Orientals dominate the Latakia by a small margin. The Virginias add their usual sweetness. The second half of the bowl is where it really shines though. The Lat and Orientals mellow and marry and a very nice spiciness comes to the fore. So creamy and spicey, it makes me drool thinking about it. If I didn't know better I'd think there was a pinch of Perique in it. I have one complaint and this prevents me from giving this four stars. It has some burn issues as one other reviewer noted. Just doesn't seem to want to burn readily. Even when bone dry. Otherwise, a great smoke. 3+
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestud (1829) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Yes, this one did ring a bell while smoking. If you enjoyed the Oriental presence of the original Balkan Sobranie, then you will certainly like WhiteKnight. The Latakia could not be duplicated, but due to the fact it is much fresher than what I remember of the old BS White, it is more pronounced here. A very nice compilation!
Pipestud
28 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Theodore Moore (14) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
One of the best ways to judge a pipe tobacco is the disappointment one feels when reaching the end of the bowl. This tobacco leaves me wanting another pipefull every time. Another way I judge a tobacco is to leave the room and clear the nostrils and then return... a heavenly experience with White Knight! This is MUCH smoother and more courteous to the tongue than Black House, with an occasional taunting, tantalizing, pure-tobacco floral note which I simply adore, and find myself waiting for with great expectation. To me at least, this is what is missing in most Sobranie wanna-be's. Having smoked many a tin of both Sobranies in the 70's, this blend exceeds my memories. This is a sipping tobacco to be sure as it will not yield her tasty complexity if not handled gently. But given a slow meditative draw, the slipstream will surprise and reward. Here is a mild tobacco that doesn't sacrifice body, aroma or complexity; nor will it fry the tongue; a rare fourfold feat. Russ is always raising the bar, and The White Knight is his Lancelot! Seven stars out of five for perfection! Bravo Russ!!! I Thank you!
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
Similar Blends: Balkan Sobranie Original.
20 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lit a Kia (69) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I never smoked the blend that inspired this, but White Knight is an excellent English. Beautiful complexity from the Orientals, Latakia and Virginias; they play well together through the entire smoke. I dry it before packing and have not had a problem keeping it lit. If I had to choose a single blend, this one would be a front runner.
P.S. Jim and DK's "lighter than Black House" characterization is spot on.
1/15/2015 Was a front runner for "desert island" tobacco until I met Russ's Magnum Opus. Still, a wonderful smoke.
1/25/2015 This will need less (if any) drying time as it ages in the tin, as are no humectants in the Marquee blends. I'm finding that I'm not a huge fan of Yenidje (in this and Tudor Castle). It adds an interesting element but is sometimes a bit too sharp/spicy. It seems to play a lesser role in Magnum Opus, which I prefer to WK. But this is still a great smoke, and if you are a fan of Yenidje, something you should try.
Similar Blends: Sillem's London, Gawith Squadron Leader.
16 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StevieB (2080) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Hearth & Home - WhiteKnight (Marquee Series).
I wouldn't call it coarse cut, the tobacco looks like a standard ribbon. The moisture's just right and the tin-note's a strong balkan one.
For the first quarter the Latakia gives the strongest flavour: slightly peppery, sharp, and woody: Cyprian. After a quarter's burned the Orientals become equal in weight: buttery, fragrant, and outright delicious. It doesn't take long for the smoke to achieve four stars! The Virginia acts more like a platform for the others: a touch of sweetness, a little hay, but no real piquancy. I can't identify much of a sharp grass/citrus taste, it's quite a mellow variety. The burn's even and consistent, but can be a little fast if it's not taken easily. I get no tongue bite whatsoever.
Nicotine: medium. Room-note: I quite like it.
WhiteKnight? One of the easiest ratings I've ever given. Four stars:
Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Altinok Meerschaum
Age When Smoked: Six months
Purchased From: 4noggins
15 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| leaftime (9) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I smoked many of the white cans and black cans in the late 60's and 70's. The white can BS had "it" and was an all-day tobacco; the black can (759) was for late nights or before a duel. When the formula changed, I stopped, and was content with varieties of Dunhill, Rattrays, etc. But the old "it" of the original white can tobacco was not to be found. Until White Knight. The blender has nailed "it." In this regard, I trust my memory more than comparisons made with tins 40 years old. Tobacco is an organic product that varies with seasons, years, and time spent in a can. To repeat, the blender has found "it" and nailed it.
Purchased From: pipes and cigars.com
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lochinvar (78) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
This is my favorite new tobacco. Russ is the Heavyweight Champ with this one. From the first light to the bottom of the bowl, the Orientals dominate the flavor, sour and spicy, very dry, with floral, curry and citrus notes. The latakia is warm and earthy, sweet and leathery, but are a definite distant 2nd, with the Virginias giving a sweet base, lemony and haylike.
White Knight not only replicates the original Balkan Sobranie, but surpasses it. This is just a little fuller, a little brighter, the Orientals more Orientally. Between this and Peretti Royal, we are in Oriental mixture heaven.
Pipe Used: Dunhill Dublin
Purchased From: P&C
Similar Blends: The Balkan Sobranie, Peretti Royal.
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novaki (41) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Just tried this and BH back to back. I’ll be doing a comparison of the two and less of a full review.
WK is much more of an oriental forward blend and more in line with what I think of when I imagine a traditional “Balkan” blend than BH is. WK leans into the orientals, giving it a more earthy, grassy, woodsy, floral smoke than the more savory and meaty BH. The WK tends to burn noticeably hotter and faster than BH. But that’s kind of the trade off when smoking a blend such as this. Since WK is less heavy, the Latakia comes through more easily and is more noticeable than it is in BH. The same is true for the Yenidje “baking soda” note. I would say that WK is maybe less complex than BH, but the individual flavors/tobaccos are more distinct. In BH everything seems to come together more to create one distinctive and strong flavor, making the individual parts less discernible. This might make WK appear more complex since it seems to have more pronounced and individual flavors, even though BH has much more going on.
As a general rule, I tend to like WK slightly more than BH. I like the flavor from the orientals much more than the strong Kentucky in BH and I enjoy picking out all the individual flavors in WK. I don’t enjoy how hot/fast WK burns but that’s a trade off I’m willing to make.
So, if I had to generalize and boil the two blends down to their essentials, I’d say: WK = fast, hot, complex, light and BH = slow, cool, one-note, heavy. That being said, WK just barely edges out on top for me. YMMV
Pipe Used: Cobs
Age When Smoked: New, 1 year
Purchased From: P&C
Similar Blends: Hearth & Home - Black House (Marquee Series).
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bob323 (46) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Russ Oulette's 2nd homage to the famed Balkan Sobranie...This one as he states was modeled on the '70's version which he holds fond memories...I couldn't say since in the '70's I was still pursuing the perfect Aro...A futile venture which I have abandoned to pursuing the perfect anything that I can stick in my pipeand smoke...So much and so little time...White Knight is a delightful Balkan which I will return to time and again...Highly recommended...I want to thank Russ and G. L. Pease and Steve Books and the blenders at Cornell & Diehl and those at McClelland along with all those unnamed home blenders who do this for the love of the leaf alone for launching us into a new Golden Age of pipe smoking...Gentlemen (and perhaps Ladies) you have made this codger's waning years a complete delight...Thank you!...Bob323.
Pipe Used: Various
Age When Smoked: fresh from dealer
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geronimo Von Klaus (76) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Am I missing something? I did not see this as Black House Mild at all, or as anything other than a middle of the road, bog-standard English blend. Decent Lat, nice spicy Orientals, decent VA and the rest of it, but it didn't light up and shine at all, it just smoked well and was nice, but nothing like the near religious experience I had smoking Black House.
I may need to revisit, maybe my expectations were too high. I have never smoked the old Sobranies, my pipe mentor has and he was trying this at the same time. Same sentiment as me, just a decent quality English, but nothing to get excited about.
Will stick a pin in this one and maybe revisit and see what is going on, but for now, 2 stars and nothing special. I would take almost any of Russ' other English blends over this.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drayve85@gmail.com (1) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Although I've never smoked the famed Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture, I feel this is what it could have tasted like. I thoroughly enjoy, and recommend this blend, and will definately stock up! My only complaint is the burning characteristics, it doesn't like to hold an ember for me. It could be technique, and/or lack of experience with this blend, but everything I try has the same outcome, I end up relighting many times a bowl. Which, isn't enough to stop smoking it, but can be a little irritating at times. I will record tastes, and final opinions when I finish a tin or two, seeing as I am only halfway through my first tin, I do not think 25 grams constitutes a viable, or complete review.
Pipe Used: Peterson 106 Aran, cob, meer.
Age When Smoked: Brand new
Purchased From: Www.pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture, Balkan Sasieni..
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stefanos (222) | |
Medium | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
WhiteKnight is to me a quintessential English blend. Very classic taste. Full bodied, full on smoky, creosoty Latakia but with the Orientals playing an almost equal part with their sour and tangy notes and all this supported by sweet grassy Virginias and a peppery spiciness which is very Perique-like. If this is not a full-tasting tobacco, I wonder which is...
Although I appreciate English mixtures I do not get from them the heavenly bowl I occasionally have from Virginia flakes with or without Orientals and even Burleys, yet WhiteKnight is as balanced, complex and satisfying an English blend as I have smoked. It also smokes cool and dry and needs very few relights. Surely one of the best of its kind.
Haven't tried Magnum Opus yet, but I am wondering how heavy on Latakia it can be...
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TallPuffO'Burley (633) | |
Mild | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
ORIGINAL REVIEW 6/2/2016
I was given a sample of this at this year's Chicago show and I must say, as samples go, the guys at P&C do not skimp. I probably got about 12 bowls out of this sample. So much that a friend of mine sent me a tin of this as he apparently thought I liked it.
I did not really care for this blend, but do give it credit for the education it gave me. It turns out I am not too much a fan of Yenidge. I think distinguishing amongst Oriental grades to be a complicated endeavor. every so often I would taste a Balkan type blend that had sort of a caramel taste/root beer taste to it. This blend had that taste heavy and since Yenidge is so heavily used in this blend, I have come to the conclusion that that is what is giving me that flavor.
Now I do like this flavor when its use is restrained such is the case in the 1776 Tavern blend. In that one it is subtle and offers a nice sweetness, but in this one, it really overtakes the other elements to my tastes and does not work for my palate. Even the latakia is in the background. Now it is not a bad blend by any means. I was able to smoke with no grimacing facial expressions, but objectively I have to rate this one a two star blend. There is a nice creaminess to the smoke and it is bite free. The cut makes packing and smoking easy and a bite free experience.
I think this would easily come into four stars for those who are crazy about yenidge and I have every confidence in Russ' ability to accomplish what he sets out to do, but I would rather smoke the Black House or Larry's Blend than this one.
UPDATE 7/18/2019
Times change and so do tastes and experience. Since my last review I was gifted another tin of this from my nephew, who also thought I liked it. So I finally decided to pop one of these two gifted tins to see if my mind had changed after some favorable experiences with some other Yenidge rich blends.
I am not so sure my mind has changed as much with the taste, but I think the difference between this time and the last time had more to do with the frequency of which I smoked it. When I get samples I tend to smoke through them fast as they are typically in a plastic bag and deteriorating quickly. Smoking through a tin did not present the same type of urgency, particularly the screw on type tins in which whiteknight is presented.
When smoked once in a while, whiteknight is a real treat. My aforementioned recent favorable experiences with Yenidge has taught me one thing for certain. Yenidge offers one of the finest sidestream aromas that you can get from tobacco, and since whiteknight has so much in it, often times sniffing the bowl end can be every bit as pleasurable, if not more so, as puffing on the stem end.
I will maintain though, from my earlier review, that if you do succeeding bowls, your palate will tire and become overwhelmed. At least mine did. So there is no way this could ever be an all day type blend for me. But for the occasional treat, it will indeed be a treat. I am adding a star.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Castello (6) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
Right from the first bowl I liked this blend. Balkans and English are my preferred types of tobacco so this blend is right in my comfort zone. It reminds me of the blends I smoked back in the 60's and 70's. White Knight is definitely the creation of a master. The flavor is beautiful and the cut and moisture level make lighting and continued smoking very easy. From beginning of the bowl right to the end it is smooth and never sour. I have smoked only two tins, but it is the blend I want to smoke bowl after bowl. I can't get enough of it, and it is consistently fine regardless of which pipe I choose to smoke.
Pipe Used: castello
Purchased From: pipes and cigars
Similar Blends: balkan sobranie, westminster, balkan sasinie.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DakotaHale43 (47) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is an extremely sweet and creamy Balkan blend that I love more and more with every bowl of it that I smoke, and will forever be apart of my rotation.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LannarkGent (145) | |
Strong | Strong | Full | Strong |
White Knight is a very good clone of Balkan Sobraine as I remember it from the 70s. The current version of BS is good. , but on to Whit Knight. This blend is a very complex Balkan blend of the highest quality. There is not much to say after that.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choctaw (7) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Billed as a "cousin" to Black House, White Knight is a superb, complex, tobacco that I believe is destined to become a classic in its own right. It need not bow to Black House or any other blend.
The nose is relatively strong with the aroma of lovely Cyprian Latakia giving rise to a sweet, smoky, earthy note. The highest quality Orientals strike a delicious conterpoint from which emanate slightly sour yet smooth and sophisticated aromas.
Out of the tin, the tobacco is almost too dry. Oddly, I find that it does not take a match well and multiple re-lights are par for the course.
WK is a medium blend in strength and when lit itroduces a fair amount of smoke.
WK smokes even better than it smells.
A first-class tobbacco in every particular. 4 Stars without hesitation!
Pipe Used: Old Petersen Bent Fishtail
Age When Smoked: New-Fresh
Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com
Similar Blends: Many blends, esp. Blackhouse.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan (179) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I found this to be at best a medium English with a stable but not heavy latakia note. But that's all I tasted; a rather sotty blend. I smoked some and let it sit for a month and smoked more. No refinements but there is nothing wrong with the blend itself. It just should not be compared to anything that great, but it is marketed for greatness. Made me salivate.
As an introduction to an English with a bit more latakia than a light English, it's fine. But not great. Sorry.
Pipe Used: dunhill
Age When Smoked: new tin
Purchased From: pipesandcigars
Similar Blends: Any medium English with a solid Latakia note..
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sosakan (33) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This seems the be a more focused, refined version of black house to me. More of a “pure” Balkan, without the noise that BH can have.
This isn’t as well rounded as BH, not as smooth or, for lack of a better word, balanced. You can tell that the components are high quality, but they are more jagged, in your face than BH, without the other components to round out the flavor and mouth feel.
Honestly, I think I prefer this over BH, just because it isn’t quite as complicated. Yet another home run from Russ.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer (345) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
This is my first experience with a Russ Ouellette blend, after almost 20 years of pipe smoking. Yes, I have often smoked Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture (the "white" one): in round tins, and in pouches. So I think I can make a fair comparison...
The cut of White Knight is much coarser than that of BS: thick, large strands of tobacco, while BS was much finer and stringier (especially the pouch version). BS was also slightly darker on average (especially the pouch version, again). BS Original in the pouch sure was more stingy and darker in flavour than this, too: so I can say that flavour wise, this is probably a better approximation of '80s tinned BS Original.
Apart from these difference, and in general for a slightly inferior intensity and complexity (BS Original could be a tad overwhelming, while this - as intense as it is - is slightly more polire), this is a WONDERFUL homage. That such a tobacco can be made nowadays with different growing techniques and crop quality/variety, is a miracle.
I still prefer some of GLPease's offerings by a margin, but apart from this the only reason that I judge this blend with less than four stars is that in large bowls it starts to fall apart a bit from midway onwards: some relights, a loss of fullness and balance. Other than this, a great achievement.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| toddsmith7378 (41) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I've never smoked original Sobranie so this won't be any kind of comparison to that, but I have been experiencing a plethora of english and balkan's in the vein of this.
Of all the balkan or oriental forward English's I've tried I've kind of settled into some sub-categories where there's a few I'd consider day blends, or a bit less deep, dark, and spicy as others.
I suppose it has something to do with latakia content vs. maybe Virginia and just the tastier orientals. It's just not as heavy as many of them.
The two Oriental forwards in this category I smoke regularly are Durbar and Whiteknight. Blackhouse, Magnum Opus, Balkan Sasieni, are all a bit more spicy and keyed up on the low end by comparison. In this one, the Lat's are lighter and there's more of a virginia complement to the oriental vs. Lat. I'd say there's even less lat than Early Morning pipe, but to me, in the same vein, but a bit stronger in the oriental/Turkish flavor dept.
It's a bit more of a casual smoke to me and fits nicely into the times I'd want to smoke Early Morning Pipe, and it tastes better than Durbar. I still like both of those though. I tell you, Magnum Opus, Blackhouse, and Whiteknight are each the best of their class by a bit. After a few bowls of each its hard not to just think I wasted a bunch of money on other blends in my cupboard.
I will say that these Hearth and Homes do come a bit on the dry side, Magnum Opus being the most so. I did end up applying a few spritzes of distilled water which did improve the texture to more of what I'm used to. Not a bit deal, but these are the first tobaccos I've smoked where I found it helpful to do so.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia lover (218) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
A ribbon cut Latakia mixture that smells like a classic English. On the dry side, it takes time to light it but once done, you're in for a savory experience. The Virginia is a bit sharp and tangy, the Orientals are sweet and sour and have a light ''soda'' flavor. The Latakia, i would say around 30 percent, is leathery and smoky.
Is it The Balkan Sobranie? The answer is no. Balkan Sobranie is more fragrant, fuller in taste, has more ''soda'' and is smoother around the edges. Now, one cannot compare a six month old mixture with the mother of all mixtures. Nevertheless, with some aging, this tobacco could easily reach the 85% mark. What could we expect, no Syrian Latakia, the Yenidje is surely of a different kind also.
This rendition is the best clone I have tried and it puts the Germain's version to shame. Hopefully, this mixture will survive the new U.S. regulations and pipe smokers will be able to enjoy it for a long time.
Virginia lover
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.R. Patton (106) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I'll start off by saying this is just not in my realm of favorites, because I'm simply not a balkan guy (like a good cigar, I only enjoy occasionally). But I have to give credit where credit is due...this is a solid 4 star mixture based on leaf quality, blending skill, and ingredient ratios alone. I rarely give a tobacco over 3 stars that I don't plan to smoke regularly, and many in my rotation only earn 3. But dang it, this stuff is pretty legendary in its own right.
Others have said it and I'll echo the same, this is an oriental forward blend. Tasting them up front is nice for a change, as too often(IMHO) they're pushed to the back and almost covered up by too much latakia. Having recently experimented with some other blends containing Yenidje, it's quite noticeable in WK, and I'm pretty certain it's key in that peppery sort of essence one reviewer mentioned. Orientals are spicy, sweet and somewhat floral...quality leaf. There's a pretty noticeable sour note, making for a rich-bodied, complex smoke. It seems to crescendo into the 2nd third of the bowl where it peaks and becomes magnificent through the finish line.
WK seems to burn cool, and I had no problems with bite, but I did have issues with lighting and burn, especially at beginning and on the final third. The leaf itself is quite dry, so burn issues probably are due to the native oils in the orientals. It's a small price to pay for the wealth of flavor involved. Great balkan for anyone to try!
Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William H. Hardy (95) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
This stuff is just great! Does it really taste like the old Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture? How the hell would I know? I was in grade school when they discontinued it. However, Russ Ouellette has outdone himself on this one. Not too heavy in the lat department and definitely not too light. It's just right in the middle, and very nearly perfect.
In my opinion, the Orientals are the highlight of this blend. Sure, the latakia is definitely present, but most of what I get are the smooth, buttery orientals and the Virginias playing off of each other. If Balkan Sasieni is what I look for to get a smack to the head of latakia, then WhiteKnight is what I go to for a pleasant, enjoyable latakia mixture experience.
There's not a lot of change from first light to the end of the bowl for me. It has been well-behaved and relatively consistent throughout the burn. Why haven't I bought this very often? I certainly have enjoyed it. I dunno. I think I'd better place an order for some more pretty soon, though!
Pipe Used: Savinelli Antique Shell Bent bulldog (623)
Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tabaco (112) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
Not my favourite from Russ maybe there's some serious batch variations going on. It's a bit insipid and frankly boring, a bit of a bugger to light and stay lit too. I suspect the base tobaccos needed another cycle or two of fermentation, it should not be this difficult to light especially being quite dry in the tin. I adore Sobranie White and in fact still have a few precious tins hoarded away, another jarred for the utmost of special occasions.
White Knight may be a 'tribute blend', it does not remind me very much of Sobranie White if at all. Compton's Macedonian is the closest by far and dare I say I enjoy Compton's more than the original with the Yenidje being more apparent.
Batch variation or not I'll spend my dosh on Black House, the White Knight has taken his last ride with me.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Big (321) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Edit 5/13/17- As I initially stated , I had to smoke this slow and was running into relight issues. When tried in a larger bowl all those problems went away, try it.
Original review: A nice Balkan, and similar to Sobraine in taste on the initial light. I seem to remember the original Balkan Sobraine as having a finer ribbon cut ( more Dunhill like) and this is wider ( am I wrong, I really can't remember?). Now how that effects the flavor, I don't know, but White Night just doesn't jump forward with a burst of flavor, kind of "Ho Hum". Kind of like eating a steak at Outback as compared to Ruth Chris, both good, but one is better.
I think this would benefit from some aging to smooth this out. It's little harsh on the initial light, but on the relight, it actually smoothes right out. I find I have to really slow down my smoking cadence to get the most out of this blend. When I do this , it delivers wonderful Oriental flavor and a scent that is totally intriguing as it drifts up the nose. If I don't, it seems harsh, however, as I slow this down I run into a relight issue.
I agree with bits and pieces from each of the reviews prior to mine, each has some good points:
Steel Cowboy-"although not quite as smooth as Balkan Sobranie, but that could easily be due to the lack of age.
" Drayve85@gmail.com & Gentleman Zombie (203)-"My only complaint is the burning characteristics, it doesn't like to hold an ember for me. It could be technique", "I have one complaint and this prevents me from giving this four stars. It has some burn issues as one other reviewer noted. Just doesn't seem to want to burn readily. Even when bone dry
Pipe Used: cob
Age When Smoked: 1 month
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon (85) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Upon first opening the tin, you're greeted with a very nice aroma of smoky and woody Latakia, with hints of Virginia sweetness. The tobacco is mostly dark, with what seems to be around a third of bright Virginia.
Already in the first few puffs, some of the Balkan leafs come out, as you notice slight perfume and soapiness. This is smoothed by the sweet Virginia.
Comes in perfect moisture, easily packed and smoked. No relights. No particularly strong. Not particularly complex either, and that's a good thing. This blend shouldn't be analyzed like a philosophical problem. This one is purely for enjoyment. Consistent, medium-bodied.
Very easy to just sit back and enjoy. I can see how this would be someone's absolute favorite for a quite weekend afternoon, just like its brother, Blackhouse.
A classic Latakia blend that I'll be sure to enjoy more from in the future. 4 stars.
Pipe Used: "Ena" Brezo red bent apple shape
Age When Smoked: New to 1 year
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomcat (221) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Unnoticeable |
I love an Oriental forward balkan with bright yellow Virginia. The latakia in this blend is delicious and not overdone . Very spicy in a good way , a little sour note and just sweet enough. Magnum Opus would be it’s cousin . MO is a little sweeter to me . The Orientals are buttery and creamy and floral . I love it and want another bowl ! Yendije is great stuff . 4 stars for Russ again .
Similar Blends: Magnum Opus.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrokenRecord (124) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
WhiteKnight: Showcasing Yenidje.
As a whole, I would consider this a medium English/Balkan. The Virginias are sweet and grassy with a little Latakia. However, it is the Oriental leaf that makes this blend special and is the main flavor component. The Yenidje is unlike any Turkish/Eastern European leaf that I have ever tried. It is hard to describe. It adds a distinctive dry characteristic to the smoke, but it is mild and less floral or sour than Izmir. It is its own thing.
WhiteKnight is a good blend, but I prefer my English/Balkans to be a bit more dynamic. So while I enjoy this blend, it is not quite perfection.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamj056 (2) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A perfect and balanced medium Balkan blend. Orientals really shine in this blend, a little Latakia rounds it out with some smokiness and just the right amount of Virginia. A blend you should keep on hand at all times, I know I do!
Pipe Used: Peterson System 314
Age When Smoked: 5 months in Mason jar
Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| moniker (220) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
We all know there are lots of reasons why pipe tobaccos change over time, including weather, politics, economics, logistics, time itself spent in a tin or jar, and changing tastes. Also, memory is certainly a factor where comparisons like this are concerned. Nevertheless, Hearth and Home’s White Knight is heralded as a match for a very distinctive, older version of Balkan Sobranie. As it happens, I smoked Balkan Sobranie from 1969, and I well remember that when my wife became pregnant in 1970 I was forbidden to smoke BS upwind from our house. Despite I thought it was “sophisticated” and “exotic”, it was stinky stuff back then, rather gamy, like a goat pen with meadow flowers, dense kabab and Middle Eastern baking spices, and a peat burning stove, with an emphasis on the goat! I loved it! So, naturally, I had to try White Knight.
The tobacco in my rested tin of WK actually looks and smells more like a “smokier” version of a current tin of BS than the older stuff, with golden tan, brown and black ribbons and small chunks, with its “enhanced” (with Liquid Smoke) Latakia slightly over very savory, blunt, brooding cereal grains and silage. WK handles, loads and lights rather like current BS, as well. Lit, WK’s aromas and tastes quickly establish themselves. There’s plenty of “smoky” smoke, and the prominent Orientals kick right in with savory, sour, woody kabob spices and some faint floral notes, along with fast burning, loamy meadow grass and grain from the VA. Any sugar is quickly met with at least an equal dose of sour, and by 1/3 the BS signature quinine/tonic appears, though it’s not nearly as prominent as the original. The lot burns well and it holds its profile, top to bottom. Strength is mild. Tastes are medium. Room note is tolerable. Aftertaste is a trailing off of the best of the smoke that lasts longer than most Oriental tobaccos.
As for rating White Knight vs. old time Balkan Sobranie, the Hearth and Home blend is certainly “reminiscent” of older BS. The contemporary Latakia is not bad by today’s standards, but IMO it’s not as good or as distinctive as the fabled Latakia used in olden days Balkan Sobranie. Likewise, the VAs and the Orientals; they were simply more “distinctive” back in The Day. As for contemporary BS, I prefer smoking White Knight, because its Latakia actually winds up more restrained (less “sandalwood”) when it’s smoked. Bottom line: Overall, by comparison or on its own, I think White Knight is a 4 star blend in this day and time, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in trying it for any reason. Never mind the competition, WK holds its own, no problem.
Pipe Used: various briars
Age When Smoked: from a current tin
Purchased From: 4noggins
Similar Blends: compare/contrast to Balkan Sobranie, or GLP Kensington.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nkulk8r (90) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
"In some ways, maybe the newcomer to the pipe is more fortunate than we old guys are, since they have fewer lost loves to shackle them."
-- G.L. Pease
How fortunate I am indeed to have never experienced the 759, for I can appreciate WhiteKnight for what it is: a stellar Balkan tobacco blend. Starting with a clean slate -- a tabula rasa -- with none of those hazy-fazy recollections from the mid-1970s that still cloud the memories of my youth (and perhaps yet impair my judgement to this day). WhiteKnight is indeed a smooth, fragrant Latakia blend with a bright, sparkly character, and there really is no need to expand on that characterization, for it pretty well sums things up. Nor is there any need to sample multiple tins of this blend in order to appreciate that 1) it is unquestionably worth stocking up on, and 2) it will, in time, become legendary in its own right. To Russ Oullette: Bravo! 4-stars.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| canvas (337) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This one is comparable to wood for two reasons. The amount of sticks and twigs inside would make great kindling, and the flavor is akin to licking a smoldering log from a fireplace.
Beyond the annoying twigs, the cut is a dense mix of tan leaves and dark brown clusters, which have an odd waxy feel (though not sticky) that may add to the duration of smoking time. White Knight gives off plenty of Oriental tangy electricity, while maintaining a medium power level while smoked that leaves a lasting residue on the palate (and fingers). If one digs a bit deeper, there is some detectable earthiness lurking below the omnipresent charcoal log.
I'm not a 100% sure what makes a blend a Balkan, but for my money, it falls into the English category. Aside from the annoying roughness of the cut, it performs relatively the same as others in this category, but would easily prefer some Frog Morton or Dunhill if they were available.
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zulujerk (146) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is great. I admit that my pipe smoking has grown erratic, but I still order tobacco most every month in ridiculous quantities that I am assured will one day turn to gold. I have read Jim and DK talk about this mysterious soda note, and having secured damn near everything with Yenidje that I could find, I am sadly unable to appreciate this intriguing association.
I am not, however, unable to appreciate this wonderful blend. Yes, I have had the new BS. It's great, I admit, and unobtanium. But with WhiteKnight, I don't feel the need to even bother with the quest. The spice is strong with this one! Don't bother with a cough drop if you are feeling ill, simply puff this baby and your sinuses are bound to clear.
Great Job!
Pipe Used: Generic Bulldog
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: smoking pipes
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jonb (2) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Am I alone in sensing the latest iteration of WK is different than that of even a few months ago? Just finished my fifth bowl of a fresh tin frim Pipes and Cigars, which had WK on back order for several months. Much less flavor and aroma. Spice and kick dialed down considerably. Frightening, actually. To gauge whether there has been a change in formulation--or if my palate betrays me--I have written the blender, Pipes and Cigars to get their take.
Pipe Used: Peterson
Age When Smoked: fresh from tin, purchased four days ago
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
Similar Blends: A few months ago, similar to no competitor. Today, blind-fold me and I would have no hesitation writing Balkan Sasieni, Dunhill London Mixture or Dunhill Durbar--all of which try, but don't quite succeed in this balkan category. To write that WK is nothing special is a writing that would never earlier have occured to me..
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tschenyinkoh (51) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Perfect medium all day smoke. "Amazing Macedonian Orientals, including the Queen of Tobaccos - Yenidje" are supported by the Latakia in the background.
I think it uses the same recipe but higher quality tobacco than Match Balkan Sobranie (MATCH B.S.O.S.M).
The only complaint is the weak note of the unflavored "soda" notes from the yenidje.
By the way, Hearth & Home Marquee Series ( except Fusilier's Ration) are produced by Scandanavian Tobacco Company, which used to be produced by Sutliff Tobacco.
Age When Smoked: six monthes
Purchased From: pipesandcigars; tobaccopipes.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pryhosm (248) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Another great Marquee Series Blend! I never smoked the original BS so have no way to compare. This is a great Balkan, well balanced and full flavored. Tin note is Latakia smokey and with woody and slightly sour notes from the orientals. Taste is very complex and there are nuanced changes throughout the bowl. If I were to compare it to anything I would agree with some other reviewers that this is a milder, tamer BlackHouse. The Latakia is sweet and smokey and is the dominant flavor throughout the smoke. For what it is worth, I find this blend to be superior in a morta pipe. It is great in any pipe but the flavors from the tobacco seem to really come through more in a morta. There is the classic malty flavor in this Balkan (what I love most about Balkan's). It is the marriage of the sweetness and smokiness of the Latakia, toasty sweet Virginia's and the woody and slightly sour orientals. The closest taste comparison is Ovaltene which I loved as a kid. There is a nice tangy, fizzy note on the retrohale from the orientals which I really like. This is a great all day smoke and often is a back to back smoker for me. UPDATE 11/18 Now that the cold weather is back upon us in Chicagoland, I have come back to this blend. This may be one of the best pipe tobacco's I have ever smoked. After a few months off of Latakia blends (for the most part), I settled back in with this blend and it is even better than I remembered. The balance of the Orientals, VA's and Latakia are without peer. The smokey, malty character that I cherish most about Balkans is present from the charring light until the heel of the bowl is reached. This is an amazing tobacco: I put WK, Magnum Opus and BlackHouse in the same category and they are all similar in their excellence (BH being my least favorite of the 3 but that is still high praise). These are in a class by themselves and every Balkan lover owes it to themselves to try these.
Pipe Used: Briar, meerschaum, Morta and Cobs
Age When Smoked: 1 year
Purchased From: Mars Cigars
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The Orientals are more forward in this than in Blackhouse or Magnum Opus, so it has a spicy sourness from the Yenidge which is there in every puff. It's also sweet and smoky, but not too sweet. It's just right for me and is probably my number 1 Balkan blend. I think it's less popular than Blackhouse due to the slight sourness which some people seem to find off-putting. It's a little less "balanced" than something like Blackhouse or say, 965, which to me offer unified flavours resulting from the complete sum of their parts. White Knight is a little less "unified" because of the obvious presence of the Yenidge. I personally love it. The jar aroma makes me salivate. Smokes perfectly right out of the tin with perfect moisture content in any type of bowl. This was the first blend I cellared deeply. So far it's ageing gracefully a couple of years in.
(P.S. I'd sure like to know what "unflavored soda" tastes like. [cf. JimInks' review])
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke_61 (7) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I've tried many English and Balkan tobaccos but when I tried a tin of this, it was what I was looking for. It's my all day smoke and my favourite H&H. There is a wide variety of flavours in this but I think a quick description would have to be, "Spicy and Lively but not Heavy". The nic hit is mild and the flavour builds a bit toward the end of the bowl but remains consistent and delicious. I'm not sure which tobacco it is, but it has almost a peppermint or menthol feel to it that will leave your mouth feeling a bit sweet. You may need to dry it a bit before packing, but once lit it will burn nice. If you hit it too hard (which I often do) you will get a bit of a nip, so slow and steady.
I still like a heavier tobacco by times such as Quiet Nights or Plum Pudding, but this is my mainstay.
Tip: grab some during the P&C End of Summer Sale and save 25%.
Pipe Used: GBD Vase, Brigham Acorn, S&R Poker, and others
Age When Smoked: New to 12 months
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
Similar Blends: Nothing I've personally had.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mhulsey (36) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is an amazing medium bodied Balkan-style blend, and I knew that I would enjoy this tobacco from the moment I cracked the tin. The tin note is a mixture of a woodsy campfire, and rich premium leather. The cut of the tobacco was a consistent short, yet thick ribbon that seems to pack well, and due to it being a little more on the dry side, it takes a light easy enough. At first light you are greeted by the smoky and leather like Latakia which to me seemed to be the strongest in the first third of the bowl. Now the Orientals were present throughout the entire smoke, however it just seemed that the Latakia was the star of the show for that first third. Other than that one observation, the tobacco stayed pretty consistent throughout the entire smoke with no singular tobacco stealing the show so to speak. As for the room note, I was told by those around me that it had a tolerable if not pleasant smell of a camp fire. The tobacco burned down to a fine white ash, although I did have to tend the pipe more frequently with this blend than I am use to. Overall, I was very pleased with WhiteKnight and will be purchasing more in the future. I would recommend this blend to anyone that enjoys the English/Balkan style blends
Pipe Used: Various Dunhills
Age When Smoked: New from tin
Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| point9 (114) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Never have any vintage Balkan Sobranie before, but been trying several Balkan blends that Russ made. White Knight is medium, multi layered, a little sweet, and refined oriental forward Balkan blend. I would say it's not as strong as Black House and Magnum Opus, but the flavor by all means is full and taste. The room note is classic, incense-like to the smokers and horrifying to wives.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philo Beddoe (221) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
As a big fan of Black House I was eager to try Russ's version of Sobranie white. I tried this tobacco in several different pipes and finished the tin before I gave this review. This blend has none of the spiciness and character the Black House has and when compared to the rerelease of Balkan Sobranie it comes up short. I made myself keep trying this blend in the hope it would eventually hook me in, but no. The first bowl tasted meh and the final bowl tasted meh.
Purchased From: P&C.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WillBrown (137) | |
Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I started smoking Balkan Sobranie around the same time Jim Inks did. So, I too missed the earlier versions of this blend. Obviously, WhiteKnight is not the blend I remember, but there are definitely elements, especially in regards to overall taste and scent that the eighties blend provided.
The main difference, for me, is the eighties version didn't have such a "high pepper count." WhiteKnight, I swear, has a goodly amount of perique added (or, at the very least something that mimics perique). I enjoyed this blend, but the pepper put me off a bit. Perhaps someone else can expound on this "pepper effect"; what is it in WhiteKnight that's providing this?
The current Balkan Sobranie blend, of which I've recently secured another tin (which wasn't easy) is definitely smoother and lacks the pepper. I prefer it over WhiteKnight, but considering the absolute pain in trying to purchase the most recent Balkan Sobranie, WhiteKnight is a good substitute (the recent Balkan Sobranie is not without its issues, either. Please read my update on Balkan Sobranie).
A solid 3 stars for me.
Keep on Pipin'!
Pipe Used: Molina Big Bowl
Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backwoods Piper (70) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I was lucky enough to be one of the pipe smokers who enjoyed many decades of Balkan Sobranie. Alas now our old faithful balkan blend is gone. But I say to you, it's okay fellow lovers of aromatic spicy blends that leave your taste buds asking for more. Hearth and Home has come up with a worthy runner up to an old friend.
White Knight is a truly flavorful blend masterfully blended to appease those of us who desire a more complex english blend. This tobacco smells great from the tin and smokes well without any additional drying or preparation. I would recommend this offering to a seasoned smoker. As most Balkans this should be lingered over along with coffee and the Sunday paper. Sweet smokes my friends!
Pipe Used: Cobs and Briars
Age When Smoked: New tin
Purchased From: pipesandncigars.com
Similar Blends: Balkan Sobranie.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boko Fittleworth (2) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I smoked one pouch of the old Balkan Sobranie smoking mixture in the early 1990s while I was in college and didn't know what I was doing when it came to pipe smoking (or much else, for that matter lol). That is far too long ago, and too brief an acquaintance, for me to be able to compare White Knight to the Sobranie. On its own merits, White Knight is very tasty balkan mixture. I found it dry, both in terms of taste and moisture. Very oriental-forward, with the Latakia and Virginia in second and third place, respectively. Quite spicy at times, which I very much enjoyed, with notes of leather and that yenidje spice note that is distinctive--I have seen it described as "unflavored soda" in reviews below, and I can see that, but I also got a little burst of sweetness too. A very tasty blend, but I found it very difficult to keep lit, despite having tried it in a variety of shapes and sizes of pipes. It worked best for me in a smallish Peterson bulldog.
Pipe Used: Various Petersons and a Castello
Age When Smoked: new
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deckard Cain (39) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
The description of this tobacco is right on. You don't have to warm up to it. It's complexity is evident with the first Puff.. the interplay between the Latakia and the orientals is flawless and very pronounced. In fact that's what this blend is all about. For those who are obsessed with the incense quality of some English blends, they just hit the jackpot. But, it is not musty and old. It does not remind you of squeaky leather, tapestries, or furniture with wooden feet. It is much too vibrant for that. This tobacco seems alive.
Some tobacco I prefer to smoke on rainy days, such as Mcclellan's black shag or G.L. Pease's quiet nights. But not this one. White Knight is made for sunny days and convertible cars. Fireworks in the backyard or with a game of horseshoes. I think this smoke is made for good times. You don't have to ponder it, or break it down. It just feeds you what you want.
Pretty dry blend. Not much dottle. Like any good tobacco, a great reward with small puffs.
Pipe Used: Cobs
Age When Smoked: 1-2
Purchased From: Pipes and cigars
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NineOaks (2) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
My perception of this blend underwent a radical change. After my first two smokes, I considered WhiteKnight not just a poor oriental-forward English -- but unsmokable. The orientals were too perfumed. The yenidje leaf imparted the cloying taste of unflavored soda water. How could reviews for this blend be anything but negative? I chalked it up to a peculiarity of my palate.
But as a new pipe smoker, one lesson I've learned from veterans is to hold on to jars of all blends -- even those I dislike. And so this is what I did.
Three months later, for lack of a morning English, I decided to revisit WhiteKnight. I expected to dislike it as much as I did during the first two smokes. But in the intervening period, something miraculous happened. The perfume and soda water taste abated. They drew back from the front. Now they only existed as something of a seasoning -- allowing the latakia a more central, grounding role.
That made all the difference. Now each smoke is a pleasure.
As I write this, I'm currently in the process of smoking down my stock of WhiteKnight. I use it as my morning blend. Will I buy it again soon? Likely not. Again, as a new pipe smoker, there are other English blends I'm eager to try. But WhiteKnight reinforced an invaluable lesson: never judge a blend on how it smokes directly out of the tin.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O. D. Jones (25) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
I'm trying this tobacco on the recommendations of this website and I'm wondering if this is now a different tobacco from these older reviews. Can certainly smell latakia on opening the tin; however, after several pipes full, using several different pipes, over several different evenings, I'm wondering if I've got a bad tin here or something. The moisture is fine out of the tin, the tin was definitely sealed when I opened it, but this is just plain bad tobacco. Bland, but bitter and harsh, even after trying different packing methods and different size pipes. I used to smoke the Balkan 759 as my everyday smoke when it was still in the old "cut the top" lithograph tins... I'm not even comparing White Knight to my memories of that old tobacco, this doesn't even qualify as a Balkan at all. I usually smoke LJ Peretti and Wilke blends, along with semois (and the occasional pouch of Saint Bruno and Five Brothers), and I have to wonder if this is just a bad batch of tobacco. Although you can detect latakia in the tin note, I'm not getting much out of this at all. I even opened a fresh tin of Ten Russians to make sure there wasn't something wrong with my palate. I'm actually going to check back here to see if there's any more reviews going forward to see if anybody else has had the same experience as me. I try not to be a negative reviewer but in this case I almost feel like I'm warning people away from this...
update 6/16/21 after having gone through most of the tin now, I'm going to have to go with this is either a bad batch or it's no longer made with the same quality tobacco the other reviewers were getting... it's both bland and unpleasantly bitter... finished off a tin of 10 Russians in the meantime and I don't think it's my palate because the 10 Russians was perfectly fine to the last shred. oh well, make of this review what you will, there are other tobaccos out there that are consistently good, and I don't see any reason to take another chance on this one.
Pipe Used: Peterson 406 Spigot, Nording Bent Bulldog
Age When Smoked: freshly opened tin
Purchased From: I believe the retailer that produces it.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Meyer (25) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
I'm finishing this sample from a friend.
Latakia is present all along, but never overbearing. Honestly, the virginia here is too discrete for me to talk about it. Orientals are the star and shine through in a very smooth way. There's wood, wet bark, incense, smokiness. It's all good. Lots of cream.
As with most of these Lat blends, bigger bowls make it better.
What's weird to me is even when very dry, I find it hard to keep lit. Relights are worth it though.
I'm not sure I'd buy more of this. Being in France, this is hard to get. Samuel G's similar offering, Skiff Mix, is better to me and easier to get. So I recommend it IF you can get it.
Pipe Used: Big briars
Age When Smoked: 2 year sample
Purchased From: Sample from a friend
Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| atomicbuster (79) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Tolerable to Strong |
White Knight is OK. It lights, stays lit and burns decently. For me it will occasionally smoke a little wet. But that may be the pipe used at the moment. It starts off a little harsh and bitey and tends to get mellow on the second half of the bowl. The taste is pleasant enough. But the room note is unpleasant. This is a Balkan blend so I understand it will be more Orientals forward. The problem is that the Orientals didn't really stand out. There is Latakia, but it's just barely there. I can't knock it for being what it is, and I've smoked worse, but it's not a stand out for me. Too mild.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Marlow (6) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I wish I could jump on the bandwagon for this tobacco, but my experience with it just doesn't match the rave reviews. It's not bad tobacco; but with all the great tobacco choices out there, I can't honestly recommend to somebody to spend money on this. I've smoked many pipes of this and I've yet to have that "ah hah" moment. It's more like a shoulder shrug and a "meh." I've tried hard to search for that epiphany with this stuff, but it just ain't happening.
Age When Smoked: Bought tin in Jan-2019
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
This review is based on a tin I purchased back in 2016 with a couple of bowls missing from it now. I contend that the cut should have been finer which, I think would have provided a better burn rate. Myself as others have mentioned are having trouble with the burn on this one. Although it has garnished rave reviews from most TRs, I guess I'm one of a few dissenters who just didn't like it well enough to dig any deeper. I still have what's left & might sample it again in the near future. Besides the burning characteristic, I'm unable to explain why I didn't choose to finish it off but more understanding of this dilemma might be better understood in the next paragraph.
I'll confess to being a rather novice piper when it comes to English/Balkan blends but I loved the BSOM sampled from a fresh pouch from almost 20 years ago. I also loved Murray's MM 965, Aperitif & even finished off a tin of Nightcap which I liked OK & thought it was aptly named because it is a good beddy-bye blend. Of course, most of you "old timers" seem to like these Latakia blends quite well & I can get that because I have smoked the best of them. Problem is, most of the truly great Latakia blends are "gone with the wind." I've also sampled some Old Dublin & loved its unique flavor which seemed more like a Balkan blend than an English. I thought Robert Lewis's Tree Mixture was pretty good as well & even craved Mississippi Mud. D&S Levant & Crystal Palace are my favorite Balkan Blends & Arango BS is another top contender.
So, what was it with the White Knight... could it have been "too English" & not "Balkanish?" I'm not real crazy about English blends anyway as they are usually Lat bombs. Maybe I simply couldn't discern the difference. I don't know but will edit this when I sample another bowl & use a better "cob."
If it were left up to me, I'd simply refer to English/Balkans as Latakia blends & annotate the amount used on the tin label. However, I do feel confident in Russ Oullette's blending ability and glad to see that most of the pipers appreciated his blend. I appreciate all you reviewers for your experience & guidance. It's helped me to pick up on some of the finer points of the better blends & led me to some great smoking experiences. One last note... Isn't it wonderful that we're not all the same & are good Christians who can love one another despite our differences? Wouldn't the world be a better place if that were the case!
Pipe Used: Medico Filter, MM
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars
Similar Blends: Many other English/Balkans..
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable to Strong |
This review is based on a tin I purchased back in 2016 with a couple of bowls missing from it now. I contend that the cut should have been finer which, I think would have provided a better burn rate. Myself as others have mentioned are having trouble with the burn on this one. Although it has garnished rave reviews from most TRs, I guess I'm one of a few dissenters who just didn't like it well enough to dig any deeper. I still have what's left & might sample it again in the near future. Besides the burning characteristic, I'm unable to explain why I didn't choose to finish it off but more understanding of this dilemma might be better understood in the next paragraph.
I'll confess to being a rather novice piper when it comes to English/Balkan blends but I loved the BSOM sampled from a fresh pouch from almost 20 years ago. I also loved Murray's MM 965, Aperitif & even finished off a tin of Nightcap which I liked OK & thought it was aptly named because it is a good beddy-bye blend. Of course, most of you "old timers" seem to like these Latakia blends quite well & I can get that because I have smoked the best of them. Problem is, most of the truly great Latakia blends are "gone with the wind." I've also sampled some Old Dublin & loved its unique flavor which seemed more like a Balkan blend than an English. I thought Robert Lewis's Tree Mixture was pretty good as well & even craved Mississippi Mud. So, what was it with the White Knight... could it have been "too English" & not "Balkanish?" I'm not real crazy about English blends anyway as they are usually Lat bombs. Maybe I simply couldn't discern the difference. I don't know but will edit this when I sample another bowl & use a better "cob."
If it were left up to me, I'd simply refer to English/Balkans as Latakia blends & annotate the amount used on the tin label. However, I do feel confident in Russ Oullette's blending ability and glad to see that most of the pipers appreciated his blend. I appreciate all you reviewers for your experience & guidance. It's helped me to pick up on some of the finer points of the better blends & led me to some great smoking experiences. One last note... Isn't it wonderful that we're not all the same & are good Christians who can love one another despite our differences? Wouldn't the world be a better place if that were the case! I tend to go along with those who rated this with one or two stars which is all it deserved. Sorry, Russ.... not even close!
Pipe Used: Medico Filter & Missouri Meerschaum
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars
Similar Blends: Many other English/Balkans.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe_Guy75 (6) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Alas, I am too young to have had the original Balkan Sobranie, so comparison is impossible. What I can say is that if BS was as good or better than WhiteKnight, then its legendary following is easy to understand. If you are a fan of Balkan blends, then WhiteKnight is a must to try. Russ's reputation as a master-blender is well deserved, indeed!
Pipe Used: Various
Age When Smoked: Various
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
A creamy smokey blend with a sour edge that is oh so good.
The latakia is evident on the first light with notes of oak campfires and old leather. I work with leather as a hobby and I find the latakia here enticing. But it does not overwhelm the blend. The oriental variety(ies) is very pleasant—giving off a distinct sourness and a slight nuttiness that helps it stand apart from other oriental varieties that I have tried. Together with the latakia, they combine into a creamy-smooth yet complex smoke. I cannot distinguish any flavor notes from the Virginia tobaccos.
I can smoke White Knight all day.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartimeo (6) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
After smoking for years looking for the perfect mix of latakia, in the end I found it in WhiteKnight. Some time I smoked it and it did not seem to be the right one, but one day experimenting I kept it with a stone boiled with water to moisturize the tobacco, after trial and error the humidity did not allow me to smoke it pleasantly, so I ended up airing it 15 to 20 minutes before smoking; vuala, surprise, I got it! Maybe it seems too much to do, but I assure you, moistening the snuff and every time you go to smoke, air 15 to 20 minutes. This mixture offers from the ignition sweet and sour tones like lemon I believe by the combination of the light Virginia base and the Yenidje. The Cyprian latakia sweet and soft like the Turk with incense tones. Does not bite anything. It's similar in my memory to the old My Mixture 965 who smoked 20 years ago.
Age When Smoked: 4 years
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WolfmanSam (37) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I have never had the opportunity to try Balkan Sobranie. This review is based solely on my impressions of WhiteKnight.
The tin note is smoky, and herbal. The ribbons have very little moisture and are ready to smoke.
Upon lighting, I sense smokiness, wood, a citrusy sweetness, and an intense herbal explosion that’s both spicy and mouthwatering. It overloads my senses, and is pure bliss.
It smokes cool, dry, and burns at a moderate pace. It’s never harsh, even with quick puffing. It requires few relights. It smokes well in various size briars.
WhiteKnight is medium in body, and has a rich creaminess to it. The nicotine level is almost midway between mild and medium.
This is one of the best ‘Balkan’ blends currently available. If you smoke Oriental forward English blends, I highly recommend it.
Age When Smoked: Fresh and 1 year
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick778 (13) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Another complex blend with many levels of flavor. The one thing that did stand out consistently for me was the Yenidje. The mild soda note from the Yenidje was there from the char light to the last puff. Very interesting note that I enjoyed, but could see others wouldn’t. Additionally, there was the grassy Virginian, always lingering. A delightful smoke that I will most assuredly continue to enjoy.
Pipe Used: various
Age When Smoked: One Month
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 (62) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Hearth & Home - White Knight
Perhaps you've heard of the "internet white knight", that guy who always sticks up for women regardless of any virtue simply because they're women. I'd like to coin the phrase "tobacco white knight": the guy who sits up all night waiting for Penzance to come back in stock. Well, anyway...
Not that I needed saved, but this is some seriously good tobacco, especially if you like orientals. I've never had the original Sobranie anything and consider myself better off for it, but I could compare this to Peretti's Royal...I like this one a little more. White Knight is a shade less sweet, less leather, more spicy mouthfeel. The latakia is so well blended I never catch a distinct taste. The yenidze spice is almost overwhelming at times and I enjoy it. The tobaccos combine into a taste that is clean, crisp and almost refreshing for tobacco...toffee, rye and fresh lakewater with hints of dry wine is my best stab at describing it. The room note is quite nice for a blend of this kind. Mr. Ouellette done a stellar job on this mouth-watering blend and I will absolutely purchase more... ... ...if it ever comes back in stock.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROBS (67) | |
Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Contrary to some others, I had no problem packing or lighting this tobacco. It seems a perfect moisture directly from the tin. When lit, it lets out a fragrant incense-like aroma though not necessarily of a scent that your wife might appreciate. The flavors are smooth and creamy despite this, and the "soda" flavor I get reminds me of an unsweet cookie with a lot of baking soda. Doesn't bite and burns all the way down clean. My only complaint and I am not sure I can blame the tobacco is that it removed some of my bowl's rim finish and darkens the rim considerably, though this is probably normal with English blends (I usually smoke aros). All in all I can see why folks like this and I do tend to smoke it from time to time, but only outside.
edit: I had my wife smell the tin and she nearly vomited (lol). Said it smells like "pig sh_t). I could see that. To me I was thinking more like cow manure.
Pipe Used: Cristiano Straight Billiard
Age When Smoked: 6 months since I opened tin
Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napping Puppy (25) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
It would be unjust to compare White Knight to Balkan Sobranie. WK, in my own opinion, is more interesting in its complexity. This is one of the very few tobaccos that tastes utterly delicious even without aging. The Oriental taste dominates the blend not because a lot of Yenidje leaves are used, but rather due to the fact that the abundance of Latakia is well-mixed with high quality Virginia, the overall sweetness of which is balanced by a top quality Yenidje leaf.
This is the work of a master blender. Highly recommended.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connoisseur (47) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Like its sibling Black House, White Knight cam a little dry in the tin and needed minor humidifying. With that out the way, tin note is a little stronger than Black House with the Orientals being the main aroma. This is an oriental forward blend with bright, grassy Virginias playing a supporting role. Latakia is in the background, but well behind the Orientals. Smooth, creamy smoke with incense like orientals come to life, with a satisfying tingling of the nostrils on retrohale. Again, like Black House, this blend is hard to keep lit for some reason and tends to clump in the bowl, so you'll need to tip the pipe more often than usual with this one. Otherwise a very rewarding Balkan mixture I recommend as a better alternative to Dunhill Durbar.
Age When Smoked: new
Purchased From: 4 Noggins
Similar Blends: Dunhill Durbar.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I contend that the cut should have been finer which, I think would have provided a better burn rate. Although it has received rave reviews from some, I can't go along with the majority on this one. FWIW, of the readily available Latakia blends these days, Cornell & Diehl's Mississippi Mud & Old Dublin are my favorites of this genre & mainly MM because of its strength, abundant smoke & flavor plus Old Dublin due to its unique flavor but I'll confess to being a rather novice piper when it comes to English/Balkan blends. Could be that I just lack understanding of what Balkan or English blends are all about. Most of them just don't appeal to me that much & have never been my cup of tea but to each his own, right? Of course, most of you "old timers" seem to like these Latakia blends & I can get that because I have smoked the best of them. Problem is, the truly great Latakia blends are "gone with the wind". However, I do feel confident in Russ Oullette's blending ability and glad to see that most of the pipers appreciated this blend. Once again, I didn't dislike it and being recommended with a three star rating ain't bad, right? I appreciate all you reviewers for your experience & guidance. It's helped me to pick up on some of the finer points of the better blends.
Pipe Used: Medico Size 3 Filter Pipe
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars
Similar Blends: Many other English/Balkan blends.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jorge Soler (202) | |
Mild | None Detected | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Not a perfect match to Balkan Sobranie, but it is reminiscent of some aspects, such as the tin note (sort of acrid and fermented), its appearance (black and gold leaf, coarse cut), and its subdued sweetness. So what am I missing? In true honesty, this is a really good smoke, but if you want more bang for your buck, I'd say buy yourself a tin of Samuel&Gawith's Squadron Leader.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haroldt (26) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
This starts off as a light smoke with subtle sweetness. As one gets further down the bowl, it becomes more of a full body smoky blend. There is no bite and so far has smoked to the bottom leaving nothing but white ash. If you like Latakia, this is a good blend to have on hand, just understanding the Latakia comes in more towards the end of the smoke.
Pipe Used: Corn cob
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: Pipe andCigar
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Weed (228) | |
Very Mild | Mild | Mild | Unnoticeable |
Curious tobacco. On opening the tin it looks, somewhat, like what we are all trying, so hard, to remember the old mixture looked like forty years ago - and so much for the similarities. I want to state up front that I (once again) agree with Mr. Big 2014-10-31 and also RC in VT 2015-09-05: this tobacco blend's cut is very different from what I remember from BSM in the old days. I remember BSM as a thinner and longer ribbon cut; much longer ribbons (almost stringy) with very little of the crinkle that is in the current blend. l also remember original BSM as having a stronger tin aroma. But, the greatest difference of all is in the smoking aroma and taste of White Knight. I agree with tabaco 2015-11-08 that this mixture is "a bit insipid". It smokes nowhere as strong as seventies BSM and is the mildest iteration of the old Sobranie Limited formula that I have ever smoked. In fact, it is the mildest Balkan mixture I have ever smoked. Now, usually an English that I don't care to smoke straight out of the tin also fails me in micro blending; not so with White Knight. I was moderately pleased with it in blending and that elevated it's two star rating to three stars.
Pipe Used: Charatan Make 44
Age When Smoked: 3 months old
Purchased From: pipes and cigars
Similar Blends: Dunhill Standard Mixture Mild.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC in VT (2) | |
Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Well, I was there in the 60s and 70s when you could get the real thing...Original, 759 and the one in the yellow and brown tin from Sobranie...and their cigarettes. All were great in their time...classics.
I'm happy to report a couple of things. First, I just ordered seven tins @ $7.49 per 1.76 oz tin...a happy come down from $9.99 per 1.50 oz tin. Yep, $4.25/oz is better than $6.66/oz! Second, if you mix 40-50 % of WN with 50-60 % of Samuel Gawith's Skiff Mixture, you're 90+% there with even greater savings.
When you open a tin, it's easy to notice the cut ain't the same as the original...it's much more coarse, not the medium ribbon of the Original...but it's gots the yellows, the reds and the blacks. Smokewise, it's got more bite...but it does have the piquance! And the tin doesn't look the same either. So, it isn't Original. But, for what it is, it's good.
Pipe Used: Castello Old Ant G15 and 33s, Dunhill Shell 6112
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
Similar Blends: G.L. Pease Charing Cross (which doesn't have the bite!) Also, remembering Penzance and Seattle's Plum Pudding..
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Man (10) | |
Medium | Medium | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Tin note, Smokey, and spices. Average moisture content. Packs nicely. I needed to relight a few times. Nice puffs of smoke. Needs a little aging time. I smoked this new. Wonderful complex flavors. Slightly sweet. Little bit of spices. Don't rush this one. Fun to pull out flavors as it changes during smoke. This is a top contender and it brings you back wanting more. I see this a top ten in my rotation. Very fun and enjoyable blend.
Pipe Used: Various
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BamaPiper (1) | |
Extremely Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Unnoticeable |
I might be the only person who feels this way... But... I am not sure what all the hype is about. I could not even finish the bowl. It was almost tasteless but with a minor hint of burnt rubber. Very unpleasant. I enjoy english tobaccos very much, 5110 Full English, Frog Morton, Northwoods, etc. but White Knight is not good... In my opinion.
Pipe Used: Custombilt
Purchased From: Gift Sample
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budman (25) | |
Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
White Knight took me buy surprise. Normally a Balkan has a sharp edge to me and I can only tolerate so much before I move on. However,this blend has kept my pipes smoking! I have smoked it in small, medium and large bowls and have found really no difference what size bowl I chose. This blend has no sharp edges and is quite smooth and great any time of the day. It came quite dry and ready to smoke but I went the other way and threw it in my Humidor to add moisture. It seemed to respond better with a little more moisture as most other blends in tins seem to be to wet. I am not sure what aging would do to this but it is a winner right out of the tin. This is definitely on my list of top tobaccos. If you are looking to try your shot at Balkans this would be a good place to start! Good Stuff!
Pipe Used: Peterson 01, 999, Stanwell 208 Sixtus
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Cigars International
Similar Blends: Bill Baileys Balkan Blend, G&H Balkan.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Thbg (29) | |
Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
All the positive comments are right on.
This is a very complex blend; I notice new nuances every time I smoke it.
Worth a try if you appreciate good Balkan blends.
Pipe Used: Boswell freehands
Age When Smoked: new
Purchased From: pipes and cigars dot com
Similar Blends: I didn't smoke tobacco in the 70's so I can't tell you if it is like Balkan Sobraine, but it is excellent…..
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Knightsmoker (218) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Hearth and Home WhiteKnight has a tin note that is deeply smokey, sweet, and slightly buttermilk sour. The smoke is very campfire smokey, leather, woody, earthy, herbal, and sweet. There are some notes in the background that are citrus with some bread notes and some dark fruits, it is lightly spicy and has that great buttermilk sourness that counters the creamy sweetness and that slight unflavored dry soda note that is so hard to find in many blends now. The finish is medium with smokey, sweet, and sour playing off each other. The overall strength and nic just touch the med mark as does the taste. The room note is fine for me but others found it strong. A great Balkan. This one is an easy 4 stars.
Age When Smoked: 9 months
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Bumble (65) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
As a newer pipe smoker, I am mainly exploring the different blends (I favor aromatic blends, although I am dipping my toes into the non-aromatic blends now) to find what I like. Opening the tin, what I smelled was mostly leather. Being the second latakia tobacco I tried (I bought Blackhouse and Whiteknight at same time), I am going to try a few more blends, but this was not my cup of tea.
Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob
Age When Smoked: new
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| LiterarySmoker (143) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
So among the first few Englishes I tried this was one of them. I remember opening the tin for the first time and not knowing what I thought of it. So I jarred it and left it for a good while, and then I discovered the marvels of aging. The more I smoked it, it quickly became a favorite. This is blended by Russ Ouellette as a match for Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. And apparently it has won many awards for that attempt.
The tin is unique with an attractive design and being a self-professed medievalist it tics all my boxes. When I opened my tin I met with a nicely packaged rough cut ribbon. There are a few stems although I just pick them out or cut them small and smoke them. The blend is a nice mix of yellows, light browns and blacks. The smell in the jar is of leather, smoke, sweetness, cream and tangy Orientals. It comes at a smokable dryness. I also takes a light well.
Lighting up I get big plumes of creamy white smoke. This is masterfully blended. The Latakia tastes smooth, creamy, and leathery. It hovers throughout the smoke, but it doesn't take over the other components. The star components are the Orientals. They add complexity, tartness, herbalness, and a gorgeous incense note. The Virginias are soft and a tad hidden, but they add a comforting sweetness and a slight bready taste.
The taste is a creamy medium. It doesn't take over, but it lingers in a pleasant way. The strength is a medium. This blend is easily repeatable throughout the day. The room note is pleasant. I have to say this is my favorite Balkan. I could smoke this daily, and often do. An all day smoke for me!
Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal XL90
Age When Smoked: 1 year
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Thepipehunter (43) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
From the tin, White Knight comes at a proper moisture level and does not require any drying time. It is a fine ribbon cut similar to many Dunhill English blends. The tin aroma is Latakia forward. It is smoky, tangy, musty, woody, and sweet.
Upon lighting, the Latakia takes the leads. Some may consider this a Lat bomb, but I would say it is Lat heavy. It is much like the tin description, smoky, tangy, musty, and woody. The Virginias are very sweet and offer dry, sweet hay, as well as some grass and bright notes. The Orientals are fragrant, tangy, and are distinctly Yenidje. Overall this blend is very complex, round, smooth, sweet, and creamy.
White Knight smoked cool and dry, and never bit or got hot. It only required a few relights, and left my pipe very dry. The Nicotine content satisfies but does not over power, so I could smoke this blend all day. 4 out of 4 stars.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| pipey duck (50) | |
Very Mild | None Detected | Medium | Unnoticeable |
And one time more I have to complain the strength ratings here. In this blend is almost zero nicotine!! On the other side it is very full of nice oriental/english flavour. I understand the intention to create a ballanced oriental forward blend where all ingredients compliment each other. But the result is like a thai curry without any salt. No bassline here.Beer without gas. At least myself is missing the satisfaction a tobacco normally give. Do not get me wrong, there is plenty of flavour and I was able to detec a lot of different oriental flavours. But strengthwise it is very mild, not medium. Autum Evenig for example has three times nicotine than this. I guess people confusing strength with flavour here
Pipe Used: Parker 109
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: smoking pipes
Similar Blends: A lot of oriental forward english blends.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| PennsylvaniaPiper (20) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
WhiteKnight is an exceptional pipe smoking mixture with a complex, but not overbearing taste/strength, and otherworldly room note.
In my opinion, this is one of the best blends out there today.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This review is based on a tin I purchased back in 2016 with a couple of bowls missing from it now. I contend that the cut should have been finer which, I think would have provided a better burn rate. Myself as others have mentioned are having trouble with the burn on this one. Although it has garnished rave reviews from most TRs, I guess I'm one of a few dissenters who just didn't like it well enough to dig any deeper. I still have what's left & might sample it again in the near future. Besides the burning characteristic, I'm unable to explain why I didn't choose to finish it off but more understanding of this dilemma might be better understood in the next paragraph.
I'll confess to being a rather novice piper when it comes to English/Balkan blends but I loved the BSOM sampled from a fresh pouch from almost 20 years ago. I also loved Murray's MM 965, Aperitif & even finished off a tin of Nightcap which I liked OK & thought it was aptly named because it is a good beddy-bye blend. Of course, most of you "old timers" seem to like these Latakia blends quite well & I can get that because I have smoked the best of them. Problem is, most of the truly great Latakia blends are "gone with the wind." I've also sampled some Old Dublin & loved its unique flavor which seemed more like a Balkan blend than an English. I thought Robert Lewis's Tree Mixture was pretty good as well & even craved Mississippi Mud. D&S Levant & Crystal Palace are my favorite Balkan Blends & Arango BS is another top contender.
So, what was it with the White Knight... could it have been "too English" & not "Balkanish?" I'm not real crazy about English blends anyway as they are usually Lat bombs. Maybe I simply couldn't discern the difference. I don't know but will edit this when I sample another bowl & use a better "cob." If it were left up to me, I'd simply refer to English/Balkans as Latakia blends & annotate the amount used on the tin label. However, I do feel confident in Russ Oullette's blending ability and glad to see that most of the pipers appreciated his blend.
I appreciate all you reviewers for your experience & guidance. It's helped me to pick up on some of the finer points of the better blends & led me to some great smoking experiences. One last note... Isn't it wonderful that we're not all the same & are good Christians who can love one another despite our differences? Wouldn't the world be a better place if that were the case!
Pipe Used: Medico Filter, MM
Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin
Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars
Similar Blends: Many other English/Balkans...
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Blew_Smoke (17) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I received this tin free as part of a promotion. Because it was free, I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised to find WhiteKnight to be an high quality, inspiring blend. It's very well balanced, smooth, complex, and cool burning. Top notch Balkan blend here. No one ingredient overpowers the others. It's all about teamwork. I can taste the campfire smoky latakia at the same time as the virginia sweetness, as well as the floral and sour notes from yenidje and a subtle hint of spice. Moisture content is perfect. Deeply reminiscent of Frog Morton On The Town. Flavors are good from the start and only get better. Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Savinelli 673 KS
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: Frog Morton On the Town.
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Frank27 (14) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Of all the pipe tobaccos I have tried in the past two years, all of H&H's line has lived up to my expectations. ALL of the tobaccos tried by H&H are simply fantastic.
As for WK, it is one of my favorites. I have not tried the first Balkan Sobraine of course , but I am sure this one has nothing to envy. I like it even more than Black House which I honestly find more important than WK, but also not for everyday use.
The experience with WK was immediately incredible. The best of the Balkans I have ever tried. Right from the packaging with all the blond Virginia flakes and an incredible scent it is without a doubt a top production.
It has some challenging sides though: sometimes it gets too hot , but it depends on the season of course when you smoke it. Living at high latitudes, I've noticed that during the winter it's just perfect....
No tongue bite , nothing...just an incredible experience that as far as I'm concerned keeps WK in the pedestal of my top three ever.
The full, almost incense-like, leather taste , the spicy, yet balanced aroma of Latakia with Orientals give an unique and exceptional experience.
TOP RANK highest rating ever.
Pipe Used: W.O. Larsen model 62
Similar Blends: Black House.
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| JaWiBr (556) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin note of sweet wine, smoky, and spices. Tobacco is black, brown, dark brown and tan small rough cut. Moisture content is good. No drying/prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with notes of floral, smoky, wood, spice, bread, spicy, grassy, dry earth, hay, leather, sour, musty herbal, incense, fermented fruit, tangy zesty citrus, acidic, a savory background note, and a very peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Virginia supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
Pipe Used: 1988 Castello Collection Great Line
Age When Smoked: 5 years
Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Peterson314 (43) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
First Impression: This is one of the best tobaccos I've ever had.
I never had a chance to sample the original Balkan Sobranie, but if this blend is patterned off of that, I understand why Balkan Sobranie was a marquee blend. This blend is rich and complex, smokey yet bright, bold but not over-powering. This is certainly a complentative blend with so many marrying flavors that it's captivating from first light to white ash. It's best when smoked slowly, but I had a hard time slowing down. I had to be reminded by my uncomfortably hot briar many times. It's just too good.
Never having had the original, I did taste the "unflavored soda" piece that JimInks and others said was lacking. It's just one of many notes in this symphony.
This is a very full-tasting blend that completely takes over my palate. Like other strong English/Balkan blends that I love (Plum Pudding, Gaslight, Nightcap), I am going to keep this blend as the last one to smoke for the evening. I followed this blend with Westminster and that mild English just got lost after smoking this.
With as bold as this tobacco tastes, I was (pleasantly) surprised that the nicotine level seemed pretty mild. I didn't feel anything come on until I was near the very bottom of the bowl.
Mechanically, I didn't have any problems with this blend. I packed my pipe from a fresh tin with no drying time and only had to relight it once or twice near the bottom of the bowl. It gurgled a bit starting at half-bowl, but I usually solve that problem with keystones. I didn't try them this bowl, but I will for all future bowls.
All told, with only one bowl in, I've already bought a replacement tin for the cellar. I can't wait to see how this one develops.
Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock
Age When Smoked: 4 months
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| pokerpotpiper (11) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Unnoticeable |
One of my favorite blends of all time. Yenidje Oriental does provide the powerful contribution into this Balkan blend. As to my knowledge, not many blends contain Yenidje or mostly nothing is mentioned on each description of any Balkan blends by any blenders except of H&H. There is another blend where Yenidje is mentioned, H&H Magnum Opus, where additionally Perique is added. Mostly all descriptions indicate general Oriental leaf unfortunately. And as you know, there are many varieties of such leaves, and each provide a unique component to each blend in general. I do recommend the blend to try. All day smoke for me. Absolute a unique blend based on Yenidje. Enjoy piping!
Pipe Used: filter pipe
Purchased From: from an americal online retailer
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonius Blok (192) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
In its container it has a delicious smell. After opening the tin, the smoky aroma and a little leather prevail over the rest. These aromas will be reproduced later in the flavor during the smoke, in a smooth and elegant way, sometimes accompanied by sweet notes and at specific moments also salty. The fusion of the ingredients that make up the mixture produce a frankly rich flavor. In the first pipe I smoked of this tobacco, I seemed to detect some peculiarity in the flavor that differentiated it from other similar mixtures, but I cannot specify what it is.
The tobacco is fairly moist, pulling on the dry side. A week after opening the tin I had to add a little moisture to it, which was perfectly assimilated by the tobacco. It burns slowly and very well, with hardly any relighting, offering long and pleasant puffs.
Without a doubt, highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Savinelli Tundra 111 Ex
Age When Smoked: Unknown
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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