Arango Balkan Supreme

This stuff blows other Balkan blends out of the water.

Open the jar and you’re met with the barbecue tang common to most English blends. Do yourself a favor and pack it nicely—not too dense, not too loose. Give it a light and be taken aback by the smokey, rich, almost meaty flavors. The cavendish adds a sweetness to the mix too, along with a little creaminess.

Always makes for a good smoke and I’d advise you to order it by the pound.

Like many others I decided to try this one after reading some positive reviews on this site. That was a year ago, and my first impressions found this respectable but falling short of my expectations. Six months ago I tried it again and found it noticeably improved. Now, in the last eight weeks I've been frequenting this often as it has proven most satisfying. I've also done some sessions comparing this directly against some other bulk English/Balkan offerings by Gawith, Newminster, Patton, Planta, Stokkebye, and even a five year old tin of Sasieni. In all comparisons this was the winner.

So, how has this evolved over this past year? When fresh the flavors were good but nowhere near as developed as they are now. There was a pungent herbal overtone in the aroma, and a slight rawness on the back of the throat. Six months later the rawness was gone and the aromatics were greatly improved, now smelling of grilled gyro meat! 3 stars at that point.

In the last couple months this is the same pattern each time: starts with a little herbal bitterness that always concerns me, but within minutes this is gone and then comes the toasted "everything" bagel and roast meats. Something very satisfying about those flavors, and a nice, savory finish.

Simply because of the slow start, this isn't quite up to my best 4-star blends, but I wouldn't be surprised that if given more time this will evolve into further greatness. When you factor in the value of this bulk offering, I nudged it from three and a half to a full four stars.

I love finding these bulk blends that totally deliver. Arango's Balkan Supreme gives the best of the tin blends a run for their money. It's delicious, reasonably balanced, and has a really nice creamy full mouth feel from the Black Cavendish's interplay with the smokey herbal Latakia. The Latakia plays a big forward role, but the cavendish is really affective in softening the dark edges of this lat-bomb. Tasty waves of Cavendish and Latakia interplay with a strong note of fine turkish Samsun, with a bit of floral, spicy, nutty sweetness. The Virginia is much harder to detect but offers a touch of grassy citrus. A real meal but not overwhelming, its just right. The nic hit is mild, even in a large bowl. 4 stars for me. Definitely a lat-bomb but its really good and beats the random English blends I have open right now (Artisan Blend, Skiff mixture, Margate).

This is a good full English blend that comes close to a lat bomb but not quite . It is really well balanced actually for me . The cedar woodsy smokey latakia is in front but the Virginias and Orientals definitely play their part . Toasty bready red Virginia sweetness and buttery creamy floral sweet but not too dry or sour Orientals shine nicely . I do seem to get a brown sugar taste to the cavendish but no metallic taste at all which is great . It is not too dry at all like some other full English type blends . I like it . I think the cavendish in this blend elevates it greatly . Probably 3 1/2 stars . Not quite a four though . I will probably buy it again and recommend it for sure .

Deeply woodsy and smoky with a very complex note . The creamy Orientals offset the Latakia which is very forward but not overpowering. The aroma of the smoke is something I could smell all day long. It will probably run the wife out of the room but it is very rich. This is most definitely one of my regular blends and it ages very nicely. Some accuse it of being a Lat Bomb but it's really just Latakia forward.

It is very well balanced and you will taste many different flavors as it is quite complex. Don't miss out on this one. It is very reminiscent to Balkan Sobranie and I like it equally but it's almost always available and you can buy it in bulk. Some say it's the same blend Peter Stokkebye uses for his Balkan Supreme. I will leave that up to you to decide.

Another fantastic Balkan! I love the ribbon cut that packs and lights easy. In my opinion this is more lat forward then some but nothing to worry over. Smoky, rich and perfectly blended. If your looking to try Balkans, look no further. The other reviewers have said it all so I'll wrap it up. Highly recommended.

Lager

Balkan supreme by arango,

Vanilla and oak creaminess , warm spice on the retrohale. Mid part through the bowl it started picking up some sweetness that reminded me of citrus peel and berry flavors. Latakia presence is big , but it doesn’t overpower the orientals. They both work together, orientals providing the complexity and Latakia giving the smoky depth and backbone.

I let this one dry out for 5 hours and it smokes effortlessly now. I bought 4 oz just to try the blend - but I definitely want to cellar a pound. ⅔ into the bowl the fruit flavors are rising as well as the acidity - this is such a nice smoke !

Well , overall this is an awesome English/Balkan , not even sure if age will benefit it . It might calm the flavors down into mediocrity. I will age some to see , but encourage you all to give it a go right away.

After sampling a few bowls of Arango, I can easily understand how most lovers of Balkan blends find this mixture appealing & I concur with some of the other reviewers in that it is somewhat similar to the BSOM. However, although similar it seems to me that it does lack that certain subtle sweetness & unique flavoring of the "Original" mixture that I tasted in each & every draw. It does possess some sweetness as the varied tobaccos begin to interact after about maybe one third of the way down through the smoking session & at the halfway point is when it really begins the melding process reaching a truly exhilarating Balkan flavor.

I guess this contains some Turkish Yenidje but couldn't tell for sure & If not, whatever Orientals used seemed to act as a fitting substitute. My one half pound bag arrived with the perfect moisture content, meaning that it required some drying to be at a proper smoking level. I think many so called Balkan blends are more English than Balkan due to a Latakia overload that detracts from the flavor of the Oriental, unsweetened Cavendish & other varietals.

The aroma of Arango from the pouch is enticing & one can immediately determine that it is not overladen with Latakia but rather seems to be just the right amount for a Balkan, considering the aroma & smoking flavor. I do not consider this a Latakia bomb as others have stated. I have many additional varietals on hand to alter the taste of any blend of this nature & can add to it just about anything to alter the flavor to bring it closer to the "original" or whatever suits my taste preference... like maybe a little extra Yenidje, maybe a smidgeon of Vanilla flavored Cavendish, vintage Red Virginia Ribbon, etc.

I like it just fine the way it is but I think there is room for improvement. I always like to experiment with blending trying to make something really good a little better or more suitable to my taste preference... & the price? At two saw-bucks for a half pound it's a steal.

Balkan. English. Who cares? This is a superb medium strength Latakia-forward blend that holds its own with the best from Peretti, C&D and GL Pease.

Tasty and yummy and in my personal top 10 blends.