Sutliff Tobacco Company Match Balkan Sobranie 759

Trying some of this as i write - 2nd bowl in a meer.

Very strong pre-smoke aroma; latakia is predominant.

Flavor: rich, complex, leathery with a hint of hardwood smoke. I have not tried the "original" 759 so I can't compare. One thing I did try was a 50/50 mix of H&H Black Horse and McClelland Blue Mountain, which is purported to be a pretty good facsimile of the original 759. The H&H "match" is pretty similar to the 50/50 match, and both are quite nice.

Burns well; a bit too fresh as it made for a little moisture buildup, but not objectionable.

I never had the privilege of smoking the original so, this review is about the match blend . The Subtle sweet with a little citrus Virginias mate well with the floral slightly sour and fragrant orientals . The latakia is proportioned very nicely with a light hand . The Kentucky also light but adds a nice spice . Strength is in range for my taste . The yellow Virginia and the orientals are the lead with spice and campfire backing up nicely . Gets better near the bottom of the bowl ! Oriental forward great English blend !! 4 stars all the way through . I like it more with each bowl .

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update 2 /23/20 I just cellared a pound of this . This is great tobacco . I never tire of this masterpiece!!

Reviewing match blends is tricky business . Even with a sample from days gone by it is still a hard job . Often the sample has been in the can many , many years and has changed from what it was over time. Relying on memory of the taste is often blocked by the years until it becomes a fragrant memory . We need to realize that the tobaccos of years gone by are no longer available , especially Syrian latakia. I smoked Balkan Sobranie as a young man over 40 years ago . I remember that it was moist upon opening the can and needed to be set out on wax paper for a time to render it smokable . Once prepared it was a high octane latakia with an after taste like no other . It was what , I thought at the time , well balanced with quality virginia and " orientals " . Back in the day the orientals were never identified except for "Turkish " which could mean any number of tobaccos . The smoke was tangy and deep and made for slow sipping . By the mid 1980's I left latakia behind and smoked only pure virginia or Va/Par blends and never returning to "English blends . Recently , in my old age , I have returned to those thrilling years of yesterday and English Lat blends . Of all the new ones I have tried this one stands out as the best . Real depth , the kind of quality you get only in the best of the best . Lingering taste , the kind of taste that invites to slow puff . Not complex , in that it is mostly the same experience throughout . That beautiful white after ash you find in the dottle . The satisfied feeling you have after a great smoke . Is it like the original B.S. 759 . Who knows? I cannot exactly remember the taste of a tobacco I began smoking in , maybe , 1962 . It had the feeling of B.S. and the satisfaction too so , frankly Scarlet , I don't give a damn . If you can still get this, buy some . If you can't , add it to the list of fragrant memories .

Don't know what to say. I was shocked from very first puff. Tart but same time sweet, soft but spicy, full in taste but very delicate and with extremely pleasant room note. What a mixture! Love it. Can't say anything negative about this tobacco.

This is the bulk version of H & H Black House. I find it basically the same. Except the 759 is a little dryer. Since Black House is my favourite along with Presbyterian this bulk version is a huge money saver. Highly recommend.

As I opened the bag I detected a sweet note to it, so I thought some kind of casing was added. It was only later on that I realized the sweetness was rather coming from the black Cavendish it contains. I was surprised to learn about this because the description provided by smokingpipes does not give you any indication this component is present in the blend. I have never tried Balkan Sobranie 759 Original, so I can only judge this tobacco by its own merits. Yes, it is rather good and has some creamy qualities to it, but the Balkan side of the equation is so pushed back into the background it really makes you wonder if you are smoking an English blend or something else. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, it all depends on what you want depending on what part of the day, your mood, etc. I suppose some kind of casing might have been added after all, such as a humectant, alcohol, etc., but I cannot detect any flavourings apart from the aforementioned black Cavendish. It does not seem to produce massive amounts of dense and rich smoke, but this might as well be down to how moist it came in the bag. Had I been the master blender myself, I would have included unsweetened black Cavendish instead of the sweet variety it contains, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it anyway. Yes, I can see myself revisiting this blend time and time again. Four stars this time.