Battle of the Balkans

[crawdad]

Of course I'm talking about tobacco, not geopolitical history. Which Balkan blend is your favorite, which do you dislike and which would you like to try? I'm looking to buy a Balkan blend but I can't make up my damn mind.

 

[morgansteele]

HU Zulu

 

[haparnold]

I'm always dicey on the line between a Balkan blend and a regular English blend, but my all-time favorite full latakia mixture is GL Pease Westminster. It's superbly balanced, and always gives me the same satisfied feeling as eating a big bowl of pasta. And to top it off, it's readily available and pre-deeming date.
As far as a blend I dislike, I would say I don't ever intend to buy any more of Abingdon. It sacrifices a lot of Westminster's balance to achieve a little more fullness, but to me it's not worth the trade-off. Not bad, and many people love it, but it didn't flip the switch for me; not after I had experienced nirvana.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Balkan Supreme

 

[Chasing Embers]

These if you can find them.

 

[philobeddoe]

Margate, Exotique, Our Best Blend and Blackhouse. Though P.S. Balkan Supreme is quite good and very available. Also G.L.Pease’s Charing Cross is quite tasty.

 

[danimalia]

Favorites: G.L Pease Kensington, Balkan Supreme, H&H Larry's Blend. Bengal Slices, if it qualifies.
I don't think I've disliked any Balkan blends. There have been some I wouldn't go out of my way to smoke again, but none I'd refuse a bowl of if offered. I'd agree that Abingdon wasn't as good as I expected it to be.

 

[writingraav]

Margate, Blackhouse

 

[logs]

GLP Blackpoint and Hearth & Home Blackhouse are great blends to test out on your Balkan escapade. Soft sweet Virginias and lovely orientals on both of these blends trying to emulate the old Balkan Sobranie 759.
Comparatively speaking, Blackpoint has less edge than Westminster which tends more towards the robust spicy direction. Just depends on your mood.
For my thumbs down, I'd point to G&H Balkan Mixture. While perfectly acceptable for a mild Balkan, I find it uninteresting compared to the more lively blends I've mentioned.

 

[ben88]

Ten to Midnight

 

[lochinvar]

For Oriental heavy Balkans (like Balkan Sobranie white) I like H&H White Knight or Peretti Royal. For Latakia forward Balkans (like 759) I like H&H Black House, Peretti Tashkent, and Pease Caravan. One that, to me, is dead in the middle is John Cotton Smyrna.

 

[mikefu]

My favorites are Whiteknight, Balkan Supreme, Tashkent, and Penzance, but Margate is almost as good, and readily available.

 

[jaytex1969]

I am also a bit fuzzy on what constitutes a Balkan.
However, I can offer some +1's on the Westminster and Tashkent. Both are very enjoyable to me.
I did a review of the Tashkent recently.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I am also a bit fuzzy on what constitutes a Balkan.

The Orientals are at the forefront of an English blend rather than the latakia.

 

[jaytex1969]

But latakia is, to some extent, still required, right?

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Gawith Hoggarth Balkan Mixture has impressed me of late. Available in tins when it drops, which go pretty quick, but worth looking around for. 500 g bags tend to hang around longer.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I got to try some Gawith Hoggarth blends from this summers releases and they've all been pretty interesting. The Balkan in particular was quite tasty.
Personally, my favorite is Margate. But I do have a few McClelland tins I still need to try...

 

[Chasing Embers]

But latakia is, to some extent, still required, right?

Yes, just in significantly smaller proportions than the orientals. The oriental tobacco is the star of the show, but Latakia itself being a flavored oriental can cause even more confusion.

 

[mindglue]

Balkan Blue, Tashkent, Omega. Hard to pick up wich one I like more, may be "Tashkent"? (there is some nostalgic feelings, I lived in Tashkent as a child )

 

[jttnk]

Any votes for Star of the East? It’s pretty Oriental forward. I like it quite a bit.