The secret to a good English or Balkan style blend consists of allowing the different tobaccos to breathe and thus both contrast one another, and blend into a single sweet-spicy flavor. That piquant aspect makes English blends so popular.
"Crown Achievement" came relatively dry in the tin, with a slightly rougher cut than expected. Latakia wafted upward first, then the fermented smell of Perique, followed by the abundant Orientals. Any Virginias took a back seat, and the flavor bears this out, with a faint background sweetness dominated by the real power of this blend, which is the complement between the Latakia and Perique to make the Orientals move from sour to a sweet, spicy and sour flavor. If you are thinking Kung Pao Chicken or a good vinegar barbecue, you are on the right track.
Unfortunately, the result is somewhat unbalanced. Too much of the Latakia flavor, and somewhat of a chaotic interplay between the Orientals, has created a blend that like some of the early American attempts at re-introducing an English proves jagged instead of a fine balance like the Dunhill blends. Nonetheless, I enjoy this blend for its richness of flavor; it might be better as an American English, with more Virginia and a fair dose of Burley to widen the flavor profile and allow the individual leaf varieties to tangle in the opened space, especially if those Orientals can be made to complement one another and not simply clash. If you mix in about 60% "Five Brothers," the smoking experience notably improves, which is usually a key that a condimental leaf has been overused.
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