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So what is a Balkan Blend?

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jorgesoler

jorgesoler

Can't Leave
Dec 3, 2014
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A Balkan blend is an English blend that contains Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Virginia tobaccos. This is to say that not all tobaccos from the Balkan area are Balkan blends, nor the tobacco used in them have to be grown in this part of the world. As a matter of fact, if we are go by the book here, there is no such a thing as a Balkan blend. A Balkan blend is nothing but an English mixture, that is, a Virginia based tobacco that contains certain amount of orientals and Turkish tobaccos. Precisely, by English mixture we mean to say that tobacco is a blend of Virginia and oriental tobaccos, so Balkan blend and English mixture are synonyms: both terms mean the same salva veritate.
balkansobranie2_zps4cfd9022.jpg

What is a Balkan Blend?

 
frank13

frank13

Can't Leave
Oct 5, 2014
410
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Bakersfield, CA
I'd like to try a Balkan, myself! I don't think she's Oriental or Virginian, though. I'd require a much closer investigation, just to be certain, of course.
7e9af1b985fa702ae6504774a24d9f2f.jpg


 
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warren

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,713
16,275
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
P{ease and others have it right, there is not, nor never has been a universally accepted definition. Thank God for that as the differences of opinion always generates a great thread when the subject arises. Lots of heated responses, spit balls flying through the air, a bit of pushing and shoving is always included. All and all great theater for those of us on the sidelines. It's the equivalent of stating that a "hot dog" is indeed a sandwich.

 
dottiewarden

dottiewarden

Lifer
Mar 25, 2014
3,053
57
Toronto
cortezattic said:
I would take it one step further and advocate for listing all the constituents of a blend in order of their qualitative contribution to the blend.
Click to expand...
I read the article and found it to be sufficiently indepth and extremely coherent. I do, however, stand with cortez on this one.

 
J

jitterbugdude

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2014
993
8
Whether there is an official definition or not I think most pipe smokers think of a Balkan blend as being heavy in Turkish tobaccos. It seems to be pretty much part of the accepted pipe jargon these days. Conversely, there in no such thing as "White Burley" but it is also a common name in the pipe smoking world. I would think there are two groups of people here. One group that will continue to point out the fact that there really is no official designation of what a Balkan blend is and the other group that will continue to use the name to indicate a heavy Turkish blend.

 
lochinvar

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,634
When I see Balkan I know, generally, its going to be one of two types of blends:
1. An Oriental/Turkish forward blend, still with latakia, in the family of The Balkan Sobranie (White)
2. One of the Latakia forward, smoky sons of Sobranie 759, but still with a goodly portion of Oriental goodness.
In addition, "English" and "Balkan" are not interchangeable. While Balkans may be in the family of English/Latakia mixtures, a standard English blend's components are balanced with no one component gaining an ascendency. In a Balkan, either Latakia or Oriental dominate the blend, they are unbalanced by their nature.
Or to put it another way, while they are both indeed in the family Felidae, Tiger and Ocelot are not synonymous.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
Interesting discussion. My answer would be, I don't know. But I appreciate the conversation.

 
jorgesoler

jorgesoler

Can't Leave
Dec 3, 2014
401
74
So... You started this thread for what reason? /shaking my head...
Click to expand...
??? But the link is up there: why did he post it again?
I started this post to join in on this discussion

 
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