Calling Out All Balkan Fans

[Goggy302]

I'm new to the pipe world only but 5 month's in. I know there's a lot of great Balkan blends out there. But what are your top 4 favorite of all time. Maybe there's something great you guys will suggest for me to try. My top 4 so far I smoked Balkans are.
1. Esoterica Penzance
2. Balkan Sobranie
3. Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding
4. Hearth & Home Black House

 

[shanez]

I'd put Balkan Supreme in the mix. Penzance is a little creamier at best and the Balkan Supreme is readily available in bulk for a fantastic price.

I love SPC Plum Pudding SR but would suggest trying C&D Dreams of Kadath. It's not the same and it's usually listed as "other" but when you try it you'll think to yourself "yep, not the same but I definitely see why the recommendation was made".

 

[Goggy302]

I'd put Balkan Supreme in the mix. Penzance is a little creamier at best and the Balkan Supreme is readily available in bulk for a fantastic price.

I love SPC Plum Pudding SR but would suggest trying C&D Dreams of Kadath. It's not the same and it's usually listed as "other" but when you try it you'll think to yourself "yep, not the same but I definitely see why the recommendation was made".

Who makes Balkan Supreme

 

[shanez]

Who makes Balkan Supreme

Arango

 

[Goggy302]

Who makes Balkan Supreme

I have it already. Never tried it yet. I have to come around to it

 

[wolflarsen]

Who makes Balkan Supreme

Arango or Peter Stokkebye. You can find both and they are the exact same blend.

Exotique, Our Best Blend, Quiet Nights, and Margate are some of the greats.
I don't know what category to put Mississippi River into but it's worth a try for sure if you like balkans.

 

[Goggy302]

Arango or Peter Stokkebye. You can find both and they are the exact same blend.

Exotique, Our Best Blend, Quiet Nights, and Margate are some of the greats.
I don't know what category to put Mississippi River into but it's worth a try for sure if you like balkans.

I tried all those blends and they are great. But I think they are all English blends. More latakia forward. Balkans are more Oriental forward I believe

 

[karam]

I don't put on much stock in "Balkan" vs "English", and I do smoke a lot of Latakia. What I consistently come back to are:

• Dunhill/Peterson Nightcap - love it because it has body, some sweetness and above all perfect balance
• Dan Tobacco Old Ironsides - different due to having a fair amount of Kentucky, clean flavour and strong

C&D Byzantium is another I smoked a tin of and found to be excellent. Also from HU Tobacco I really like Zulu. Both of these have good balance between Latakia and Orientals, getting an incense character about them.

HU Fayyum is good but fairly heavy, at times getting to the "tire fire" levels of Latakia. GLP Gaslight I really did not enjoy.
Now smoking HU Port Latakia (milder and with a sweet toping which works well), and HU Khoisaan (different as it has no Oriental leaf, but has fire-cured Virginia making it bready and spicy, it's also fairly strong in nicotine and has a good portion of Latakia), but I need to smoke some more of both to get a good opinion.

 

[Goggy302]

I don't put on much stock in "Balkan" vs "English", and I do smoke a lot of Latakia. What I consistently come back to are:

• Dunhill/Peterson Nightcap - love it because it has body, some sweetness and above all perfect balance
• Dan Tobacco Old Ironsides - different due to having a fair amount of Kentucky, clean flavour and strong

C&D Byzantium is another I smoked a tin of and found to be excellent. Also from HU Tobacco I really like Zulu. Both of these have good balance between Latakia and Orientals, getting an incense character about them.

HU Fayyum is good but fairly heavy, at times getting to the "tire fire" levels of Latakia. GLP Gaslight I really did not enjoy.
Now smoking HU Port Latakia (milder and with a sweet toping which works well), and HU Khoisaan (different as it has no Oriental leaf, but has fire-cured Virginia making it bready and spicy, it's also fairly strong in nicotine and has a good portion of Latakia), but I need to smoke some more of both to get a good opinion.

Nightcap I enjoyed heavy on the latakia. Dan tobacco ironside have it didn't try it yet. C&D Byzantium also have it didn't try it yet. HU Zulu have to look in to that one never heard of that one. GLP Gaslight also tried I thought it was good but different not a all the time smoke for me thanks for the info

 

[karam]

Nightcap I enjoyed heavy on the latakia. Dan tobacco ironside have it didn't try it yet. C&D Byzantium also have it didn't try it yet. HU Zulu have to look in to that one never heard of that one. GLP Gaslight also tried I thought it was good but different not a all the time smoke for me thanks for the info

Without considering the % of Latakia used in these blends, I can tell you that with the exception of HU Port Latakia, all others I mentioned taste stronger of Latakia (for me) than Nightcap, so bear that in mind.

 

[Goggy302]

Without considering the % of Latakia used in these blends, I can tell you that with the exception of HU Port Latakia, all others I mentioned taste stronger of Latakia than Nightcap, so bear that in mind.

I check out HU tobacco just now can't seem to buy it anywhere in the U.S.

 

[karam]

I check out HU tobacco just now can't seem to buy it anywhere in the U.S.

No, you can't, it's a German brand but there are (German) internet retailers who sell it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Who makes Balkan Supreme

Arango

Made by The Scandinavian Tobacco Group, distributed by Arango and Peter Stokkebye.

Balkan blends

Balkan is a marketing term to liken a blend to the old Balkan Sobranie and in many cases are just English blends with a fancy name. Over time, smokers have applied the Balkan term to heavily Oriental forward blends to differentiate them from other latakia blends, but latakia itself is an oriental. That being said, my top of the pile would have to be this discontinued beauty.

 

[Goggy302]

Made by The Scandinavian Tobacco Group, distributed by Arango and Peter Stokkebye.



Balkan is a marketing term to liken a blend to the old Balkan Sobranie and in many cases are just English blends with a fancy name. Over time, smokers have applied the Balkan term to heavily Oriental forward blends to differentiate them from other latakia blends, but latakia itself is an oriental. That being said, my top of the pile would have to be this discontinued beauty.

View attachment 72119

 

[alaskanpiper]

HU Fayyum/Fayyum Kake
Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding Special Reserve
Smoker’s Haven Our Best Blend
Germain’s Special Latakia Flake

 

[troyniss]

C&D Sunset Harbor Flake
SPC Plum Pudding

If you want to dive into a more English - Dunhill/Peterson Nightcap and GLP Quiet Nights

 

[Goggy302]

I heard about that Blend. I heard it's awesome it's a shame it's discounted and I probably never get to try it. But you'll right Balkan is a fancy word for English. Latakia is from smoke and cured Orientals. But for me when I smoked Balkans I taste more Orientals up front then latakia as for English blends i smoke latakia is more forward for me. ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

But for me when I smoked Balkans I taste more Orientals up front then latakia as for English blends i smoke latakia is more forward for me.

Ah, but is that because that was how you were expecting them to taste??

 

[Goggy302]

HU Fayyum/Fayyum Kake
Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding Special Reserve
Smoker’s Haven Our Best Blend
Germain’s Special Latakia Flake

I've been trying to get my hands on Smoker's Haven Exotique Mixture but it's been out of stock. But I'll try our best Blend out ?

​

 

[Goggy302]

Ah, but is that because that was how you were expecting them to taste??

No I don't think so. When I smoke more latakia forward blends to me it seem more of a smokey out door fire flavor and for Oriental forward to me is more sweet and sour taste forward with a hint of latakia for the smokey taste to balance it out. But then again I've been only smoking pipes now for about 5 months but everybody's palate is different