Balkan Sobranie 200 g eBay

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bluegrasspipe

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2017
621
192
Was one of you crazy enough to buy this unopened tin of Balkan Sobriene on eBay? I thought about it at $150 but $645.00 with shipping, ouch.. 8O

https://imgur.com/a/kM7Jb

Sorry for the link but I am fishing in northern Minnesota and have only my phone.

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,414
6,222
i've never spent that much on tobacco, but am not particularly overwhelmed. everybody has their splurges. considering the size of the tin it amounts to a bit under ten bucks per bowl. that's in the range of a decent (but not very fancy) cigar. the issue is less the per-smoke cost than having to bite the bullet and paying for 68 smokes all at once. is it pricey? sure. is it over-the-top? not if a) you can afford it, and b) you look at it on a per-smoke basis. like anything else that's rare, the value is whatever a willing buyer pays.

 

bluegrasspipe

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2017
621
192
Jguss, those are good points. I think that is the original Balkan sobraine and if that is a blend that you absolutely love, and know you might not get a chance at again, I say whatever makes you happy.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
It's actually a fairly decent price from what's been seen on eBay considering it's 200grams

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,414
6,222
Unlikely I think. That's a screwtop canister with a sealed gold foil pouch inside. Those are generally ok unless somebody took the pouch out previously and poked holes in it.

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,414
6,222
This tin, by the way, was blended a number of years after the Redstone family sold out to Gallaher. Many aficionados would say all the blends changed over time, and particularly after production shifted when the Sobranie factory was closed down.

 

bluegrasspipe

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2017
621
192
Jguss, thanks for the info. Have you tried the older versions? I really enjoy the latest blends.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,322
11,087
Maryland
postimg.cc
I'm with jguss in that even a moderately priced cigar costs more per smoke these days. As Jesse mentioned, I'd be worried that the blend had lost it's punch. But it sure would be fun to pop that top and find out!

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,414
6,222
Jesse's right, lat-heavy blends tend to fade, although sometimes this is compensated for with an interesting melding effect.
As always, old tins are a crap shoot. Sometimes DOA, sometimes just ok, and occasionally sublime. Personally I always get a kick out of trying them, if only for the chance to touch something with historical associations.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,630
44,855
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
so we should all start smoking blends that will cost us about 10 bucks per bowl, because..well a cigar costs even more!? ;-)

I get the point and am with you guys, yet it's a whole load of money for a smoke, and one should celebrate it as some very special treat for himself and not make it a habit paying 10+ bucks per bowl. I highly guess anyone who pays that money for 200g of tobacco will enjoy it as a very special treat and I for special ocassions, or simply to delve into long-gone blends for a few times at least! :puffy:
Well, the problem with savoring it on special occasions over a long period is that really old blends can be remarkably unstable once opened and exposed to fresh oxygen, and can head south with an alarming speed. The buyer's best bet is to have some friends over and smoke it up.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
Yep. Old blends are like vampires exposed to sunlight. Once opened they go down hill real fast and then fade to nothing. It happened with some pre-war Capstan blue that Ashdigger did a tasting on the other year. He said it tasted divine, like stewed fruit when first opened but then went down hill pretty quickly.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
As an after thought I have given quite large amounts of Balkan Sobranie that was very old to a couple of guys who post on here and they said it had held up pretty well given its age and I would assume that tin on Ebay should be OK. I wonder what it sold for in the end? Anyone know?

 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,414
6,222
The sharing idea is spot-on. I view vintage tins as akin to that rare bottle of wine you've got stashed away somewhere, waiting for the right occasion and company. What few old tins I buy are always earmarked for sharing with old friends and new, typically at pipe shows but also through the mail.
And yes, the tobacco degrades with astonishing speed. It's one of the reasons people hover over the tin to get the initial burst of aroma that escapes immediately upon opening. I know that jarring what's not smoked can work pretty well, but my philosophy is to use as much of it as you possibly can right away.

 

lestrout

Lifer
Jan 28, 2010
1,758
283
Chester County, PA
Yo Jon - Many tinned blends gain flavor once given a few days after first opening the tin. I've noticed some old hands fluff the freshly exposed tobacco reflexively. I suppose the well known analogy of airing out red wine (albeit only for 20 or 30 minutes) springs to mind. But I, too, have sensed some superannuated blends lose their flavor within weeks of their being opened. Does anyone have explanations of the mechanisms at large here (chemistry, physics based)?
hp

les

 
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