Balkan Sobranie Substitute - White Knight or Black House?

[Chasing Embers]

I actually didn't care for Black House or White Knight. Compared to a sample of Sobranie from the '70s I smoked, Balkan Blue and Meridian were my picks.

 

[steamboat]

I did not realize this was a 3 year bump before my previous post. My initial response was to the OP not the bumper.

 

[Chasing Embers]

It's,always good to bring discussions to the newer members attention.

 

[sablebrush52]

The Germain version is a miss. I also smoked Original Mixture in the 70's and the quality is not to be found in the Germain version. I find it utterly unsmokable, even after years of aging. My last attempt at smoking it resulted in my giving away the tin to several members here. I couldn't finish half a bowl of it. Nasty stuff. WhiteKnight isn't perfect, but it's light years beyond the Germain version.
Black House is based on 759 so we're talking apples and oranges here.

 

[bluegrasspipe]

It is strange to me that many of us have been chasing and enjoying all of these substitute blends, but may never try the original 759. I can definitely see how the Syrian latakia must have changed everything in those latakia forward Balkan blends. The current Balkan Sobriene to me has a really different cyprian smoky flavor but personally I enjoy the sasieni much more.

I was lucky enough to cellar many single tins of blends that are no longer available that I will only ever smoke the one tin and probably never again, unfortunately not

a 23 year-old sample of Balkan Sobranie 759

.

I feel a bit sorry for the pipe smoker that is just now starting, as it is becoming very different now from even 5 years ago, starting with the loss of the Syrian tobaccos, to Dunhill and possibly McClelland. Ouch... It feels like the beginning of the end of the Golden age of pipe tobaccos, and I count myself lucky to have been able to try a lot of great ones.

 

[sablebrush52]

We're losing some blends. Maybe we're losing a brand. Many of the blends I smoked years ago are long gone. The few surviving tins that show up are sold for top dollar, even though they're largely faded out wraiths compared to what they once were. The magic is in the name.
But we're still in a golden age, at least for a little while longer. There are great blends available. And even after August 2021 there will be more great blends on the market than were available to me when I picked up the pipe 47 years ago.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Unfortunately I am on a limited income but since I've restarted pipe smoking after 15 years I plan to have some sort of "tobacco budget"for sure!

Described my situation from summer, 2016, precisely. Could not have put it more succinctly.
Abandon hope.

 

[balkisobrains]

I can't speak on smoking any of the originals, but here's my take on some of the new ones that usually get talked about.
I'd probably like the Black House better without the Cavendish, DFK, and Perique. The White Knight is a little too piney for me by the second half of the bowl. (Similar for me to Peretti Omega. Side-note, I thought the Peretti Royal was somewhat similar to the Omega, but much less "piney", and I think that the Royal is really good.)
Balkan Blue is good but not too complex, and I like to dry it out pretty well before smoking it to get the best flavors (for me).
:puffpipe:

 

[bluegrasspipe]

But we're still in a golden age, at least for a little while longer. There are great blends available. And even after August 2021 there will be more great blends on the market than were available to me when I picked up the pipe 47 years ago.

Sable, you always make a point of making a good point.. ::

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yes he does. Agree totally with his premise. May have even said similar somewhere or other.
I'd suggest that folks stop lamenting what's gone or very pricey, and concentrate of what is.... A lot of fine blends and ample availability; it's one reason I don't seek out rare blends that I can't get reasonably in the future. Sure, it's nice to taste them but there's no future in it. YMMV.