Balkan Sobranie

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gerryp

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 8, 2018
704
2,368
56
Arabi, LA
...it isn't all that great...
I bought some recently and was pretty underwhelmed. I felt the same way about a recent Margate purchase, but was assured that it would improve with age. Maybe it's a Germain thing.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,832
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
$25? Wow, P&C dropped the price on it a lot! They were charging $34 for it for a long while, which was really pissing people off here. If you're looking for a Balkan Sobranie clone that's closer to the original than Germain's ghastly misfire, try WhiteKnight.

 
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spartacus

Lifer
Nov 7, 2018
1,022
795
Mesa, Arizona
Tobaccopipes had it for $18 two weeks ago but that sold out within a day.
Thanks Sable, I just picked up some WhiteKnight but haven't tried it yet. I think I have enough Sobranie to not worry about paying $25 especially if this WhiteKnight turns out to be good.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,343
Twenty-five dollars is a bit steep. Five or six years ago, when I last bought it, it was $60/five can roll. White Knight had an artificial sweetness I didn't care for and prefer Presbyterian.

 

alexj52

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 26, 2018
177
21
I recently bought some from Iwan Ries... $14.50 I think.

@gerryp I once heard that Germain is one of the old-school tobacconists that pre-age their tobacco before selling. Never had much Germain blends before, but wouldn't that mean they would benefit rather less from extra aging?

 

alexj52

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 26, 2018
177
21
@sablebrush I thought Blackhouse was supposed to be the BS match - how are the two different? Excuse me if this was a stupid question...

 

alexj52

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 26, 2018
177
21
Thanks! Didn't know there were two BS varieties... would you also consider Blackhouse as a faithful match of its heydays?

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,846
553,706
I'd say it was a fairly faithful match, and the closest one that anybody has made. It won second place in the Chicago Throw Down a few years back when several blenders competed to match 759. McClelland won the contest, but there's no way Balkan Blue was closer to 759 as Russ' Black House was/is.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,343
Blackhouse was first, then Balkan Blue, and third was Balkan Luxury Blend 957.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/2011-balkan-sobranie-throwdown#post-76388

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,832
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
@gerryp I once heard that Germain is one of the old-school tobacconists that pre-age their tobacco before selling. Never had much Germain blends before, but wouldn't that mean they would benefit rather less from extra aging?
Germain's considers their blends ready to smoke when shipped as was expressed in an email to a former forum member. The email went on to exhort people to quit "fapping about" (though some here remember the term as "faffing about", or it might as well have been "fannying about") with the unnecessary aging.
Here's how I've come to regard aging. Aging doesn't automatically improve tobacco blends. The flavor characteristics of a blend may change over time. Whether that change is an improvement is up to the individual smoker to decide.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,343
I stand corrected. Thanks.
Very welcome. Mike did win the people's choice award, but Russ got the overall win from the judges. A proud day for all three.

 
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