BALKAN vs ORIENTAL

[badbriar]

What is the difference between 'Balkan' and 'Oriental' pipe tobacco blends?
Could this be another 'English' & 'Scottish' thing, or is there a real definitive difference?

 

[musicman]

What is the difference between 'Balkan' and 'Oriental' pipe tobacco blends?
Could this be another 'English' & 'Scottish' thing, or is there a real definitive difference?

A Balkan, in my book, is an English with the Oriental leaf highlighted instead of the Virginia leaf.

An Oriental is just that, a blend with the oriental highlighted. Most oriental blends contain Virginia leaf as well, and some with other components, but generally they won't have Latakia, or at least Latakia won't be a featured component.

Again, just my observations/opinions. One of the good (and bad) things about pipe tobacco is the lack of concrete definition when it comes to labelling blend genres.

 

[anotherbob]

MEans what ever the person saying it thinks it means. Seriously there is no solid standard on these things.

 

[pantsBoots]

What is the difference between 'Balkan' and 'Oriental' pipe tobacco blends?
Could this be another 'English' & 'Scottish' thing, or is there a real definitive difference?

That's easy. A Scottish blend has Cavendish and an English does not!

As for the original question, a Balkan has Latakia while an Oriental does not, except when it does because Latakia is an Oriental, just one that has been fire-cured. And so forth.

I don't believe there is a consensus on these definitions, but more an amalgamation of opinions.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I think @musicman nailed it.

Balkan blends are usually fuller English blends with oriental-forward proportions, where as Orientals are usually lighter pure Virginia or Va/Per blends with noticeable proportions of oriental leaves to flavor.

I am personally a huge fan of both: I find when used corrected it adds a sour, creamy taste to an heavier English or lighter Virginia and/or Va/Per blend. I used to love the way they worked with McClelland's way of processing Virginias but the alternatives now are great too.

I think it's L J Peretti that has a Lat/Or, it does NOT taste like Shortcut to Mushrooms but in many ways it reminds me of it, that's an excellent blend but I would hesitate to call it an Oriental but it does scratch the same itch.

 

[shanez]

I'll just post my standard response to these questions:

I'm fairly certain it's just a marketing term invented to get us to buy more tobacco.

 

[lochinvar]

There are two types of Balkans in my mind. The ones emulating Sobranie White, Oriental forward with Latakia in the backseat, and ones emulating Sobranie 759 with a heftier dose of Latakia.

As far as Oriental it's all over the board. I've seen blends with and without Latakia listed as Oriental. However it is defined, blends with with hefty doses of Orientals are awesome.

 

[aquadoc]

I'll just post my standard response to these questions:

I'm fairly certain it's just a marketing term invented to get us to buy more tobacco.

And sadly, or not, it works.

 

[warren]

I'm sure there was a logic to it when the term was developed by a blender. After that it became bastardize as other blenders sought to reach the market the first "balkan" or "oriental" reached. Blenders most likes have a loose definition for these terms but, I'm guessing even they have no hard and fast parameters.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm not sure if there is a clear definition that is strictly where'd to. I think not. I'm certain however it isn't all that important, at least to me. I seem to recall Balkan blends are where the tobacco comes from the Balance region. You have SG Balkan Flake that is Virginia and Latakia, no Oriental leaf apparently. It seems it is mostly up to the blender how it is labeled.

 

[judcole]

They are marketing terms, and primarily American terms at that.

 

[python]

Here is an article that I wrote about this some time ago:

The Mystery of Balkan Blends

 

[hauntedmyst]

A Balkan has lots of tobaccos from the Balkan region. An Oriental tobacco is confused and thinks it came from the Orient.