Battle of the Balkans
- Thread starter crawdad
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
Funny, when Russ pre-released WhiteKnight, everyone was saying how they loved it and appreciated how subtle the latakia was. Russ then told us that it and most Balkans were like 50% latakia. But, it is the balance of other leaf that tones down the latakia. The amount of latakia means diddlysquat. It's all in what it is mixed with.
I do like SOTE, and I keep a few pounds stored away for the winter months, but WhiteKnight is always a little higher in my mental rankings. WhiteKnight is what all other Balkans aspire to be, IMO.
Well from what Ive read on the forums, I dont think there actually is a general consensus on what makes a balken blend a balken vs an English. That being said I'm still working through some tins of black house and white knight. I like them well enough and I enjoy them, but I'm not 100 percent sure if they are my blend of choice, but then again I'll have to give it more time. Magnum opus is also really good but again, I dont know if it's my blend of choice nor do I know if it's a balken in the strictest sense of the word... I hate to be that guy, but right now I am on a spc plum pudding kick. It has everything a balken should have (I think?) But I dont know if some would consider it as much. I also have a soft spot for comoys cask 11, not that it partially stands out above the competition, but because it's one of the first blends of the style that I tired and liked. But I definitely would recommend every blend I've mentioned. Certain days certain blends are better than others. It's hard to choose just one
Was just meaning proportion wise. The lat overshadows the orientals. Never cared for White Knight, but Peretti's Royal is a good one.
I actually like Abington the most of all the Pease Balkans (and I can’t recall one I did not like). I find Sutliff Balkan II to be my favorite bulk Balkan and challenges the best tins. I know that many members are high on Balkan Supreme. I rate this as a MOR Balkan, many better, many worse I can’t one that i hate but, Balkan Supreme that is not aged, does nothing for me.
I actually like Abington the most of all the Pease Balkans (and I can’t recall one I did not like). I find Sutliff Balkan II to be my favorite bulk Balkan and challenges the best tins. I know that many members are high on Balkan Supreme. I rate this as a MOR Balkan, many better, many worse I can’t think of one that i hate but, Balkan Supreme that is not aged, does nothing for me
Drum roll please......
Skiff Mixture!!
Then it goes:
Skiff Mixture!!
Then it goes:
- Exotique Mixture
- Margate
- Balkan Mixture (only had Arango)
- @odobenus has really turned me onto Greg Pease Samarra. It’s an excellent Balkan and the best American Balkan I’ve ever tried.
Last edited:
Fresh Balkan Supreme is meh! I am hoping age will smooth out the edges.
Yeah, considering it’s price and availability, Skiff beats it out of first in my opinion.
The first company to use the term "Balkan" was Balkan Sobranie,long, long ago. Other companies then picked up the term to try to get some of that success.
I smoked a few tins of the old Sobranie OSM back in the early 1970s. The blend, now, that captures what that had, is H&H White Knight. Balkan Sasieni is a worthy candidate for that niche, too. I don't much care for the current iteration of Balkan Sobranie.
I gave up paying much attention to those labels, since there is no accepted definition.
I smoked a few tins of the old Sobranie OSM back in the early 1970s. The blend, now, that captures what that had, is H&H White Knight. Balkan Sasieni is a worthy candidate for that niche, too. I don't much care for the current iteration of Balkan Sobranie.
I gave up paying much attention to those labels, since there is no accepted definition.
- Status