Disappointed with Match Balkan Sobranie

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,451
I bought the 759 match version and am still learning the blend, as it were. The flavor is good. The burn I still have to master, to get a good steady bowl full, but I think I'm getting there.
 

May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
Sutliff BSOMM is my favorite, as I find it the heaviest in Orientals. It is indeed similar, if not exact as others have stated, to white knight. The Orientals in both age really well.

Balkan Supreme is very well blended in that no components really over power the others. Smooth and quality. I like it but personally prefer a bit more oriental punch. I've cellared both.
You might give GLP Spark Plug a try if you haven’t yet. I quite enjoy that one as well when I want the Orientals to have a strong presence.
 

spicy_boiii

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 5, 2020
592
2,729
Bay Area, California
You might give GLP Spark Plug a try if you haven’t yet. I quite enjoy that one as well when I want the Orientals to have a strong presence.

OH I am quite the fan. And of GL Pease in general. My only nitpick is the plug is a little loose, I wish it was more dense so I could more easily cut it. Not much of a hangup though.
 
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wolfman9

Lurker
Aug 27, 2018
32
43
After following most of the advice here I have mixed up the bag of BSOMM throughly, dried it slightly on a tray, and found it to be much more enjoyable now.
I now find it to be more balanced and much more like my favorite Balkan II, just slightly less sweet and with a bit more complexity probably from the oriental leaf in it, a very enjoyable smoke now, I even feel slightly bad about speaking negatively about it now.
Thank you to all who provided their advice.
 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,221
Austin, TX
That’s funny and just goes to show how different we all are. I just bought 8oz of both the BS & BS 759. It came over the weekend and I am extremely surprised at how exquisite they taste. I think they both have excellent Oriental tobaccos in them and I think they are an absolute steal for the price. Mine came a bit on the moist side so I like to give it a good drying before I lock and load. The only thing that disappoints me is that I didn’t try these sooner, I’ll definitely be getting more!
 
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hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,221
Austin, TX
So, I'd suggest the next time you smoke a bowl, that you pour the tobacco out into a large mixing bowl, check for clumps and tear them apart with your fingers or a couple of forks to get them well-mixed.
This is always a good practice with any blend. I don’t do the fork method but I put the tobacco in a large bowl (both bulk and tinned tobaccos) and mix it all up and either put it back in the tin/bag if I plan on smoking immediately or transfer to a jar for the cellar.
 
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Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,165
22,716
38
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
Thread resurrected!

@hawky454 nails it perfectly...we're all different. I got an ounce of this last year, and for me, it's absolutely fantastic. Perfect moisture level too, no dry time necessary, which makes it perfect for one of those impromptu "impulse" smokes (I blame the childhood Ritalin intake for this). I will definitely pick up a couple more ounces with my next SP order, but this could be a while; I've got a butt-load of other English blend samples to try in the meantime.
 
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hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,221
Austin, TX
Thread resurrected!

@hawky454 nails it perfectly...we're all different. I got an ounce of this last year, and for me, it's absolutely fantastic. Perfect moisture level too, no dry time necessary, which makes it perfect for one of those impromptu "impulse" smokes (I blame the childhood Ritalin intake for this). I will definitely pick up a couple more ounces with my next SP order, but this could be a while; I've got a butt-load of other English blend samples to try in the meantime.
Since buying those 8 oz bags it’s become a staple, I’ve bought several pounds of each to have on hand, I love these blends. These were the last two bulk blends that I bought to top of the cellar.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,451
I had the same experience, so I left it alone for about a year, and when I came back to it recently, it was a whole new blend. It had dried out a lot, and the flavors melded, and the edge was gone, and it really blossomed. I hope that happens for you. Now it is a really elegant smoke.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,772
29,574
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I haven’t had Balkan II, but BSOMM is more Oriental-forward than a lot of other English blends, so maybe that’s what you’re not keen on. The BS 759 Match sounds more to your liking, but I wouldn’t advise buying 8 oz of anything you’ve never tried. I think 2 oz is enough to decide if you like it, then go back for more if so.
which oriental tobacco can kind of hit in a strangely subtle way. Like sorta doesn't taste like much until you catch the profile. Most oriental forward blends hit me kind of flat at first. Then become one of my favs after a few smokes.
 

drayve85

Starting to Get Obsessed
Try aging it for a bit. I know it sucks to have to age a blend to have it taste right, but with the Sutliff version, you have to. I remember buying the pipes and cigars match BSOSM before the switched to Sutliff, and it was perfect right away. But, when they switched, the smell and taste of Sutliff virginias come thru quite a bit. It has an aromatic smell/taste to it, but after aging for a while all that goes away. Same goes for the match BS 759. Couldn’t hardly smoke them when they were new, but after some age, they taste JUST like White Knoght and Blackhouse. Now we just need a bull version of Magnum Opus! Mmmmm. I’d be set. I’m gonna order some Peretti’s “Royal” that stuff has my mouth watering.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,989
11,100
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Both of those and White Knight are the exact same blend. Sutliff has always manufactured it for them.
Is your statement that Match BSOSM = WhiteKnight and Match BS759 = BlackHouse based on your own taste tests or did you hear this from someone you consider authoritative or both or something else? I've only had the Matches and not tried the Hearth & Homes though I've an unopened tin of each sitting in my drawer.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,380
109,095
Is your statement that Match BSOSM = WhiteKnight and Match BS759 = BlackHouse based on your own taste tests or did you hear this from someone you consider authoritative or both or something else?
Both Russ and Jiminks have posted it here. Many of Sutliff's bulks are sold tinned under a different name.
 
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