How to Tell What Tobacco Blend Is Which

[piperbite83]

I skimmed through the forum topics and can't get a definite answer on this subject. I'm new to the hobby and was "hooked"straight away I'm not concerned with pipes,(cob fan) as much, I'm more about the tobacco, but sometimes I can't identify what blend is which espacailly when you visit multiple websites.....and I'll give you a perfect example...

Mclelland's Balkan blue is considered an english, I thought it was a Balkan.

I've heard of English aros and multiple tobacco blends like Virginia,and Burley and Cavendish, but it would be consider a virginia.half and half is a aromatic, but it's Burley, I hope I explained this correctly

 

[Chasing Embers]

English-Balkan: almost the same thing
English Aromatic: Flavored English
Multiple Tobacco Blends- Whichever Is The Highest Percent In The Blend
Half And Half: Never Considered It An Aromatic

 

[piperbite83]

<p>Thanks chasingembers I sorta figured as much, but different companies have different names,but now I know for sure.....Like your handle btw.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Very welcome, and thank you. Some blends are virtually identical, and some blends are made by one company and sold to different distributors under different names. It can be terribly confusing. Been a pipe smoker for nearly thirty years, and I'm still trying to figure it out. :mrgreen:

 

[newbroom]

When I first started 'in earnest' a little more than 3 yrs back now, it was easy to come away with the idea that an English blend featured Latakia and Balkans were more mysterious.

Later, I began to think of Balkans as those with some sort of spicy Oriental variety.

English could be w/o Latakia, when you think of it in terms of a purity law. (no added flavorings?)

The Codger blends all have their own topping, and Half and Half's is one of the strongest.

I'd say they're technically aromatics, although it's those with named flavorings like Cherry or Vanilla in the Codger line, that we call aromatic.

 

[judcole]

It's good to remember that the terms "Balkan" and "English" are marketing terms only; there is not a precise definition, so different companies - and smokers - use them differently.

The term "Balkan" was first used by blenders trying to indicate a similarity to the old Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture -often referred to as Sobranie White. There was also Balkan Sobranie 759, or Sobranie Black. I smoked both back in the early 1970s; I liked White much better, so I only smoked one time of the Black. It had more latakia, IIRC, but it's been over 40 years.

Both Balkan Blue and H&H Black House are intended to reference the old 759; I personally like BB a bit better. BSOSM still exists,but is a mere shadow of the older blend. H&H White Knight is very close to my memory of that legendary blend. Give it a whirl, and see if you can taste how it is different. Enjoy. ::

 

[mso489]

You have the idea. Keep reading the tobacco pages at web sites and Forums. The categories serve more to get you to the general type of blend you want, and then you read more closely to decide what you might like. The actual distinctions are a little hazy, but the categories serve a purpose in shopping.

 

[prairiedruid]

Half and Half is an interesting case. The old recipe had deer tongue in it but that was removed in the 80s. Current recipe is cased/topped in a poor attempt to replace the deer tongue flavor. So in my opinion old Half and Half wasn't an aromatic but the current version could be considered one.

 

[madox07]

prairiedruid now ... help out a johnny foreigner here, what exactly do you mean by deer tongue. You can't possibly mean ... :?:

 

[cosmicbobo]

PrairieDruid, thanks for the explanation on Half and Half. That my be why one of my dad's friends stuck by it till he passed.
Deer Tongue, Madox07, is an herb leaf that adds a sweetness to some tobaccos in the past. Lately, I believe only C&D Crooner uses it. I bought some off of eBay, but have not used it too much.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Mojo, New Market, and Gentleman Caller also have deertongue.

 

[prairiedruid]

prairiedruid now ... help out a johnny foreigner here, what exactly do you mean by deer tongue. You can't possibly mean ...

The meat version of deer tongue I prefer slowly cooked all day in a crock pot but I suppose you could smoke it after you peel it.