I smoked Balkan Sobranie Original back in the early 1970s, when I was going to Michigan State, and buying tobacco from Campbell's Smoke Shop in East Lansing. (It's still there.) I couldn't tell you how much of it I smoked, but I liked it a lot. When I moved to Detroit, I spent a few years smoking less expensive blends - I was counting the pennies. When I had money again, and started going to Hill and Hill in Grosse Pointe Woods, Jim Simon, the proprietor, got me onto a house blend of his called Golden Ash, which was a similar blend. That was pretty much the end of my experience with Sobranie. I never smoked the pouch version that was around, so I can't compare that to what I smoked, but it's pretty well-known that the blend did not stay the same over the years.
Sometime in the early 2000's I discovered Balkan Sasieni,when it was in a pouch. I smoked a pretty fair amount of that,too, until I discovered Hearth & Home's Larry's Blend, and it moved into my slot for full Balkan mixtures.
Early in 2014, I decided to re-explore Sasieni. I ordered a tin to fill out an order. While smoking it, I decided that there was room for both it and Larry's Blend in my rotation, so I stocked up. Then I heard about White Knight, Russ Oulette's attempt to recreate the Sobranie Original of his early smoking days; I ordered a tin,smoked it, fell in love, and have acquired several more tins. Finally, I was able to secure a couple of tins of the current version of Balkan Sobranie. I wrote this little essay right around the time I finished smoking a tin of the current Sobranie.
White Knight – When I opened my first tin of this, olfactory memories came rushing back on me. I couldn't have told you what the old Sobranie was like, before, but now I can – and this is very close to what I remember.. The thing that stands out is the creaminess in the smoke. A wonderful blend, and one that I will always have in my rotation. Four stars.
Balkan Sasieni – This is another fine blend, not as close,to my revived memory, to the Sobranie I smoked in the early 70's,but still a damned fine blend. Not as creamy as WK, but still worth having around,if not always in the rotation. Three stars.
Balkan Sobranie – Although this blend bears the legendary name, it is nothing like the blend I remember from the early 1970s. It may be close to the pouch version. The leaf is of good quality, but I considered it rather boring, to be honest. I have tried it in a variety of pipes, and haven't noticed much difference. I have no idea what I will do with the second tin. The only reason to buy this that I can fathom is that it bears a famous name. One star.
Sometime in the early 2000's I discovered Balkan Sasieni,when it was in a pouch. I smoked a pretty fair amount of that,too, until I discovered Hearth & Home's Larry's Blend, and it moved into my slot for full Balkan mixtures.
Early in 2014, I decided to re-explore Sasieni. I ordered a tin to fill out an order. While smoking it, I decided that there was room for both it and Larry's Blend in my rotation, so I stocked up. Then I heard about White Knight, Russ Oulette's attempt to recreate the Sobranie Original of his early smoking days; I ordered a tin,smoked it, fell in love, and have acquired several more tins. Finally, I was able to secure a couple of tins of the current version of Balkan Sobranie. I wrote this little essay right around the time I finished smoking a tin of the current Sobranie.
White Knight – When I opened my first tin of this, olfactory memories came rushing back on me. I couldn't have told you what the old Sobranie was like, before, but now I can – and this is very close to what I remember.. The thing that stands out is the creaminess in the smoke. A wonderful blend, and one that I will always have in my rotation. Four stars.
Balkan Sasieni – This is another fine blend, not as close,to my revived memory, to the Sobranie I smoked in the early 70's,but still a damned fine blend. Not as creamy as WK, but still worth having around,if not always in the rotation. Three stars.
Balkan Sobranie – Although this blend bears the legendary name, it is nothing like the blend I remember from the early 1970s. It may be close to the pouch version. The leaf is of good quality, but I considered it rather boring, to be honest. I have tried it in a variety of pipes, and haven't noticed much difference. I have no idea what I will do with the second tin. The only reason to buy this that I can fathom is that it bears a famous name. One star.
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