What are the good Balkan Blends?

[jeff540]

Frog Morton "On the Bayou" was decent.
I still have some SG Balkan Flake I bought in bulk about 7 or 8 years ago, back when they still sliced flakes really thin. It's the richest, creamiest Latakia pipe weed I've ever experienced.

 

[ophiuchus]

Lots of great suggestions already. ::
I also really like Peter Stokkebye Balkan Supreme. Well balanced, though Oriental-forward in a way that's refreshing. Frog Morton On the Town ... mmmmm. The Orientals and Virginias play really nice together in this one.

 

[Snow Hill]

Arango Balkan Supreme

 

[coffinmaker]

Balkan Supreme from P&C, right now it is on backorder. Nice stuff.

 

[pappymac]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I will add a tin or two to my next tobacco shopping list.
One thing I did learn is to read the label before ordering. I looked up Peterson's Balkan Delight and it doesn't contain Orientals.
I have Balkan Balkan Sasieni and Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme at the top of the list.

 

[fitzy]

Pappy I honestly think that any of those Hearth & Home offerings are far better than Balkan Sasieni.
I haven't tried Balkan Supreme yet. Someday I'll get around to it.

 

[woodsroad]

Define "Balkan"!

 

[toobfreak]

I honestly think that any of those Hearth & Home offerings are far better than Balkan Sasieni.

Interesting. I checked their ratings and Sasieni gets a 3.0 rating (out of 4) whereas Marque blends tend to average ratings a little higher, maybe 3.5 or 3.6. I'm not sure I'd agree that /any/ H&H blend rates far better. But then I've read many people say that Sasieni is much better to them than the current Sobranie, yet people often freely pay $25 - $35 a tin (almost $20 / ounce) for the Sobranie.

Define "Balkan"

That is an easy one. A generally Latakia forward blend but it does not necessarily need to have Latakia in it. Originally Syrian, since Syrian is no longer in production, you will have to settle for Cyprian. After that, Balkan tobaccos weigh heavily from the Adriatic region of the eastern Mediterranean or it might have no balkan tobaccos and just Turkish and orientals or both, though none of the tobaccos actually come anywhere from the Orient. All laid to rest on a bed of virginias of which there are how many kinds? I get it now.
So a Balkan blend can be balkan if it has Latakia or balkan or turkish or orientals in it, or just the name Balkan on the tin. :mrgreen: But we are agreed that it will at least have virginia in there somewhere and the Marque Blends are far better than Sasieni which many consider much better than Sobranie which is the most sought after industry standard for a Balkan? Now I know I am confused.

 

[fitzy]

3.7 for both Blackhouse and Magnum Opus. 3.4 for White Knight.
Toob I'm going just by my personal experience though in saying that they are better. YMMV!

 

[dread]

I'm a huge fan of Whiteknight, it is just fantastic.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Eh. I just call 'em English.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Other than WhiteKnight, which is my favorite Balkan. Especially after Russ played us so well on his release of it. He sent out samples to all of us, unexplained and we all gave feedback. I fell in love with it, and at the time I was very anti-latakia. If I will love a blend that has latakia, even when I don't like latakia, it changed the game for me.
Also, Dan's Midnight Ride and McC's Yenidje Highlander. Excellent Balkans.

 

[woodsroad]

Then all of the John Cotton's blends are Balkan, except that they aren't. Or are they?

 

[toobfreak]

I'm a huge fan of Whiteknight, it is just fantastic.

Many feel that White Knight is a much closer match to original Sobranie than the new Sobranie. I have tins of Wilderness which I like too and will be sorry to see that go.

 

[andrew]

PS Balkan Supreme, Arango Balkan Supreme, and the Balkan Supreme from p&c is supposed to be the exact same tobacco blend, it is very good though. Balkan Sasieni is very good too and we'll priced

 

[thomasmartin]

Does Dunhill London Mixture qualify? If yes, then this.

 

[kirkland]

GL Pease Abington is great. His old Bohemian Scandel was even better. I'm lucky to still have some BS stashed away.
I may be wrong but appears there are not lot of GLP fans here. I think his blends are by far the best and he covers all the bases in the tobacco genre. Plus they are easily available. Unless of course you want to hunt down his discontinued blends on ebay (which I do). I will glady fork over 100 bucks for a 2 ounce tin of his Rennaissance....or some of his other rare or aged blends.

 

[thomasmartin]

I second Abington. Also, I'd put Balkan Blue on the list.

 

[jvnshr]

Since nobody has mentioned, Brebbia Balkan and C&D Byzantium.

 

[shikano53]

What a great thread! Thanks Pappy for starting it. I thought I had a lot of Balkan blends tucked away in the cellar but after reading this thread I see there are a lot of blends I am going to have to try now.

I am glad I have two tins of Legend and Wilderness still.

Well done Pappy!