What Are Your Current Favorite English/Balkan Blends?

[Two Pipes Crossing]

I am interested in what you folks are into, in regards to the post title, as I am always into exploring the vast ocean of blends.

My current favorites are;
• Captain Earle’s Stimulus Package
• Stokkebye Proper English
• S.G. Squadron Leader
• H&H Ten to Midnight

Another blend I may add that is out of the English/Balkan bracket,
• G.L. Pease Robusto

Also I am interested in trying G.L. Pease:
• Abingdon
• Westminster
• Lagonda
• Meridian

What do you folks like?

 

[bullet08]

Currently have two opened. Squadron Leader, and Balkan Supreme. Squadron Leader is a very good blend. Balkan Supreme is ok. Anything GLP is great.

 

[Two Pipes Crossing]

Currently have two opened. Squadron Leader, and Balkan Supreme. Squadron Leader is a very good blend. Balkan Supreme is ok. Anything GLP is great.

Squadron Leader is exceptional!

 

[simong]

Germain's special latakia flake
Germain's 1820 flake

Samuel Gawith's chocolate flake
Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth Mixture
Samuel Gawith's Skiff mixture

Dunhill durbar
Dunhill London mixture

HU zulu
HU olaf's favourite English

Ashton artisan's mixture

GH's exmoor mixture
GH's #25 mixture
GH's #12 mixture

Esoterica Pembroke

GL Pease Westminster

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Whiteknight
Star of the East
Mcconnel's Oriental
GLP Odyssey
Penzance
Dunhill Nightcap... I still have a few dozen Dunhill versions, so I haven't tried the Pete version yet.

 

[EchoPlex]

In production:

Quiet Nights
Star of the East Flake
Barrel Aged Plum Pudding
HH Latakia Flake
Gordon Pym (if aged)
Germain's "Balkan Sobranie"
Esoterica Pembroke

Out of production:

Penzance
HH Vintage syrian

 

[vosBghos]

It's hard for me to distinguish the two but as far as Oriental forward
EMP,
Presby,
Sutliff English No 1,
SPC Wildman,
Ashton Consummate Gentleman
Skiff
C&D Super Balkan

Fuller Lat and sometimes Perique
Nightcap
Squadron Leader w/ or w/out Perique
Commonwealth
Bayou Night (Scottish?)

 

[dburrows]

Out of production:

Penzance
HH Vintage syrian

Penzance is out of production... as in forever? I've been out of the loop too long.

 

[dburrows]

Also I am interested in trying G.L. Pease:
• Abingdon
• Westminster
• Lagonda
• Meridian

What do you folks like?

All of these are great. Westminster has been my holy grail go-to for over a decade now. I have pounds of it stashed.

Meridian is an interesting blend because it seems to have no main player. It's not latakia forward but nothing else really stands out in there either. I enjoy it as a morning smoke most. Really good blend, but it's almost as though it's just meant to be a background smoke.

I'd add Blackpoint & Maltese Falcon to the GLP list.

 

[username]

Readily available:
black house
Nightcap

 

[Two Pipes Crossing]

All of these are great. Westminster has been my holy grail go-to for over a decade now. I have pounds of it stashed.

Meridian is an interesting blend because it seems to have no main player. It's not latakia forward but nothing else really stands out in there either. I enjoy it as a morning smoke most. Really good blend, but it's almost as though it's just meant to be a background smoke.

I'd add Blackpoint & Maltese Falcon to the GLP list.

I have Maltese Falcon, it’s good, just not my favorite currently.

I’ll look at Blackpoint as well.

My top of the list inquiry for the moment is Westminster and Abingdon.

Out of those two I am curious which I will lean more towards.

As it is difficult to ascertain what a manufacturer means by Balkan or English.

Being that I have had both “coined names” and sometime an oriental forward blend is still called an English and vis verse with the Balkan handle.

I am aware of the technical meaning of “English” pertaining to it historical context.

Thanks to all that chimed in and shared your preferences.

It’s always a delightful journey.

Edit:
I would like to add that I really like the incense like aromas of the blends I’ve taken to.

 

[dburrows]

I have Maltese Falcon, it’s good, just not my favorite currently.

I’ll look at Blackpoint as well.

My top of the list inquiry for the moment is Westminster and Abingdon.

Out of those two I am curious which I will lean more towards.

As it is difficult to ascertain what a manufacturer means by Balkan or English.

Being that I have had both “coined names” and sometime an oriental forward blend is still called an English and vis verse with the Balkan handle.

I am aware of the technical meaning of “English” pertaining to it historical context.

Thanks to all that chimed in and shared your preferences.

It’s always a delightful journey.

Edit:
I would like to add that I really like the incense like aromas of the blends I’ve taken to.

Westminster, for my tastes, has everything I want in a blend. I could smoke it any time of the day, whether I want to sit and focus on the smoke or just have it as a part of whatever I'm doing. In other words, it maintains my interest and it can sit in the background. It's more latakia forward, so it's more in line with our modern labeling of English vs. Balkan. That being said, the latakia, by no means, overpowers the blend. It's always present but the VAs and Orientals weave in and out throughout. Can't say enough good things about it. The only thing I would suggest is letting it mellow for a while instead of cracking open a brand new tin of it. I have enough that I pretty much don't have to smoke anything younger than 5 to 10 years, at this point. No one needs to wait that long, but there's a difference between a brand new tin and one that is maybe 6-12 months old.

I haven't had Abingdon in a while so I don't want to comment on it too much. It's another one that I have a bit of stored away but I don't reach for as often.

I think I'd recommend Charing Cross over Abingdon though. It would fall in line w/ the modern idea of a Balkan in that it is Orientals forward with a bit less latakia than Abingdon. I tend to enjoy it in the evenings after a meal.

Edit: Just to say that if you are wanting to contrast modern English vs modern Balkan, then Charing Cross will provide more distinction from Westminster than Abingdon will. But truly, if you just want great English/Balkan blends, you can't go wrong with all three!

 

[EchoPlex]

Penzance is out of production... as in forever? I've been out of the loop too long.

At least temporarily, yes. But no one seems to know for sure. I believe the last batch was 2020. That's not to say they won't bring it back into production. I certainly hope they do.

 

[Two Pipes Crossing]

Westminster, for my tastes, has everything I want in a blend. I could smoke it any time of the day, whether I want to sit and focus on the smoke or just have it as a part of whatever I'm doing. In other words, it maintains my interest and it can sit in the background. It's more latakia forward, so it's more in line with our modern labeling of English vs. Balkan. That being said, the latakia, by no means, overpowers the blend. It's always present but the VAs and Orientals weave in and out throughout. Can't say enough good things about it. The only thing I would suggest is letting it mellow for a while instead of cracking open a brand new tin of it. I have enough that I pretty much don't have to smoke anything younger than 5 to 10 years, at this point. No one needs to wait that long, but there's a difference between a brand new tin and one that is maybe 6-12 months old.

I haven't had Abingdon in a while so I don't want to comment on it too much. It's another one that I have a bit of stored away but I don't reach for as often.

I think I'd recommend Charing Cross over Abingdon though. It would fall in line w/ the modern idea of a Balkan in that it is Orientals forward with a bit less latakia than Abingdon. I tend to enjoy it in the evenings after a meal.

Edit: Just to say that if you are wanting to contrast modern English vs modern Balkan, then Charing Cross will provide more distinction from Westminster than Abingdon will. But truly, if you just want great English/Balkan blends, you can't go wrong with all three!

I suppose I will have to try them all.

I know what you mean about letting things sit for a bit before you can really appreciate them.

I have bought blends that I thought were okay and stored them away, and after 10 months revisited and thought was stellar.

In my opinion a lot of C&D blends need to sit for a bit, they seem too green fresh from the can.

Definitely will taken into mind what you have stated about those blends.

I appreciate you sharing your experience.