This is my first tobacco review here on PSF; or anywhere else for that matter. And granted I am a novice to the pipe, despite owning and smoking them off and on since 2005, I'm still baby steppin'. So without further ado: Balkan Sasieni Tin Note - Rich leather, smoke, earthy sweetness. Cut/Appearance - Short ribbons of gold, brown, and black. Moisture - Nearly perfect. Could allow 15-30 minutes for drying. Pack/Light - Packed very well, easy light up, stays lit. Room Note - Smoked in well ventilated break area outside. Burn - Cool, consistent burn. Fine white ash. Strength - Medium Upon light up, I'm surprised how subtle this blend is. I expected something completely different. Perhaps more robust or harsh. That wasn't the case. It started out with a smokey, creamy sweetness rather void of complexity. Started as really simple. And that only lasted for a few minutes. It gave way to a spicy, muskiness like mushrooms and rich earth. It left quite the nose on the snork, in fact. Not sure if that is the Orientals or the Latakia. Mind you I didn't find it overwhelming, but it is quite prevalent. It smoked cool and consistent to the end. I did have to draw or sip it gently as the oriental/latakia content was rather dominant, and new to my palate. The spicy, peppery flavors were similar to Perique, but much more intense in my opinion. I do like this toby, but I think this is one I'll want to age in the tin for a few months to see if it tones down a bit. Not sure if I want to stock up on this one. But I would need to smoke a few more bowls to know for sure. I'm interested in how it will change with some age on it. Well....That's my take on it. Regards, Steve
Nice writeup! I agree with your idea to let in age in the tin a while after opening, give it time to breathe!
Thanks for the review. I love this baccy and right now it is my go to smoke of choice. I find it to be subtle and yet tasty. My favorite as of right now.
Good review. I find that it tastes similar to Squadron Leader but it's slightly cheaper and much more readily available.
A really great blend, and a good review! As has been stated, it's got to be one of the greatest deals going right now for tinned tobacco.
Agreed on how great a deal it is. I can't believe it sells for so cheap. I love this blend, although there are Balkans that I tend to enjoy more. Black House (Russ Ouelette's prize winner in the Balkan Sobranie throwdown mimic contest) is good, and Larry's Blend (Hearth and Home, also Russ) is even better. In fact, Larry's Blend is one of my top five favorite tobaccos in the world right now. Nice review!
And you know, I smoked some London Mixture earlier, and I think it's similar to Balkan Sasieni in a way. To me, London Mixture tastes more like a Balkan than anything else, which is kind of funny since it's named "London", which is far from the Balkans. It's also very good, but of course, that goes without saying in my book, because, after all, it's Dunhill.
The tin I have I got in a trade from OBD and it's from Jan. 2010. (Or so the date on the bottom of the can says). This blend does benefit well from age, but does still have undertones of the things you described. I have yet to try it NEW though, so I can't say how much it's mellowed out. But from your review, it sounds like it has mellowed out a little. You would like this blend. It's not a Lat bomb by any means. In my opinion, it's in a similar category to Solent. (Without the classic MacBarren taste of course).
Had some of this for my "breakfast smoke" today, while sipping my coffee on my porch and gazing at the mountains (OK, I know, I'll stop, but it is really beautiful up here at my house on a Saturday morning). This stuff has a higher content of Latakia and Orientals than I remember, I believe. And I think it's the Latakia, because the Balkans that I smoke religiously (most notably Larry's Blend) are more of the buttery Oriental variety, very smooth and almost sweet, not as smoky as this one. Still, that is NOT a bad thing by any means, this stuff is just a different sort of Balkan. Very much a smoky/sweet flavor in the foreground, while the Virginia's and Orientals fill in the gaps left by what I presume is Latakia. It sure did make a nice wake-up smoke, though! On an empty stomach while drinking coffee, it gave me the slightest little hints of a nicotine "buzz", but nothing full-on. Seems as though, when I don't have any EMP or AM Pipe, I tend to smoke Balkans for a wake-up smoke, and they are great for that.
This is one of the first blends I tried and it is still one of my go to smokes. It does have a very nice complexity with some age and the Virginias in this really mature nicely. Much milder, nic-wise, than say, EMP (and much more complex than that blend). And just as complex (or more) than a lot of more well-known blends, especially for the price. Been awhile since I've had a bowl of this in the morning, so, thanks Mandolin, for the reminder. This is a great morning smoke.
