Balkan for a new smoker?

[JASmith]

Well, I just received a package of Peter Stokkobye's Balkan Supreme; my first effort into the "Balkan" blends...
Initial impressions are favorable....

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Well, I just received a package of Peter Stokkobye's Balkan Supreme; my first effort into the "Balkan" blends...
Initial impressions are favorable....

...and? And? Don't leave us like that... 8)

 

[jj1015]

If you're just now getting into this, try Frog Morton on the Town, which is perhaps the best entry-level Balkan on the market. Also, GL Pease's Sammara is a very good introduction to the style. You could also go with McClelland's Wilderness or Hearth and Home's Larry's Blend. If you like Northwoods, another place might be GL Pease's Maltese Falcon (although I'm not sure it's quite a "Balkan," Maltese Falcon shares many flavor characteristics with Northwoods).

 

[JASmith]

Well, I just received a package of Peter Stokkobye's Balkan Supreme; my first effort into the "Balkan" blends...
Initial impressions are favorable....

...and? And? Don't leave us like that... 8)

Well, the first bowl that I smoked stayed cool the whole way down, burning to a nice ash...The blend is just great...I could taste the different components without being overwhelmed by any of them...Very enjoyable experience...

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Nice.

Kind of an awkward metaphorical application, but it sounds like a fine bisque of a smoke (all flavors married well and evenly), as opposed to a stew (choose-as-you-smoke) or a #-course meal (that changes naturally throughout the bowl).

 

[sentientchimp]

You should consider Charles Fairmorn's Sterling Balkan. It has a nice, full Latakia flavor but also the faintest sweetness provided by some sort of light casing.

Sterling Balkan

 

[lestrout]

JAS - are you in the Eastern part of our Keystone state? Our monthly Morley's Pipe Club meeting is Wednesday in downtown Philly, and we had a number of Balkan fanciers. There will always be a number of blends to try.

hp
les

 

[monbla256]

Hello Folks, I'm really interested in trying the various Balkan blends, but don't know where to start. Can anyone give me a hand, please?
Thanks, and take care.

As was mentioned here, the Balkan Sobranie of old was THE Balkan years ago. Having smoked the Balkan Sobranie 759 for a couple of decades, ( the much fuller version of the White tin) I can honestly say the closest and truly the closest copy of the old 759 I have found is Peretti's Royal Blend and in my taste buds the truest "Balkan" blend made today.

 

[JASmith]

JAS - are you in the Eastern part of our Keystone state? Our monthly Morley's Pipe Club meeting is Wednesday in downtown Philly, and we had a number of Balkan fanciers. There will always be a number of blends to try.

hp
les

I'm down in York, PA.

 

[CLFman]

I am a very new smoker and the first thing that got recommended to me was Blue Mountain. I got several tins, and this is by far the coolest smoking and most enjoyable smoke I have in my inventory.

 

[pipesmoker09]

Some may not concur but my two fave "Balkan" blends (they are more Oriental flavored than Latakia) would be Peretti's Royal Blend or McClellands Matured Orientals #14, both of which are my "daily" smokes. And they are very affordable and available :cheers:

monbla-
I am a huge McClelland fan!! as well as a lover of balkan styled mixes... I have not had the pleasure yet of trying the #14 matured oriental from McC could how would you describe this blend in terms of flavor? does it improve about half way in as most mcC's blends do?
thank you
mike

 

[monbla256]

I just finished a nice after dinner bowl of #14 and would have to say that it starts out a bit sharp and smoky and soon settles into a nice smoky, smooth, cool well flavored smoke with the Orientals always present and the Lat is sort of providing a "smoky" note as well. Next to my Royal Blend, this is my favorite Balkan which is very near the same as the old Sobranie759 I used to smoke back in the '70s. The Royal Blend is the most like it with the #14 a close second IMHO I HEARTILY recomend it for a smooth, full ( not strong, in your face) Balkan blend/mixture.