Balkan Sobraine Smoking Mixture

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klause

klause

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(can't find my original thread on this, so starting again).

I picked up this old unopened tin in September in an antique shop on a visit to England, for the princely sum of £8.

It was one of those, 'I don't believe it!' moments. paid, and literally legged it out of the shop.

Anyway, i couldn't decide what to do with it once i got it home: sell it on Fleabay, leave it on the shelf, or open it and see what i found. So, i put on the shelf and forgot about it - until last week when it suddenly and persistently popped into my thoughts.

After wrangling with various thoughts on the matter i found myself standing over an opened tin, with my nose stuck right into it, breathing in the most delicious aroma i have ever experienced from a tobacco. Personally, about 60 percent of my enjoyment of tobacco comes from the aroma of a fresh tin - i just adore it. Therefore, it was probably the greatest smoking/tobacco experience i have ever had inhaling this stuff. I have never experienced anything like it - 'sublime' does NOT do it justice.

The tobacco was in perfect condition - much to my delight - and i immediately popped it into a jar. then spent about half an hour just looking at it and counting my blessings at having in my posession one of the holy grails of tobacco.

so, there it sits, with a little damp tissue over it, rehydrating (not much needed), on my shelf, while agonise over which pipe i want to try this in for the first time.

 
Impressive. You gonna get the gumption to actually smoke it? :lol:

8)
 
Oh Yes, Kyle - absolutely. :D

This is going to go into one of my biggest pipes, and i'm going to have a loooong sloooow smoke while sipping on a pot of tea.

This stuff is to be smoked and enjoyed. :cheers:
 
Ah, tea. Pipes. :D :cheers:

Hope your vintage smoke is lovely.

8)
 
I don't know how long it will take you smoke your stash, but if its longer than a few weeks, I'd move it to a mason jar. I have had two horrible experience with those bail top jars.
 
WOW ! A cutter-top 8oz tin! That would make that stuff in the 30+ yo range !! You're gonna be in for a treat! Aged Va, Orientals and Latakia, it's gonna be like a symphony orchestra is in your pipe !! Please do not use your experience with THIS tin to compare to the new stuff! NO WAY are they the same :p ENJOY :p
 
Dave, what problems did you have? I've never jared tobacco before, as it costs nearly €20 for a 50g tin: therefore, I just open and smoke, as a rule.

I want to stretch this stuff out a bit, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Monbla, thanks for that - I love the 'symphony orchestra' description. I know this is going to be special - that aroma when I opened the tin told me all I needed to know!! I'm going to savour this and thank my lucky stars for the opportunity that's come my way.
 
What an excellent find.

I haven't been smoking a pipe long enough to worry over missing out on or ever even trying any rendition of the old Balkan Sobranie. That said I would never pay the current market prices for it.

However, coming across an 8oz tin of it for the price you paid is seriously cool. 8)

I wouldn't worry so much about bail top jars losing their seal. Just make sure that you use a fresh gasket (no cracks in the rubber), and make sure the bailing wire assembly doesn't have too much play in it. In other words you want to feel a good amount of resistance when latching the lid.

I would suggest keeping what you plan to smoke right away in the Bail top jar, maybe 2-3 ounces since you're looking to make it last, and parsing out the rest into Mason jars in 2 ounce increments for long term storage.
 
DrumsAndBeer":13plkvyr said:
I would suggest keeping what you plan to smoke right away in the Bail top jar, maybe 2-3 ounces since you're looking to make it last, and parsing out the rest into Mason jars in 2 ounce increments for long term storage.
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This. 8)
 
Drumsandbeer, Kyle: that is excellent advice, thanks very much.

Quick trip to the hardware store and I'll be good to go.
 
klause":b6a4wpb9 said:
Drumsandbeer, Kyle: that is excellent advice, thanks very much.

Quick trip to the hardware store and I'll be good to go.
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Gotta protect that tobacco you'll probably never see again, at least at that price. :) I found a tin of semi-newer Murray's era Early Morning Pipe that's still sealed. Nine bucks at a junk store (I think they thought it was just the tin). Hey, good by me. It's one of my favorites. :D

8)
 
Nice find, Kyle.

It's the little things, the small pleasures and little successes, that put the biggest smiles on faces. And finding a small treasure at a good price is pretty close to top of the list.

I think the pleasure that we'll get from smoking these great tobaccos will only be enhanced by knowing we didn't get bled dry in the acquiring; that we scored!

Enjoy that tin when you finally open it.
 
Still waiting patiently on your review of the rare smoke yourself, sir. :mrgreen: :lol: No pressure or anything.

8)
 
Kyle Weiss":twr6u4rh said:
Still waiting patiently on your review of the rare smoke yourself, sir. :mrgreen: :lol: No pressure or anything.

8)
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Yeah Kyle's correct, if you post a gold mine find like this one, you're pretty much obligated to give us a review. :p
 
Yikes! (rubs sweat from forehead, while trying to steady stomach)....

That first smoke won't be happening until next weekend - I'm away for a few days, and then back to work.

Next Saturday, all being well, is pencilled in for an hour or two in the greenhouse with pipe and pot of tea - that is when the deed will be done.


However, I'm afraid my review will be minimalist to say the least - I don't have as well developed a palette as some, or the ability to put into words, eloquently, my thoughts on a tobacco. It could simply be a majestic 'thumbs up' with a big grin!

Anywho, once I'm home I'll let you know how it goes.
 
I still remember the days when I could walk into my nearby B&M shop, take a large black & white tin of Balkan Sobranie home with me, and not think of it as an exceptional event. Alas! Time is, time was, time is no more.

A distinctive thing about the old Balkan Sobranie is that it was creamy in addition to spectacularly smoky.

Smoking Balkan Sobranie in a Greenhouse on Christmas Eve. What could be finer? To prepare yourself you should first read the last few 'graphs of Joyce's The Dead :santa:
 
That's it! I'll be going to Ireland (the middle bit) on my next summer vacation.
 
I'm curious to read your thoughts after smoking this, too. A tin like that has got to be worth $200-300 or more to the right person so you are the envy of many a pipe smoker tonight. Thanks for sharing and please let us know your impressions when you do smoke it.

I had a much less old pouch of Balkan Sobraine (1990's) that I rehydrated and was expecting to knock my socks off but found it mostly underwhelming. I rehydrated it for weeks before I smoked it but I don't think it reached the full zenith of flavors it once had. Additionally, the pouch didn't lend anything to the aging process, as I understand it. Your tin sounds like it took care of the tobacco well so I hope your experience far exceeds mine! If you don't mind sending me a bowl, I could verify it's authenticity. No sense in Bogarting the goods, sir. :p
 
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