Balkan Sobranie Throwdown

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ZuluCollector

ZuluCollector

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I started my judging process last evening for the Balkan Sobranie Throwdown, a contest between three blenders to recreate the legendary 759. Since the closing event happens at the Chicago show, we have to be finished by May 7th with the judging. If you are interested you can read about the event at: http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/neills-blog/2011/4/24/balkan-sobranie-throwdown.html

If you want to find out just how different two similarly styled blends can be, take a couple of pipes of similar shape, bowl size, and draw - fill them with the two blends you want to compare. Smoke the first one until the flavor begins developing, then light the second - take a drink of seltzer water and eat a water cracker - then start smoking the second blend. It is really interesting to smoke two bowls of tobacco as they are simultaneously developing.

Take care to keep the first bowl going but concentrate on the second. Smoke it until it develops, then switch back to the first bowl. You won't need to refresh your palate between shorter switches. After the flavor of both bowls develops, the differences will be apparent to you. Personally, I just rinse my mouth with water between bowls, mainly to keep from getting palate fatigue.

Right now, I'm concentrating on comparing each of the blender samples with the original 759. Later, I'm going to start comparing them to one another. I'm taking notes of all my impressions as I go, no matter how trivial or nonsensical they seem at the time. A couple of hours after I finished my first tasting round, I went back to the notes to read them. It's very interesting and helped me recreate the experience. I'm keeping track of the order I smoke the blends in, the duration of my smokes, and, of course, the pipes I'm smoking the blends in. For the duration of judging, I'm dedicating each of the pipes to their respective blends. I gave each of the pipes a thorough Everclear cleaning Sunday night to prepare for the whole process.

If any of you plan to be in Chicago at the show, I hope you'll come to the Throwdown event. It will be at 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 14th in the Smoking Tent. There will be conversations between the judges, blenders, and the audience, before the awarding of the Throwdown Grand Prize Trophy and the People's Choice Award. It's really going to be fun!

Kudos to the Seattle Pipe Club and the New York Pipe Club for paying for and organizing the event and to the Chicagoland Club for hosting it.
 
A wonderful exercise that will hopefully see a new blend on the market. Pity Greg isn't particpating - my money would be on him to get the closest to the original.
 
I share your feelings. I was surprised that he wasn't a contestant, too. I have no inside information as to whether he was invited or not, or - if he was - if he decided to decline.
 
ZuluCollector":4b0bi3gp said:
I share your feelings. I was surprised that he wasn't a contestant, too. I have no inside information as to whether he was invited or not, or - if he was - if he decided to decline.
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For what it's worth, back when my boardname reflected reality and was still smoking full English blends, I thought Greg's Abingdon mixture was the closest thing to 759 I'd ever tasted. I remember well the first time I ever lit a bowl and got that involuntary & instantaneous "memory rush" thing from it. (And my subconscious had plenty of 759 to use as a baseline---that and State Express London Mixture were 80%+ of my consumption for the first 20 years I smoked.)

For fun, you could add a tin of Abingdon to your line-up as an unofficial, unsanctioned entry. :twisted:
 
Back in the 1990's when alt.smokers.pipes was in it's heyday, a blind taste test was conducted with some original 759 and the newer Balkan Sasieni. Mr. Pease was one of the participants, and he chose the Sasieni over the 759. So maybe his other thought was, why bother?
 
aadelma":t4zqjg4m said:
Back in the 1990's when alt.smokers.pipes was in it's heyday, a blind taste test was conducted with some original 759 and the newer Balkan Sasieni. Mr. Pease was one of the participants, and he chose the Sasieni over the 759. So maybe his other thought was, why bother?
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Mention the devil, and he's likely to stroll through the front door.

I remember that, and recall that it was actually fairly late-production (Gallaher's) Balkan Sobranie white label that was compared with the B. Sasieni, which makes more sense, as B. Sasieni was supposedly, at least at that time, a fairly faithful recreation of the original B. Sobranie, as overseen by Dr. Isidore Redstone, himself. The B. Sasieni of the day emerged the victor in that instance, but in later incarnations, I suspect it might not have fared so well, nor would it likely have won against an older version of the original. (By the time Gallaher had had their way with the blend for a few years, it was all but unrecognizable. That's what happens when you let the bean counters make blending decisions, not the tobacco guys. Sure, Latakia is expensive, but reducing it's quantity in the mix by about 30% does not a happy Sobranie lover make.)

Regarding this challenge, as Kevin slightly obliquely pointed out, I was asked to participate, but found it necessary to decline. It was an honor to be asked, of course, but I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, and felt I could not dedicate the time necessary to approach it as I would want to.
 
Indeed. I really hope the organizers will video the whole event and post it up for the viewing pleasure of all those who will not be in attendance.
 
I would like to purchase a pound each, of the offerings, and make my on decision ;)
 
sand18f":5jv0i0fx said:
I would like to purchase a pound each, of the offerings, and make my on decision ;)
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I just want to get a pound of each of the versions just to have around to switch things up now and then. I've never smoked (and probably never will) any Balkan Sobranie, so I'm just jazzed that this is happening and I look forward to more "Throwdowns" in years to come.

-Jason
 
Looking forward to this next week. Some tasty blends ought to emerge!
 
Looks like Russ Ouellette won the Throwdown. Anybody have any additional info?

-Jason
 
Russ was the judges choice. With McClelland 2nd. It was close. McClelland was the People's Choice. Kind of unknown how long the X, Y, Z samples may have been in plastic bags waiting to be handled out. That may have affected the People's Choice. It was a good time. The thoughts and comments by all were interesting. Thanks to the clubs involved. Kind of came together in a fairly short time which makes me wonder what might have happened if they had started a year earlier.
 
Are the results going to be marketed?
If not someone will have missed the boat.

 
I smoked all 3 samples marked x y z and voted for my favorite. However I didn't make it to the judging. Which company/blender was x y or z ?? Does anyone know which letter designation was Russ?
Doc
 
I don't know the reason for his abscence, but it was unfortunate that the Dark Lord himself, whose description of Balkan Sobranie as the all-time legendary blend is often quoted, did not participate or was not included in the throwdown. Maybe if someone whose stock of Syrian latakia did not burn down could have lent him some, he could have contributed an entry into the competition.
 
I thought Greg Pease declined to participate since he has other things on his plate.

Also, pipesandcigars.com has the blend available for pre-order on their website under the H&H Marquee Series and Mike McNeil of McClelland's has said they might produce his blend if he feels like it.

-Jason
 
lordnoble":q7n2lf4g said:
I thought Greg Pease declined to participate since he has other things on his plate.

Also, pipesandcigars.com has the blend available for pre-order on their website under the H&H Marquee Series and Mike McNeil of McClelland's has said they might produce his blend if he feels like it.

-Jason
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Thanks for the info - very glad to hear that it's available as one of the Marquee Series. But I thought that Russ was selling his blends through smokingpipes.com now?

Other things on Greg's plate? What could be more important than to help recreate or at least convincingly emulate Balkan Sobranie? Oh well, we have Russ's take on it, and he is my favorite blender anyway.
 
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