bengal slices

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CPl_A

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Has any one else tried these? I came across 4 slices form a tin at my b&m and I just smoked one of them. It was like christmas in my mouth. The flavors were perfect. I have smoke perfection. If you ever get a chance to try some, definitely do.
 
There seem to be a few tins still in circulation but these mostly come from private sales with prices that make you grin in a rather bitter manner. I would not turn down a bowl if offered, though. But then again, would I ever? ;)
 
Sounds...amazing.

"a little baroque ornamentation to the overall experience, without being in any way ostentatious or overbearing, and subtly enhances what would otherwise be just a really good mixture. It’s dark and opulent, a tobacco that Carvaggio might have painted. "

I was going to say the same thing about TFD, oh well...
 
Harlock999":0288u1ts said:
Sounds...amazing.

"a little baroque ornamentation to the overall experience, without being in any way ostentatious or overbearing, and subtly enhances what would otherwise be just a really good mixture. It’s dark and opulent, a tobacco that Carvaggio might have painted. "

I was going to say the same thing about TFD, oh well...
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LOLOLOLOLOL! :lol!: :lol!:

Well, we could say MEXICAN Baroque Ornamentation in that case...

:lol!: :lol!:
 
MisterE":pfdto8e5 said:
Harlock999":pfdto8e5 said:
Sounds...amazing.

"a little baroque ornamentation to the overall experience, without being in any way ostentatious or overbearing, and subtly enhances what would otherwise be just a really good mixture. It’s dark and opulent, a tobacco that Carvaggio might have painted. "

I was going to say the same thing about TFD, oh well...
Click to expand...
LOLOLOLOLOL! :lol!: :lol!:

Well, we could say MEXICAN Baroque Ornamentation in that case...

:lol!: :lol!:
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Me gusta!
 
Lancer Slices, which is still available in bulk and rather inexpensive, sells itself as similar to Bengal Slices, and it kind of is. I've found if you mix in a little good Virginia flake with the Lancers around 1 Va to 3 Lancers, it gets pretty close. I like using any year of McClelland's Christmas Cheer for this.

Natch
 
Natch, thanks for the recipe. I’m about to place a tobacco order and your post just expanded it by two items. Cheers!
 
Bengal Slices is a grail tobacco to me. I love it and I try to get it whenever I can. It is becoming hard to get, even at high prices.
 
Natch":h4ve7nwo said:
Lancer Slices, which is still available in bulk and rather inexpensive, sells itself as similar to Bengal Slices, and it kind of is. I've found if you mix in a little good Virginia flake with the Lancers around 1 Va to 3 Lancers, it gets pretty close. I like using any year of McClelland's Christmas Cheer for this.

Natch
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Personally, I don't find anything really "like" the original Bengal Slices. The flavouring additions made the original something unique and truly special. The later Danish version, though still quite good, lacked the real depth and character of the stuff made by Sobranie House.

Probably the closest thing to the original would be Smoker's Haven's Krumble Kake, which was also originally formulated by Sobranie House and is made today by Germain. According to the story, KK was Balkan Sobranie (white) in pressed and cut form, the brainchild of Joe Zieve, then owner of Smoker's Haven, and became very successful. Sobranie House later began making the identical product, to be sold as Bengal Slices. (It's likely no coincidence that Bengal Slices and Balkan Sobranie have the same abbreviation.)

But, Joe threatened to discontinue his not insignificant business relationship if they competed with him with what was essentially his product, so Sobranie House added the topping to differentiate the two. When Sobranie closed up shop, their production moved to Gallaher, but the Smoker's Haven blends were taken over by Germain, who did, and continue to do a stellar job. So, what you get, today, as Krumble Kake, while different, of course, from the original, is probably as close as you can get to the real Bengal Slices, though, of course, minus the topping. (Does this make sense?)

I'm fortunate to still have some of the old Sobranie-made Bengal, as well as some of the early Krumble Kake, and later production from Germain. I've also got Danish made Bengal from the 80s. As I mentioned, it's not quite as rich or deep as the original.

It's a shame that Germain didn't take over production of the Bengal, as well as Krumble Kake, as they could likely have done it true service. But, Germain probably couldn't have handled the production capacity necessary for the rest of the Sobranie blends, and there were probably relationship issues involved, as well, so another great old English brand withered and died on the vine.
 
hobie1dog":6bip3t5j said:
and the Krumble Kake is the first cousin of Penzance?
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True. They're very similar. Penzance has a bit more Latakia, if I recall correctly.
 
Bengal stopped being made right after I started smoking, but I did get one tin while it was on the shelves. I really enjoyed it a lot. By the time I knew I liked it though, it was gone. That was the first feeding frenzy I witnessed on a discontinued blend. Read a lot about people buying it up, but didn't jump on that wagon because I really didn't know what I liked at the time yet.

As for Penzance, it was my first true love in a pipe.
 
Remember Bengal Slices fondly from a period a bit over 10 years ago. Only snagged a few tins from my local B&M but knew it was pure gold to me. Didn't know the history or even the age of the tins but it was like magic!

Was not aware of the history of the blend until now. And I'll surely check out Krumble Kake. Thanks for the tip Mr. Pease!.

Cheers,

RR

:D
 
Brewdude":vf5ullcp said:
Remember Bengal Slices fondly from a period a bit over 10 years ago. Only snagged a few tins from my local B&M but knew it was pure gold to me. Didn't know the history or even the age of the tins but it was like magic!

Was not aware of the history of the blend until now. And I'll surely check out Krumble Kake. Thanks for the tip Mr. Pease!.
Click to expand...
Bengal Slices was truly a remarkable tobacco, and one of very few I consider worthy of its reputation. In a way, I'm glad it didn't suffer the hideous transmogrification that some of the other "legendary" tobaccos did as a result of production transfers. Rather than screwing it up completely, morphing it into something completely unrecognizable as the original (as happened to the Sobranie blends under the mistreatment of Gallahers—the final product bore no resemblance whatsoever to the original), the Danish production wasn't bad, at all.

And, then, it disappeared. I don't know if was a lack of market interest, or an unwillingness to cheapen the recipe in order to make its continued production economically feasible, or some other reason, but it silently disappeared, and that was truly a shame. Nothing before or since has approached it, and, I have little confidence that anything ever will.
 
Hearing everyone share such awesome, heartfelt things on such a treasure truly makes me wish I was older so that I could have experienced such a legendary part of our beloved hobby.
 
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