Benningtons #15

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scottbtdmb

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Just ordered some off their website. Apparently it is modeled after the original Balkan Sobranie. Back in the 60s the owner took a pair of tweezers and separated the component tobaccos from a tin of Sobranie then tweaked it to his taste and #15 was born. Latakia, flue cured Va's, and a high percentage of Yenidje. Sounds like a winner to me. Anyone ever try it? I'll report back when it comes in and I've had a few bowls!

-Scott
 
Wild Goose Chase.  GLP did that 30 years ago in the process of analysing it (and other classics to get a handle on what made them click). It's no new approach.

The booger in the works is that the tobaccos Sobranie House had access to don't exist now. Starting with Syrian Latakia and including sub-varietal Orientals that are no longer grown in the areas that made them what they were. They were disappearing even while it was still being made, necessarily entailing recipe tweaks during its lifespan.

Stuff like that is gone.

That age is over.

The king is dead. Long live the king !

:face:
 
Yak":hdxfd42g said:
Wild Goose Chase.  GLP did that 30 years ago in the process of analysing it (and other classics to get a handle on what made them click). It's no new approach.

The booger in the works is that the tobaccos Sobranie House had access to don't exist now. Starting with Syrian Latakia and including sub-varietal Orientals that are no longer grown in the areas that made them what they were. They were disappearing even while it was still being made, necessarily entailing recipe tweaks during its lifespan.

Stuff like that is gone.

That age is over.

The king is dead. Long live the king !

:face:
THIS for sure as well as blenders "back in the day" used to AGE the component 'bacs of a blend PRIOR to blending and packaging. This costs WAY TOO MUCH for most blender's to do in todays marketplace so WE do it for them with all the "cellaring" folks do these days. So, what WAS will NOT BE again !
 
Fair points from everyone. FWIW, I am only 32 and was never able to have cracked a fresh tin of Balkan Sobranie back in the 60's/70's. I have had 35 year old tins of BS, but the Latakia is basically non-existent with three decades of age on it.

Anyways, I think the romanticism is what draws a lot of us younger pipe guys to the blends that hearken back to a different time. Also, every English blend that I have ever had with Yenidje in it has been money (Wilke 524, Peretti Royal Blend, Compton's Macedonian). It will be interesting to see how Bennington's #15 measures up with those great tobaccos. Since it appears no one around these parts has tried it, I will be sure to report back!

-Scott
 
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