English, Balkan and Oriental - define these terms

[Gumball]

Hello Brothers,

I know this is an old debate, but how would you define what makes an English, Balkan or Oriental?

I was in my local B&M earlier today and asked about English blends. The chap asked me if I meant a pure Virginia, or if I was after something with Latakia in it. I told him that I liked Squadron Leader, and as far as I know it contains Latakia, so that is how I define 'English'.

In the end I purchased some Balkan Mixture, which smells (to me) much more earthy than Squadron Leader.

This got me thinking...what Balkan a Balkan rather than an English. And what the heck is an Oriental?

 

[Storm_Crow]

English: any unflavored tobacco. Apparently this goes back to some old purity laws across the pond. Many folks mean latakia when they say english but this isn't really true (particularly since some notable lats are also aromatics). Any non-aromatic or non-scented blend with any other tobacco type is also an English.

I would say that using the term "English" to refer to latakia blends simply because they have lat isn't necessarily incorrect, but IMO they must:

1) contain other orientals

and

2) the latakia must be up front

I consider this ok (for lack of a better term because the interchangable use of the word english creates confusion) simply as a way to distinguish between this style of tobacco compared to Balkans, which are...

Balkan: A blend with both latakia and orientals where the orientals are to the front.

Oriental: A blend exclusively or dominanly containing oriental tobacco, of which there are a number of different types of tobaccos. Turkish can often become interchangable with orientals, which again, have a few different varients. If lat is involved even in a small detectable quantity, then I would call it a Balkan. The Grand Orientals series from McClelland are good examples of a variety of oriental leaf, as is Oriental Silk from C&D.

 

[Itinerant]

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=90

Some great reading from GL Pease.

 

[Gumball]

Very informative article...but I am glad to see that even experienced pipers struggle to agree what these terms mean

I was reading http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/ and Presbyterian Mixture is described as a 'classic Balkan' by one reviewer, and a 'classic English' by another

 

[jj1015]

Yeah -- there's no real-agreed upon definition. Blends that mixed Virginia and lataka started being called "English" blends here in the U.S. at least 40 years ago, and here in the states that term has remained more or less stable (although, as was previously pointed out, it at one time supposedly had more to do with Britain's purity laws). The term "Balkan" apparently didn't surface until relatively recently, and is derived from the Balkan Sobranie. I personally find the current debates over genre names to be kind of funny ... we all know more or less what we're talking about when we say "english blend," although I suppose more precision wouldn't hurt.

How do I define these on a personal level?

On oriental blend to me consists of lots of oriental leaf with NO latakia added, or at least so little it's not really noticable.

An english blend to me is primarily composed of virginias and latakia, although it can also have condimental levels of almost any other leaf (perique, oriental, burley, cavendish, etc.) An English blend to me will be all about balance between the vas and the latakia, with any real complexity coming from the vas. A "light" english to me refers to blends with more emphasis on the virginias, while a "heavy" english has more of a tilt toward the law.

A "Balkan" blend is, to me, basically an english blend with more orientals added. Some balkans have a heavy latakia element while some rely more on the other orientals, but in this type of blend the virginia is rarely more than a base tobacco that kind of holds the blend together and maybe adds some sweetness. The focus is on the latakia and the orientals.

 

[Harlock999]

Yeah -- there's no real-agreed upon definition. Blends that mixed Virginia and lataka started being called "English" blends here in the U.S. at least 40 years ago, and here in the states that term has remained more or less stable (although, as was previously pointed out, it at one time supposedly had more to do with Britain's purity laws). The term "Balkan" apparently didn't surface until relatively recently, and is derived from the Balkan Sobranie. I personally find the current debates over genre names to be kind of funny ... we all know more or less what we're talking about when we say "english blend," although I suppose more precision wouldn't hurt.

How do I define these on a personal level?

On oriental blend to me consists of lots of oriental leaf with NO latakia added, or at least so little it's not really noticable.

An english blend to me is primarily composed of virginias and latakia, although it can also have condimental levels of almost any other leaf (perique, oriental, burley, cavendish, etc.) An English blend to me will be all about balance between the vas and the latakia, with any real complexity coming from the vas. A "light" english to me refers to blends with more emphasis on the virginias, while a "heavy" english has more of a tilt toward the law.

A "Balkan" blend is, to me, basically an english blend with more orientals added. Some balkans have a heavy latakia element while some rely more on the other orientals, but in this type of blend the virginia is rarely more than a base tobacco that kind of holds the blend together and maybe adds some sweetness. The focus is on the latakia and the orientals.

Sounds good to me.

 

[Lestrade]

Yeah -- there's no real-agreed upon definition. Blends that mixed Virginia and lataka started being called "English" blends here in the U.S. at least 40 years ago, and here in the states that term has remained more or less stable (although, as was previously pointed out, it at one time supposedly had more to do with Britain's purity laws). The term "Balkan" apparently didn't surface until relatively recently, and is derived from the Balkan Sobranie. I personally find the current debates over genre names to be kind of funny ... we all know more or less what we're talking about when we say "english blend," although I suppose more precision wouldn't hurt.

How do I define these on a personal level?

On oriental blend to me consists of lots of oriental leaf with NO latakia added, or at least so little it's not really noticable.

An english blend to me is primarily composed of virginias and latakia, although it can also have condimental levels of almost any other leaf (perique, oriental, burley, cavendish, etc.) An English blend to me will be all about balance between the vas and the latakia, with any real complexity coming from the vas. A "light" english to me refers to blends with more emphasis on the virginias, while a "heavy" english has more of a tilt toward the law.

A "Balkan" blend is, to me, basically an english blend with more orientals added. Some balkans have a heavy latakia element while some rely more on the other orientals, but in this type of blend the virginia is rarely more than a base tobacco that kind of holds the blend together and maybe adds some sweetness. The focus is on the latakia and the orientals.

I agree!

 

[WingRider]

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=90

Some great reading from GL Pease.

I love that article. One of the first I read when I started pipe smoking. I find it particularly fun, and ironic, because this is from the guy pretty well universally, in pipe smoking circles at any rate, called "The King of English."