Balkan poll

[urbino]

I'd say pick an SPC Plum Pudding variant that sounds good to you, and Magnum Opus.

 

[kschatey]

Arango Balkan Supreme

 

[motie2]

This should have gone to urbino and SteelyJ​

SMOKERS' HAVEN: EXOTIQUE MIXTURE 8OZ 2003 - C​

KIP7874
$525.00 USD at 4noggins
<giggle>

 

[Ranger107]

This should have gone to urbino and SteelyJ​

SMOKERS' HAVEN: EXOTIQUE MIXTURE 8OZ 2003 - C​

KIP7874
$525.00 USD at 4noggins
<giggle>

Doubt I'll be trying that one, lol.

 

[urbino]

This should have gone to urbino and SteelyJ​

SMOKERS' HAVEN: EXOTIQUE MIXTURE 8OZ 2003 - C​

KIP7874
$525.00 USD at 4noggins
<giggle>

Yup. I'd say that pretty well confirms they do not make it anymore.

 

[Timbo]

Sad news on the Exotique, I managed to get my hands on a few tins and am currently smoking one right now. Darn tasty stuff.

 

[ftrplt]

I do believe Pipestud had some tins of Exotique on this morning's sale! I think they were only about $50 per tin!! FTRPLT

 

[Ranger107]

I do believe Pipestud had some tins of Exotique on this morning's sale! I think they were only about $50 per tin!! FTRPLT

Still won't be buying them. I'm too cheap to indulge.

 

[motie2]

Balkan Sasieni and White Knight. Ok, and Russ’s Magnum Opus, too.

Of course, what I’m really chasing is the Balkan Sobranie I smoked in the late 1960’s.

 

[Balisong]

what I’m really chasing is the Balkan Sobranie

I can sympathize! My three staples, Dunhill EMP, London, and Flake were all discontinued. EMP and Flake were reissued and that left me on a hunt for a London replacement. I eventually realized what I was looking for was an enjoyable anytime tobacco and gave up the search for the same flavor. For me that tobacco is GH Balkan Mixture, honorable mentions go to Pease Charring Cross and Drucquer Levant.

 

[lestrout]

Balkan Sasieni and White Knight. Ok, and Russ’s Magnum Opus, too.

Of course, what I’m really chasing is the Balkan Sobranie I smoked in the late 1960’s.

Yo mo - if the BS you favored was No. 759 in the black-gold tin, you may want to nab BlackHouse from the great RussO. A few years ago, the Seattle and New York Pipe Clubs conspired to have the Balkan Sobranie Shootout at the Chicago Show. An original tin was opened and split up between the contestants. Mike McClelland and Russ use different reverse engineering methodologies and their submissions used significantly different leaf choices. Interestingly, both BlackHouse and Blue Mountain (renamed Balkan Blue to avoid confusion with the Jamaican coffee) were amazingly close to the original. Even more interestingly, as both aged their taste profiles have diverged quite a bit (still worthy of puffing, and I made sure to get lifetime supplies of both).

So RussO won the Shootdown with BlackHouse. I used to puff 759 back in the 60s and 70s - it was the #4 of my 4 blend rotation. RussO himself liked 759 as a steady puff, but he preferred to amp it up with some more Lat. That amped blend is Magnum Opus.

hp
les

BTW - I never liked the BS Original in the white can enough to buy more than a couple of tins. The Germain reissue is disappointing, and when I'm in the mood for that taste profile, I go to RussO's White Knight.

 

[motie2]

Thanks for responding. I’ve read the history of the 759 throwdown, and tried italongthe way, but I preferred the White Knight over the BlackHouse. But, I admit a parallel fondness for Balkan Sasieni, and right now I’m dabblingin Boswell aromatics.