I've been making my home blend "Black Balkan" for a while... now I tried adding Perique...

[ScienceSmoker]

One of my favorite blends of all time is a pressed home blend I call "Black Balkan". It's basically just equal parts bright Virginia, Stoved Virginia, Smryna, and Latakia. But this time, when it was time to make a new batch of it... I added about ~8% long cut Perique.
I put it all in the noodle press... and waited 5 days, tightening every day. Well... I opened it up today. It's actually really good!
It's surprisingly different from the normal Black Balkan. It's much more fragrant and tangy. I didn't expect that it'd change it that much. This is, hds down, one of the best blends I've ever had. I need a name... Black Bakan Mark 2?
Whatever it is... I think this is what I'll be making from now on.

 

[RSteve]

St. James Balkan

 

[RSteve]

Whatever it is... I think this is what I'll be making from now on.

Really? You're hooked, just as I was several years ago and still am. You'll be tweaking and tweaking, searching for that ultimate perfect blend. It never ends. Hmm, maybe with the smyrna, a little Izmir or Basma...what if I add a little dark fired? or some Green River cavendish. What if I press it for a week and then let it rest for a month?

And on and on.....

 

[ScienceSmoker]

Really? You're hooked, just as I was several years ago and still am. You'll be tweaking and tweaking, searching for that ultimate perfect blend. It never ends. Hmm, maybe with the smyrna, a little Izmir or Basma...what if I add a little dark fired? or some Green River cavendish. What if I press it for a week and then let it rest for a month?

And on and on.....

Oh yes... I know exactly what you mean. After some years of blending, I have only 5 blends that I really like and keep making. But my "Black Balkan" was pretty solid. That was the one I stopped tweaking and thought I was "finished" with. I guess not. Now I have one more blend to tweak for a while.

 

[motie2]

My preferred Balkan with Perique has been Magnum Opus.