Balkan Sasieni better than Sobrani?
Smoke Shop
a fair amount due to the fact that Nellis Air Force base is near by and kind
pipe smoking service folk bring me a fix when they return from overseas. I
haven't had any in about 3 weeks and decided to pop a tin of Balkan Sasieni
today. To my surprise I think I like it better! I smoked about half the tin
so far ( a 200 grammer! ) in about 5 different pipes and found it burnt well
in all of then. I even smoked it a pipe I've come to love but have nicknamed
"the gurgler" and it burned to a fine powder and used only 1 pipe cleaner
while smoking. I also separated about 50 grams and added about a tablespoon
full of Latakia ... ex-cel-lent!! I'm a pipe smoker that goes though fazes
on a weekly basis but I think this one's a keeper. Anyone else ever done a
comparison? Freddyvegas
Lance Sang
Lance Sang
Hi all,
The newsreader is acting up;
I did not post a reply to Freddy's post.
Lance
Smoke Shop
"Lance Sang" <san...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:ptuc9s0k2e9vjtc79...@4ax.com...
Jimmy Hankins
. I also separated about 50 grams and added about a tablespoon
>full of Latakia ... ex-cel-lent!! I'm a pipe smoker that goes though fazes
>on a weekly basis but I think this one's a keeper. Anyone else ever done a
>comparison? Freddyvegas
>
Hi Freddy, I have never had the pleasure of sampling the Sobranie but
I like the Sasieni enough to keep some to smoke and some to cellar.
Jimmy
Robert Crim
<lvsm...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>I've always been partial to Sobrani and have lamented when I run out. I get
>a fair amount due to the fact that Nellis Air Force base is near by and kind
>pipe smoking service folk bring me a fix when they return from overseas. I
>haven't had any in about 3 weeks and decided to pop a tin of Balkan Sasieni
>today. To my surprise I think I like it better! I smoked about half the tin
>so far ( a 200 grammer! ) in about 5 different pipes and found it burnt well
>in all of then. I even smoked it a pipe I've come to love but have nicknamed
>"the gurgler" and it burned to a fine powder and used only 1 pipe cleaner
>while smoking. I also separated about 50 grams and added about a tablespoon
>full of Latakia ... ex-cel-lent!! I'm a pipe smoker that goes though fazes
>on a weekly basis but I think this one's a keeper. Anyone else ever done a
>comparison? Freddyvegas
>
I have tried old Sobranie, current Sobranie and current Sasieni back
to back in almost identical pipes, and I find the Sasieni to be
virtually identical to the old Sobranie. See the appended post by ???
from a long time ago for a possible explanation.
The current Sobranie seems to be "harsher" than Sasieni, almost raw in
it's taste. The old Sobranie has been hoarded in rubber topped jars
for about ten years. I pop the top every once in a while to sample
and check on it's condition. The current Sobranie was brought back by
LSW from London a couple of years ago.
I hope the Sasieni folks come up with a 759 version as well. I'm down
to my last 200 gms.
Robert
=======================================================
Balkan Sasieni
In the last two decades of the 19th century, there was a quantum shift
in the taste of pipe tobacco blended for English gentlemen. Mixtures
of "Oriental," meaning Turkish, Macedonian, Greek, and Syrian
tobaccos, along with Virginia and Carolina tobaccos, became the rage
among upper-class pipesmokers. Rich and smoky, redolent with the
exotic aromas of the tobaccos smoked in the Middle East, Balkan
Sobranie Smoking Mixture was developed for the officer and diplomatic
class concentrated in the St. James district's clubs. Balkan referred
to the growing regions of the flavorful leaf, and suggested intrigue
to the English gentleman. Remember where WW I started, and look at
Eric Ambler's spy novels of the 1930's.
Several generations of the Redstone family blended this tobacco from a
secret formula, renowned worldwide. Then, in the early 1980's, Dr.
Isadore Redstone (an M.D. - "an indiscretion of my youth," he once
told TBTM) sold the trademarks to Gallaher, one of the English
conglomerates, which made it, albeit with a modified formula, for
three decades. When Gallaher ceased exporting Balkan
Sobranie to the U.S. in 1995, Dr. Redstone got another company to
produce the original formula for export. While "Balkan Sobranie" is a
trademark - the term refers to the upper house of the bicameral
legislature, or "Bulgarian Senate" (sorry to kill the romance) - the
regional term Balkan is not copyrightable. To remedy this obstacle,
Redstone partnered with Dan Blumenthal, of James B. Russell, Inc., who
owns the Sasieni trademark, to revive the great old standby
under the slightly altered "Balkan Sasieni," in a package suggestive
of the earlier iterations.
So what is there to Balkan Sasieni besides a name? The blend itself,
which is full of deep, dark, rich, complex, and suggestive flavor, is
beautifully finished and smooth, like a great cigar. Balkan Sasieni
manages to keep the sweetly tarry overtones of the Latakia in a
perfect balance with the dryly pungent Turkish and Macedonian leaf,
punctuated by the natural sweetness of the American tobaccos. This is
an extraordinarily satisfying mixture, at its best indoors where none
of the aroma is dissipated. Great for pipe dreams in a large
curved pipe.
far...@my-deja.com
the current Sobranie is ok, but nothing to go out of your way for. Never had
the OLD Sobranie, and when I had Sasieni sometime back it wasn't all that
good.
I may have to try some of the newer Sasieni.
-keith f.
In article <L5ul4.2552$Zd7....@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net>,
"Smoke Shop" <lvsm...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I've always been partial to Sobrani and have lamented when I run out. I get
> a fair amount due to the fact that Nellis Air Force base is near by and kind
> pipe smoking service folk bring me a fix when they return from overseas. I
> haven't had any in about 3 weeks and decided to pop a tin of Balkan Sasieni
> today. To my surprise I think I like it better! I smoked about half the tin
> so far ( a 200 grammer! ) in about 5 different pipes and found it burnt well
> in all of then. I even smoked it a pipe I've come to love but have nicknamed
> "the gurgler" and it burned to a fine powder and used only 1 pipe cleaner
> while smoking. I also separated about 50 grams and added about a tablespoon
> full of Latakia ... ex-cel-lent!! I'm a pipe smoker that goes though fazes
> on a weekly basis but I think this one's a keeper. Anyone else ever done a
> comparison? Freddyvegas
>
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Doug Robinson
new Sobranie and Sasieni. I too think the Sasieni is identical to the old
Sobranie. I don't care for the new Sobranie at all (harsh).
I definitely prefer the old No. 759 Luxury Blend to all of the above. This
is my favorite tobacco of all time! Does anyone know if J.B Russell is
planning a "Sasieni 759" blend? I sure hope so, as I really miss this
tobacco.
Best Regards,
Doug
Robert Crim <frit...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:umqd9s85vcco4j9ti...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 01 Feb 2000 05:23:55 GMT, "Smoke Shop"
> <lvsm...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >I've always been partial to Sobrani and have lamented when I run out. I
get
> >a fair amount due to the fact that Nellis Air Force base is near by and
kind
> >pipe smoking service folk bring me a fix when they return from overseas.
I
> >haven't had any in about 3 weeks and decided to pop a tin of Balkan
Sasieni
> >today. To my surprise I think I like it better! I smoked about half the
tin
> >so far ( a 200 grammer! ) in about 5 different pipes and found it burnt
well
> >in all of then. I even smoked it a pipe I've come to love but have
nicknamed
> >"the gurgler" and it burned to a fine powder and used only 1 pipe cleaner
> >while smoking. I also separated about 50 grams and added about a
tablespoon
> >full of Latakia ... ex-cel-lent!! I'm a pipe smoker that goes though
fazes
> >on a weekly basis but I think this one's a keeper. Anyone else ever done
a
> >comparison? Freddyvegas
> >
Dan Paden
tried the Sasieni, my immediate reaction was that it was the same "but
better," and his was the "that's it!" sort of look you see on someone's
face when they've finally remembered something they've been trying
desperately to think of. At any rate, it's darn good stuff.
Dan the Man --"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life:
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou
this?"--
Terry McGinty
of sobranie. It was very good but to be honest I didn't think it was
outstanding. I have never been all that impressed with Sobranie,
although I must confess to not giving it a fair try. Well a short
time ago I got some of the Sasieni and I thought it was superb. I've
only had a few bowls, but on the basis of this comparison I would say
Sasieni is my preference. Funny I detected a smooth soapy flavour to
it but I rather like it.
Regards, Terry M
"Smoke Shop" wrote in message .net...
I
> haven't had any in about 3 weeks and decided to pop a tin of Balkan
Sasieni
> today. To my surprise I think I like it better! I'm a pipe smoker
Smoke Shop
it. I even spiked it with some perique ... still good. In some strange way I
think I'm trying to find something I don't like about it ... maybe out of
some loyalty to the mystically elusive Sobrani. The only thing that I can
say is that when I relight after letting the pipe go out for over 15 - 30
minutes, which happens a lot in the shop, it does seem to sour more than
most other tobacco ... but that doesn't stop me from smoking the rest!
Freddy-sasieni in a pretrans Barling exexel 252TVF fossil-Vegas
"Smoke Shop" <lvsm...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:L5ul4.2552$Zd7....@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> I've always been partial to Sobrani and have lamented when I run out. I
get
> a fair amount due to the fact that Nellis Air Force base is near by and
kind
> haven't had any in about 3 weeks and decided to pop a tin of Balkan
Sasieni
tin
> so far ( a 200 grammer! ) in about 5 different pipes and found it burnt
well
> in all of then. I even smoked it a pipe I've come to love but have
nicknamed
> "the gurgler" and it burned to a fine powder and used only 1 pipe cleaner
> while smoking. I also separated about 50 grams and added about a
tablespoon
> on a weekly basis but I think this one's a keeper. Anyone else ever done a
>
>
>
Jimmy Hankins
I dug this up out of Deja news. Thought it might interest those who
had not seen it.................. Jimmy
>> Message 452 of 2224
Subject: Re: Balkan Sobranie - This may be the story
Date: 01/30/1999
Author: David Chute <ch...@loop.com>
Save this thread
From "PipeSmoke" magazine, Summer 98
Volume II
Issue 1