Bear with me here, and my apologies before I even begin...

...I often talk about how Latakia and I have an odd relationship. Not nearly the bitter way Perique and I tend to flirt, but certainly odd. There's a threshold in my enjoying anything with Latakia that it simply will not give any more flavor. Usually that starts around the 30% mark, ending at around 50%, and when that happens, it's gotta be handled by a pretty talented blender/mixer to make sure it isn't "top heavy." I then got to thinking about how Latakia flavor is shaped like a diamond, and Virginia is kind of a triangle... and then laid them on top of each other...split them in half, started thinking more about where in Latakia mixtures they all work when mixed together...

...oh, heck, here's a graph to try and sort it all out before I hear a chorus of head scratching and furrowed brows at multiple screens across the land, wondering what I'm on about now:



(*note: graph not scientifically accurate, so hush)

...fine, I give in, fit me for a straightjacket.

In the meantime, I'll tell you about Balkan Sasieni.

This tin had been looking at me for over a year now. Not in my cellar, but from the Tinder Box shelf. Everyone has been going on about Sobranie this, 759 that, Balkan-balkan-balkan...but my problem was I never felt like those I had tried "fit" me to any great degree. I liked them, but they were fickle to my tongue some days. The new B. Sobranie was okay, but I the cut drives me bonkers--it's really thin and papery. Greg Pease's Charing Cross and Chelsea Morning weren't my cup of tea, which really surprised me (I still need to jump into Kensington, Caravan, Ashbury, among others, just in case you were wondering).

I could go on naming things from my Master Tobacco List that I need to try, but Balkan Sasieni just happened to be it. A few on here on BoB had mentioned it, one of the young chaps working at Tinder Box Reno said he liked it and urged me to get a tin, so I did. I'm glad I gave in.

To help de-facepalm readers, I'll cut to the chase: Orlik does it for me again--the cut, the smell, the consistency.

B. Sasieni loaded up, lit and tasted familiar to its distant cousins Nightcap and even Early Morning Pipe. In fact, I'd probably put it between the two as far as strength of Latakia, but the nicotine was somewhere in the EMP realm, if not a little less. The flavor, though, was a different world. After a steady winter diet of Mac Baren and C&D "Lat Bombs," I was ready for something different. Peaty, slightly peppery, and pleasantly "boggy" with nods to gentle spices like thyme and tarragon. Not sweet at all, but very alive. Gentle but solid, I was most impressed with the use of Latakia, which is where this whole crazy notion above got started: it stayed true the entire smoke, and has a perfect balance--(guessing) about 25% Latakia. That nice "warm campfire" notion that many of us enjoy stuck around. When the bowl was done, with nothing overdone and everything in its place, I felt like I had experienced a talented, smokey virtuoso and I wanted an encore.

Very impressed. I hope it keeps performing well.

Great graph, dude!


If you end up considering it a keeper, you can get it in bulk as "Balkan Supreme" from Peter Stokkebye. Also Butera's Pelican is the exact same blend.

I'm impressed, as I sit in palm faced wonderment...
So, how does BS compare to Presby and SG SL?
As spicy, or less?

As usual, the written review was another excellent job Kyle, but the graphics were a bit over the top, but that's just my old curmudgeon, grumpy opinion Sounds like the Sasieni is still similar in taste profile as it used to be. Myself, I always prefered the Sobranie products to Sasieni, but a nice review nonetheless

Yay pictures, those make all words go away. Pictures make every review better. My mind says that Balkan Saseini is awesome purely because there is a picture, albeit a graph.

Gee, thanks Kaiser.

Mon, I wish the current Sobranie was just a little different in how the cut it...I struggle with the stuff a lot, and unless I smoke it exclusively and up my practice with really thin ribbon-cut stuff, I get thrown off by my flakes, plugs and other stuff. Meh. Hey, at least I found a Balkan I enjoy!

Sir Lock, Presbyterian was one that I couldn't stand. Hated that stuff. So, I suppose it's safe to say B. Sasieni is nothing like it? *shrug* Now, with SL, I can say B. Sasieni less spicy, less "buttery," and thinner-tasting, but has a more savory and dynamic flexibility. Case in point, smoking it in a pipe right now that the briar has a slightly sweet taste to it naturally, and I get faint whiffs of sasparilla and root beer every so often--it won't last, the briar hasn't been broken in, but it makes me laugh. SL in a new pipe usually just gets edgy and REALLY spicy, so I will break in a pipe pretty good before I throw any of that stuff in there. B. Sasieni is a lighter-weight Balkan but no less interesting comparison, if not direct, at least in the right zip code.

No worries Kyle, just being honest brother.

I expect a follow-up praising my stupendous graph in your own upcoming Balkan Sasieni review.

Heck I'll smoke some tomorrow, it's already 2am so I aint smoking again tonight. But the graph was awesome, it had lots of colors.

I write for the people! I suppose...

Hooray for 2AM smokin'.

Pfft it's chilly outside, the heck with that.

Wuss. Wear a jacket. Afghanistan's just the Nevada of the Middle East.

There's freaking snow on the mountain tops around me...you about lost your darn mind. If there was something to stand under or block the wind I'd be all over it. Dude we just hijacked YOUR thread.

Yeah, you're right, I just derailed my own thread. With you, Kaiser. Thanks.

There's still snow on the ground in front of me. Seriously, quit wussin' out.

You have work to do in order to get my thread back on track, so man-up, go smoke some Sasieni, and report back here.

So I think I am going to smoke some FM, can I write about it in this thread?