Balkan Sobranie Black and White
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 3:05PM | Neill Archer Roan | Permalink tagged Balkan Sobranie Black and White, McClelland, Old Dog, Richard Friedman, Taste Explorations, Wilderness | in Pipe Tobaccos, Successful Smoking 
It was a beautiful, crisp sunny day last Sunday. I was cogitating outside on the patio, ankle-deep in autumn leaves, while watching a particularly skinny squirrel busying itself with Winter preparations when I decided to open an old tin of Balkan Sobranie.
I haven’t smoked much of this alchemical blend for a long, long time. My reacquaintance with it commenced on the aft deck of the Alaskan Song where my friend Richard Friedman offered me as much as I wanted to smoke. As if I weren’t happy enough already. Anyway, it is hard for someone who loves English blends as much as I do to resist Balkan Sobranie. It is bliss-inducing tobacco.
This particular tin came to me last year as a Christmas gift. I was amazed, knowing that this gentleman could have sold this tin for a pretty penny. When I first looked at the tin, I assumed from the angular circular indentation on the bottom of the tin that the tobacco was tinned post Galleher-acquisition.
Once I finally managed to dislodge the top (a coin twist didn’t budge it at all), I discovered that the tin was an old Sobranie House issue. One can’t really know for sure until one gets inside and sees the address on the heavy paper insert.
When, I pulled the insert out of the accordioned paper, I discovered tobacco as dark, oily, and moist as anything I’ve ever seen emerge from a pop-top tin. This tobacco is in perfect condition - still springy, yet the Virginias in the blend had sugar crystals littering the oily, chocolatey ribbons.
Since I’m practicing what I’m preaching in smoking English in wide chamber pipes, I pulled a circa-1921 Shell Briar Prince of Wales off my rack and loaded it. Only matches will do with tobacco like this, so I grabbed an old box of long Swan Vestas and retired to the leaf pipe outside.
After lighting, my initial draws from the tobacco presented the Syrian latakia quite forward on my palate. Though I expected sweetness, I was surprised that I didn’t taste more sugars initially. The tobacco skewed toward dark chocolate, cinnamon, and a hint of cayenne notes. I could also detect undertones of rosemary and toffee in the blend. As I smoked through the bowl, I noticed that the Orientals moved forward. Slight, but perceptible notes of bitters and ginger tickled my palate. The tobacco burned beautifully, leaving a fine, white ash except for a small dottle which poured out and bounced on the ash.
Yesterday, I met another pipe man so that he could experience this Balkan Sobranie. I decided to take one of my unsmoked Comoy Blue Riband billiards with me for my explorations. He loaded a Vollmer and Nielsen military mount billiard that looked, for all the world, exactly like an old Barling version of the same shape.
It was a great experience to sit and chat about our experiences smoking this tobacco. I mentioned that I was surprised how much differently the tobacco smoked in the Comoy billiard as opposed to the Dunhill. The Virginias and Orientals were very prominent in the billiard, creating a taste very much like Sherry or Amontillado. I didn’t pick up any of the herbal flavors I experienced while smoking the old Dunhill and the Syrian’s shyness in stepping forward surprised me.
I found it quite remarkable that my co-pipeman tasted many of the same flavors that I did. Given that we might have responded very differently to the tobacco for any number of reasons, it was interesting that we had the same observations about the blend.
While smoking an historically prominent and prized tobacco like Balkan Sobranie is a blessing - indeed a memorable experience - let me hasten to add that I have smoked a number of recently released tobaccos that I like as much. They are certainly different, perhaps not as layered in flavors - but the are nonetheless wonderful smokes – that may, in their time, surpass Balkan Sobranie in complexity and texture. McClelland’s current release of Old Dog and Wilderness come to mind as blends that I think will surprise and delight the English blend lover in the same way.
Neill Archer Roan
I read this morning on Ted Swearingen’s post, “Exploring New Blends” on Smokingpipes.com’s blog that my posts about rare vintage tobaccos may be cruel to you readers:
“I’ve sworn myself from talking about tobaccos that someone couldn’t turn around and buy. It would be cruel of me to poetically wax some blend that many of us will never have the chance to smoke. To sit back and muse on how lucky I am to sample Stonehenge or Balkan Sobranie or just about anything by Sam Gawith is downright unfair.”
If, in fact my posts about Balkan Sobranie or Marcovitch or any of the other old tobaccos I’ve come across are cruel, I sure want to apologize for that.
It is my hope that these posts on vintage tobaccos have some historical value as well. You never know when you might have the opportunity to acquire one of these fine old blends. I urge you to do so if you can!
Reader Comments (5)
I'm super anxious to get my hands on some Old Dog and Wilderness!
I used to smoke Sobranie B&W for years. I still have a few 50 gram (?) pouches from around the last five years or so. But I have many fond memories of smoking Sobranie blends as far back as 1973.
Thanks for this post, it hit a chord with me.
Thanks for this, Neill. This vicarious tasting is welcome, as I haven't smoked that particular legend yet.
One of the most gratifying aspects of pipe smoking is the generosity it inspires among aficionados -- the legendary blends I've been able to sample in recent months (Bohemian Scandal and some old Bengal Slices) have been gifts. Sharing the experience with someone who appreciates it definitely deepens the pleasure.
Like you, I also believe that we are blessed with many current production blends that can go toe-to-toe with past champions. I haven't tried "Wilderness" yet, but have been very impressed by my early bowls of Hanna's "Legends". And when it begins singing mid-bowl, I have a hard time imagining myself enjoying a blend more than I do Samarra.
Great post. I envy you guys getting together and enjoying this legendary yummy blend.
My mouth waters as I read your blog-waters for a tobacco that was once a staple of my pipe smoking. I used to buy the one pound cans for about $12. while I miss the Sobranies I'm comfortable with a few fine blends of currently produced blends. I like Wilderness, but I like Legacy even more. Three Oaks Syrian is my favorite and Solani Luxury English is an excellent alternate. Several of Greg Pease's Latakia blends are delightful as well. These blends are more than adequately stocked in my cellar for future enjoyment. Collecting pipes and tobaccos is pure joy in a world almost upside down in stress. This hobby has many rewards and while the anties denounce us I smile to myself knowing how they will never experience the positives bestowed upon the relatively few people who still believe that the smoking of fine tobaccos in hand crafted briars is more than worth the risks taken. Tobacco smoked without inhaling has been my indulgence for over 35 years and Balkan Sobrani was there for me at the beginning and is still the cause for many enjoyable discussions like this one.