J.F. Germain's Revival of Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture

When I was in Myrtle Beach late last week, I visited Smokingpipes headquarters. Although everyone was busily preparing for the Richmond Show, Sykes and Ted interrupted their preparations long enough for a chat.

Adam Davidson, who was with me, suggested that I try a bowl of J.F. Germain’s revival of the famed Balkan Sobranie original mixture while I was there. After searching the premises for the one tin left from a relatively small shipment, the tin was located. I selected a large bamboo Chonowitsch pot from my pipe bag and proceeded to load the capacious bowl.

Germain Revival of Balkan Sobranie Original MixtureI was quite grateful for the opportunity. As a result of work and travel schedules of late, by the time I learned about Germain’s revival–and the shipment’s arrival–it was all gone. As I understand things, the tobacco was snapped up immediately once pipe smokers learned it was available.

While some folks believe that Balkan Sobranie is more legend than substance–especially later Gallaher releases of the mixture–I love this blend. I agree that not all vintages were created equal, but to me smoking Balkan Sobranie is like going fishing; a bad day fishing is better than any good day working; a mediocre bowl of Balkan Sobranie is better than most other tobaccos. I’ve spent a considerable effort (and sum of money) to acquire various vintages, smoke them, and get to know the variations.

Click to read more ...

Harvests

Hands of burley tobaccos hang tightly packed in a tobacco barn during air curing.I’ve been here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on business the last couple of days, reveling in Autumn’s onset and the days of harvest.

Yesterday, mid-afternoon, driving back from a business confernece, Scott Stultz and I came upon a Mennonite tobacco farm along one of the backroads. We stopped, hopeful, that the tobacco farmer might consent to let me explore his barns to take pictures of the harvest.

Scott found and brought back two young men–the owner’s sons–and they consented to let me take pictures of their harvest. They were lean and wiry boys, good-looking in that way that comes from hard work, sunshine, a good heart.

They accompanied Scott and me through the barns, talking about this year’s crop, about how too much rain has made it tough this year.

They couldn’t do enough to help me. There was a muscular breeze so the tightly packed, butt-tied hanging hands of curing tobacco were flapping and slapping from their woody mid-rib veins, making it hard for me to capture detail. The older of the two Mennonite boys, Kenneth, suggested we walk uphill to bigger barn where they could close the doors to keep the wind down.

Click to read more ...

Russ Ouellette wins Balkan Sobranie Throwdown. Mike McNeil wins People’s Choice Award

A rousing standing ovation was accorded to Hearth and Home pipe tobacco blender, Russ Ouellette, when Balkan Sobranie Throwdown emcee Matt Guss revealed the Throwdown judges’ tally at the Chicagoland International Pipe and Tobacco Exposition last Saturday, May 14th at 6:00 PM.

Matt Guss congratulates Throwdown Winner Russ OuelletteThe Balkan Sobranie Throwdown was a competition between three leading pipe tobacco blenders to determine who could most faithfully reproduce the fabled Balkan Sobranie 759, a blend that was discontinued in April of 1994 when Gallaher ceased making and marketing pipe tobaccos.

Mike McNeil of McClelland likewise received enthusiastic applause when he took the People’s Choice Award – an award determined by ballots distributed on Friday and Saturday to show attendees.

Click to read more ...

Joe Harb, Rick Newcombe, and I discuss our approach to judging the Balkan Sobranie Throwdown

ON THE PIPES WE USE

JOE: Rick, I chose the pipes for tasting the blends because I know I can enjoy the type of tobacco in it, and selected the same year of manufacture and shape because those are the only ones that have a similar heritage, but most importantly, a good track record for the way they smoke Oriental blends.  Also, I am confident that there will be small differences between the pipes.  I chose which to assign to the sample blends on a  simple random basis.  Had we been tasting a different type of blend, I would have selected a different set of pipes which would meet the same expectations as above.

RICK: I am pretty casual about what pipes I smoke the blends in. I’ve just been smoking my regular briars, whatever suits my fancy, and the tastes have been consistent in all cases. I keep the pipes clean anyway. However, I have decided that clay pipes are overrated as a tool for really tasting the tobaccos. i bought four clay pipes for the testing, and I really can’t tell the difference in taste when I am using a clay pipe versus a briar pipe. And clay pipes smoke so hot and are much less fun than smoking a good briar pipe.

NEILL: Rick, I laughed about your comments about clay pipes. Let me just say that I HATE them. Not only could I not tell any difference at all in the flavor of the tobacco, but they were so ungodly hot I had to smoke using a glove. And I’m talking holding on to the things by the stem.

Click to read more ...

Comparing Throwdown Tobacco Blends

The last week has been a deep dive into exploring the dimensions of Balkan Sobranie 759. I’ve been smoking the Balkan Sobranie Throwdown blends almost exclusively since I received the tobaccos.

I’ve smoked them moist. I’ve smoked them dry. I’ve smoked them first thing in the morning and in the evening after dinner. I’ve smoked them with bourbon. I’ve smoked them with martinis. Mostly, I’ve smoked them with water. About the only way I haven’t smoked them is hanging upside down from a tree while whistling tunes from Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.

759 and Purdy, XXX and J. Davis, YYY and Barling, ZZZ and DavidsonBecause I’ve found that English blends reveal themselves in their full complexity when smoked in a prince-of-wales, I’ve dedicated a quartet of princes to the Throwdown judging process. Each of the pipes were given a thorough alcohol cleaning before I began to remove any residual flavors that might be lurking in their bowels, I mean bowls.

When I agreed to undertake this process, I confess I was a bit concerned. What if my palate were not up to it? What if the blends were so similar to one another that I couldn’t adequately appraise their subtleties?

One of the dimensions of measurement we judges will use to appraise the blends regards similarity of look. As you will see from the pictures at right, there is dissimilarity in the appearance of some blends with 759. I will tell you this; look and flavor seem unrelated to me.

As someone who believes in methodological rigor, I made some early process decisions that - as it turns out - have really served me well. One decision has involved the use of prince-shaped pipes. Another is to compare only one contestant blend with the original 759 per sitting. I also decided to begin each sitting by smoking the contestant blend before I switch to 759.

Click to read more ...