What exactly is the difference between a Balkan and an English?

[solafid3]

So, I unfortunately hadn't found a time to bust open my only "Balkan" tin (or my Latakia baccys period) and actually try it, and in all actuality, probably wouldn't at least until a couple of tins later. So I kinda know that the defining characteristic in an English is the Latakia, but what about the Balkans? Is more Latakia, or more orientals, or just plain out something out of the blue?

[smokehouse]

I’m not sure if this is correct but this is the way I intrepid it.
English blends are Virginia or Burley based blends with Latakia, Orientals in them.
Balkan blends are same but the Latakia, Orientals take the driver seat and there are more of them than the Virginia or Burley. Thats what I got out of the link below.

http://agingfaq.nocturne.org/categorization.php#q3

[Big T]

A good question. They are similar, but with Balkan blends, there is a higher proportion of Orientals and Latakia with the Virginias more in the background. At least that''s how I understand it....

[JohnnyFlake]

I do not recall where I obtained this listing, but I've had it for some time. I believe it is reasonably accurate:

“English” blends are most known for that Smokey Condiment (usually only condiment) ingredient--Latakia. Latakia is a tobacco from the Middle East that is cured over fires fueled with an assortment of woods and herbs. The persistent rumor that Latakia is cured over camel dung fires is patently untrue. It may have been true in the past but it is no longer true (the discovery of Latakia is an interesting story, but I'll leave that for another thread and time!). English blends have a base of Virginias with Latakia and other Orientals added to the blend. The Latakia is the tobacco in these blends that give them their trademark "campfire" aroma (loved by pipe smokers...hated by most wives and girlfriends of pipe smokers!). For me, English blends contain at least 50% Virginias. Examples of English blends: Dunhill My Mixture 965, Dan Gordon Pym, Peterson Old Dublin, Rattray's Highland Targe, Rattray's Black Mallory.

“Balkan” blends use a heavy proportion of oriental tobaccos sourced from the Balkans (mostly the former Yugoslavia and the northern reaches of Greece.) For Balkan Sobranie, the source and inspiration of the appellation, that tobacco was mostly Yenidje, but since these pure oriental varieties are apparently unavailable to blenders these days, 'Balkan Blend' today refers to anything that resembles the old classic Sobranie’s - i.e., a rich tasting English with plenty of Turkish/Oriental in addition to the customary latakia.

"Scottish" mixtures are reliant upon a high percentage of Virginia tobaccos, either in their pure state, or processed through stoving, panning, pressing, and so on. The Virginias are augmented and enhanced with the addition of small quantities of spice tobaccos. The term probably derives from Rattray's blends, which gained wide acclaim as being the gold standard for this sort of tobacco. (The earliest examples of these tobaccos were all blended and tinned by hand in Rattray's shop. Later, Robert McConnell, arguably the finest blending house in the new world until their closing in the early 1990s, were contracted to produce the range, and for a time, the blends were produced both in Scotland and in England. It's my understanding that only old knife-lid tins were ever produced in Scotland, and that all pull-tops came out of McConnell's factory, but this may not be 100% accurate.)

“Burley” these blends have Burley as their major component. They usually offer a fairly heavy nicotine punch because of this, but the nutty flavor provided by the burley tobacco is a beloved and long-time staple of the pipe. It is sometimes called the "King of Tobaccos". Suggestions for examples: C&D Old Joe Krantz, MacBaren Burley London Blend, C&D Barrister, C&D Haunted Bookshop.

“Virginia” These blends have Virginias as their major components. Virginias tend to be sweeter and lighter in flavor than most other tobaccos. If Burley is the King, then Virginias are the Queen of Tobaccos. Very versatile and offering a huge variety of different flavors and strengths, Virginias are probably the most widely smoked tobacco blends worldwide. Examples of Virginia blends: Rattray's Marlin Flake, Rattray's Old Gowrie, McConnell's Red Virginia, SG Full Virginia Flake, McClelland #24.

“Virginia/Perique” is a specialized form of burley that is grown and processed on only one small farm in St. James Parish in Louisiana. Other "Perique" is made and sold around the world, but St. James Parish Perique is the only genuine Perique. It is spicy and a little goes a long way. It mixes well with a variety of tobaccos, but Virginia/Perique blends (aka VAPERs)are by far the most popular. The spiciness of the Perique is the perfect complement to the sweetness evident in most Virginias. Examples of Virginia/Periques: McClelland 2015, Bell's Three Nuns, A&C Petersen Escudo.

“Navy” The term 'navy' is used so casually in contemporary usage that it almost means nothing anymore. Players uses it for a cigarette cut, Dunhill for their rolls and McClelland for a flake flavored with rum.
The original meaning referred to rolls, ropes, and twists of tobacco that were issued to British sailors. If 2 ropes were plaited together, they were called Negro Head. The rope was wrapped in canvas and tied with a string. The smoker cut some off, chewed it, or put it into a pipe. It was rather potent stuff, consisting of lugs and cutter grades of Virginia and other low grade tobacco types, stoved and steamed, usually with a great deal of flavoring. Rum and molasses were often used.
As far as form goes, Dunhill's navy rolls are sliced versions and all the 'coin' tobaccos available are really sliced navy rolls. The only 2 extant manufacturers of the genuine form of the tobacco - the Gawith twins - generally use burley now to give the tobacco its oomph, where traditionally the tobacco was just generally cheap and potent.

“Aromatic” tobaccos, in my mind, have come to be associated with tobaccos containing natural flavoring agents other than the tobacco itself. I consider alcoholic spirits to be natural flavoring agents. This would include the perfumed Gawith and Hoggarth/Samuel Gawith blends as well as a number of European blends. The key here is that the tobacco is mixed with *natural* materials such as extracts or even the flavoring plant itself, and the lot is allowed to meld together. The flavoring is meant to enhance the tobaccos, not to hide them.
.

[JAK]

To me, Balkan always meant lots more latakie and orientals, english is lighter on these two ingredients with more virginia.

[GAW]

JohnnyFlake's post is as good a description as can be found IMO. There is a gray area between the two which leads to some debate at times though.
Jerry

[Kayak_Rat]

Originally Posted by GAW

JohnnyFlake's post is as good a description as can be found IMO. There is a gray area between the two which leads to some debate at times though.
Jerry

I agree Jerry. This is a great thread. Very informative.

[Buckeye Jack]

Good post JohnnyFlake! I already copied and put it in a file for future reference!

[ultramag]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Jack

Good post JohnnyFlake! I already copied and put it in a file for future reference!

Thanks for the great reference.

[Puffy69]

Great post Johnny...Very informative..