Tobaccos Brebbia - Balkan (Mixture No. 10)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

At my advice this is one of the best Blakan Blend (as well as the Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend) I've ever smoked and also one of my favorite kind of tobacco. I agree with who think that is better when dried. When the Italian kentucky comes out gives the sharp note that cut the sweet undertones of orientals and perique and enphasize instead their spicy and exotic qualities. The Syrian latakia of this blend is awesome, smoky, pointy and smooth at the same time. When the tin is fresh opened all that great qualities are kinda sleepy and wait for a sort of seasoning to comes out. It's not a allday tobacco, but a special occasion type, very elegant, and gives full satisfaction in a single bowl. Mysteriously appreciated (or at least not hated) by the near people, despite the strong presence of the "atypical and unaromatized" factor. A "must" also for the perique lovers, that last dressing, put together with the Italian kentucky, in fact at my opinion are what makes the unique character of this extraordinary blend.

Type: Balkan Mixture ; Contents: Orietals, Italian Kentucky, Louisiana Perique, Syrian Latakia (and a little virginia I suspect, but just a little) ; Cut: Ribbon ; Humidity: Very wet in the first time, I highly recommend to dry it well ; Lighting: Maybe stressfull in the opening but easy and constant after the drying ; Pipe recommended: Any type is good, but for this one I prefer the straight ones or an half bent with a middle size bowl.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2015-08-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is forty percent Latakia, and as you would expect, is the star component; very smokey, earthy, musty and woody. I’m not sure I believe all of the Latakia is Syrian, because there’s a little sweetness and smoothness that I associate with Cyprian present. The earthy, floral, nutty, dark fired Kentucky adds some smokey woodiness, with a little less spice than I expected. The perique offers some spice, raisin, and plum notes in virtually every puff. The Orientals are smokey, dry, woody, vegetative, lightly spicy and floral, with a mild sourness. The perique, Kentucky and Orientals are basically all supporting players, though you will notice them in every puff to various degrees. They don’t mention Virginia as an ingredient, but I sense its presence at times. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is almost as potent as the strength level. Won't bite or get harsh, but has a couple of rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a mostly consistent, mildly sweet and very savory rich, deep flavor, though not as complex as expected. Requires a tad more than an average number of relights and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste, with a campfire-like room note. Not an all day smoke. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2009-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

First, let me say that the inner paper disc tells me that Balkan by Brebbia is, alongwith Latakia Flake no. 9, produced by DTM instead of Planta. So we are talking of German products for both the lines, under the trademark of Brebbia.

Balkan is a beautifully contrasted EM very similar to BBBB - also by DTM - and shares quite the same components. Seems to me that Balkan is just a bit milder and rounder. The body is medium/full. It's meant to contain 40% Latakia, which I believe, while the presence of Kentucky and Perique is about minimal, just to help the other component in adding strenght and body to an otherwise mild/medium EM.

I taste a masculine but round just enough - non agressive - smoke, and can understand it's described as Balkan (which actually isn't) just because this blend is aimed to obtain the overall effect of say a Sobranie 759, just with different ingredients.

Balkan smokes absolutely dry and cool to the very end. It comes quite wet in the tin, so my test is from a year opened tin.

Overall, Balkan, BBBB and Midnight Ride are the only EM available in Italy which I found to recall the "effects" of the great products of the past.

That's why I'm rating this **

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-01-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There's a lot going on here and it's all good. Sweet and sour, smoky and woody, spicy and earthy, buttery and leathery. It's all in here. This is a wonderful blend with the various flavors tugging the taste buds in all different directions. Complex, medium bodied with med-full flavors. I'll have to stock up on this one. It pushes all the right buttons for me.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-11-23		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Ahhh Brebbia. This is a fine example of a Balkan hybrid, yet regardless of how I name it, it's darn good. The overriding flavor profile is Latakia and if you are in the mood for a stout (Kentucky-Latakia) rush, you have found a good one. The smoke is some of the most dense I have encountered and the perique sits in the background so to let the stronger tobaccos shine through. I love the simple green label and the tin is almost twice the size as a normal one though with no increase in tobacco. This can be sipped or engulfed and there was little difference with regard to tongue bite, this burns oh so cool. When I want latakia, and latakia with some muscular players standing along side, this would be the blend I go to. Its devoid of VAs and has a more brine like presentation, mixed with the sour (Orientals) I'm reminded of a strong cup of salted beef broth with a teaspoon of sour cream. I would give this higher marks, but 3 is pretty respectable considering I like a little sweet with my sour. Bowl size selection is imperative with this blend. A small bowl and its tamed to a wonderful growl, a larger bowl and Brebbia Balkan roars! All in all a fantastic blend and one not to be missed. TYLJFMB

Pipe Used: Stanwell Apple

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-05-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

What a wonderful Balkan. Sipped or puffed, it shows you wonderfully rich sides of a precious coin. This packs well, after some drying, and lights easily. The smoke is dense and chewy and the aroma is fantastic. Sometimes hard to find, moderately pricey, but worth every cent. As a previous brother noted this is a special occasion smoke and it definitely fills you up after one bowl. Highly recommended.

Smoke with a happy heart, fellow brothers and sisters of the briar.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-01-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I think Balkan Mixture #10 will be leaving us soon since Syrian Latakia is no longer available and this blend requires a heaping helping of the stuff. Smoky and somewhat sweet with a lot of strength thanks to the Kentucky. The Perique was barely noticeable. My tin was old and the tobacco was quite ripe and I enjoyed smoking a few bowls over a few days, but really was not enamored enough with this blend to do anything other than take it to a monthly pipe club meeting where I placed it on our tobacco bar.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Servo (58)	2011-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin aroma is amazing, strong and soft at the same. Incredible balance between the tasty and complex Oriental tobaccos and the large percentage of Latakia. The Latakia is softened by the Perique, and the Oriental leaves. In the tin the Latakia has the soft smoky aroma you expect. But it's somehow smoother here, scent reminds my of new leather. Orientals are similarly softened but their delicious flavors are a big presence in the tin aroma. Dried apples, dark chocolate, rubber, campfire, are just a few of the scents I found in the aroma of this tobacco.

Smokes fairly cool and very tasty. Sorry to some of the previous reviewers but IMHO this is a good example of the Balkan style. In a true Balkan blend, the Orientals and the Latakia balance, neither one overpowers the other. This is evident in Brebbia's version - in the aroma or in the smoking. I like this stuff, I'm ordering more right now. Moderate tendency to bite perhaps because of the dryness of the tobacco in the tin I got, maybe just the Virginia, will update when I try the next tin.

This was always the distinction between the styles as I understood it.

Oriental Tobacco Blends (a.k.a. “English Blends”)

English Blends - Latakia is the dominant flavor and scent of the blend. Orientals take a back seat to the Latakia here. Balkan Blends - Latakia is balanced and matched by the Orientals. Neither overshadows the other.

Oriental Blends - Orientals are the dominant flavors and scent of the blend. Latakia, if used at all, takes a back seat to the Orientals. (These blends aren't as popular as the English or Balkan styles, but they were in the past.)

{See G.L. Pease's FAQ on his site; and Mr. Pease's, Jason Newquist's and others' comments on alt.smokers.pipes (USENET newsgroup)}

UPDATE: Two more tins later - consistent quality. Tongue bite seemed much less, I have to bump it up to 4 Stars. Putting it on the favorites list.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2021-01-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I think I've reached over this one about two dozen times when digging through the cellar for a milder tin of a tobacco I've yet to try. The advertised "full-bodied" intensity may of just scared this Sally off.

I cracked the tin open, and as expected, the fumes were thick and rich. The Latakia (or Perique) gave off a newly cured leather aroma hopped up with some Oriental sparks. Effectively an English (or 'Balkan', whatever that means) blend living on the mean side of the tracks. The leaves were thin and sufficiently dry, almost borderline brittle (the tin was 2 years old, so perhaps a factor), which nonetheless, packed and fired nicely.

The first few puffs were dry and full flavor. Its strength wasn't so much a smoke that made the uninitiated cough, but could leave one a bit heady - solid nicotine as well. The initial Oriental decided to play hide-n-seek, and the experience became fairly one note, and certainly not one I could get away with as an all day smoker.

There are going to be people out there who really enjoy this sort of tobacco in their pipes (I'm talking to all you Popeye looking sailors out there), but for my tastes, it was missing that juicy 'bloody steak' succulence I've found in other preferable English blends.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-06-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I cannot believe I never reviewed this. This is to for me the Balkan by which all others are measured. This smoke is what a Balkan blend should be. Tin note is smokey Syrian Latakia, red wine like and smokey. I suspect this is a blend of Cyprian and Syrian but the wine like character is evident in the nose. Sour Orientals and a base of Burley ( think there is some VA n here as well) in background. The smoke is malty and wine like. It has a creosote like flavor, which may not sound good but it is meant as a high compliment. There is a base sweetness likely from the VA's and Latakia but the woody Orientals and the smokiness of the Latakia blend so well that they form a single flavor that I describe as malty. Occasionally you can tease out the woody and slightly spicy Orientals (the spice may be coming from the Perique) but overall there is a uniform flavor profile that is hearty and very satisfying. The perfect blend of Latakia's, Orientals and Burley/VA.

Pipe Used: briars

Age When Smoked: 4 years +

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2014-08-05		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I didn't know what to expect from this blend when I opened it, as I have little experience with Brebbia tobaccos. So I pop it open and - whew! - this is a strong and stout mixture. However, after a little airing-out it seemed more normal to me. An examination tells me that the forty percent latakia boast might be a little over the top, but it is there solidly. My tin was smokeable right away, contrary to other reviewers stating that it was wet in the tin. I have a hard time differentiating Balkan blends from otherwise English blends, but feel that Balkan blends are less sweet and smoke "dry" compared to standard English blends. I like them both.

My first feeling, prior to lighting-up, was that this would wind up being a three star blend in our rating system. I just didn't think it had the "stuff" to be a four star blend. After smoking it and using it in English microblending I realized that I was wrong and that equates to four stars.

Pipe Used: Ashton saddle bit dublin

Age When Smoked: 1 yr old

Purchased From: internet seller

Similar Blends: Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustOneforMe (28)	2012-04-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Objective: Classic circular tin, non obtrusive green label with name of blend and maker noted prominently. Came my way as a gift from a friend. Moisture content was somewhat wet, but dried well in 30 minutes to fill a bowl. Price was reasonable after checking online, approx. $12 bucks a tin. Packed well, lit well, great volume of cool smoke, lovely.

Subjective: Tin aroma was musty and slightly smokey. Creamy smoke with a nutty aroma. Taste on the tongue is stout, but leaves a clean feeling. Cannot detect the perique as a major contributor until mid bowl and then look out!! The Orientals are the star, however. Excellent blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-05-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Whenever I do a review, there is sometimes a conflict with my personal feeling about the blend verses how the public at large may respond. Balkan, for me as a medium English smoker, is a two star blend, but I can easily see it being a four star blend for those that enjoy a heavy dose of Latakia. Balkan packs well and is made of quality tobacco's. The heavy dose of Syrian adds an interesting dimension. My issue is that it is so dominate that the other tobacco's seem to get lost in the blend resulting in a lack of balance that I am looking for in a blend. For those that like a heavy dose of Latikia, I find Balkan to be a much overlooked blend, it just doesn't fit in my rotation.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-02-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I tend to measure these kinds of blends against what I consider to be the gold standard, Penzance. I found the Brebbia Balkan to be actually a bit smoother than Penzance but lacking that oriental zing that one finds in Penzance. However, I enjoyed this blend immensely, finding it to be to my taste more of a classic English blend than a Balkan. But then my taste buds are a tad old! Anyway, I now have Brebbia Balkan in my tobacco rotation and happy to have it there. If you are looking for a mild to medium English blend smoke, I don't think you can do better than this Brebbia blend which, I believe, is actually made by Dan's and could, in fact, be Dan's Bill Bailey's. Whatever - I give it four stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2019-01-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Brebbia - Balkan (Mixture No. 10).

Since I like a selection of English and Balkan blends to dip into in the morning, opened Mac Baren HH Balkan yesterday and didn't rate it too highly, I opened this up earlier; my dog woke me at 5:00am, so needed I to fill my time!

The blend has been cut quite coarsely, there's one or two twiggy pieces which need discarding. A mixture of different shades of brown, with a small amount of black. I found my tin a bit too dry.

I like this more than the Mac B' from yesterday. Although the two contain Kentucky, the Kentucky in this lacks the potency and harshness of yesterdays; it fills out the flavour, without turning it into an acrid mess. The Latakia's the lead tobacco, being pleasantly smoky, but not cutting or sharp. The Oriental gives a luscious flavour, and is the supporting leaf to the Latakia. I get some incisiveness from the Perique, but it's a light addition. Because of the hydration being low it burns a touch quickly; the only negative.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: I quite like it.

Brebbia Balkan? The only reduction for the rating from four to three stars is the moisture being low. A good blend though:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef: Friday pipe

Age When Smoked: 9 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2014-12-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This review has two sections:

INITIAL IMPRESSION, TIN OPEN TWO DAYS: I'm so confused, one bowl I love the blend and the next , I want to throw it out !!! Here is what I'm sure of, if you inhale, get ready , this will cause a collapsed lung ! and do you have those annoying nose hairs, snoke this and it will remove them, but the flavor is so good, I can't stop loading up bowls !

As the name say's, it's a Balkan, with only a touch of sweetness ( I would like more), it has the Orientals out-front with ample Latakia ( probably mostly Cyprian ??? ) but only a touch of "SYRIAN" Latakia ( I would like more). I think the "power " comes from the Kentucky that never comes forward in the taste, only in the strength . When I smoke this, I fill the bowl and make a strong cup of coffee to go with it, I need something to tame this smoke as initially it was harsh (see after 2 months).

TWO MONTHS LATER- What a change, giving this some time to breath, this blend has smoothed out. Nice flavor and creamy Orientals, great on relights. This blend is bold on flavor with a high quantity of Smyrna leaf ( I believe) that predominates. The Syrian, what there is of it ( 40% really !!!!), does give a slight woodsy floral note. I know this blend states that it has "Syrian" Latakia.... well I'm skeptical on the quantity since the Syrian embargo .This is more flavorful that GLP's Charing Cross, and I do find it similar but more powerful.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 2 days/ 2months

Similar Blends: GLP's Charing Cross.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2014-10-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This is an unusual Balkan blend. I mean that it has a particular taste, different from the others Balkan mixtures you can find in the market. First of all the base is not Virginia but Kentucky and for this reason you have a full-bodied blend but not sweet. There isn’t any Virginia in it. Second, the taste is mainly a full smoked taste, thanks to the high amount of Latakia (an incredible 40%) and thanks to the fire-cured Kentucky. Last but not least the spicy Perique. All of it very well-balanced with finest oriental leaves. In my personal opinion this is a very good Balkan mixture, with a great personality. If you like English mixture, hardy but not sweet you have to try it. In my personal rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 8 and three stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-08-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

A short ribbon cut of many colours from blonde to black. This comes in a tin that is twice the height but the same diameter as most 50g tins, making this a relatively loose packed tobacco that is on the dry side.

The tin note is extraordinary. Beneath the terpene of the latakia is a profound sweetness on the nose.

This is a one light tobacco that burns to the proverbial white ash. It is sweet, sour and salty all at the same time. It produces ample pillows of smoke.

For a balkan blend the perique is particularly in evidence and there must be a fair whack of it in the blend. It gives a lovely peppery character to the smoke.

A good smoke for anytime of day.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-05-12		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a delicious tobacco. I've to date been mostly a Virginia/Vaper smoker, but for a real introduction to Latakia, this stuff is wonderful. The smoky Latakia competes with sweet Virginia for most of the flavor profile. There's a noticeable spice from the Perique and a background dry chocolate taste that I attribute to the Kentucky. I love this stuff. Keeps you interested through the bowl as new flavors dominate depending on where you're at in the bowl and how you're smoking it. That barbeque Latakia comes through all the way though. Got this one in a briar with a good cake in it (mostly broke-in with Virginias) and it can't be beat.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2008-07-30		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I must admit that I was quite surprised with the quality of this Balkan Mixture. I have tried other Brebbia offerings and found them mediocre at best, but this is an outstanding tobacco. You can taste every component: a good amount of Perique, tasty Kentucky, rich Virginias and Orientals and of course, Syrian Latakia, but all those singularities meld into a full body tobacco that can please me at mornings or evenings just as well.

I was hesitant as to give it 3 or 4 stars, considering that it's no match to Odyssey, Charing Cross, Balkan Sobranie and a few others godly mixtures, but this is excellent in its own right.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cappadoc (10)	2015-08-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very unique and delicious variation on Balkans. the Oriental presence is there along with Syrian Latakia and a very hard to describe tin note. Very creamy mouthfeel. The DFK plays a wonderful accompaniment to the Latakia. Both give a very smoky taste, but in totally different ways. Just an absolutely stellar smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-06-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was not expect much before opening this tin. Thanks to tobaccoreviews.com I got a chance to know this wonderful Balkan blend. This is a savoy full Balkan blend that really surprises me with big flavor without excessive sweetness in it. I think this will please seasoned balkan smokers instead of newbies.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-04-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Strong and mild at the same time. Tin is right wet. A particular note is that after some day, when it dry, Kentucky Toscano aroma comes up.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blue Bayou (60)	2011-10-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Came very dry in the tin. Nutty, smoky overtones and full tobacco flavor. A bit harsh, but no bite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tend to prefer Latakia/Oriental/Perique blends as my mainstream smokes, and I also tend to enjoy Brebbia products more often than not. My expectations were pretty high with this blend, based upon it's description, and I was not disappointed overall. It is pretty mild smoking for what I expected, and has nice character all around. It stays lit, does not attack your tongue, and is an all in all pleasant smoking experience.

On the surprise side of things though, I expected more spice notes to come through in it's taste. Mind you, it was very good, but after recently trying out a tin of SHPC "Great Hiatus", which based upon it's published mix should have offered a bit less of a complex spicy taste than Brebbia Balkan, the Great Hiatus blend seemed to be a match for Balkan at most all points of character, but both it's taste and aroma took it to a higher level of enjoyment for me. SHPC Great Hiatus delivered the delicious taste impact that I had expected from Brebbia Balkan.

That said, I really enjoyed Brebbia Balkan, and it landed on my "keeper" list. It's a very nice blend for people who enjoy it's major tobacco components, and won't let you down. It was just a matter of bad luck that it followed Great Hiatus in my test cycle.

Jim K.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is the one to which return in haste after trying new tobaccos that I find lacking. I prefer Balkan blends, and the touch of Perique gives it the best of all flavors.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brunello (125)	2023-01-12		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Not as distinctive as the Latakia Flake for which I gave four stars. I purchased my tin in 2018 and it still says 40% Syrian Latakia. I do definitely get a Syrian Latakia character as I get a taste of decades old dried-up cinnamon stick! From the Perique, even with this age, a little tingling on the tongue. Ambient aroma (room note) of burning birch bark, and a bit of a peppery edge to the nostrils. One negative for me is the taste of burnt pine nuts, which I attribute to either a rustic Italian-grown tobacco, or perhaps Turkish Soukham. Aftertaste is rather pleasant, reminding me of poppy seeds. Overall, positives and negatives earn this three stars, and it helps to have a good thick dark ale as a side kick, or if you want to really jump start your day try it with a cup of French Press dark roast coffee with a shot of cream (no sugar).

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Benjamin Meyer (25)	2020-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

This review was written after I finished a generous sample from an internet friend. The sample was from 2016 thus containing Syrian Latakia. I've never tried other versions of it, but I guess the recent tins of it will contain Cyprian Latakia, resulting in a different blend.

The ribbon cut is very homogenous and of medium width. The color is quite dark, ranging from dark brown to pitch black. This might be because of age though, as the virginias in here should have given the blend a lighter hue.

The smell is magnificent. Very rich smokiness and a certain sweetness underlying. In the background, there is a kind of pine tree vibe to it that's quite pleasant.

The ribbon makes for an easy packing. My sample was quite dry, smoke ready, so I loaded all my bowls directly from the jar.

The smoke is beautiful. Quite full in taste, but never overwhelming. I found the oriental character the most obvious with the lat almost subtle. The Syrian aspect of the Lat appeared in varying degrees depending on the pipe I tried it in. Unfortunately, I didn't get enough bowls from the sample to understand which worked best. The aroma is of flowers, maybe lavender, and of pine sap. Quite far from the Cyprian burnt tire I've grown tired of. The sweetness is present but is dominated by the strong savoriness of the ensemble. There is, throughout, a pleasant spiciness, probably due to the Perique and Dark Fired.

If I could, which I can't, I'd buy more of this. For a lat centered blend, this was way more subtle and intriguing than what drove me away from these blends.

Pipe Used: Clay, meerschaum and various briars

Age When Smoked: 2016, so 4 years old

Purchased From: Sample from a friend

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (216)	2020-01-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Balkan has a deep note of smokey campfire and sour buttermilk in the tin which left me very excited for this one. The moisture level was just a little too much and needed about 5-7 min. of drying time to get it right. The smoke has the lat out front from the start and it will stay there throughout the bowl. It is smokey and woody as expected. The KY seems to fall in behind that with added woodiness. The Turkish may also have some woodiness to it, it is slightly floral as one would expect and provides that buttermilk like creamy sourness. The perique must have been a very small percentage of the overall blend as I could not pick it up until after about the first 1/3 of the bowl. It adds a light spice note and a hint of plum for me. Overall, this is a fine blend the lat did not overwhelm the other tobaccos to the point of drowning them out but was a little more forward for me than I would prefer. Those who like a very dominate lat blend should try this. The body of the smoke is a solid medium but the nic is closer to mild to medium. I could smoke 2 bowls a day without any issues but a third did leave the tongue slightly tingly so I could not smoke this all day. While it will not break into a rotation I did enjoy it and am glad it took the time to run it down as it has been hard to find for me.

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jvnshr (23)	2016-10-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Smoking Brebbia Balkan is like sitting in the middle of a forest fire and smelling the rich woodsy smoke. Recommended to Balkan and Latakia bomb lovers.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

A very interesting tobacco: a Balkan without Virginia but, in its place, a smoked Kentucky, combined with an excellent 40% Latakia plus Oriental and Perique. A serious, straightforward blend, full in taste - but not extremely strong - and satisfying. 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Tabaccheria Gruppuso, Milano (Italy)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2016-08-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Brebbia Balkan has been in my cellar for two years, but when I first started this journey it was on my wishlist, in part due to the 40% Syrian Latakia. I love Balkans, I adore Legends - which for me is the standard by which I set my palate. Brebbia Balkan comes in a 50 gram tin that mimics a tin that could hold twice that amount. Tin note is rich latakia, figgy and burley focused. Good ribbon cut, no stems nor woody pieces. Burned well - burned hot. I spent the majority of this blends focus on trying to control the bite. A burley bite.

Virginias hit me fairly early when I smoke, as I tend to chug along - due in part to poor discipline on my part. Burley bite seems to me to come along later in a bowl's development, and it hits me on the tip of the tongue...hard. Despite my best attempts to curtail this, including the suggestion of using a charcoal filter in my 9mm Savenelli.

It is a hybrid, misleading IMO as it deters from the concept.

Can recommend as long as you realize its a Lat forward, near equalizing Burley English.

Pipe Used: Meers and Briars

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I ordered a tin of this after reading the reviews on this forum. I had previously ordered Brebbia's Latakia Flake and English Mixture #70. Both of those I really enjoyed, so I gave the Balkan a shot.

All and all, not a bad tobacco. It is a lot lighter than what I am typically used to in a Balkan, but not at all unpleasant.

It packs very easily, stays lit very well, and smokes very dry. The moisture content out of the tin was perfect. This is a blend that just gets better with age as well. This is a blend I dig into late in the evening every once in a while when I have a craving for something a little heavier, but not quite a bed time tobacco.

It can bite if puffed on too quickly, but as long as one is patient and calm with this mixture, he or she should find a lot of relaxation and enjoyment out of it.

I would recommend this to someone who is just entering the world of Balkans or Orientals. It is defiantly not a wife pleaser, and I find it is best enjoyed in the privacy of one's study with a good book.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2006-05-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the two new Brebbia productions for the European market (the other being Latakia Flake nr.9). These two blends are manufactured in Germany, and you can see a great similarity with two CAO tobaccos (Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend and Old Ironsides).

The first thing that comes to mind with the blend is that it isn't a Balkan at all, despite its name. The kentucky burley presence is evident both at sight as in taste. The cut is a medium ribbon. Packing and lighting are easy and you won't need to relight to the end of the bowl.

If you're looking for a smooth blend look somewhere else: here the taste is rough, with all the flavours separated. Only the Perique is definitely in the background. The Syrian latakia declared percentage is pretty optimistic in my opinion, but it's very tasteful, while the kentucky gives a nice earthy tone. The flavour is "heavy" and will keep consistent throughout the bowl.

Recommended as an after lunch (or dinner) to smokers who don't put delicacy on the top of their desires.

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