Tobaccos Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Erinmore Balkan Mixture (Erinmore)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	henwrench (16)	2013-05-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with people. As good as Early Morning Pipe, if not slightly better. If you can't find something good in this 'baccy, maybe you should go find some Old Holborn and smoke it rolled up in a bit of damp Bible paper. I've done that...on more than one occasion. I know what it is to be 'down and out'....

First, understand what a 'Balkan' is for. Fill a cob and hit this an hour or so after you've woken. Then tell me what you think...

And if you get tongue bite, ever....you are not smoking your pipe right. You don't even know what pipe smoking is..

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blueplume (7)	2014-04-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is what I call a smoke! The best balanced mixture I have tried so far with Squadron leader being my benchmark for oriental blends.I usually smoke one bowl a day whilst reading with a cup of tea,but found myself unable to concentrate on my book while smoking this, so taken with it's qualities was I.It is far superior to SG's Balkan mixture. The only downside was the speed with which I got through the bowl, but I think that is more to do with the Falcon and my eager puffing. I will try it in other pipes to see if it gains longevity in the burn rate. This has made me curious about other Orlik blends, if they are up to this standard then my wallet will get a hammering.

Pipe Used: falcon

Similar Blends: squadron leader, skiff.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2015-02-04		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I find the tin note quite pungent. I am a regular with English/Balkan blends, and this particular one seems to have a nice combination of oriental and virginia tobaccos which I find quite balanced. I cannot detect any toppings or added sweetness at all and it seems to smoke quite cool in your bowl. About the moist content I'd say goldilocks, so it does not require much drying time. The tin note would suggest a more dominated latakia blend, but it is the virginias and orientals I detect most of the times. Flavours are difficult to explain, but the experience is that of a tug of war in between the ones and the others. At some point the virginias seem to dominate, whereas later on the orientals might take the lead. The latakia only seems to flare up in the front as you smoke more and more, but it is never so dominant you loose track of the other two. The ribbon cut is quite consistent throughout, but you might come across a twig or two. It might be true I have smoked more complex mixtures in this range, but in its simplicity, I think this tobacco is great. I had chosen a bigger bowl to review this, but you won't need much time to get your head around it. I cannot detect any tongue bite at all and I particularly like how these flavours will linger at the back of your throat as you pass it through your nose. Indeed, this is very fulfilling and an invitation to puff away at a lower pace. This is a full bodied tobacco that can be smoked any time of the day. Highly recommended to both, the more experienced pipe smoker and those who are venturing into pipe smoking for the very first time.

Pipe Used: Parker

Age When Smoked: 1 year, perhaps

Purchased From: John Hollingsworth

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-06-14		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I'll do a review as soon as possible.

HENWRENCH, Please be respectful of your fellow reviewers. If their opinion differs from yours than simply note that and express what you happen to think about the tobacco in question. Personal attacks are not appropriate. Mr. Tillman would not have tolerated a post like yours.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2017-07-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

I was lucky enough to acquire this one for free from my local b&m as they were unable to sell their remaining tins as they lacked the new warning labels that our fascistic government deem necessary in order to prevent the Proleteriat from having fun.

Political rant aside, this is definitely an odd one. My first three smokes of this were in my Peterson churchwarden and they were, quite frankly, disgusting, tasting of a blasphemous mix of rotting onions and cow manure. It also gunked up the pipe something chronic. Nonetheless, I persisted by switching to a Short Stop cob, oh boy what a change. It develops a good smokey sweetness and seems to have an earthiness that makes me wonder of there a spot of Kentucky in there. It packs and lights well and smokes nice and slow.

I'm still not completely sold on this, those initial impressions with this in briar are rather disconcerting. The transfer to cob, though, is enough to leave me open to the possibility of acquiring another tin. For,the moment I think three stars is fair pending further analysis.

Pipe Used: Peterson Prince, MM Short Stop

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoolPilot (69)	2013-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my second tin, after testing other balkans, and I rate it 4 stars. First, the tobacco comes in a perfect condition for smoking to ashes, like with Dunhill and unlike SG . Second, the orientals here are really evident, spicy , reminds me a mix between a smoked flavouring and perique, while latakia is making its part, like in a medium english similarly to Dunhill 965. But the orientals, or whatever gives this so good taste and flavour, made the difference for me.

Update: after many other tins, I consider this blend one of the best available.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2019-08-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A tin containing a Latakia mixture usually lasts me around 2 years...that will give you some idea of how rarely I smoke anything other than VaPers

I have never really taken to an English/Balkans and usually order several tins of different blends and burn through them over a decade or so...not until I met this masterpiece of a blend

So, coming from the garage after smoking this I head to my iPad to order some more and found it has been discontinued. Imagine that, the first Lat blend I fall in love with and it has gone out of production.

What the blenders of this blend have accomplished was a smoke that combined bitter, sweet and salty. It really is unforgettably delicious and if you can get your hands on some you should not hesitate

Pipe Used: Meers, DBs, Petes

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Cgars UK

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2018-06-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Strong

Erinmore Balkan Mixture (presently only Erinmore Balkan) is a classic English mixture, neither more nor less. It refers to the most famous Dunhill Early Morning Pipe (the components are the same: Virginia, Latakia and Orientals) but in my opinion this mixture is not properly a replica of EMP. It is quite different. EB is less balanced, less delicate and more raw. EB has a more intense and musky taste, a more wild and smoked flavor. Overall better English Morning Pipe than Erinmore Balkan, IMHO I mean. EMP is more perfect, more “noble”, more “plummy” if you like. EB is more “peasant”, with a more marked and robust taste. I think EB is more suitable for an evening smoke. Anyway I believe these two blends should not be compared because they are substantially different, each one with its own characteristics. It’s simply a matter of taste. Finally in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 6 and two stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-09-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend is a valued representative of balkan blends!once the tin cracks a nice smell of citruses,woods,and coals comes out,really balanced and very natural.the blend moisture is proper packs and lights easy.while smoking the tastes are very pleasing natural and complex.the orientals as expected are the main player offering earthy notes,spices and woods.the cyprian latakia are coaly,smoky and sweet.the virginias are mostly citrusy and bready.some times some grass notes come up.burns medium and cool without harshness and moisture to total ash.the nicotinelevel is medium and the room note tolerable.no tongue bite detected.in comparison with other balkan blends this one is smoother and easy going so it can be an all day smoke for those who enjoy english/balkan blends all day.for the rest smokers it can be a nice blend after a dinner for relaxing time!

Age When Smoked: When opened

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-02-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is one of the most satisfying new smokes I have tried in a long time. Delicious and ripe Virginia leaf intertwines with cool, spicy and airy Orientals and just enough top shelf smoky Latakia to keep the whole thing playing an award winning tune. If you want to try real quality leaf at a really good price, this may be worth pursuing. I got mine from one of my private website consignment customers and think it is only obtainable on the other side of the pond, but could be wrong about that. I just can't find any retail/etail shops that sell it stateside.

Pipestud

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2016-01-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Erinmore Balkan Mixture's fine ribbon cut looks suprisingly light-colored for an English pipe tobacco with tan and medium brown leafs dominating the blend and just a few almost black sprinkles. Yet the scent effusing from the tin might be unobtrusive and has the typical grassy sweetness of the Virginias, but also has the spicy floral notes from the Orientals and the peatiness of the Latakia it contains.

Even though the tobacco has been packed pretty tightly into the tin, moisture level is perfect. Filling and lighting your bowl is easy. In doing so I prefer the Frank method. A single charring and true light with some tamping down the ashes in between will usually do the job.

From the start there's a peppery sweetness that should not be confused with tongue bite. The smokiness of the Latakia and the flowery spiciness of the Orientals might be in the background, especially during the first third of the bowl, but they are clearly detectable and become more pronounced towards the finish. As far as taste and nicotine content are concerned, this is a well balanced, medium strength smoke, which makes it suitable for all day. It burns down evenly and dryly, leaving some powdery graying ash.

The room note is dominated by the Latakia and Orientals and therefore not everyone's cup of tea.

Pipe Used: Rattray's 110th Anniversary

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local Tobacconist

Similar Blends: Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, Dunhill Baby's Bottom.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2014-06-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Erinmore - Balkan Mixture.

I was very pleasantly surprised by how nice this is! The actual mix is very even in its sizes, mostly about 3 quarters of a centimetre long. The blend gives off a cedar/woodsy aroma and it is of a great moistness as well, making for excellent lighting up. Once lit the mix burns even and steadily without the smoke being too hot. The smoke flavour is of a good balance, you get the Virginia and the Orientals easily noticeable with a smoky Latakia taste on top but not too heavy as to take over; which sometimes happen where you find Latakia. The smoke is a nice thickness and if you choose to inhale with this it causes no hurt on the way down. Tongue bite does not happen to me at all, but that is subjective! For me it resembles Gawith Hoggarth's Balkan mix only with a much lighter Latakia flavour, so if you favour your Balkan's with less Latakia then this may be the one for you!

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-05-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Firstly, smelling the freshly opened tin proved to be a very different sensation from the other (few) Latakia/Oriental mixtures I have tried. The comment below said it reminded him of SG's Squadron Leader and I heavily disagree. This has way more Latakia and way less Orientals, and I LOVE it. Anyway, the smell is very smoky and velvety, almost brutish and very natural.

The tobacco is ribbon cut and easily packed and easily lit, and can be smoked immediately without drying and no relighting.

The smoke is absolutely exquisite and it is the best Balkan/English mixture I have ever tasted (so far), and surely will go down into my favourites. Taste wise, it is very full without being overwhelming, and one can distinctly taste the different tobaccos in this perfectly married mélange.

The N hit is stronger than Squadron Leader and overall, it is a perfect tobacco for people who want to taste what a Latakia mixture has to offer.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Small Canadian Saint Claude Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Lausanne, Switzerland

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chris66 (11)	2014-05-19		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I normally smoke Artisan's Blend, and just recently discovered 965 which I love. I'm not too sure about this one though. Lights easy, burns even, and smells nice. Just relit it, its not for me, seems a bit chemical like and leaves an odd aftertaste.

Pipe Used: Peterson Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 1 week

Purchased From: SmokeKing.com

Similar Blends: Very slightly like Squadron Leader..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steden (100)	2012-11-24		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Quality blend rich in orientals, sweet and spicy. Cool and un-biting unless you smoke it too fresh: doesn't seems moist to the touch but it developes a significant amount of steam, let it dry out a bit. Nic makes feel its presence, if you care. On a comparision with its brother Latakia Supreme (which I prefer...) BM is less tangy and smoky, but mellower, spicier, stronger. Bottom line: it worth a try.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2019-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Excellent Oriental-forward English blend. It’s tasty, it’s smooth with lots of redolent Orientals, hay-like Virginias and a light-handed touch of Latakia (though heavier than EMP, but overall Erinmore Balkan is more interesting to me than the EMP I have had).

Very traditional in profile – old school English. Behaves nicely, does not bite, does not irritate my throat. I do not think you can go wrong with Erinmore Balkan. And there’s no topping or anything similar to Erinmore Flake, this is a veritable English blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2018-04-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

Not a Balkan by any mean. There is lots of Latakia on a flat and cardboardy Virginia base, and no oriental fragrance. This is as flat as it can be, almost cigarettish. The other Erinmore blend, called Latakia, is actually so much better and flavorful than this. Not bad, and it actually smokes slow and cool, but it simply is the epitome of dullness.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-04-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Erinmore Balkan in the tin offers up the appearance of a medium Balkan blend along with a very faintly sweet, what may be a faint topping scent. Most will find this pipe ready, but since I like my tobacco on the dry end of the spectrum, I like to dry for a few short minutes. In the pipe, the Orientals are the star of the show. There is more Latakia than Early Morning Pipe, a blend that I smoke daily. There isn’t a lot more, but enough to make it more smoky. There is a sweetness from the Virginias and what I believe to be something very lightly added. Erinmore Balkan is very smooth and offers a bit of strength too that I would put just a notch above medium. It burns cool and, while not very complex, there is some to be had. The flavor and strength build throughout the bowl, while the underlying sweetness remains till the end with no ashy taste. During the first few bowls of the tin, I could have seen this as an everyday blend. Too bad it’s not offered in the US along with the other Erinmore blends that are offered. i think that this would be a big seller in the US and I simply don't understand why some manufacturers hold back some of their blends from the US market??? (and vice versa)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mawnan Smiff (28)	2016-03-08		Strong	Medium	Very Full	Tolerable

Having just finished a refurb on an old Parker Jockey Club straight billiard estate pipe I went to my newly arrived baccy selection that had arrived in the post that very morning and of the three tins I chose the Erinmore Balkan Mixture for the inaugural smoke.

I popped the tin open and ruffled up the baccy inside and stuck my nose right in there. Leather and hay is what came to mind initially from the mid to dark brown ribbons, not at all unpleasant but not quite the baccy smell I was expecting.

Packing was a cinch as was lighting but hells teeth........the immediate flavour that hit me was of black pepper. I have smoked many things in the past (once smoked a teabag as a kid!) but never have I smoked peppercorns but if I were to smoke them then I should imagine they would taste like Erinmore BB.

Half way down the bowl I detected another flavour trying to get through however it never quite made it so cannot report on what it was but it was pleasant.

Overall a very strong smoke for me that left me a tad 'heady' at the end and I was actually sweating on my brow such was the strength of the baccy! I tried another bowl later in the day in Kiko meer lined briar and the experience was pretty much the same so this for me at least is one to avoid in the future.

Perhaps this a baccy for the 'big boys' and as a relative newbie piper I am not quite man enough for it because so many other reviewers with more piping experience under their belts seem to love the stuff.

Pipe Used: Parker Jockey Club and Kiko meer lined Dublin.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Black Swan Shoppe (mail order)

Similar Blends: Nothing yet tried..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	farhan (5)	2014-09-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A definitely well balanced latakia and virginia.Fine ribbon cuts for easy pipe filling. Burns evenly and cool.A mild and soft taste and aroma all through your smoke, though a bit flat I should say! In contrast to so many aromatics and few latakias I 've tried so far, this balkan blend gives you a not changing, not fading taste and aroma from the first puff to the end of the bowl.I 've found this tobacco the only one I could smoke in my worst pipe-a savinelli logo which has been always a sheer failure !- A high ranked tobacco for its category, I will list it for my tobacco rotations.

Pipe Used: various pipes

Age When Smoked: new

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	o3Ho3 (28)	2013-05-18		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I have this as a gift.. from someone who doesn't smoke... Flavor is chemically atrocious, taste chemically too, burn easy but that doesn't matter in comparison with the taste and flavor. Tong byte even in long pipes. Sry guys... is not for me and probably not for you

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2012-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A mild-flavoured blend for a Balkan, this. Not as rich as some, with the Latakia clearly there, but a little less pronounced than most Balkans, and with the orientals and virginias to the fore.

Overall, it's a fairly undemanding English Balkan blend with a clean taste, very little bite and a smooth burn. It's the opposite of "challenging" - which isn't a bad thing first thing in the day. It would make a good introduction to Balkan blends for newcomers as well - all the essential "Balkan" qualities are present, but not so marked that someone used to the fruit-flavoured aromatics would be overwhelmed by it.

Often regarded as an early morning blend, it has a dry tannin quality about it which goes much better with English-style Assam tea (strong, with a little milk and sweeten to taste) than with coffee.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2011-04-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I will admit that I have a problem with the Erinmore brand. My first encounter with it, as well as my later attempt to reconcile myself with it almost 20 years later, left deep scars. So for a long time, along with anything else by Murray's, I avoided this particular blend. What a mistake!

The cut is a nice ribbon. On my first opening of my first tin of this blend (definitely not my last!), my impression was... er... it was the dog that did it. Honestly, the freshly-opened tin straight-out STANK.

Call me degenerate. I still stuffed a pipe, and lit up. And I was in for one of the greatest surprises of my life. Because when smoked, this blend simply shines. The Latakia is in there and adds spice and smoke. There is a very noticeably presence of Orientals, which leave a beautiful aftertaste of Turkish Delight on the tongue, and the pipeful burns down to a voluminous, very light grey ash with practically no maintenance. The VA adds its sweetness. The room note belies the tin note; it is far better than only tolerable.

Beautiful smoke, great taste, wonderfully perfect amount of Nic -- not too much, not too little. Uncomplicated to maintain, just... as close to perfect a blend as I have yet experienced in 22 years. I'll stick with it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	who broke my clay pipe? (70)	2011-04-03		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

ERINMORE BALKAN MIXTURE TRIAL PACK 15g Bought when i was making a larger internet purchase of rugulars and newbies;this small trial pouch rounded out the price of my bill to @ £200 quid

Ingredients: orange virginia,fine oriental,latakia

Wanting to try an archetypal balkan so i could taste what separates its name "Balkan" from an "English",i think i can establish that in the ingredient percentage of "oriental" tobacco in the formula..

Tan,brown,and dark ribbons with some broken flake..

Full flavoured,medium to strong stregth.

Could be an alldayer smoke,but i like variety and change and i feel this could become too sickly for me..

Instantly smokable more or less,,it seemed quite dry in the pouch.

Pack odour:creosote(in a nice way)leather and spicy woods,,,slightly diesel sump oilish.

Its a dry smoke and because it was a small pack which i finished off quite quickly, it didn't get a chance to get any drier;perhaps with a future repurchase i may try drying it because it tones down orientals which get carried in the moisture vapour,which calm down in a drier tobacco condition.

FLAVOURS:Complex actually;spicy wood(rosewood?,sandalwood?,frankinsence?)like a natural perfumed musk,,,sweet blood orange peel,,,chuckney ala mango,,,pine cones (or pine in the natural rather than the floor cleaner sence),,,smokey,,no casing identified,,,honey tree sap,,,ketchupy in the sause sence(but no tomato),,,rich flavour,,sweet and sour,;would maybe buy again as variation on a theme if i couldn't find anything else..

It sticks to clothes and makes my overals smell,,i notice it strait away when i put them on the day after...

I basically liked it but found it complex like a puzzle i couldn't solve..There was more which i wrote about its enigmatic room note;"the room note smells like some form of animal piss designed to attract the other half,not sure i would smoke this in company of the non aquainted,,,;quite pheromone-ish,,like that smell you get when you take your watch off on a hot summers day,,,i don't know??...:It may attract or repel pedestrians(you can experiment yourself)"..

Glad i tried it but i think i prefer the "english" ratio of the same ingredients,,,;i like orientals as a condiment more than the main but;it did enjoy this as a pick me up sazzy flavour..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meerkat (64)	2010-02-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I received a 15g (1/2oz in old money) sample of this with an order of other tobaccos. I tried it hesitantly as I was worried that the flavouring used in Erinmore flake would have found it's way into the Balkan mixture. I needn't have worried; if there is a casing here it is indetectable.

The mixture comes in a beautiful rough cut at almost optimum humidity for instant smoking, which is exactly what I wanted to do when I got a wiff of the pouch aroma.

It packs and lights exceedingly well, needing no special care all the way to the end of the bowl.

The smoking experience is wonderful. The blender has hit a balance of latakia and orientals that seems taylor made for my taste buds. Just enough body to satisfy while not overpowering the subtle spicy-sweet undertones.

The latakia gives a refined and pleasing amount of wet-soil-and-wood-smoke. While I got a flavour reminiscent of spiced orange peel wafting through from the interplay between the virginias and orientals. It brought to my mind the wonderful earthy, fragrant spiced, honey sweetened smells you get from a Morrocan kitchen.

This is, by a long chalk, the coolest smoking tobacco I've ever tried. It does not matter how distractedly you puff this stuff simply will not bite.

The back of my pack says that it is blended by Orlik and I have to say that this blending house is producing some really top notch tobacco at present.

I know most wives don't like the smell of latakia but it might be saved here by the other tobaccos. I couldn't say for certain as any smoke is Verboten en Erdmannchen-Haus.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Boswell (12)	2009-10-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I'm afraid that, by comparison with other blends of this kind, I find this rather harsh and lacking in body. By no means a bad tobacco, with some pleasant spice and reasonable strength, but not my favourite, and one I probably won't buy again in the near future.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-02-05		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Last week I bought 10 tins of this at the airport duty free (2 pack of 5 tins each, 50gr per tin), at 15$ per pack, considering this an unbeatable price, I was about to buy much more but I did not since this would be quit risky at the custom.

Erinmore Balkan Mixture is in excellent oriental blend, mellow, tasty, cool and well balanced, Turkish/Virginia is about 40%/40% , latakia is about 20%, I would say.

Comparison: somewhere between Davidoff Royalty and Squadron Leader, sweeter and milder than Davidoff Royalty with more latakia/Turkish and less Virginia. Stronger in nicotine and less sweet than Squadron Leader but less edgy, less spicy with more latakia and less Turkish.

Erinmore Balkan Mixture is a delicious Balkan blend, it is now a new favorite of mine, I have already 10 tins and I will certainly buy more in the futur (on my next trip).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bucivs (15)	2020-11-25		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Quite mild EM very smooth but nothing special. I like something more complex and meditative but if you are looking for an every day smoke it’s ok.

Pipe Used: Olive pipe

Age When Smoked: 5

Purchased From: Dussin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2016-06-02		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

Erinmore tobaccos (among other brands like Dunhill) were produced by Murray Sons & Co (Belfast, Northern Ireland) until 2005 when the company went out of business. Production is now with the Scandinavian Tobacco Group STG, Copenhagen/Denmark. The presentation of “Erinmore Balkan Mixture” looks like a messy mix of different kinds of Ribbon and Shag Cut, and plenty of crumbs, therefore it burns rather hot. Regarding the cut, STG does really a much better job on the Dunhill blends. Moisture in tin is ok for me, although some might prefer to allow a short drying time. Beside a rather hot burning, good smoking mechanics. All aromas deploy very consistently throughout the bowl.

The backbone of this blend is Virginia, mainly with bread and yeast notes. Latakia is always present, but never dominating. Abundant, well balanced Orientals donate spice, body and depth. Wood and smoke are dominant flavours; I love this. On retrohale a light pepper note is noticeable. Incidentally I feel a subtle coolness on my palate. Rather complex aromas. Full, creamy, velvety, deep, not heavy. It’s definitely the Virginias and the Orientals that play the game, not Latakia. This blend is quite sweet but still ok. It might be natural tobacco-sweetness, as well as some added sweetness. When you smoke this mixture you should be dedicated. It’s not a smoke for in-between or while doing other things. It is a gorgeous blend. Pleasant aftertaste and room note.

Age When Smoked: New, out of the tin.

Purchased From: Local tobacconist.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Charliejeffy (3)	2016-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Bought this from a local shop, popped the tin right open and a strong smell of a spicy BBQ sauce hit me. No idea how to describe it differently, but it's definitely something I enjoyed about this tobacco right after opening the tin. Not knowing what to expect(first English/Balkan blend), I packed this inside my pipe with the Frank method and lit it up. What I immediately noticed was the very good moisture level out of the tin. The tobacco lit right up and wouldn't had required a second light if I hadn't tamped it. Me, being a traditionalist, I fired it up again, after the false light and it didn't go out until half the bowl. I'm sure I could've kept it lit even more, but being new, I kinda suck.

Anyway, the smoke has a tangy, rich and mellow taste. The latakia is definitely there, but in small amounts. It pops up unexpectedly and condiments your smoking session pleasantly. I haven't had a problem with the nicotine in this, hell, I've even went as far as inhaling once or twice in order to feel the strength and I just can't feel it(it is there, though, as far as the other reviews say, so I'll go fora medium in strength). It might be due to being an ex-cigarette smoker, I guess.

Overall, I recommend this blend for anyone who wants to start experiencing the wonderful taste of latakia based blends.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Telling it how it is. (73)	2015-05-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

There is not alot to say about this one.

Its a very well balanced and rather mild balkan blend. In that regard i strongly recommend it for beginners which would like to delve into the balkan blends. You really don't have to take care much about this blend, just fire it up and enjoy. From the beginning to the end it simply tastes nice, spicy and with a hint of dark sweetness and of course the heavy, dark earthiness which is the hallmark of balkan blends. Its smoke is velvety and as far away from being harsh as any possible. Even if you mistreat it tongue bite will never occur.

I cannot find any downside at all in this blend, and again, i recommend it for the beginner in balkan blends. For the advanced or experienced smoker i recommend this as an everyday smoke.

And yes, it is not as complex in taste as other balkans would be, but this is not necessarily a bad thing and regardless this blend is far from being flat or one dimensional. Overall one simply cannot go wrong with this one.

Pro tip: if you like this blend then buy some more, it will be gone in 2016!

Pipe Used: It went trough rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SamH (31)	2015-03-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a subjective matter. I started (after a brief and unsuccessful try with Clan as a student, and for some reason a lot of Gold Block I managed to buy in bulk) with this tobacco and it led me onto other things. (A Gateway Tobacco?!) If this type of tobacco is your thing, you ought to like it. I did. From here I went to try Squadron Leader and Skiff Mixture, then discovered Virginia/Virginia based flakes which I now prefer. However it is a nice tobacco, in a nice tin and to me is still very pleasant when I feel like a change.

Pipe Used: Mixture

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tesco

Similar Blends: Possibly Squadron Leader or Skiff Mixture?.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	garydobbs (20)	2014-10-09		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I like Lakeland style blends and this certainly tasted like one for me. There are orientals mixed in with this but the mix is predominantly Virginia and latakia. It smokes really well, straight out of the packet and there is no tongue bite - though I expect that a lot of the tongue bite complaints in the various reviews may be due to bad smoking or a soured pipe used.

It's not the best English mix I've ever smoked but it is far from the worse and I would certainly smoke more of this were it easier to find.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smoke shop

Similar Blends: punchbowlee, squadron leader, Sutliff Tobacco Company - Dunhill's London Mixture Match.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	milabros1981 (15)	2014-02-10		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Despite the fact that I've read that the EBM is considered to be as the most 'flat' among the balkan blends, I personally loved it. Beautiful, complete and somehow smooth taste from the orientals, a perfectly balanced virginia and somewhere behind the scenes there's a pinch of latakia lurking to offer a full body-taste. Room note, according to wife: tolerable enough to postpone the divorce, a somewhat smokey odour that reminds us that our wives sheldom like BBQ...A must have in my cellar anyway!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2011-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Nice smell from the tin, it burns nicely from the beginning. The taste is a classic Latakia mixture with some interesting notes. The Latakia, tastes dry and reminds me of Consummate Gentleman but overall not as tasty. I still like it and recommend it for the casual Latakia smoker.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-07-30		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I wasn't sure about this blend but over the last three months it's kind of grown on me !! Took a bit of getting used to because it was very different from my normal choice of tobacco, but now ?? I like it !!! Very spicy smoke, burns to a nice white ash right down to the bottom of the bowl, very good quality tobacco mix. Never had tongue bite from this blend but maybe for a new pipe smoker the nicotine might give quite a hit if you go at it too hard. For me, it's not an every day smoke, just an occasional change for the taste buds!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bayro (30)	2011-07-20		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

The first time I tried "Erinmore classic" in rectangular yellow box in front of more than thirty years. It was "something different" than anything I've previously tried, but we stayed in good memory and I'm always happy to return to him whenever I had the opportunity. This mix of pleasantly surprised me. It remained all the qualities of the 'old' Erinmore, but now with a nice dose of premium Latakia which fit nicely with the old, recognizable surface! For praise!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2011-05-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

In the long run, Erinmore Balkan Mixture has revealed to be a very appealing and substantial medium EM.

Very well balanced, and to my great surprise it has Orientals of unexpected quality, and the truly fair quantity of Latakia. Burns very very well and dry, leaving the smoker wanting more, but in a very positive way. IMHO this is one of the few EM having the right features to be an all-day smoke.

EBM doesn't match the highest quality of say-Skiff, but proposes to be a solid and reliable second.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-05-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

After being a long time smoker Of Samuel Gawiths Balkan mixture I thought I would give this a try. A total disappointment. I don't know if I got a tin from a bad batch or not, if so Erinmore need to improve their quality control. It look like saw dust. It was very dry.The smell was flat and on smoking there was no improvement. Where was the smoky taste that comes with Balkan brands. I couldn't detect any. All in all the worst tobacco I have ever come across. If I could give it minus star rating I would.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ynrozturk (62)	2011-01-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

To this day, it's been a love/hate situation with Erinmore and I. Erinmore Flake is enjoyable, though nothing that special. And Erinmore Mixture is just foul.. kind of like smoking an exhaust pipe dipped in fruit. We smoke pipe tobacco. I guess Erinmore was smoking something else when they came up with Mixtue.

Erimore Balkan Mixture however, really shines. It's just suited to my tastebuds better overall. I love the orientals in there, and the latakia is present, but not over powering.

It's a sippers smoke, nice and cool burning with great flavor. I don't see myself getting tired of this anytime soon.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-08-24		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Having tried Erinmore Flake to honour my grandad, I read a few reviews of this blend and decided to try it, lured in by the comparisons to Dunhill's EMP (which just sounds so wonderful although sadly I won't be able to try it).

I must say that I find this tobacco really agreeable. The tin aroma is pungent and one can really detect the orientals in there. This blend turned me on to English blends and I discovered how the natural flavours and aromas of the tobacco taste and smell far superior to aromatics. I do find, strangely, that this blend is at its best smoked in the morning and recall having a bowl in the drizzle of a grey French morning at a the Aire Baie de la Somme.

It packs well, stays alight and smokes well all the way to the bottom.

I will certainly keep it within my regular rotation. Good stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2010-08-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

They say that this is a good alternative to Early Morning Pipe by Dunhill and I can see the similarities.

All in all definitely worth a shout, and fair play to Erinmore for doing their best with it..

Recommended ...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Full English (31)	2010-08-17		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A truly knockout tobacco by Erinmore; this is one of the few standalones I've tried and tested to date. If the smoking rooms of yesteryear were alive today, then I'm pretty certain that this is what the bespectacled and moustachioed gentry would be smoking inside those heavy oak-panelled walls.

Richly enticing, wholeheartedly deep, and boldly smoky; It's not bitter, nor overpowering. The burn is at a lovely constant and the pipe never seems to draw moisture or gurgle, regardless of the design. What we have here is a fine example of the sum parts of a given blend working together in harmony and balance.

To cap a bang-on smoke, credit must go Erinmore for the availability of their 15g samplers; delightfully packaged as nothing less than a mini version of their regular 50g pouches. It's the perfect size for the curious and non-committal sceptics, and for those rovers who merely wish to traverse a broad spectrum of pipe tobaccos, without breaking the bank to do so. In an age where many pipe shop owners see the act of giving a free bowl as something affecting profit margins in a negative way, these samplers are the next best thing.

Every company should follow suit.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KahveDelisi (73)	2010-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

As other reviewers stated, I was quite sceptical about this tobacco. And I was WRONG! It's now my everyday smoke and I truly appreciate the right amount of spiciness it offers. Compared to other balkan mixtures...well, I don't. For me, it's very satisfying and "bang for your money" type of smoke. Actually I'm surprised it's reviewed by so few people but not surprised that it got so many 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Although this is a great tobacco, as all underneath reviewers have written, in all honesty I can only give it 3 stars.

As a pipe novice I first tried mild aromatics, and still love them, but wanted to try more pure blends so landed with this one. Problem is, however slow and easy I smoke, the nicotine hits me halfway through the bowl (after 20-30 minutes). I then put the pipe aside and have enough for the evening... sadly enough, because all other aspects of this tobacco are great : taste, no bite, great aftertaste, room note...

I have in the meantime turned to Squadron Leader, perhaps a better choice for a novice wanting to try English blends. Maybe in a year's time I will return to EBM to see if I by then the nic doesn't act as a killjoy anymore. I so want to enjoy this tobacco !

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Top quality balkan. I would say about 25% latakia, and lots of tasty, spicy orientals.

Comparing it with Squadron Leader, like others have done, I find it a tinny bit stronger in nicotine, maybe with a little more latakia, and much spicier. SL is sweeter, tangier and fresher. This Erinmore Balkan Mixture is deeper in taste and rounder. In truth, it's not much similar to Squadron Leader at all... Great for a night smoke, or on the colder days.

UPDATE: some british stores are announcing this as a fine replacement for Early Morning Pipe... if it's not similar to SL, I find it even less similar to EMP. EMP's orientals are not as spicy as Erinmore Balkan Mixture's, and EMP has almost no latakia (maybe 10%, tops).

UPDATE 2: Abingdon is very similar to Erinmore Balkan Mixture, although not as rich and complex.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2009-02-26		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First time I tried it I thought it was nice but nothing special. Second time, I started noticing some nice things in it. Third time, ok, this is tasty. Fourth time, I was hooked. Now it's become the one I can't wait to light up when I get home.

Everyone here (so far) has done justice to this blend in their descriptions, so I don't feel any need to be redundant -- perhaps Pipe4ever's comparison to a less sweet but stronger, tangier Squadron Leader is most apt. I would only emphasize that (for me at least) it is quite a bit stronger -- indeed it has a surprisingly strong kick for such a mellow blend: I didn't notice it at first until, after two consecutive bowls, it snuck up on me and smacked me upside the head, which only made me love it more.

Delicious, with zero maintenance. If I were an all-day smoker this would probably be my default, which Introibo says would "prove to be too much of a good thing", to which I say, "so be it!"

For me this blend is a masterpiece. Definitely one of my desert island blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lindsberg (2)	2023-01-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Only twice have I had Latakia before (EMP it was) from a friend of mine, but this Balkan is my first, and yet only Latakia blend, so I do not know whether my opinion is relevant at this point (possibly once will be, and then I'll edit it). As far as I can tell, I directly asked for a lighter, "newbie-friendly" Latakia blend, and I as well got one. It is quite pleasant, especially if you happen to smoke it in cold, as cooler smoke happens to have more taste. As said before, can't give a comparison to other blends, but as far as I remember my friend's EMP, I might like Balkan a tiny bit better. Maybe it has a more appealing taste to newcomers, but yet I do not dare to criticize the legendary Early Morning Pipe. All that I say is, Balkan as its own is exceptional I daresay, and could be your partner to a nice smoke on a dull, cloudy day.

Pipe Used: Hungarian brand "Szabó" pipes

Age When Smoked: Haven't aged it

Purchased From: Fincato, Italy

Similar Blends: Peterson - Early Morning Pipe.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Theharp (16)	2017-04-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

It would be a dull world if we all had the same tastes. Reading some of the reviews I began to think I must have missed something. One commentator opined that this is inoffensive tobacco and I think I can go along with that. It certainly packs, lights and smokes easily. But as I worked my way through a 50g tin using several different pipes and hoping for some moment of revelation, none came. It's not that EBM is bad, my tin - and I may have been unlucky - lacked complexity, lacked character; lacked flavour. I will allow there are similarities with EMP insofar as they are both quite mild and easy smoking but the EMP, to use a musical allusion, still surprises the palette with chords where EBM uses only single notes. I much prefer Peterson's Balkan Delight.

Pipe Used: Stanwell, Peterson Harp

Age When Smoked: From tin

Purchased From: Smoker's Market, Derby

Similar Blends: Parson's Pleasure.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-23		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

It is quite amazing that no one feels a hint of pineapple in this wonderful EM. Maybe my two tins (which were 20 years old) contained a different blend compared to the new production. I'll try soon a new one to catch the differences. Anyway, this is a very good EM, cool, and never boring. 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Age When Smoked: 20 years or so

Purchased From: Bollito, Torino (Italy)

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gonzok (3)	2015-11-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is a very smooth smoke. It is the first non-aromatic tobacco which I had smoked and is the one that finally got me to quit my 30 a day cigarette habit. The tobacco can be enjoyed after a meal or with a hot cup of coffee and can be an all day smoke. The flavour is a little mild, but is pleasantly spicy from around mid-bowl, and it does not last as long as some other blends which I have tried since discovering this blend but it is a cool and very pleasurable smoke.

Age When Smoked: New tin

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	samanfromiran (22)	2015-06-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

nice blend with good nicotine kick.it was one of the best english/balkan iv tried so far.it stays lit very well.the balance is very well.also it was better than early morning pipe.finally i think you wont be dissapointed of this stuff.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Good reliable balkan blend...I believe there are better ones to be had but no complaints. Smokes very well in a Falcon with bulldog bowl.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-02-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I give this balkan mixture a solid 2 stars.

As others have pointed out, it smokes well right off the bat, and it ticks off all the right boxes for a BM of spices, noble woods and leather however it is quite flat and lacks depth unlike other BM like Gawith, Hoggarth's version which i prefer.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hiatus67 (6)	2011-05-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first tobacco that I have smoked and my reaction was very positive. It is a blend that I want to smoke it from time to time. Like it is write on the tin "Early Morning", it is the more strong variant of Dunhill`s Early Morning Pipe, that is made also by Orlik. I came across a tin made by Murray, that is no longer available, but the Orlik variant is definitive better tasting.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2010-11-12		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I tried a sampler pack of this with some misgiving, because I hate the bizarre taste of Erinmore Mixture and the name rang a warning bell in my mind; but Jim the tobacconist lured me on with honeyed words and I succumbed.

My gamble was well rewarded. Like some other reviewers, I would call this an English rather than a Balkan mixture, and it's a very good one. It's a tobacco to be enjoyed slowly in a comfortable chair, rather than outdoors or while doing something: it deserves your undivided attention. The balance of flavours is excellent; it lights well, and stays lit, and there are lots of complex nuances that make their way in and out of the smoke as you go down the bowl. It's not villainously strong, very smooth, and it doesn't bite. I can see why some people compare it to Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe, but it seems to me a more “substantial” smoke than EMP. On the negative side: it's a bit too moist in the tin, and it burns rather quickly. I like my smokes to last, and this doesn't give you much in the way of duration.

I'm not always in the mood for a Latakia mixture: the fancy for one comes upon me especially when the weather is cold, for some reason. So, for me, this is a good, occasional winter smoke. I wouldn't make a habit of it, and I can't say that it's one of my all-time favourites; but I'm happy to recommend it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco is really a standalone blend. Having read only good about it, I was quite surprised to find it in my local tobacco shop. I tried it and it grabbed my heart and soul from the very beginning. It's the best traditional english blend I know. In my opinion, it's even better than Ashton's Artisan. But that may be due to the fact that Balkan Mixture is a little bit spicier. It may only be my subjective opinion. Anyway, it's a blend of highest quality and if you want to have a perfectly balanced blend, this one is for you. After opening the tin the smoky scent of the best Latakia comes across you, but it's very well balanced and not too overwhelming. As being a traditional english blend, it seems to spell understatement and elegance. Lovely, old-fashioned Ribbon Cut, easy to pack. It lights without any difficulties and stays lit well down to the bottom of the bowl, notwithstanding the fact that it needs a small relight somewhere in the middle. But that may be due to the age of my Ascot Selected. It's taste is just a dream, it's unmistakably english. Very spicy and smoky, but with a slight, perfectly dosed note of the orientals and only occasionally the Virginias popping in. All in all, perfectly balanced and very elegant. Dominated by the lovely Latakia, but complex enough to maintain my interest in it. Full of facettes. It never bites me, even if I push it, which is not recommended, as it is a tobacco that makes you lean back and enjoy your favourite record. I will buy it again. A master's blend!

Update 16th of November 2010

After a while of only smoking My Mixture 965, I smoked a bowl of Balkan Mixture this morning. Again, I realised how great it is. I find it even better than 965, which really is a standalone blend. But Balkan Mixture offers a complexity of flavours I can't stay away from. It satisfies me every time I smoke it. And it's one of the blends that gets better in the open tin. I've been smoking mine for two weeks now and now as it's almost empty, it's even more enjoyable.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philosopher (27)	2010-10-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've just come back to pipe smoking after a long break, and this is the first Balkan tobacco I've smoked. I was pretty surprised when I opened the tin, I didn't realize you could get tobacco like this and I wasn't sure I'd like it. The same kind of smoky experience I had the first time I had a glass of Laphraoig 20 odd years ago. I wasn't sure then if I'd like Laphraoig, and now it and the Islay whiskys are my favourites. A few pipebowls of this and I'm converted - will definitely try other tobacco in this vein.

Update: I'm now hooked on English blends. I'm upgrading this to full marks.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is not "Early morning pipe", it's different and it's much better. I have smoked a lot of Balkan blends, but this one is special. I have smoked 4 and a half tin of it so far and it's great. High quality leaf is used in this one, you can see it immediately after opening the tin. The taste is right at the sweet spot, not overwhelming and not shallow. And the price is good too, I wonder why someone should smoke any other Balkan blend. I got nearly a lifetime amount of this tobacco in my cellar and I'm getting to like it more and more.

There is a review giving this tobacco bad rating because it's not aromatic, well it's not, that one is "Erinmore mixture".

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-07-14		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I really like Erinmore Flake and Erinmore Mixture so I had to try the Balkan Mixture and go for the hat-trick. It is a very nice smoke... and thats about it really.. it's a nice smoke. You get the light flavours of the Latakia which makes it all smooth but there are better Latakia blends.

For those that dont like their Latakia too strong then this is a winner but just lacks a little something .. for me at least. Maybe its the lack of pineapple! ;)

Review based on a new tin and not a cellared one.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tazman (4)	2010-05-26		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After reading comment on this one I wanted to give it a try,but unfortunately it wasn't what I expected it to be.This is not my kind of tobacco. Fairly sweet at the beginning of the bowl but later on gives you a bitter-sweet aftertaste.I think I will stick on the ERINMORE MIXTURE,or maybe try something else before I end up

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-19		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

if you like english/balkan tobaccos,you cant go wrong with this.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-08		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Unnoticeable

A blend with taste of fruit (cherry maybe), caramel and chocolate, very pleasant, little bit tiny at the beggining of the pipe.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipesmoking101 (63)	2010-02-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Like some others here, I ordered the 15 gram sampler pack. The smell straight from the pack was divine, with the stong scent of the Latakia vying with the Orientals for my olfactory adoration. Upon inspection, the tobacco appears to have small pieces of broken flake in with the ribbon cut tobaccos, so it did require a little rubbing out before it could be packed & lit. It packed easily & took the flame with ease. The light remained throughout the bowl with very little maintenance. The tobacco has a taste which is sweet & dark at the same time. The flavour is dominated by the Orientals, with the Latakia playing second fiddle up untill the second half of the bowl when it moves to the foreground of the taste & levels itself out with the orientals. I think the Virginian is just in there to aid the burn & provide a mellowing effect to the strong flavour of the Latakia & Orientals, although, on consideration - maybe it's sweetness was there in the backgound - subdued by the spicy & musty Orientals & Latakia. The Viginian is a necessary component, but does not in any way dominate or express it's individual character. It seems to come across only in a synergised form combined with the other, darker tobaccos. The high quality of the tobacco used is evident in the extraordinarily exquisite taste. The tobacco smokes with a velvety smoothness throughout, & this expertley blended creation is as close to a Balkan Heaven as I think we can expect to see here on Earth. I got no bite from this tobacoo at all, but beware - if over puffed, I think it would snap quite viciously. The room note recieved no complaints. One of my current favourites, I have a feeling that I will keep this around all the time. Certainly hits the spot after dinner whilst allowing the stresses of the day to waft away to a good film or some classic tunes. This was smoked in a GBD Bulldog which I use for most Latakia blends. In all honesty, I lack the linguistic competence to express appropriately the magic of this tobacco. Very highly recommended. (N.B. Needless to say - as this is a Balkan blend - this contains NONE of the flavours associated with other Erinmore blends (eg Erinmore Flake) which I can see has concerned some people here - this is, as I have said, just incredibly high quality unflavoured tobacco).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-10-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

high quality tobacco, packs easy and fast,burns evenly and tastes fantastic.

the taste is strong ,satisfying and natural. deep and spicy.

it has an acceptable room note and is one of those natural blends that can be smoked indoor.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A smoke that I wanted to try. I bought it in Berlin in the shop KaDeWe.

A marvelous, all day smoke, for those who love Balkan. Of course it needs to be dried before the first smoking, but in no case can this be considered as a disadvantage for this marvelous smoke. Orange Virginia, Oriental and a marvelous Latakia, which is not intense or tedious. It leaves a discreet and not annoying perfume in the area. Beautiful and characteristic flavor which is maintained up to the end of bowl.

What else can I say It is now one of my top 5 tobaccos. Its a little difficult to light, specifically when it is humid.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-06-28		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, those who do not like aromatics have to try this one. I used to be a fan of aromatics, but out of curiosity, I purchased a tin of this nice tobacco, and i must say I loved it!!! Of course, the first few times were strange and unusual, but after that, I liked it very much... highly recommended...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	paulwfromtheden (14)	2009-05-08		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I was sent a pouch of this as a consequence of a bungled tobacco order. My instant reaction to anything with 'Erinmore' on the front is to put it straight in the bin. I could not have been more impressed. This was a really enjoyable smoke. No toung bite, and a super taste right to the end. The pouch was only for 12.5 grams, and I will certainly be getting some more of this in the future.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked this a lot of late - not exactly through choice, though; my local (non-smoking) tobacconist seems to have decided that he doesn't fancy stocking Peterson's Old Dublin (let alone Ashton's Artisan Blend!) and this seemed like the only thing he had on the shelf that could give me something of that fragrent Latakia nose-tickle. It's a pleasant tobacco; it is inoffensive; it's not cheap; I wouldn't feel like buttonholing strangers about it and saying 'You MUST try some of this!', it's not a tobacco I can get too worked up about.

It's O.K (and if this sounds a little like 'damning with faint praise' then I suppose I can live with that).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aseduikis (5)	2009-02-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Still the best english type mixture I ever tried. Erinmore balkan mixture was my first english type tobacco, which I got as a gift from my friend when he returned to Lithuania from London. Latakia smells fine from the tin, but when smoked, it's not so noticeable. You can feel virginia sweetnes even enhanced by latakia. Packs, lights and burns easily with no tongue bite (unless you puff like a locomotive). I truly enjoy it :-)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-10-26		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Being an aromatic smoker and at the same time detesting the other Erinmore blends, I took a chance on EBM with great suspicion. I wouldn't even think about it, if it wasn't SMOKETSES the one who insisted in this (he seldom goes wrong). Well, what a great smoke! Filling, packing, lighting and burning, though ideal, are side issues related to the quality of the leaf. In a few words: A worthy representative of oriental mixtures, a perfect combination of sweet and spicy bodies. You aromatic enthoustiasts, don't be afraid of the latakia; its low content, I estimate it at less than 20 percent, is only there to accomplish the symphony of this comer tobacco. And following the nice daydream of INTROIBO, I should hasten the over-10-years planned journey to the tobacco-growing roadways of Macedonia and Thrace-northern Greece, preferably during summer, with a couple of Erinmore Balkan Mixture tins in my baggage.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2008-09-21		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

UPDATE 21 SEPTEMBER 2008 I did finish the pouch I was given and went so far as to buy a tin which I opened today, being on a Latakia thing, I lit a pipe whilst exercising the lawnmower, as this tabac is low maintenance it served well it's pupose, that is, sufficient vitamin N and taste whilst busy. For my personal view, although this may nor enter rotation, I can see myself buying more of this as I am fortunate enough to live on the North West coast and spend much time in the winter on the beach with my daughters Black Labrador. Here of course, a low maintenance and easy load / lighting tabac is a must, (try rubbing out a flake in a South Westerly) therefore, I feel I must join the consenus of opinion and up this to 4 stars.

ORIGINAL JULY 17 2008 Unlucky Rob, I was given a pouch of this as a gift, as soon as I saw the name, I gave it back. However, they insisted, so not to be unkind, I accepted. This is the first Balkan that I have tried, so I have nothing to compare it with thus I am unable to say whether this is a good Balkan or a poor imitation.

All I can say is that it packs easily, burns well and has an interesting taste and flavour, slightly sweet, cool smoking, the Latakia coming to the forefront without being overwhelming by any means, in fact the more I smoke it, the more I am inclined to seek out other Balkan blends and give them a try.

Seems to keep prety well, I've had this pouche open a week or so now, no evidence of drying out to dust. I could even be tempted to buy the occasional pouch of this, but it would be interesting to read the impressions of the more experienced Balkan boys. So for the moment, a cautious 3 stars.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-09-16		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Erinmore Balkan is recommended for what it is. Not the younger, shy, retiring brother of Balkan Sobranie, and certainly not a close friend or relative of the Squadron Leader and other famous balkan/orientals, Erinmore Balkan will disappoint you if you are looking for something along the lines of the great late-lamented blends.

However, if you are looking for excellent value for money, a light, well-balanced tobacco cut for easy packing, a blend that tastes oriental all the way to the end of the pipe, give it at least a couple of smokes in different pipes to see whether it is strong enough, has enough flavour and gives you the satisfaction that you get from other blends.

As always, I tried this out in several pipes. In a couple of them it was tasteless and laid a kind of greasy coating all over my mouth. In another pipe it was as if I was smoking ash. But, finally, in the right pipe, it starts with a strong, sweetish wiff of that familiar territory -- East of Italy, the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, down south of the Danube as far as the Bosphorous and beyond. I would like to say that you can almost hear the Orient Express whistling by, but that would be exaggerating.

You get brief waves of intensely oriental flavour -- the surf washing up on the shores of the Dardanelles -- and the Latakia lurks in the shadows, like Peter Lorre in a doorway filmed by Fritz Lang.

It is not, one hastens to add, a Sobranie. If pressed I would describe it as a little like Davidoff's Royalty, but with less of the Virginia and more straightforward oriental taste. A "by the numbers" oriental, but excellent value. I went out and ordered 10 50 gram cans. At at third of the price of Royalty, it is worth it.

Never likely to be an all day blend -- the orientals would prove too much of a good thing, I think.

A note about the tin -- it says "Murrays" on the top, but on the back "Orlik". I take it this was one of the blends that got transported to Germany. One can only suppose a couple of Macedonians employed in the Orlik factory persuaded the bosses to leave out the cavendish and aromatic flavouring.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-08-27		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

this is the first balkan i have tried the smell did put me off a bit but it is a great taste it may be a bit like condor, a bit of a marmite thing, but if you are a bit adventures give it a try, and don,t let the smell put you off, i myself could not smoke it all day, but i do like to chop and change, between aromatics and strongish flakes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2008-03-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Blended by Orlik for Erinmore, this is their stab at cornering a part of the market for Balkan blends. I bought a 15 gram sampler pouch in the UK for GBP 2.99, so it is quite expensive. But when I opened the pouch, I knew it would be money well spent. I was greeted by a ribbon cut black and golden and brown mixture that smelled heavenly of Latakia with an unusual sweetness and spicyness as well. Burning well enough as would be expected, the taste is that of a typical Balkan blend, smoky, spicy and naturally sweet. I cannot make lenghty comparisons to other Balkan blends out there as I have not smoked that many, but to me, this is a very fine tobacco indeed. Rob

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