Manufacturer Description:
A beautifully formed dark flake of pressed Virginias with a generous helping of best Latakia. Balkan´s appearance encourages the pipe-smoker to fill up, relax and enjoy the "smokey" flavour with copious amounts of smoke. A medium strength smoke with cool and smooth characteristics.
Characterisation:
The tobacco lies in the tin as dark brown, rather thin cut slices. At the top are some crumbles, which seems to complete the 50g of the content. The slices are rather compact, even though they’re cut so thin and in spite of their rather high humidity they don’t stick to another. The smell reveal Latakia but also another strong tobacco.
Plugging:
The tobacco could be plugged in different ways. One could rub off the slices between the fingers and then plug it fluffily into the pipe ore one could fold the slices in the right length and twist them completely into the bowl, whereby one should put at last some tobacco crumbles on the top to make it easier to light up the tobacco. The tobacco should be plugged fluffily, because it tends to expand while burning down.
Light up:
In both cases the tobacco could light up well. It barely tends to straighten up and could be light up with one or two flames. It may be necessary to relight after a few draws before the tobacco glows equally.
Smoking properties:
The Balkan Flake couldn’t be compared with traditional “Balkan mixtures”, because the typical Orient tobaccos are missing. Only Latakia and Virginia let it seem to be purer but also smoother, even though the flake is medium strong. The taste reminds at earthy peat and in the background as dark unsweetened chocolate. Burning down could be controlled well and enjoyed slowly it’ll last cool and dry. The remaining ash is medium grey with a few rougher parts.
Redolency:
The redolence of the Balkan Flake is dominated by the smoky Latakia. In combination with the slightly sweet Virginia results the typically but something smoother smell of tobaccos with an high amount of Latakia. Tart, strong, smoky is a characterising description, but it’ll make the tobacco unsuitable for most societies too.
Conclusion:
The Balkan Flake consists of dark thin rather compact slices with a little bit higher humidity. Only Latakia and Virginia give it a pure, but rather smooth note. Both taste and redolence are dominated by the rather high amount of Latakia. The dull sweetly Virginia affirms the medium strength of the tobacco but rounds taste and redolence to a smoky pleasure too. Thereby the smell isn’t everybody’s cup of tea! Handling and burning down are uncomplicated and good-natured. The tobacco glows down with less condensate to a remaining medium grey ash. For beginners who’ll like a pure and smoky tobacco and don’t shrink back to the strength the Balkan Flake is worse a try. For experienced smokers of English tobacco it’s nearly a must have.
Copyright © 2009 by TECON GmbH
with friendly support of Heinz-Günter Döteberg
