MacBaren HH Balkan Blend

Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:52 pm

MikeDennison wrote: ↑Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:38 pm
houtenziel wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:51 pm
MikeDennison wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:34 pm Who is the blender of Vintage Syrian? You guys have piqued my interest!
Mac Baren. Unfortunately Syrian Latakia is extinct, so the blend went off the market. The supposed replacement was HH Balkan Blend, but it sounds like a completely different mix.
Oh. Ok. Too bad. You guys were making it sounds really good!

It was pretty darned good. I gave it a 4 in TR, and since I have smoked 5 pounds of it, it made my favorites there.

Houtenziel · Tue Jan 22, 2019 5:43 pm

MikeDennison wrote: ↑Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:38 pm
houtenziel wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:51 pm
MikeDennison wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:34 pm Who is the blender of Vintage Syrian? You guys have piqued my interest!
Mac Baren. Unfortunately Syrian Latakia is extinct, so the blend went off the market. The supposed replacement was HH Balkan Blend, but it sounds like a completely different mix.
Oh. Ok. Too bad. You guys were making it sounds really good!

When it was available I never really gave it more than a passing glance, as I had other blends that left me contented. Now that I've smoked it, I've been struggling to enjoy just about every other Lat blend that I normally like. John Bull, MB Latakia Flake, Red Rapparee, and SG Commonwealth have all been a struggle to even finish(I actually decided after two dumped bowls I don't like Commonwealth anymore). I'm not a frequent Latakia smoker, and lately it's seemed like I struggle more and more with it. Cyprian Latakia, especially in the presence of strong Orientals produces a strange flavor that sort of reminds me of snake musk.. which is why I think I've slowly begun to tend toward American blends(or like Bob's Chocolate Flake) where Lat is used in a more lightly condimental fashion, and Orientals are absent.

In short, Vintage Syrian pretty much killed any desire I had left to smoke Cyprian blends. I am a fan. If I could get a pound of it to jar up and stash away, it'd last me for ages and I'd probably never buy any other English/Balkan blend again.
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