34 replies to this topic

[Byron]

I also wanted to ask you where exactly in Macedonia, Greece (near which city) is the Yenitje leaf grown? Macedonia is quite a large region, was wondering if you could pinpoint the exact area.

I've recently found this which should help you.



http://www.pipeshowo...-Orientals.aspx

Fascinating reading. I seem to recall the name "Yenidje" on the old Balkan Sobranie tins that had so much character.

Excuse my ignorance but can you smoke this pipe tobacco as a roll up ciggie instead?

[Leon]

Balkan Sobranie cigarettes were advertised as being made from pure high-grade Yenidje. There may have been tiny additions of other things but yes they were Yenidje. The Balkan Sobranie pipe tobacco (disscontinued also) contained latakia also, an extremely strong and heady Syrian tobacco generally used for pipe blends.

You could smoke pipe tobacco in a cigarette, but it would be pretty overpowering as well as tarry and bad for both rolling and stuffing and wouldn't be the same as the cigarettes.

To match the Balkan Sobranie the Morland blend I gave is a good basis. They were very similar hand-made cigarettes only the Morlands had a notable Turkish (Izmir) component. Izmir isn't too dissimilar from Yenidje, just a little milder and more subtle, so the small addition of the dark fired tobacco helps boost that. Ramback Balkan contains a 10% Yenidje component with a backbone of all high-grade Balkan oriental and Balkan sun-cured virginian tobaccos to give a very mild, flavourful smoke. It's amazing to blend with the pure Izmir as it complements it perfectly and burns a little hotter releasing the Izmir flavour even more (as well as keeping the cigarette burning well and going out less easily).

[toady]

I'm sorry to revive this old thread but I came across it while googling and was fascinated. I've also been trying to work out a blend that resembles the Turkish cigarettes of old -- I landed on Ramback Turkish with a little bit of Bali Shag (a halfzware), so we are quite close.

Has your blend changed since this thread was posted? Ramback doesn't come in a shag cut anymore and I wonder if that's problematic for your stuffing. (I currently roll them but I hate it and I'm looking to buy a crank stuffer.)

Have you heard of anywhere in Europe that sells Ramback? I have to get it brought back by friends from the States, but this happens infrequently enough that I can't smoke as much as I'd like to (which is perhaps not altogether a bad thing…)

I also heard rumours that Ramback Balkan was being discontinued -- have you heard anything about this?

[delfloria]

Thanks for posting this article. Sobranies were always my first choice and I did order a pack of Morland's with the three rings from England way back when. They didn't last long. Always been a recreational smoker for the taste but never got "hooked". Martinis, Girls and Guns are all vices that need to be taken in moderation.

[Justin427]

Hi there,

 

I do realise that this is a very old topic (probably) however, I have recently come across this article and it was honesty a pleassure to read, managing to answer a lot of my queries. I have also gone through the sites you posted of ROY magazine and the tobacco tutorials have neen invaluable!! 

I am curious have you managed to update the original blend?

 

Also, I am trying to find Ramback Balkan to purchase it on the net, however, I can't seem to find a site that sells this tobacco? Is it not being sold anymore? If not can I hope to substitute it with anything else?

 

All your recommendations would be more than appreciated.

 

Thank you very much and once again, I love this site!