Customer Reviews (16 Total)
A real tongue tickler
August 01, 2018
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 3.5oz
As Briscoe Darling would say, this tobacco really "twangs my buds." It's better than Vintage Syrian & has a subtle sweetness which I enjoy immensely.
An All-Day Blend
November 29, 2019
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
This blend smells nice in the tin, kind of honied, with some sourish fruit notes in there. With air time the Latakia becomes noticeable. This is no Latakia bomb, but it's a great blend. It has balance, but this is a sweeter style of this genre, which... Read More
I appreciated. I think it's an all day blend. Read Less
A Very Good Cyprian Balkan Blend
May 26, 2019
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
OK... it is only about the halfway point that you'll finally experience that tasty interaction process. It just seems to take a while for this flavor to finally develop but when it does, Balkan lovers can expect that alluring & elusive flavor tha... Read More
t we expect from a good Balkan. From my experience thus far, it would seem that this blend would be better served up in a deeper bowl... at least 1 3/8 inches or more... similar to what we might use to smoke a Virginia blend. FWIW, I liked this better than the HH Vintage Syrian Balkan because HH VS contained an abundance of Syrian Latakia that sort of overwhelmed the Orientals but then again, they are two different animals... one heavy Syrian & the other Cyprian in moderation. Read Less
A Gentle English
August 25, 2021
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 3.5oz
HH Balkan is a beautifully blended, smooth English, but the overall intensity of the Latakia is less than in other English blends. In my book, this is a good thing, giving an English option that is both top-quality and easygoing. It's a bit like the ... Read More
difference between Scotch neat and Scotch-and-soda: Both are good, and you might prefer one over the other depending on circumstances. Between HH Balkan, Kramer's Father Dempsey, and Bengal Slices, my English needs are more than met. (Update: I like this so much that I ordered a pound to cellar.) Read Less
nice change of pace
December 20, 2022
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
Tin date Nov 2019 has note of smoky, fermented sour, and mild fruit. Tobacco ribbons are brown and black with a little tan. Moisture content is good, dry but soft and not sticky, so no drying needed. Burns slow with a few extra relights. The strength... Read More
is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of very smoky, spicy, leather, herbal floral, very woody, spices, dry earth, sweet grass, bitter cocoa, lemon peel, a buttery sweet nutty background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia and Orientals are leading with Virginias, Burleys and Kentucky supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great. Read Less
Big n’ Burley Balkan
November 12, 2021
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 3.5oz
Like most every HH mixture featuring burley, the burleys here are the only constant presence. It remains earthy and nutty for the duration of the bowl, opening up the experience and then ushering it out the door at the end. Very nice orientals tickle... Read More
high up in the sinuses right away, starting the show with a bang just below the eyes and then slowly fading into the background. The latakia is present as a harmonizing and supporting player instead of a lead, which is exactly what you want in a balkan. These virginias are rather bright and sweet, which is very tasty can play a bit of havoc on the tip of the tongue if you’re not careful. HH Balkan Blend is significantly different from most of what Sutliff does with its burley-balkans. The tin note is sweet and round and barbecue-like, calling to mind a nice dark fired Kentucky( I had to double check the tin just to make sure they hadn’t snuck any in there). I was just reviewing Stokkebye Proper English and wishing it had some burley in it, but now if I ever want a balkan with tons of nutty burley I can turn to HH. Sutliff Crumble Kake English #1 and Sobranie 759 Match are still my daily go-to balkans, but I will definitely continue to keep HH balkan blend around for those days when that big burley craving hits. HH is not what many would regard as a “top shelf” marque, but it is incredibly reliable and consistent. For what it is, this blend is close to perfect. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
I had a small sample of this from a friend and I must say its pretty good. A very good balanced English. It came from a very fresh tin, I think 6 months to a year age will greatly enhance it, a few years even better!
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
Why yes.. this indeed hit the spot. By far, the best tasting tobacco i have had in a while. Just the way it smokes is rather amazing. The mix of tobaccos were thoughtfully considered. Its just really good. Sip it or smoke roughly. It performs!
Could be it...
December 11, 2021
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
This very well could be my new choice for an all-day smoke. The tin note is wonderfully balanced, and the taste is just as balanced between sweet, smoky and sour. Very pleasant to smoke, and its the first of any MB tobacco I have had that doesn't bit... Read More
e me. Very smooth smoke, with a mellow flavor. Read Less
Curious Tin Note.
June 25, 2021
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
First cracked the tin, and had to grab another whiff just to be sure, yup, it smells like a black forest ham. Very odd, but no it does not taste of it. In fast I find the virginias play a decent role in this blend, for a Balkan anyway.
The latakia is... Read More
kinda taking the back seat while letting the Virginia and Orientals do most of the work.
Lightly sweet, kinda fruity, but there is still a noticeable dash of burley nuttiness in there if you really start digging.
A different Balkan that is really worth a try. Read Less
Rich, bold English!
March 29, 2021
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
I really enjoy this blend. The tobacco is rich and flavorful, but will not over power. It’s got spice but also some sweetness, natural sweetness that really helps calm and round the rougher edges of the bolder leaves. Latakia is perfect, almost in ... Read More
the background but still very much present. Good stuff, will def get more Read Less
Delightful Balance
August 06, 2024
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
A Balkan which features Latakia in perfect balance with the other players. The Orientals add just the right amount of pepper and spice, especially as a lingering taste. There is also a beautiful flavor with which I am unfamiliar, but delighted to fin... Read More
d featured here. Packs easily and requires few relights. This is a delightfully complex smoke. Read Less
More BurVa than Balkan
September 24, 2023
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 3.5oz
Two years ago I enjoyed HH Balkan Blend a great deal. Today, perhaps due to the changing character of the aged blend and perhaps due to my own evolving tastes, I enjoy it less. The first thing to reach your nose from the jar is honeyed burley and a n... Read More
ote like dark fired kentucky. MB is famous for its burleys and cavendish so that's no surprise – play to your strengths, right? But there's not enough oriental leaf here for it to fall under the balkan umbrella. The latakia is neat, sweet and smoky like barbecue instead of bitter like creosote, and it works with the burley and the bright virginias. It's a round, sweet, nutty, earthy blend with a little bit of smoke from the barbecuey latakia. But the orientals have faded. Now it's more of a colonial style blend than a balkan. It's still relatively good, just much more burley and virginia than anything else. A decent BurVa, but if you want a Balkan then aged HH Balkan probably isn't the one. Read Less
Good blend
January 10, 2023
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
Great smoke, mild flavor, alot like Crowning Achievement, burned REALLY hot but smoke was ok, definitely enjoyed it.
Well balanced, excellent blend
December 16, 2021
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 1.75oz
AS is the case with so many HH series, this is a great blend. This is certainly english in character, but it is not a lat heavy mixture. IF you favour the spiced subtleties of the various orientals and how they play against a backbone of rich virgin... Read More
ia, you will enjoy this offering from MB. The Lat is used as a condiment, and is of a sweeter variety. This blend favours cooler weather, and is excellent for fall/winter. Read Less
Product: Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend 3.5oz
This blend is interesting, but really lacks body and flavour. Nicotine level is quite low as well, which might appeal to some. As a daily smoker, I thought it could use a little more on the burley and latakia end and a little less virginia. There's j... Read More
ust not a lot on the palate, and a straight burley blend would have far more flavor.
As with all HH blends (loose, not flake), the can was very rusty and the paper was brown with rust. Read Less
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HH Balkan Blend 3.5oz
