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English Vs. Balkan...

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Briar Boy

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There have been endless debates on the differences between a Balkan blend versus a English blend with no clear answer IMO, what is the difference or does it all boil down to terminology?
 

deluxestogie

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The notion of an English blend derives from the presence in the past of law that forbade any adulteration of tobacco sold in the UK. So, no American-style flavorings and aromatic blends. I would consider English style pipe tobacco to be a non-aromatic, and non-burley blend. It may or may not contain Oriental tobaccos or Perique.

A Balkan blend, by definition, contains Greek or Macedonian (or also Turkish) ingredients. It may also contain Latakia.

Bob
 

DonH

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Most English blends available do have Turkish and Latakia precisely for the reason Bob mentions, they add flavor without casing or topping. I don't think a plain Virginia blend would be considered an English blend. Also English blend usually have Latakia but not as much as Turkish or Balkan blends.
 

deluxestogie

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"Virginia" tobacco, as a wildly popular category of tobacco, did not achieve its fame in Virginia, but in England, which imported the entire tobacco export of the Virginia Colony (once the colonists figured out to grow Orinoco, instead of native tobacco). It was only the raging popularity of Virginia tobacco in England that allowed our narco-state to succeed.

Bob
 

Jitterbugdude

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By English Purity Laws some adulterants were allowed. Something along the lines of what we call today "natural flavors" . The Lakeland tobaccos with their famous love it or hate it flavor comes to mind.
 

Nic

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362 more days

Ahh, did you consider that Febuary 2016 has 29 days? ;)

I haven't tried many commercial blends only some basic drugstore blends and as a new pipe smoker I have to ask; Is it common for tobacco companies to put aromatics in "english style blends" or does that fall under another category?
 

deluxestogie

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...only some basic drugstore blends and as a new pipe smoker I have to ask; Is it common for tobacco companies to put aromatics in "english style blends" or does that fall under another category?
Inexpensive brands use lower grade tobaccos, and must cover the poor quality with aromatics. Since the UK no longer prevents adulteration of tobaccos,
"English-style" really doesn't mean much any more. And since competitive bidding in the EU is open to all members, many English and Scottish brands are no longer manufactured in the UK, and are often made to new recipes. Rattray's used to be one of my favorite brands of pipe tobacco. Now, the packaging says "blended for Charles Rattray, Perth, Scotland," but is made elsewhere (Transylvania?).

Bob
 

deluxestogie

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I just meant generally around the community not just here.
You underestimate the argumentative talents of the FTT membership.

Seriously, the underlying confusion derives from the absence of an authoritative source for modern tobacco definitions. As things are today, the commercial pipe tobacco marketeers simply use the terms however they like, so long as they're at least within the ballpark of the wide range of definitions.

Bob
 
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