G & H Balkan

[FLDRD]

So I just opened my first tin of G & H Balkan and found it to be so dry it was crispy and crunchy to the feel and made the associated sounds. Burns well enough and was reasonable (only) in flavor but I'm probably missing something (a lot) of the flavor with it being so dry.

I only purchased it last month, anyone certain on the code regarding date of tinning? Am I to presume I got one from 2020? March 9th? I don't know their codes and presuming could only steer me in the wrong direction...







Thanks for any assistance on this.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

People have been reporting all sorts of problems with the Gawith tins.

 

[paulfg]

try this

Samuel Gawith Updated Date Guild :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

I went ahead and added the last couple of years to this, sorry it's not even but i did it quick in note pad. The date code is five digits, with the first two being the day and the final three being the month (starting at December 1995).

pipesmagazine.com

 

[FLDRD]

try this

Samuel Gawith Updated Date Guild :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

I went ahead and added the last couple of years to this, sorry it's not even but i did it quick in note pad. The date code is five digits, with the first two being the day and the final three being the month (starting at December 1995).

pipesmagazine.com

Thanks, so according to that chart - if I read it correctly - this tin is from the 20th of August 2021.

"Cool", a tin with 14 months of aging...

Wait, not cool as it's already dry as a bone...

I may have a serious problem with all these others I've purchased that I haven't even yet tried...

I was hoping that I'd be in the lucky category of not having that problem since I thought it was a limited % of them. Now concerned that I might need to open and jar all those square tins from them. That's a hassle and the tins are so handy.

Dang.

 

[SBC]

Not that this is what you asked for, but, G&H Balkan is a bit of a disappointment to me in any case, as one who likes Balkans.
I'm glad that it's what some guys love. But to my tastes, I prefer most other Balkans over it.

 

[gawithhoggarth]

People have been reporting all sorts of problems with the Gawith tins.

There was an intermittent problem with just some tins a couple of years ago as the tin manufacturer suddenly stopped producing and a quick solution had to be found. The temporary tins had a slightly different design which meant that over time not all the tins held their seal. There are not all sorts of problems now. But again we do not produce tins for ageing or long term storage. Tobacco is produced ready to be smoked.

 

[pantsBoots]

So I just opened my first tin of G & H Balkan and found it to be so dry it was crispy and crunchy to the feel and made the associated sounds. Burns well enough and was reasonable (only) in flavor but I'm probably missing something (a lot) of the flavor with it being so dry.

I only purchased it last month, anyone certain on the code regarding date of tinning? Am I to presume I got one from 2020? March 9th? I don't know their codes and presuming could only steer me in the wrong direction...

View attachment 176001

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View attachment 176003

Thanks for any assistance on this.

It's the new tins - they don't seal and the company keeps insisting they do. I guess they figure we're suckers for advertising.

 

[fireground_piper]

Oh, this thread again.

 

[FLDRD]

Not that this is what you asked for, but, G&H Balkan is a bit of a disappointment to me in any case, as one who likes Balkans.
I'm glad that it's what some guys love. But to my tastes, I prefer most other Balkans over it.

Well at the moment I prefer the Balkan I was finishing the tin of just before I opened this one. But I'm not sure I'll get to appreciate this for the manner in which they intended it to be appreciated, so my analysis of whether or not it's pleasing to me will be a little off...

 

[Ahi Ka]

I like their balkan, though I’ve only had it in plug form. The use of air cured Virginia adds a nice dimension to the blend.

 

[FLDRD]

Oh, this thread again.

I didn't intend it to be.

I have seen other threads with comments and complaints regarding these tins. I wasn't trying to make another complaining thread.

If one notes, my primary intention was to see if I could determine the date, and try and go from there; at least that's what I thought I was doing.

I'm still optimistic that I'll be able to enjoy many of their products, but I may have to get to all of them sooner instead of later and see what my personal consensus on them will be. Waiting may not be a wise option...

 

[FLDRD]

I like their balkan, though I’ve only had it in plug form. The use of air cured Virginia adds a nice dimension to the blend.

I do see that their plug version gets significantly higher ratings in general. I usually follow JimInks recommendations and will only go for 3 stars or more. He gave this 2, but I prefer the style and wanted to give it a try.

But I'm not sure how many I purchased, I may need to dive into the bins and find them to transfer to jars...

 

[fireground_piper]

I didn't intend it to be.

I have seen other threads with comments and complaints regarding these tins. I wasn't trying to make another complaining thread.

If one notes, my primary intention was to see if I could determine the date, and try and go from there; at least that's what I thought I was doing.

I'm still optimistic that I'll be able to enjoy many of their products, but I may have to get to all of them sooner instead of later and see what my personal consensus on them will be. Waiting may not be a wise option...

I certainly agree. It’s just the inevitably of the pitch forks that follow with absolute certainty.

 

[grimpuffer]

I know I have had my own bad luck with a few tins losing their seal in the cellar that had some age on them.

I can’t speak to Gawith ones, but I have been seeing some others that are similar stating like the member stated above, “Not meant for long time storage. Sold to smoke.”

To me, that is all I need to hear to not trust the tins.

Plus, I’ve read numerous other threads that state the square tins lose theirs more so than the round ones.

Unless you’re wanting to sell them later, jar them or Mylar them and keep a tin or two if you want.

All my new purchases have gone into jars because they will be smoked and I don’t want to risk losing more tobacco 10 years or more down the road.

 

[woodsroad]

I didn't intend it to be.

I have seen other threads with comments and complaints regarding these tins. I wasn't trying to make another complaining thread.

If one notes, my primary intention was to see if I could determine the date, and try and go from there; at least that's what I thought I was doing.

I'm still optimistic that I'll be able to enjoy many of their products, but I may have to get to all of them sooner instead of later and see what my personal consensus on them will be. Waiting may not be a wise option...

Have you heard about jars?

Since I began this pipe journey, I have heard over and over: Don’t trust square tins. It’s well known.

 

[vosBghos]

Maybe rehydrate it and jar all your square tins from here on out. It’s good stuff and as you heard from Madam’s mouth it was a quick fix (probably due to Covid problems?) the new tins with the plastic wrap don’t re seal so well and there are bound to be some cracked seals from even earlier production but SG and GH make some premium stuff and it usually comes pretty wet to avoid issue. That is a bummer that you got a dry guy though.

 

[FLDRD]

Have you heard about jars?

Since I began this pipe journey, I have heard over and over: Don’t trust square tins. It’s well known.

I have heard about jars. I have quite a few bulk blends that went immediately into jars.

This was one of the "new" tins with the plastic seal around it.

And I opened it only 2-3 weeks after purchase.

The 14 months of age it had (after being provided the tin-date chart) would normally have been welcomed.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This was one of the "new" tins with the plastic seal around it.

That plastic thingy would be a clue... that maybe the manufacturer isn't sure whether the lid will stay on that tin or not. Just a guess... but all of the other tins in the world don't seem to have those plastic thingies.

 

[gawithhoggarth]

That plastic thingy would be a clue... that maybe the manufacturer isn't sure whether the lid will stay on that tin or not. Just a guess... but all of the other tins in the world don't seem to have those plastic thingies.

As already stated many times the plastic thingy is a tamper proof seal as in the past there has been an issue with people trying to take lids of tins in shops etc and then replacing lid. This shows no one has tampered with tin or opened it before end consumer. It is an extra layer of security as well as an extra seal AFTER each and every tin is vacuum sealed.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

As already stated many times the plastic thingy is a tamper proof seal as in the past there has been an issue with people trying to take lids of tins in shops etc and then replacing lid. This shows no one has tampered with tin or opened it before end consumer. It is an extra layer of security as well as an extra seal AFTER each and every tin is vacuum sealed.

I'm not arguing with your logic... but other companies just let the suction and swoosh of air be their proof that the tin was not tampered with. If the lid comes off easily and there is no swish... either the company failed to put the tin together correctly at the factory or someone tampered with it. All it takes is a gentle tug at the lid to know whether you have a good tin or not, because a good tin requires a screw driver or a large coin to get it open.