Rich's Balkan Superior

Balkan Superior is a Balkan-style mixture among Rich's Cigar Store's Portland house blends where Latakia and Oriental leaf take the lead. Reports indicate it aims for a profile close to the old Balkan Sobranie tradition; the Oriental proportion is kept high, with Virginia remaining a secondary component supplying sweetness and balance. It is full-bodied and unflavored, with soot and spice dominant. Its current status is unclear since it does not appear on the shop's current house blend list; a portion of Rich's blends were prepared for many years by shop blender Steve Books, with some recipes passed to the store after his retirement.