It does have a slight spiciness to it, but it's missing the punchiness of Ten Russians, the depth of Bill Baileys Balkan, and the spicy sweet subtleties of Plum Pudding. Let tobacco dry out some and keep your pipe cool. I'll stick with more basic English/Balkan blends that use Latakia as a secondary player; not the only player. It burns fine right off the kake but becomes a very tiny touch ammoniated by the end of the bowl owing to being over moist. Some say its unidimensional. The best latakia tobacco ever. Very well blended leaf of good quality. Exhale through the nose, and thats it. Los orientales, sin poder notarlos en si, se puede decir que aportan ese toque de equilibrio y aromas, que permite saborear con gusto una mezcla que por su cantidad de latakia debera de ser de difcil fumada. Opening the tin reveals a dark brown block that looks like a brownie. I love and appreciate the other varieties of Latakia in the market, but nothing can beat a good GL Pease or C&D English in pure delightful flavor (except for Plum Pudding maybe). If you enjoy Latakia (and I do), you'll love it. a. any true believer could be the leader of the Islamic world. One dimensional taste. The Crumble Kake is a pleasure to deal with, not to moist and just dry enough to run through your fingers as if you are digging up a treasure from some tropical island beach. Overall, I do recommend it for what it is. I liked it a lot but was a little harsh, naturally I jarred it up , put it away and tried other blends in my quest of tobaccos. I also get some almonds, vanilla, and a bit of anise/licorice. Its superficial appearance and exotic middle-east aroma had an uncanny resemblance to a block of black Lebanese hashish, at least if my fading memory serves me correctly. The strong Latakia flavor basically wipes out any hint of the other tobaccos. The room note is very cigar like, so be careful or get banished to walk the plank! Similar Blends: Star of the east is somewhat comparable. And this stuff will haunt your pipes for eternity. As for the room note unfortunately even though I always smoke outside, some wafted in and my girl friend was not too happy but I was, ha. Therephore,it will compose mixtures simillar to "your own English type" Also,is a tobacco of the type that i like: is not strong in nicotine, bu strong il flavour, scent and taste. I taste at least three different alternate flavor notes as different sized chunks of tobacco burn. If you receive this confirmation repeatedly, you will need to enable cookies so that your response can be saved. It lites well and stays lit right down to the end of the bowl. The tobacco came apart quite easily when loading up the pipe. I arrive at the front door of Valhalla, ring the bell and Odin greets me at the door. This is where the hassle becomes worthwhile. It's just too much of it to the point of making it monochromatic. I found it pleasant and will smoke it again even though this is not my usual type of smoke although I am coming to enjoy more English Blends. This is an enjoyable Full Latakia Blend. That said though, I quite like it! Im a big fan of heavier Latakia English blends so I had to try this. It is what it is and I enjoy it every time I choose it. Captain Earle's: Private Stock 2oz Pipe Tobacco Product Number: 003-463-0004. This tobacco has the same taste, until it all gone, unlike some tobacco's that after half the bowl is gone then you get an ashy burnt like taste. It's almost what I had hoped Nightcap would've been. Disclosure: I was given a free sample of this from smokingpipes.com and I prefer aromatics. I had been curious to try a "lat-bomb" and this certainly seemed to be held in high esteem by many so I gave it a shot. I took the advice from one of the other commenters on this page and decided to spruce it up with some rum. Then load intact chunks of cake and surround the chunks with the crumbles and powder. Flavorful. I reccomend this to someone looking for the strongest possible dose of latakia. Pirate Kake has a steady latakia impact throughout the bowl and burns down to a fine gray ash - no dottle and very little moisture if smoked slowly. Overall, a good smooth smoke that had no bite. I first acquired pirate kake to better understand latakia and I did learn that, too me, there is such a thing as too much of it. My all time Lat bomb. I had it in a plastic bag that was inside a bail jar. is a pure joy, a mouth-watering experience that makes a latakia lover like me dream of the moment in which the flame will light the crumbled tobacco in the bowl! This simply tasted of salt an d campfire. While I may still prefer some other tinned english tobacs, the price is right for this stuff. A gold-hearted thug of a blend. The burley made it even better. God might be in the Va/Per or aromatic camp. This is by far my all time favorite tobacco. The kake breaks apart really easily. The pipe gods had spoken. Update 6/14: I had upped the rating on this to 3 stars a while ago as I began to appreciate it more when I smoked in as a leisurely, late night smoke, and not as a daylong choice. This stuff is delicious. This blend will definitely make you question what you like to smoke and thats a great thing. I was always a little leary of the thought of pirates boarding my ship and plundering it - however, if they bring a Kake of this along, I will welcome them aboard! Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal Rocky 01, MM bent apple diplomat, Purchased From: Habana Port Cigars, Metairie, LA. Similar Blends: Motzek - Kieler Foerde (TAK). At first you are like.. wow this is fantastic. An occasional excess has its place in life, and Pirate Kake is an excess. I like Latikia, but this may be just a bit over the top for me. When rotated with other blends (I smoked Virginias around this) it was really good, but trying to go bowl after bowl until the tin was empty was just too much for me. Really like the piece I have come up with for this one. This stuff is the true test to someone if they really love latakia or not. Fantastic. I enjoy a good Balkan or English blend, but not this much Latakia. A wonderful tobacco. Slow and careful smoking, as noted, will reveal a more complex flavor character than is on the surface. It crumbled up pretty easy and packed up well. I am a Latakia lover, and have from time to time smoked straight latakia and turkish, but this may be too much. This will keep you going. It smokes cool right of the tin. Very creamy, smooth in the mouth and leaves a nice coating for you to enjoy for an hour. Still very good. Stay tuned for the results. Me search fer the most wondrous pirate smoke be at an end! I expected the Latakia to be overwhelming, but surprisingly its not. You get a decent cross section of the blend in the first third of the bowl after lighting up. I think Craig Tarler must have been some kind of wizard to pull this off. I suppose that there are people out there for whom there can never be too much Latakia or Perique or Basma, or whatever other condiment we can name. This was a blend I have been searching for because I love latakia but it is such a mild to medium and just tends to be low on the nicotine level sadly. Pipe Tobacco Cornell & Diehl Berry Good No. If you're a rum and coke drinker, this probably ain't for you. Very delicious. I will comment further when I smoke it again. Pairs great with a nicely aged tawny port, or a Macallan Cask Strength. Since in bulk I broke it into three big pieces and put it in a mason jar. Similar Blends: Hermit Tobacco Works Co. - Captain Earle's - Ten Russians. All rights reserved. As the write up says, you must really, really like Latikia to enjoy this blend. I am currently puffing on this blend, in my Ser Jacopo Delecta, and I find this blend to be very mild for the most part. I love the kake format, and will buy more. After having Covid in January, I discovered some of my olfactory senses didn't completely return for certain things. Small pipes just do not do this blend justice. Originally Reviewed on 5/29 Tin/Pouch Note: Sour apple, plum, campfires and leather. But i mixed about 60% of this w 40% of comoys #4 and majic happened. Not a good tobacco for a newbie or someone who likes aromatics. A couple of Beauties. After trying a few Latakia blends I thought I might be up to the task of trying this tobacco. Have always loved the English blends due to the high Latakia and Orientals levels, which I love. I will gladly "walk the plank" with this pirate anytime! I get some sweetness and flowers at certain moments. Smoke this slowly. But you might be asking; when should I smoke it? But I give it credit for it?s unique presentation and the courage to produce it at all. This stuff is fantastic with a very rich latakia taste and a elegant plume of white fragrant smoke. 60 (PK)/40 (Savinilli English) makes a great all day smoke but PK can certainly stand alone. The tobacco was allowed to stand for two whole days. As a person who likes just about all styles and blends, I purchased a 'brick' of this stuff simply to see what the extreme end of the Latakia spectrum was like. The rich smoky, leathery, earthy, woody, incense-like, sweet Cyprian Latakia is the star component, comprising 70% of the blend. The tobacco is presented as a tight crumble cake. Now, that sounds overwhelming at first, but Cornell and Diehl have managed to pull off a masterpiece. I kind of feel like talking about tin note and presentation is superfluous with this one. This is a nice cake, black in appearance, smelled smokey and robust. On the tongue this tobacco is sweet and fresh. I wanted to test it to make sure so I left the den for a few minutes to get a drink and came back to rolling smoke and a room that had a pleasant rich and smoky smell that was strong like there had been a pillaging and plundering and burning raid in the room.. there were even bodies laying there in the smoke.. oh wait those are passed out collies taking a nap. One must either have a fried tongue or be a masochist to enjoy Pirate Kake. Maybe it was the drink she was drinking and that it was at night. . As it says, Latakia predominates, but there are some sweet spicy notes making their presence known as well. The tin description says, it contains 75% (!) Pirate Kake is a good tobacco to close a late evening, to compliment a strong cup of coffe, or when you just need a strong latakia fix. I had ordered the Virginia sampler about 3 years ago, and did like the Pirate cake best so ordered an 8 oz. A few friends and I recently tried this blend. Smoked in Dunhill Shell Briar (5109) 2004. Im glad I gave in and ordered this blend. I enjoy English blends regularly but not exclusively. I don't get any depth or complexity, just a basic smokiness. I ordered a one pound pressed block of this based on two things; 2. So not only is this a must try for me but many thanks are owed to this blend and C&D. For me, this is my favorite Lat. Black mostly in color with some remnants of what brown tobacco was there. I would not call this blend monochromatic like some have, as the flavor is somewhat complex at first, but it does tend to level out afterwards. Everyone wants to try, everyone wants to brag about how much they love it, everyone is crying inside. If I had a preference I would add a stoved Virginia to this blend to round it out and add richness to it. This blend has a lot of charm. It seems to mellow the Latakia a bit, taking the edge off slightly and making it a little creamier. It took a little work to get it going, but once lit, it stayed that way. of STC Holdings LLC. I like latakia as a condiment, even sometimes as a chief component take HH Latakia Flake for example but this stuff is just disgusting. I get so much peppery spice out of this I could only smoke half a bowl before I had to call it quits. Not that I wouldn't take one, but nothing will influence what I smoke or how much I like it. Does water soak into a grit on your stove faster than the whole grit eating world on your stove? Not an everyday smoke, but a great cold weather pleasure, to mix up the rotation. I absolutely love this stuff; it is smooth, dark, full and creamy. PK smokes smooth and has no bad qualities if you're a latakia junkie. Perhaps in future I'll give a blend a bit more time for me to discover all it offers. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, these guys write it like it's etched in stone. If you are completely enamored with Latakia, you cannot go wrong with Pirate Kake. I really enjoy smoking it at night, with the last pipe of the day and paired with a good whiskey. Burley and Oriental tobbaccos harmonize and smoothen the taste. My goodnessnow this is what I think of when one runs for cover from theLAT BOMB!! Similar Blends: Creosote soaked camel's dung.. UPDATE 12/20 I am not one to question the manufacturer or to doubt the voracity of other reviewers but this tobacco is one that I must break my norm Disclaimers: this is an art not a science, tobacco ages and flavors may change, all people taste things differently, etc, etc, etc 70% + Latakia means one thing: Latakia is what you taste Burley as a base on its best day isn't overpowering Latakia in any dimension except Vitamin N. I have read hundreds of reviews from a few of the TR prolific reviewers, and their variance in opinion on topics like this is remarkable. The smokiness and creaminess was very addictive. It does better with a little drying time than fresh out the can. Don't get me wrong, this a good tobacco, but I don't understand all the fuss. Pirate Kake is a smooth, robust blend with LOTS (75%!) No Flavoring detected. Otherwise on its own it lacks body. The actual cube of Latakia, I mean. And the latakia is strong, but it is not at all overpowering. Sometimes, I like that, though I smoke Virginias most often. This is a lovely lat-bomb. I smoked a one ounce block of Pirate Kake in shot order now, in a variety of pipes. I highly recommend this blend to the inner-pirate in everyone! Might be a great smoke after a meal when you are rushed for time and have a small bowl pipe handy. YA GOTTA TRY THIS. I don't think I will be buying another tin, but it was a good experience. I took a long filet knife and cut it into 1/4 pound bars. The older it gets, the saltier it gets. It's all Latakia. HO-LEEE SMOKES, BATMAN!!! Pipe Used: various briars, usually a Savinelli, Purchased From: Smoking Pipes and other outlets. Thats how good this stuff is. Pure latakia goodness. Spicey,hints of sweetness,SMOKEY,complex.Darn good!!! This is a good tobacco. The day is upon us.. I don't have any problem smoking this. Lots of power. Easily four stars with pleasure. To each his own. The cake rubs out easily and tastes great. This is my new all day smoke . 2 thumbs up on this. I like to smoke PK in a large bowled pipe, usually my big Striker billiard. The age has definitely blended the strong latakia together into the others. No burn issues at all with minimal relights. This is one you should try. This is the closest thing I have found to Latakia heaven at a bulk price. I didnt break it up well enough and it tasted. not good. Final thoughts: if you get bored with all the medium strength english blends, and want something a little stronger tasting then pick some of this up and throw it in your rotation for the nights when you feel you just need something extra. Like Latakia? of exceptional Latakia accompanied by Turkish and Burley. The burley component smooths it out a bit, but doesn't add much to the taste that I can tell, but there is a definite spice component from the Orientals. A little would go a long way. Pressed plug, quite compressed, so I'm not sure I'd call it a kake, but still not as dense and fine as a traditional English plug. I never really caught the Burley, but that is no big surprise, considering the general nature of Burley. Pirate Kake will fool you with its robust and hearty taste. This is a fine smoke for a snowy winter night, I will be ordering up the one pound bag very soon, this one is a winner. With that said, it would be lovely with just a little more Orientals in the mix; say, 50% Latakia with the deficit filled with Turkish leaf. This is definitely one of my desert island choices. Overall, it's good quality tobacco but my preference is a blend with less Latakia and more of a balance with other components. I am not quite sure how to fully describe this tobacco. It has a lot of similarities to Penzance (including the iodine note identified by reviewer," GSTQ 12/27/2011" ). I love the campfire smokiness of English blends but Pirate Kake is nearly too heavy with it and too narrowly focused. Excellently smokey and rich latakia blend. Th is is hands-down the Best smoke I have ever had!! If I could describe this blend in one word it would be creamy. Let me share with you that upon trying to stand after about a half an hour of smoking, I nearly fell over. I recommend a small bowl with a longish stem for best smoke. Followed by a couple hours later and you can still taste it in your mouth just as strong as if you just took a bite, and you want that flavor out of your mouth by any means necessary.. but the horror sets in when you discover that no amount of alcohol, oral hygiene products, or other means can help you. No real complexity here but this is not a blend you sit and ponder over, you know exactly what you are getting and I like that sometimes. The pirates have commandeered and taken up residence in my pipe. I fell in love on tin note (also didnt know what that was at the time) that love grew and grew bowl after bowl. Burns consistently once lit. This is primo condemental that is extremely smooth and creamy with smoke so thick you can eat it. This is a real acquired taste. Adding to cart The item has been added. This is Lat strong, so if you don't like Latakia, take a pass. But like so many C&D blends I've tried, it's trying too hard. This is exactly what I look for in a latakia blend. I might jump that to highly recommended for the latakiaphiles out there. Bout to go enjoy a bowl now!!!.. I don't know if it's too much latakia at 70 percent, or if there's another something in there (burley?) The latakia is right in your face, yet it's smoothed out with the burley and orientals. It lends itself well to smoking out of a cob, in my experience. musk. I kept seeing this in all the pipe smoking groups so I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. It's not unusual to get a two hour smoke out of this combination. $11.25. Very full and satisfying. WORDS FAIL ME AS TO HOW WONDERFUL IT IS. Those of you who enjoy latakia-forward blends are in for a real treat though, as the Orientals and burley add just enough balance to keep Pirate Kake from being a one-dimensional lat bomb. I prefer Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth. This is one of the very best tobacco I have ever smoked. The tobacco lights easily and stays lit well too. Everytime I try this tobacco, it's a new experience. If you really like Latakia buy a ounce or two & you will be in Latakia Heaven!