Hermit Tobacco Works Co. Captain Earle's - Private Stock

Now this is an English style blend with some strength! The Latakia, orientals and Turkish leaf far overshadow the Perique, but there is plenty of action going on once you light up Private Stock. For some reason, I enjoyed this one most sitting out on the back patio with a Dos Equis.

This blend is very smooth and well rounded. Perhaps too much so. Evidently many of the components are married by the process of manufacturing the crumble cake making it difficult for me to discern some of them. I got mostly Latakia and Oriental, with a very mild amount of Virginia flavor. As I said earlier, very smooth with no sharpness or edginess, but with a fair amount of spice. The spice seemed to be Oriental but I suppose some may have been from the Perique that I had difficulty detecting. What was most appealing to me was the flavor that developed toward the end of the bowl. The delicious flavor of strong black coffee. A very nice finish.

I meant to pick up a tin of Stimulus Package off the shelf when I spied a bloated tin of Private Stock shoved to the rear of the shelf facing. I was intrigued at such obvious signs of tin fermentation and bought this. This Hermit Tobacco blend is contract blended and packed by Cornell and Diehl but make no mistake, this is a distinct blend in its own right. Quite obviously it is a "sleeper" blend, rarely rated and only modest movement sales-wise. Do not be fooled.

This is an outstanding tobacco blend evincing everything right about classic English blends. NOTHING stands out. And that is a GOOD thing in this case. To my tastes it is stereotypical of the classic Latakia based, Red Virginia cavendish blend.

From charring light through the entire burn this is one delightful blend which reminds me of so many blends of yore, that I just sit back and savor the smoke. Right off I was impressed with the OLD 1960s Dunhill MM 965-like creaminess now lacking in that blend's current variation. Along with that it was just slightly sweet and salty as well. I love it.

From the blenders description:"A blend of eight select tobaccos highlighted by rich Latakia and deep Red Va. Stoved and pressed into a Crumble Cake, Private Stock is the perfect all day smoke for connoisseurs of rich and fascinatingly complex English blends. "

I could not state it better. A desert island smoke if there ever was one for me and one to stockpile.

Now this is an English style blend with some strength! The Latakia, orientals and Turkish leaf far overshadow the Perique, but there is plenty of action going on once you light up Private Stock. For some reason, I enjoyed this one most sitting out on the back patio with a Dos Equis.

Hermit Tobacco Works Co. Captain Earle's - Private Stock.

To me, Captain Earle normally highlights just how good Cornell & Diehl can do Latakia blends.

The blend's presented as one single Krumble Kake, mainly dark brown, with a lot of black pieces, and just a few yellow ones. The moisture's good, and it smells English, obviously!

I find the Latakia the leading tobacco, by a nose, but it doesn't seem quite as strong, or heady, as some of the others from Captain Earle. The Oriental's are easily the second in command, and then, for my palate, comes the Perique and Virginia, of an equal weight to one another. But, because of the smaller inclusion they need more work to pick out. The burn from this is a good one, giving a cool smoke, needing little attention.

Nicotine: medium to strong. Room-note: pleasant to tolerable.

This is a good enough blend, but lacks the pizazz I found from the others from Captain Earle. So, three stars it is, not four:

Recommended.

Another winner from Hermit and C&D.

Tin nose has a similar aroma to many of my favourite sour beers, and a touch fusty too.

A dense crumble cake, mine needed a knife and the moisture level just right, packs and lights very easily.

The palate delivers a strong tangy taste with some fustiness yet creamy at the same time, with slight saltiness and sweet/sour. Quite a complex smoke, go slow and savour. The Latakia is there but not dominant, Perique in a supporting role certainly not at the forefront and the Orientals are just great. I did not find the nicotine over the top, but it's there for sure.

I prefer it in a smaller group 4 sized bowl due to the nic-kick, making it quite satisfying one bowl would suffice as a nightcap or a one and done.

Highly recommended for experienced folks and those seeking a briar adventure.

My favorite of the Captain Earle's blends. The room note is of fresh cut hay, baked bread, and leather. The taste is a mix of smoked jerky and wheat toast. It burns well after a charring light and second light, not too hot, and zero tongue bite. I get a little gurgle at 1/3-1/2 bowl, but a pipe cleaner in the stem negates this and it doesn't happen again. Burns clean with little dottle. Medium-Full mouth feel, plenty of smoke, and plenty of taste. I have it with my morning coffee (dark brewed with a tbs of cream), and it pairs well. I get a little pepper/spice in mouth and throat from the Oriental/Perique.

Captain Earl's Private Stock is one of my new favorite tobaccos. PS is a pressed, squared krmble kake which broke into curly, flowing ribbons. My sample needed to dry for just 15 minutes or so and it was ready to smoke. After said dehydration and a moderately tight packing the tobacco took the flame and burned well from the rim, almost to the heel with just a couple relights in a new Stanwell Apple. Everything was in good balance among the latakia, burley, Orientals, and Virginias, with the perique not as pronounced and the Cavendish helped form some good body. Nicely medium strength, moderate nicotine with a full body. The flavors were very well married and a silky smoothness was produced. I encountered a smoky, spicy, musty, leathery, salty-sweetness. The volume of smoke was great and thick white plumes were produced. The aroma matched the taste stride for stride. Hermit scored a winner with this fine quality tobacco. Highest Recommendation! DLPTPMADMLKJ

Fantastic, very full and rich blend. It is one of the best experience I had in my over of thirthy years of pipe smoking. This tobacco is excellent in every time of day...

My rate: 5.0

Smoked from a freshly opened tin, this blend seemed a bit overpowering at first. Not that I did not enjoy it, quite the contrary. It was not harsh or bitter, just STRONG and with a WAKE-UP dose of nicotine. After aging for two months, and having dried a bit, I tried it again this morning. What an improvement! Smoked in an old "Pete" lovat, it was excellent. I personally enjoy crumble cake tobaccos, and the smell that accompanies the process of breaking off a hunk, and rubbing it between thumb and forefinger over the waiting bowl. It took three matches to get it going, then burned without issue, and modest tamping, to the bottom of the bowl. Aged, the nicotine kick was more subdued, but definitely present. The sweet aroma of caramel, oak and leather shows careful blending of the virginias and latakia. Perfect for a crisp fall morning! Recommended.