Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Pirate Kake (Sea Scoundrels)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2017-04-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

The rich smoky, leathery, earthy, woody, incense-like, sweet Cyprian Latakia is the star component, comprising 70% of the blend. What keeps this from being a total lat-bomb is the dry, mildly buttery sweet, woody, earthy, herbal, moderately spicy and floral, sour Turkish, which is noticeable in every puff. The cavendish cut burley provides a little nuttiness, toast, wood and earth in the background. The nic-hit is medium. The strength level is just shy of the center of medium to full. The taste is a couple of steps past that. Won’t bite or get harsh, though there are a couple rough edges here and there. Burns clean, mostly cool and a little slow with a very consistent, mildly sweet and very savory flavor from start to finish. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. Has a pleasant, lingering after taste and strong room note. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable.

-JimInks

85 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-11-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

So, as an amateur pipe smoker, I have discovered with the help of this blend (and a few others) that I am apparently a Latakia-phile. I can't get enough of the really robust and smokey aroma, the delicious full leathery, peaty taste. I am a lover of strong peaty scotches, and this right here reminds me of the taste of a full strength Ardbeg. The aftertaste is also delightful as the smoke and peat keep going after the pipe is done. Not an overwhelming nicotine bite either, which I like since I smoke nothing outside of pipes and have a low tolerance for nicotine. Highly recommended if you like coffee with your pipes.

67 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-05-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Pirate Kake is like a car accident that you can't take your taste buds away from. It rubs out easily and packs with ease too. I like Latakia, but I wouldn't consider myself one that likes it to totally dominate the blend. But it really is a good tasting tobacco. Did I say there was a lot of Latakia in this blend?? It's easy to rub out and smokes coolly. There is also an underlying sweetness to the blend too, especially when sipped slowly. I was expecting it to be one dimensional, but while not complex, it's not boring either. If you like well done, heavy Latakia blends, Pirate Kake fits the bill to a “T”. If you are not a fan of a lot of Latakia, take a pass. Highly Recommended!

53 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

HO-LEEE SMOKES, BATMAN!!! Put your big boy pants on for this one. Latakia heaven.

UPDATE: 12/3/2013 Not just a lat bomb. The oriental component is actually very noticeable. Not quite balanced, but nearly so. Stouter than most of those "late evening" blends and a great way to end the day.

Pipe Used: MM General

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

39 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2011-04-29		Mild	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

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. There are also people who like French fries with their ketchup and sushi with their wasabi. To each his own. For me, however, Pirate Kake is nothing short of a ridiculous, unbalanced mess. There is a sort of vague sweetness somewhere in the background, but smoking this is sort of like falling face-first into the moist remains of the campfire you doused the night before while sucking on a charcoal lozenge. Not pleasant.

The little black clump of tobacco you get in the tin is relatively easy to work with, but that's small redemption for the Latakia overload that follows a crumble, a load, and a light. If this were my pirate ration, I'd have tossed myself overboard before the thieving and pillaging even started.

38 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-07-10		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

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. The dark and light leaf are easily distinguishable by sight.

This has a very fresh tin aroma, almost perfume like. I agree with earlier reviewers who think this is Syrian latakia. The terpene smell so indicative of Cyprian latakia is almost not there. Still very smoky.

Takes a light well and burns with few relights. The smokiness is front and centre throughout. On the tongue this tobacco is sweet and fresh. An after dinner smoke for me.

Edit 27/9/14. I'm upping this to 4 stars and it's made it into my favourites as well. The satisfaction this baccy gives me is immense. On reflection I doubt the Lat is Syrian either, I was probably confused by the other Orientals.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2014-08-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Compared to other Latakia-rich mixtures, I found Pirate Kake to be a flavorful yet monochromatic smoke. This blend is a perfect example of how tobacco mixtures can be full flavored but still fall flat due to lack of nuance & slight to moderate shifts in complexity.

I enjoy latakia immensely. So much so, that I feel it’s only fair to profess that Pirate Kake has a number of admirable attributes that fellow latakiaphiles will most certainly applaud. For instance, there’s plenty, and I mean “plenty” of dark lush tasting latakia leaf here. It burns surprisingly well for a big latakia mixture and it smokes so cool you’ll wonder if your pipe is even lit. Pirate Kake is very smooth and it produces copious amounts of fragrant smoke with consistent flavor. These traits usually go a long way towards making for an excellent tobacco mixture, but Pirate Kake just doesn’t quite do it for me.

In my opinion, Pirate Kake is missing the added character, or that little bit of something extra that's needed to elevate it to the status of other top-shelf blends in its class. Pirate Kake does have a rich smoky flavor, but it lacks the compelling subtleties of blends like Odyssey, Penzance and Lagonda. It does have a slight spiciness to it, but it's missing the punchiness of Ten Russians, the depth of Bill Bailey’s Balkan, and the spicy sweet subtleties of Plum Pudding. When put up against any of these blends, even C&D's Star of the East, Pirate Kake just isn't as interesting.

This C&D offering does at the very least beg one question. How much latakia is too much? Frankly, I am not sure, but I do know that somewhere this one crosses the line.

Pipe Used: various briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2014-04-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

A nice Latakia bomb. The mixture is creamy, dry, woodsy and with a lot of peat accents. As an interval, you get some sweetness and more often some sourness, all this in a good way. It's highly recommended for Latakia fanatics or smokers who like their mixtures on the monochromatic side, without too many taste changes during their smoke.

Virginia lover

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2004-08-29		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

A friend sent me a large sample of Pirate Kake a few months ago. It looked so strong and foreboding in the pouch that I refrained from whittlin' a chunk for quite some time. My Boy Scout knife was recently located but I really didn't need it. This powerful, Latakia laden stuff breaks up easily.

Pirate Kake is distantly similar in taste to CAO's Old Ironsides, but the Latakia content here is much more overwhelming. I really tried to like the taste, but not being a regular consumer of Latakia, I found that exotic leaf to be simply "over the top" in this instance.

The best way to describe the taste is by saying that if someone stuffed a salty piece of old leather in a pipe and set fire to it, you'd be smoking something akin to Pirate Kake. This blend burns slowly and is exceptionally cool. Remember to use a pipe reserved for Latakia blends, too.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	captnmojo (10)	2014-06-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

As a former cigar smoker this was right up my ally. The generous amount of smokey Latakia (75%) combined with the sweetness of the Turkish and hit of nicotine from the burley really agreed with my taste buds. On opening the tin the aroma reminded me of a warm spring night next to the campfire. Once rubbed out and let to dry for about an hour there was no issues keeping the bowl lit. Taste was consistent. A beautifully smokey taste with a sweet background and almost barn sawdust background note that burnt down to the bottom with a beautiful creamy mouthfeel. Once again C&D is probably my favourite Tobacco company as the blends are spot on and the quality of tobaccos they use seem to be carefully selected and properly kept as far as humidity before blending.

update July 2014** I decided to change the blend type of this tobacco to other primarily because I don't believe it is an English blend due to its high amount of Latakia. Personally in the world of pipe tobacco there should be a blend known as Latakia based, with the "spice tobaccos" added in, which quite a few blends would fall under.

update December 2014** same batch as previous yet the past months of ageing seem to have mellowed out the baccy. Mouthfeel seems a bit more mellow or creamier if you will, while I find less of a spicy tongue bight. Of coarse still a Latakia powerhouse yet smoother on the palate as it gains age. I have smoked through 6oz and have 4 left so we shal see how PK fairs in the next 6 months. All in all what a great smoke...

Pipe Used: Brigham voyageur

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 months depending on updates considered

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2012-01-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Extra Strong

If there is such a thing as heaven, for latakia lovers the streets of heaven must be paved with pirate kake. Wow, this sure is a sucker punch in a baggie. This stuff is ridiculously good.

To start let me say that pirate kake is the first tobacco that has ever made my hands look like that of a mechanic. After rubbing a chunk of this smoky ambrosia out it looks like I repair diesel trucks for a living. All that oily goodness ends up on your hands.

For all that oily leaf this blend smokes remarkably well. Very few relights, and is just heavenly. It is incredibly complex considering the fact that this stuff is the equivalent of putting a freight train in your pipe. The flavor is strong, and I mean get tennis elbow brushing your teeth but your still going to taste it two days after strong. It also is not much of a crowd- pleaser in terms of room note. My usually very lenient significant other told me not only to kindly leave the house, but leave the county before I smoke this blend again. That being said, this stuff is good enough to drive to the next state to enjoy.

Coming in bulk as it does it is a good value, and based on the oil content I bet this blend would be perfect for coloring up a nice shiny new meer. Its just good, kick your taste buds in the butt good, but its good. I highly recommend it.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badmedicine (51)	2018-01-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Ok folks, this is what it is. I can't truly call it an English blend (even a Lat-Bomb English), but I like what it does. The focus here is Latakia- pungent, peaty, slightly briny Latakia. The other tobaccos are added to simply smooth off the rougher edges, as opposed to smoking it straight. I have done so (with some regularity, in fact) but this tames it just enough to keep it from being a full-on blowout. I can't get it to bite, and the presentation (though messy to prepare), is outstanding. That being said, it is still something to go into with your eyes open. The room note won't make you any friends (although my wife enjoys it), and any pipe you smoke it in will be ghosted forevermore, but it's worth it. Every time. Update 06/30/18: I can attest that age does this wonders. In addition, although the jarred cubes I had saved became a little dry, moistening them with about a shot's worth of golden rum per half pound will yield a blend that has neither equal nor counterpart. Try it, now.

Pipe Used: Icarus Stubby Apple, Self-Made Magnum Cherrywood

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Not much; Stands alone.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2018-08-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Extra Strong

It was around 1999 and I had not been long into pipe smoking. I am not sure how I heard about Cornell & Diehl but I do remember that at the time they only sold in pound bulk. I ordered a one-pound brick of Pirate Kake (#970P). Back then it was not called (Sea Scoundrels) either just Pirate Kake. I think it was a dollar an ounce if I can remember correctly and I even called on the phone and placed my order. Not even sure if you could order online like you do today. I am really starting to sound old (58). I have saved about a 4 oz chunk of this in a jar and smoked some this evening with some black tea. It was some of the nicest Latakia I have smoked in some time. Smooth, spicy, with some of the thickest, whitest smoke I have seen. Further down the bowl I detected a pine taste which was not bad. I cannot compare it to the new and there is no way to even attempt to remember what it tasted like that long ago and whether 19 years improved it or not. I do know it did not hurt it one bit. Tomorrow I am going to a local pipe store where the pipe club meets (usually two of us) on Sunday’s from 3-6 and let my compatriot try some. It is more fun to let others get a taste of something that old. 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.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Poker

Age When Smoked: 19 years

Purchased From: Cornell & Diehl

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-10-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Pirate Kake.

Wow.

It seems, pretty much everything has been said already about this blend! But, for what it's worth, I'll add my thoughts to the site.

The Krumble Kake's dark, and very easy to fluff and crumble, in fact, a large proportion has already crumbled in the pouch (I bought bulk). The unlit note gives more than a suggestion of lots of Latakia, so on with the actual smoke:

It comes as no surprise that the leading flavour's the smoky Latakia. Like SteelCowboy says, if you're not a fan of lots of Latakia, take a pass!. But what does come as a surprise, even though this packs a heady punch of smokiness, there's still a small amount of room for the nutty Burley and woody Oriental's; the Burley more-so. I'm not talking of an even split, nowhere near, but they do lighten the flavour...a smidgen! The burn's consistent and incredibly even, giving off a smoke that's reminiscent of Sam G Balkan Flake: cool Latakia. It doesn't bite me any, regardless of my technique, it's just a very comfortable smoke.

The nicotine's just above medium, not 'strong', but more of a strength for the mornings. And finally, this has a very heavy room-note. That said though, I quite like it!

Easy to rate, easy peasy: highly recommended.

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson System #303

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-01-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Overwhelming

I smoked a 1oz sample of this in my nicest pipe, a Jirsa bulldog. A couple weeks later when I could imagine wanting Latakia again, I put some nice Squadron Leader in the pipe and smoked it down 1/4 way, until the shank cracked 1/2” down from the bowl. The pipe gods had spoken.

Pirate Kake is really three-dimensional. The actual cube of Latakia, I mean. Really three-dimensional. The smoke itself is flatter than Kansas. It’s a circus sideshow blend, taking its place on stage next to the Bearded Lady and Mr. Lifto (google him, kids.) It’s like a quadruple IPA, and probably should be served with one - the combination of nasty wet brush fire and Lemon Pledge could strip the tastebuds down to oblivion, at which point Pirate Kake would taste good.

This blend is the same thing as sticking a bottle of Ghost Pepper hot sauce on a table full of men who have something to prove to each other. Everyone wants to try, everyone wants to brag about how much they love it, everyone is crying inside.

Pirate Kake is also the most antisocial tobacco blend I’ve ever smelled. I can imagine the dedicated Pirate Kake lover sitting alone at home, after all his friends have fled the toxic smell, grumbling to himself about how he never liked having friends anyway.

Cornell and Diehl should be forced to perform some kind of community service to repent for making this.

Pipe Used: only dead pipes :(

Age When Smoked: fresh

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Toasterbottom (13)	2015-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I'll be honest. When I first tried this, I thought it was disgusting. I was sent a sampler packet tucked into a shipment of tobacco I had ordered online from SmokingPIpes.com. Apparently it was just too soon into my foray into pipe smoking, but when I tried it I was astounded at how dirty it tasted. But I didn't throw it out and instead kept the small plastic bag in a drawer. Some time later I thought to break it up and mix some in with some other tobacco as I packed my pipe. Don't know what made me think to do this ... but I loved it, there, in the background. Next time I mixed in a little more and then a little more and a little more ... and then I ran out. I've just ordered a bunch online and my point is, that like peaty scotch, this is an acquired taste. If you're a rum and coke drinker, this probably ain't for you. But if you like the dirty, earthy, smokey taste of Lagavulin or Laphroig, then this might be just the ticket. I think I'm ready to have a bowl of it on it's own.

Pipe Used: a variety of briars

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com 4noggins.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theodore Moore (14)	2013-03-10		Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Strong

This stuff, (yes stuff is the right word) is just plain brutal. One must either have a fried tongue or be a masochist to enjoy Pirate Kake. The Latakia is of inferior quality and the blend opposes itself to the point of the abusing the poor sucker who smokes it. I like Latakia, but this blend gives Latakia a bad name. I smoked about ten pipe fulls and was ready to sue by the last bowl. Only Blackbeard on the gallows could possibly find solace in this blend. I think it should be renamed Pirate's Death Wish. Of course I recognize that there are some people whose tongues are so scorched and their palettes so brutalized by lat bombs, that they will gladly go down with this ship. Have a great trip to Davy Jones locker!

Similar Blends: Creosote soaked camel's dung..

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2017-12-24		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

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. How can you claim no nuance in well balanced blends but nuance in a 70% Lat bomb? On the other side of the coin; how can you suggest balance as a blender with a 70% +lat bomb? Does water soak into a grit on your stove faster than the whole grit eating world on your stove? Do the laws of physics cease to exist???...wait that is My Cousin Vinny not a review, my apologies. I tend to think either C&D is using some very old Latakia or that this blend is not 70% Latakia. The tobacco's are easily discernible, and while the Latakia is up front and not hiding, they are in fact well balanced. The VA's may be lower in percentage, but they are first rate and their earthy sweetness are obvious. The Burley is woody and dry, but are detectable in this smoke. I don't mean to be a wet blanket or a negative guy, but it seems that a few reviewers that post many reviews are serving as marketers for blenders looking for their verbose reviews. If I were making an algorithm, I'd be able to tease out who is being pumped by some reviewers vs those doing it for love of hobby. I have never been offered so much as advice on a football game, and never anything like a tin of pipe weed for my reviews. Not that I wouldn't take one, but nothing will influence what I smoke or how much I like it.

ORIGINAL: Well now I know what a lat bomb is. Wow. I will say I like it, a lot but this is not a tobacco that you need to ponder. It's alottalatakia, ALOTTALATAKIA!. It is top notch Cyprian leaf with solid Burley and Virginia's. The Virginia's and and Burley provide a good base and can be tasted behind the Latakia, and it is a great flavor. It is unidimensional and stays the same throughout the smoke, again, not a bad thing. Flavorfull and satisfying. Not an all day smoke but one that we'll take you to Latakia heaven.

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: <1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Ciigars

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fife&Drum (34)	2017-10-22		Mild	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

It is what it is. That said, it’s a heavy Latakia Mixture that is tasty. If I had a preference I would add a stoved Virginia to this blend to round it out and add richness to it. The burley doesn’t do much and the orientals need bolstering. Otherwise on its own it lacks body. Mind you, it’s a good mixture; smooth and heavily smoky. I enjoy the honey like notes with light puffing. It also has a clean finish that’s not heavy in the mouth. I give it 3 stars.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Erica Fiamma Pot

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2017-09-18		Medium	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable to Strong

Smoking this tobacco reminds me of eating foods that have been really heavily smoked. At first you are like.. wow this is fantastic. A few bites in you decide that it's just ok.. then a few more bites.. nope, I've had enough. 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. You will have to wait until your tongue cells slough off to taste anything else again.

That is the exact progression I went through smoking Pirate Kake. I kind of feel like talking about tin note and presentation is superfluous with this one. I detect no other tobacco flavor but Latakia, which happens to be high quality, but definitely not my thing in this quantity. I will probably keep the tin to use as a blending tobacco, or maybe to use as a prank on unsuspecting pipe smoking friends.

Pipe Used: Dr. G Grand Duke, Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh, 6 Months

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

Similar Blends: Smoking straight Latakia.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Reagold (29)	2015-06-18		Mild	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

I order this in bulk, not my usual choice.

The cons: It comes in a little brick - it look very suspicious. Also, or you use your bare hands to crumble it or a knife. This, of course, changes the flavour and smoking experience.

Now the pros: all of them. It´s a straight, delicious, full tobacco. Some say it´s unidimensional. Yes, it is. It´s a big black latakia-screaming block. I love it. Also very mild nicotine, so you can smoke all day - and believe me, I wish I could smoke it all day.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-10-03		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

My water smoker smells like this if I do too many pork shoulders in it without scrubbing the poor thing down once or twice.

I love it.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	VBBill (7)	2018-01-28		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Although this tobacco has a very high Latakia content it is not overwhelming. The crumble cake is easy to pack, the smell is strong smoky. The flavor is earthy, smoky, leathery. Burley and Oriental tobbaccos harmonize and smoothen the taste. Orientals play a bigger role at the end of the bowl. No bite at all, stays lit very well and slow burning. The room note is as expected, full Latakia. Highly recommended to quite and cold winter nights. Do not be scared of the high Latakia content.

Pipe Used: Vauen 4200

Age When Smoked: 1 year old

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Dan Tobacco - Holly's Discovery.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	clanobucklin (105)	2018-01-15		Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

This is an enjoyable Full Latakia Blend. Not overly complex but not monochromatic either. This is the kind of smoke you'd like after eating a big steak. The smoke is smooth and Creamy with a little roughness now and then. Those Folks who Love a lot of Latakia in their pipe tobacco will Love it. Others who prefer more restraint won't. I like to smoke upon occasion - not something I break out often but when I do I really enjoy it. Perfect for the Winter or when you want to scare away your Spouse, Kids or Neighbors. Be prepared to be shunned! But hey... We all need some "Alone Time" now and then.

Pipe Used: Bari Freehand

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adrian B. (29)	2015-10-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

If you don't like Latakia, why are you reviewing a blend that's 70% Latakia then bashing it because it's one dimensional or monochromatic? You must have missed the point.

Pirate Kake is Latakia. 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. I really enjoy PK. It's a great cool weather smoke and one of my favorites for outdoor puffing (which is where my wife prefers I take it) which is good because the room note isn't going to make you any friends among non-smokers.

This is a lat lover's dream. 4 stars if you like lots of manly Latakia, 1 star if not. Just do us all a favor and don't smoke PK, then bang on it in a review for having too much Latakia; that's the whole point of it.

Pipe Used: Latakia dedicated briars mostly

Age When Smoked: tin fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Straight Latakia.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	H Gillman (39)	2015-09-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Phenomenal!!

I ordered a one pound pressed block of this based on two things;

1. I am a Latakia lover

2. The rave reviews by you my brethren afficianados

I knew I would like this blend based on your reviews. The block came from smoking pipes vacuum packed and looking more illicit than anything I've ever gotten in the mail. The smokiness was evident through the unopened box.

I took a long filet knife and cut it into 1/4 pound bars. Then immediately into a large mason jar. One block of about an 1/8th of a pound was immediately rubbed out and jarred.

I initially wondered if I bit off more than I could chew because i did find this very smokey and spicy. However after I killed a 1/4 pound I realized that I was spot on.

I love the smokiness and find it wonderful from top to bowl bottom. It is now my go to and hav at least one bowl per day. Usually right after work.

I recommend this strongly if you are a Latakia lover.

Pipe Used: Several Petes, Cobs... Et al

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King T (9)	2014-06-29		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

LATAKIA! LATAKIA! LATAKIA! Is what this blend is all about. If you are a latakia freak, as I am, then I will venture to say you are going to like this blend a lot. It is a bomb in my assessment.

Some would say the latakia is over dominant so much that you can not taste the other tobaccos in this blend. And I would have to agree. It's only from smoking PK many times that I can barely, barely detect other tobaccos here. I actually had to read up on this blend to find out its contents. And even then it took me a while to admit there were other tobaccos present. The only one I am confident in saying I can taste is the burley. And that was only through the nose. The latakia here overwhelms this blend. That's not a negative statement, just an observation. Nevertheless it is a smooth blend. So smooth I would describe it as creamy. The room note to me is exquisite! Smoking a latakia blend we all know has that cherished, non mistakable fragrace in the air. No different here except the smoke is much more rich. Intensified if you will. I recon it is due to the amount of latakia.

All in all I would rate this a 3.75. Still very high. And I would recommend it smoked with a dark beer. Something consistant with New Castle or darker. But nothing less. So, if you're a latakia lover give this blend a shot.

Pipe Used: various

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Amsteracqua (24)	2014-06-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a Latakia bomb? so in this case I like. Here in Brazil many confreres saying about this blend and i decided to try. First is a plum and woodsy taste, different than I thought this blend isn't aggressive, your smoke is creamy and fill your mouth. I think all Cornell & Diehl blends are aggressive in your taste, but this the proof that i was wrong. moreover all this blend dont heat the bowl and your smoke are warm during all the time. I will buy this for a second time...

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-04-09		Mild	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Awesome stuff. The heavy metal of pipe tobacco. This stuff is the true test to someone if they really love latakia or not. Highly recommended to the lat bomb smokers.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-07-09		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Shiver me timbers brethern of the coast this here be one tobacco that land lubers and weak of knees should leave be. This is a hefty stout LATAKIA, probally Syrian the way it is good and SMOKEY. Mix in a little cavendish burley, add a touch of the Turk,and press this in a 70,000 ton vise and you have PIRATE KAKE! WOW, this is hearty. At first light the Latakia wafts by the nose and oh boy,try this if you need a Latakia drip tube. Spicey,hints of sweetness,SMOKEY,complex.Darn good!!!

I have to agree with the wxguy, it does look like a block of Hashish.

Update 9 July 2005;

I revisited me old block of Pirate Kake about a week ago, and found it had dried quite a bit more than I wanted it to. So I figured I'd go down to the liquor locker and pull out the Cruzan dark Rum. I poured about a tablespoonful of the rum into the bag and sealed it back up. The tobacco was allowed to stand for two whole days. I opened the backy and let it dry a tad bit,and then loaded a bowl.

MY GOSH! YA GOTTA TRY THIS. WORDS FAIL ME AS TO HOW WONDERFUL IT IS.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2019-02-16		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.”

-- Captain Jack Sparrow

Just yesterday I had some Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, and I immediately thought of those when I emblazoned a bowl of Pirate Kake for the first time (“Buttery smooth caramels, drenched in Belgian dark chocolate, then sprinkled with crunchy rock salt from the Dead Sea”). While I didn’t pick up any dark chocolate from Pirate Kake, I did indeed find it to be “buttery smooth” (and slightly sweet, just like them caramels) and I also found it to be delectably salty some (and so the name, “Pirate Kake” perchance -- the salty)? Of all the C&D blends I have sampled, this one indubitably stands head-and-shoulders (in the crow’s nest, matey) above all the rest.

Yo-ho – Latakia La Bamba! If 75% Latakia doesn’t make for a Lat-Bomb, then I don’t know what would (100% Latakia perhaps)? For three years now I’ve been reading about “Lat-Bombs” in countless reviews, and I kept scratching my head: “I’ve smoked lots of blends with Latakia – so what the hell is a ‘Lat-Bomb’? Is it a Lat-heavy blend that explodes your palate in such a way as to make any and all future Latakia blends unpalatable?” The expression “Lat-Bomb” has always been tossed about in such a disparaging way, I always assumed the term to be a pejorative one. (In appraising Arango’s Balkan Supreme for the first time, I remember thinking: “Jeez, if this is a ‘Lat-Bomb’, then I must love me some ‘Lat-Bomb’ blends”). Arrrr -- shiver me timbers -- Pirate Kake is the second blend I’ve smoked in as many days that has bewitched me into thinking there were Virginias mixed into it (apparently, based on a couple of other reviews, I wasn’t the only one to be so fooled). Pirate Kake is fantastic: I could smoke this stuff every day, all day long. I find PK to be a charmingly enjoyable blend, smooth as butter, rich with wood, earth and leather, along with some sweet coupled with sea salt (and a mineral-like element that I can’t quite put my finger on – it’s not quite soda-like – but it sits right behind the salt). I love the full-on tastiness of this tobacco – I’m going to bury (cellar) a ton of this treasure. PK: Highly recommended. 4-stars.

Pipe Used: Briarworks Bullmoose

Age When Smoked: Fresh

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cakici (29)	2018-04-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Extra Strong

An "OMG" blend for, a latakia-lover, me.

It has a cake cut. Some mentions aging cake differs taste, tbh, I didn't try. A harsh characteristic smell of the latakia hits your face as you open the tin. That is why this blend should not be compared with Dunhill EMP, or similar blends. It's quite easy to peel off the cake layer and get it ready for smokable condition. After packing the bowl, once you give a deep smell to your fingers, you'll get the point. One may leave the cake form, without rubbing entirely, in its tin. I didn't find necessary to humidify again in 5-month period, somehow it keeps sufficient humid in the cake.

Pipe Used: Peterson 1910, Savinelli Autograph, Stanwell 30

Age When Smoked: Straight from the tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - HH Vintage Syrian, Solani - 763: White and Black.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-12-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I was able to smoke a bowl of this. Even though I only like Latakia in very small doses, I dared to pack a small clay bowl full of Pirate Kake. To my suprise the unburnt aroma is quite sweet, nutty and not overly Latakia-ish.

In the smoke the Latakia - even though being 75% percent of the blend - really smooth and silky. It's really not what I consider a "Latakia Bomb" with an obtrusive Latakia aroma! There's enough sweetness and nuttiness to mellow out the high dose of Lady L.

Pirate Kake offers leathery notes, smoky and woodsy tones and a grain of sea-salt, as well as some nuttiness and toasty, honey-ish sweetness. The orientals also sport some etherealness, a few sour peaks and a herbal character.

I guess this blend works just as Motzeks Black & Gold Krumble Kake, which also holds 40% Perique, but is mellowed out with a lot of Cavendish. The Cavendish mellows out the obtrusive, musty aromas and settles the blend for smooth smoke - exactly as in Pirate Kake.

Wonderful blend, and certainly a 4-star blend!

Pipe Used: Clay Pipe

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-07-08		Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Full	Very Strong

After smoking this, my tongue walked the plank. It was a suicide.

The Cavendish doesn't moderate this blend at all, and the Turkish is AWOL. It's Latakia in overwhelming amounts. This is the Tactical Nuclear Penguin of pipe tobacco - a joke that probably belongs in a Mountain Dew commercial and not in polite company.

If there were negative stars, Pirate Kake would earn them.

Pipe Used: meer

Age When Smoked: 6 months

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2016-06-07		Medium	Very Mild	Very Full	Very Strong

This is not a great mixture but a great mistake. The present tin information report: “A smooth, robust blend with LOTS (75%) of exceptional Latakia accompanied by Turkish and Burley”. It is the truth! First mistake: too much Latakia. It is like smoking straight Latakia, really unsmokable! If you don’t find any pure Latakia in the market you can easily buy this one and make your own mixtures. Second mistake: Burley has no proper taste; it’s a neutral tobacco without a specific taste. In this case, Burley doesn’t help the blend and it is necessary like smoking pure Latakia. Third mistake: Turkish is absolutely useless and this is not an oriental blend! I can’t taste any oriental tobacco. Only Latakia taste. In my opinion it is inconceivable a mixture with 75% of Latakia because it is impossible to detect any other taste. For this reason in my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 3 and only a star.

Similar Blends: Pure latakia.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aadelma (67)	2008-12-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

This is by far the most ham-handed blend I've ever tried. In fact, it isn't fit to be called a blend at all since it is the same as smoking straight latakia, not a blend of different tobaccos. The turkish and burley add nothing. It is impossible to keep lit. After a few minutes, my taste buds become overwhelmed and I can't taste anything.

I suppose there are those who just can't get enough latakia who will like it, just as there are those who put an entire bottle of ketchup on their food.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2020-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

So like the typical guy I started with aromatics and over the past year I've tried tons of different types of blends finding myself settling into VApers and Balkan blends.

I kept seeing this in all the pipe smoking groups so I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. So I went ahead and ordered it. Now as excited as I was about all the hype I jarred it as soon as I opened it and promptly rubbed some out and filled my bowl.

It comes in a crumble cake and like all the C&D cakes I've tried this one is easily breakable and crumbled nicely. Easy stuff and no problems getting it lit. It is sort of goldilocks for me right out of the tin in terms of dry time.

I open the tin and bam you are smacked in the face with the leathery campfire smell of the Latakia. Upon lighting, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought that such a high volume of Latakia would overpower the blend but not so. The smoke is never hot, so no issue with tongue bite even if you puff like an train getting it lit.

If I could describe this blend in one word it would be creamy. This is like an Autumn bonfire made of leaves in my mouth. It brings back good memories. Needless to say this is something that I now smoke daily and I encourage you to as well.

Pipe Used: Bent Billiard, no name.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Nothing comes close.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2018-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Original review from 2011:

This one is just not for me. It does produce a decent amount of smoke. Just too much Latakia for me. As always YMMV. I give this 2 stars because it does seem to be a quality mixture.

Update 2/27/2018:

My have times changed, and so has my taste in tobacco blends. I rediscovered this blend over the weekend. We got ourselves reacquainted. I've readjusted the ratings and highly recommend this blend very much. The components come together quite nicely and gives a nice load of nicotine in this offering from C&D. The room note may scare away some people that would normally sit by when you smoke this one. For me, the moisture level was right on from the opening of the tin until the bottom of it. The tobacco came apart quite easily when loading up the pipe. Definitely recommended.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4Life (3)	2017-06-05		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

English lovers unite! This is the single greatest Latakia blend on the market. The smoke is smoothe and leaves a cool yet warm creaminess on your palette for hours afterward. C&D style; this blend smokes down to the last puff leaving a fine volcanic type ash that won't plug up the bowl. Highly recommended for lovers of Latakia: over 75% and yet not over powering. A classic pipe room note scent that will turn bystanders into tokers.

Pipe Used: Perfect for classic Bent apple or bulldog

Age When Smoked: Doesn't matter, never changes

Purchased From: Burlington Tobbacanists (Alberta, Canada)

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-03-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

The very epitome of lat bomb. I was told that this blend is 70% latakia, and I believe it.

Presentation is a firm cake, pitch black with a few brown flecks. Breaking off a chunk and rubbing it out with your fingers isn't difficult at all, but you might want to wash your hands afterwards. Moisture level is perfect for smoking. My kids' comment on tin note - "Ewww! Stinky dirt!" I concur (but in a good way).

Flavor - Yep, that's latakia! I won't attempt to break this one apart - the descriptions say it's got oriental, burley and cavendish. Whatever. I can't really pick them out. The flavor to me is straight up latakia, smokey, earthy, dark, bold and rich...but surprisingly smooth and creamy. It lacks that hint of perique spice that Nightcap has, but is darker and more smokey. I don't get much sweetness, but it's not astringent either. Not terribly complex, almost one dimensional, but quite good at what it does.

It took two matches to get started and required only one relight. Smokes slow and cool. Very well behaved in the pipe. Room note? IT STINKS. When you light up some Pirate Kake, nobody is going to be happy except you. Perhaps this is why pirates didn't have wives on their ships with them.

Recommended. I'm not quite ready to stock up on this one, but I will certainly buy more in the future.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	papapauly (24)	2017-01-31		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

First off, I love latakia-from blends with just a hint to full blown blends like this wonderful smoke from C&D. If you don't care for latakia then definitely steer clear of this one, but I for one can't imagine a piper not enjoying this smoke. Despite being 75% latakia I was easily able to pick out the oriental tobacco. Not just the tongue tingle that spicy orientals give but a solid oriental leaf flavor under the latakia. I found a retro-hale was the best way to truly get the smokey leathery flavor of the latakia to shine. I have no idea what the room note is because I smoke on the porch but I imagine it would be very potent. 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

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: new from tin

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Star of the east is somewhat comparable.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2016-05-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Update 11/9/2017

As was stated in my earlier review of a sample I did end up purchasing a couple tins of this. To my good fortune the tins were already a year aged when I received them and a little over 2yrs old when I popped the first one.

I am holding this one at 3 stars, because it is good but suffers from a lack of complexity. This is not really shocking seeing as the blend contains 75% latakia. The tin description should scare off all but the most hardened latakiaphiles. Because of the high concentration of lat, this blend is very smooth and leathery with campfire notes galore. The burley chimes in with that nuttiness that I alluded to in my earlier review and the oriental stands out a little more with some sour notes.

As I stated earlier, it has a good amount of nicotine thanks to the burley, but one should not consider this a strong blend by any means. It is just relatively strong when compared to most lat blends. In any case, after finishing a bowl I often felt sated for quite some time.

I could never smoke this all day long, but I doubt I could ever smoke this much lat in any blend all day. I tend to prefer it more in a condimental sense. I found this best in a small bowl as it can get kind of boring to my tastes in a large bowl. Overall, I do recommend it for what it is. I might jump that to highly recommended for the latakiaphiles out there. I will look forward to trying the other tin after much aging hopefully mellows the lat a bit.

Original Review 5/13/2016

I just finished a sample of this that I have had for a while even though it was a pretty small sample. It came at a time of several samples and got stashed away and, well, forgotten about. After discovery, I probably only got about three bowls out of this.

Those three bowls were quite enjoyable. I had expected a lat bomb out of this from all that I have heard about it. And the latakia is strong, but it is not at all overpowering. The blend smokes really smooth. I guess this, is in part, due to solid balance with the orientals and burley. The latter of which adds a nice nutty sweetness to the blend.

As my sample was small and I liked it, but yet was not blown away by it, I am giving this one three stars with plans to pick up a tin or two to try later. I will return to this at that time. This may very well go up to four stars then. As an additional note, this does have an appreciable nicotine hit for a lat blend, so those smitten with lat, but also requiring more nicotine, may find this to be the perfect solution.

Pipe Used: Invicta PSF POY 2014 Blasted Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 2 yrs. 6 months

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CFAF (9)	2014-08-27		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

This is a rare case of too much of a good thing. I love latakia. Latakia blends are my favorites. I don't know if it's too much latakia at 70 percent, or if there's another something in there (burley?) that just makes this blend too much for me. I really want to like it, but it's too strong. To each their own, but Ten Russians is my lat bomb. Pirate Kake is nuclear.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 months to a year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Palermo09 (23)	2014-06-04		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Beautiful Latikia Kake. The strong Latakia flavor basically wipes out any hint of the other tobaccos. I suppose the nicotine kick comes from the burley. While perhaps one dimensional I love this rich Lat bomb in one of my English billiards. A favorite for special occasions, definitely not an all day smoke for me.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: BNB Tobacco

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2013-12-02		Medium to Strong	Mild	Overwhelming	Tolerable to Strong

Let me say, up front, I'm a Latakia fan. Or, at least I thought so. I purchased this because I wanted to experience what a Latakia "bomb" is. Now I know, and don't like it. I'll stick with more basic English/Balkan blends that use Latakia as a secondary player; not the only player. This stuff is, well, out of line. Mind you, I don't regret trying it—the tobacco's were good quality, it's just that this blend is not for me.

Cheers!

Pipe Used: Molina bent

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2020-08-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Alright, so after a lot of virginia and VaPer and VaBur in this summer I really missed some good latakia so I decided to open this tin of Cornell & Diehl’s Pirate Kake.

And so I will begin with the tin note. The smell in the tin is not very very strong. Indeed you can smell the latakia but also lots of turkish.

The tobacco is a very nice krumble kake, with a very smoky and somehow musty or vinegar smell. There’s a lot of leathery smell in this one as well. It’s not the most pleasant smell. The tobacco is not super pressed, it’s easy to rub and easy to fill your pipe (unlike Seattle Pipe Club’s Plum Pudding). The moisture is perfect, you can put it directly in the bowl or can leave it to dry as long as you wish. Indeed most of the tobacco is black, just a little bit of gold leaves.

I guess a lot of the smell comes from the turkish as well, it’s like a battle between the latakia and the turkish in the smell, but in taste the latakia wins, of course.

It doesn’t burn great, needs some relights but that’s ok, we’re not in a slow smoking championship after all.

The room note is very ok with me, but I’m pretty sure that it would smell like Hell for someone who doesn’t like cigar smoke or cigarette smoke. The room note is very strong actually.

Tastewise, this is amazing. I love it. I just love it! If this has 75% latakia, I guess I could smoke pure latakia. However, even if this blend is quite straightforward it is helped by the turkish. It’s smoky and leathery and smoky, and has some smoky taste. :)

Now, being serious, while it is indeed very smoky, the leathery taste is also there, which is very very interesting. So it’s not the sweet latakia you find in various blends, this one actually is smoky. I love it. (how many times did I say “smoky” so far? damn...)

Full taste. Flavoring? Who the hell could detect any casing or topping in this? No, no, no. This is for those dirty pirates!!! :) Strength is mild to medium because you can’t take a lot of vitamin N from the latakia or the oriental, maybe from the burley but I don’t think it’s a lot of burley in this.

I was actually searching for this kind of tobacco for a long time. I’m a latakia lover. I’ve tried a lot of english blends that said they had a lot of latakia or said they have full strength smoke, like Samuel Gawith’s Commonwealth Mixture. Well, no. That is not a “latakia bomb” nor a full strength smoke in my opinion. That is a very good blend but it’s not a lat bomb. This one, on the other hand is a lat bomb, and for me is very tasty.

I don’t know what else can be said about this blend. It’s straightforward, in-your-face, smoky and leathery, latakia and turkish. A cold smoke, very enjoyable, especially (I imagine) in a cold winter’s day when you drink a smoky Islay Scotch.

Now I’m getting back to my bowl.

Happy puffing, pirates!

Age When Smoked: 1 year

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael D (33)	2020-07-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I could make this a very short review and just mention that it is a fantastic Latakia, Burley, Oriental blend. But, I rather parrot and babble on a bit longer. Opening the tin, I receive a lovely aroma of Latakia and that's about it and it is plenty. 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. Lighting up, The sails fill and I am presented the latakia, with the burley and orientals blending in harmony. All hands on deck, The blend is like a latakia mouth wash with yes, a very light minty after taste of sweetness. Once lit, I find it stays that way with light attention to my sipping draw. Surprisingly to me with such a stated high content of Latakia, mild enough to start at day break and end the evening winds. This is a top shelf blend worthy of a try by any latakia lover. yes, I am in lust at the moment, but love might follow. weigh anchor, set sail and sip for a bit. The day is upon us.. Thanks C&D!

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HauntedMyst (22)	2019-11-06		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I love Latakia. It's one of my favorite ingredients in any blend. In Pirate Lake it dominates and it's good, its smooth, smokey and peaty. It's just too much of it to the point of making it monochromatic. The oriental come up for air but just barely. The nuttiness of the burleys barely come through. It strikes me that this is a good blend to build off of and I'll report back when I do but for now it's just lacks the depth to be interesting.

Pipe Used: up shall billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cam91 (23)	2019-09-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The best thing about this blend is that I always know what I am going to experience whenver I light it up. It is consistently a good blend. It seems to have a topping but it contributes to the excellent flavor. Slightly sweet, smokey, a bit of complexity from the orientals, very little bite. I would say this is my favorite tobacco because I can always depend on it to be a good consistent smoke. Mild to medium nicotine content.

Pipe Used: Bent billiard. Cob.

Similar Blends: GL Pease Odyssey and Quiet Nights..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gerry P (39)	2019-01-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Pirate Kake boasts a whopping 75% latakia, so if you don't like latakia you'll probably want to pass on this one. 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.

Opening the tin reveals a dark brown block that looks like a brownie. To me, the tin note is mostly smoke and leather, with some wood and maybe a wee bit of fruitiness.

This is my first crumble cake, and I found it to be fun and easy to prepare. Just cut or tear off a piece, then rub it out and fill your bowl as usual. Once it's lit, you'll get exactly what you signed up for, which is a big dose of latakia taste and aroma as well as a little buttery sweetness in the background. It smokes very cool with no bite whatsoever. It might need a relight or two. The flavor stays consistent and doesn't get harsh near the end. It has a pleasant aftertaste.

The room note is very strong. My significant other, who is a real trooper for not complaining about me smoking pipes in the house, left the room as the aroma was a bit much for her. She's OK with Nightcap, so that tells you how strong this one is. I think it smells great myself.

The impressive thing about this blend is that it has such a massive amount of latakia but somehow remains interesting and easy to smoke. I think Craig Tarler must have been some kind of wizard to pull this off. Flavor wise, it's not as strong as one might expect and I'd say the nic level is medium. I could easily do back-to-back bowls of it, but I'm not a new smoker so YMMV.

Addendum, June 16 2019: The extra aging has tamed the latakia a bit, bringing out the buttery sweetness a little more. I'm also getting a little cocoa and berry flavors. Tasting this one as it evolves and reveals more of itself has been very rewarding, especially for a latakiaphile like myself. A real treasure, imho, and a must-try for those who appreciate latakia-heavy blends.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal Rocky 01, MM bent apple diplomat

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: Habana Port Cigars, Metairie, LA

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2018-11-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've smoked a decent amount of pirate Kake but realized I have never done a review. It's smoky but honestly not as strong as you would believe being 75% Latakia. The Turkish and burley add a good amount of body. With age the body increases along with a dark sweetness.

10-13-2022. With a total of almost 9 years of age on my batch, the Latakia really tones down into something similar to Syrian Latakia. It has a herbal/ clove undertone to the smokiness that I get in Syrian Latakia. The blend becomes so smooth that it's almost like smoking nothing. Unfortunately to entire flavor profile deminished. Ive had straight Virginias with a stronger flavor overall, therefore I'm dropping pirate kake to two stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Precious Paul (20)	2018-08-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Ole Pirate Kake. Been a fan of this stuff for years was the other tin I picked up and opened for the road (Rattray old gowrie was the other). Popped and greeted with the unmistakable aroma of a lot of Latakia. Used to smoke this semi regularly years ago. Older and wiser (temperature baby!) can coax a fair deal more complexity out of it than I recall from the old days. Think a peaty scotch and some nuttiness for the most part. Makes a great change of pace for someone looking for something to enjoy while doing something else. Doesn’t age well after being opened for long 2 weeks seems to be it and it starts losing its potency. Give it a try

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: 5/01/18 dated so 2-3 months

Purchased From: Boda Pipes (Greenville SC)

Similar Blends: It’s fairly unique.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rufus T. Firefly (24)	2018-04-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a very enjoyable smoke, full of smokey Latakia. It smokes cool right of the tin. The cake rubs out easily and tastes great. If you enjoy a great Latakia blend this one's for you.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Dress

Age When Smoked: Right out of the tin

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2018-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the ultimate Lat-Bomb. Smokey Latakia seasoned with just enough nutty Burley and spicy/woody Izmir to combust and taste good. It is surprisingly smooth and easy on the palate. I couldn't smoke this all day or even two days in a row but on a cold winter day this really hits the spot.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2018-01-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

It is not a Latakia bomb, but a super creamy, medium body, medium strength medium deepness Latakia blend. With the fragrantly smoky aroma from Latakia, this easily packed crumble cake already becomes my everyday rotation.

Enjoy + Require buying + An all-day smoke → Four Stars Rating

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: 8 oz tins from pipesandcigars

Similar Blends: the body and strength are very similar to Dunhill standard mixture, but the taste is unique..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LivingFreeinTN (24)	2016-05-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Too much Latakia??? Is there such a thing? PK has the reputation for being a Lat bomb, but it is actually a nice and smooth smoke. You have to appreciate what Latakia brings to the table to enjoy Pirate Kake. Earthy, smoky, salty, leathery and full. Latakia has a lot of nuance in its flavor. It's an insult to call it one dimensional like it's some chemical-soaked, aromatic garbage tobacco. Put down the 1-Q, step out of the candy aisle of the tobacco world, and enjoy a truly flavorful tobacco.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2015-01-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

First of all, if you are even on the fence about liking Latakia, you need to hit the "back" button on your browser now and move along. This blend is LOADED with it for sure, and there just isn't any other way to put it. It is far from being monochromatic though, which I will get to in a second.

Upon opening the tin, the smokiness is apparent right off of the bat. There are background notes of dried fruits present, however, if you let your nose acclimate. The tobacco is presented as a tight crumble cake. Upon first inspection I was sure that I would need to slice this, but it falls apart rather easily. It packed well for me in a small LHS Purex. I would personally recommend a little drying time for this, as it is a little too moist for my personal tastes.

It took a little work to get it going, but once lit, it stayed that way. Upon the initial false light, I noticed an interesting flavor: a slightly sweet, dry, yet herbaceous taste. I immediately thought of a bouquet of dried herbs. It wasn't quite floral. I got hints of this flavor throughout the bowl and I must say, I like it! There are flavors of wood smoke, spices, herbs, and a slightly nutty sweetness. It was very nice from start to finish.

I recommend this to any Latakia fan, and for anyone looking for a warm blend to smoke on a cold winter day. I'm not a Latakia fiend, but I wanted to keep something like this on hand for cold, snowy days. I was expecting a one-dimensional experience, but I assure you there is more to this tobacco than many give it credit for. I'll keep some on hand from now on.

Pipe Used: LHS Purex

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: JR Cigars, Statesville, NC

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bruck (27)	2014-12-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

The closest an honest gentleman can get to smoking straight Latakia.

I received a free sample of this with an online order, and it quickly became my favorite. Very reasonably priced in bulk form; I'm slowly chipping away at a pound of it. And when that's depleted, I'm getting another one.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: online

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-12-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

My goodness...now this is what I think of when one runs for cover from the...LAT BOMB!! The smokiness is cool and mellow, very nice, but I failed to really see how this was a team effort. Had a little bit of a time getting this to light with the high latakia content, but it worked in the end. I almost felt as though I was smoking a straight bowl of latakia. This was fine until I hit midbowl and quite honestly grew tired of it. PCALHO

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-08-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

I got a free sample of this from smoking pipes with a recent order. I'm NOT a latakia smoker. I smoke only virginias and perique blends. I've had english blends once or twice for fun but don't really like them. This blend seems to be great quality and the latakia seems to be better and smoother than i've had in the past. If you really like latakia and turkish go for it. If you want a more balanced english this one will be too strong on the condiment for you.

Pipe Used: briar lovat

Age When Smoked: new, less than a year old tin

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoreyR (36)	2013-10-25		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

A Four Star blend, IMHO. Top Notch. I always load my pipe the night before and let it sit overnight. The next day PK lights right up and smokes all the way through. I get a creamy taste unlike any other tobacco I have yet tried. Very smooth with little, if any bite. I confess, any bite, which I have gotten, may come from a propensity, on my part, to "puff" this tobacco due to how much I enjoy it. The "creaminess" can be a little heavey at times so I have found this to be a good tobacco to cut with a lighter english. 60 (PK)/40 (Savinilli English) makes a great all day smoke but PK can certainly stand alone.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-09-13		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Pirate Kake is not just a smoke; it is a true religious experience!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-01-22		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Very Strong

So well named? Blackbeard at his best!!!!! This stuff is just a sweet, smokey, Latakia and makes no pretense about it. Way too much for my taste, while I had taste smoking this sample. And that's the problem. It is delicious. It is rich. it is full. It is too much, after a few minutes of it my senses numbed. I also had trouble keeping it lit, and it was not the easiest to rub out from the rock hard cake bar it comes in. It had a high moisture content as well. I think if I had bought this in any quantity it would be a great blender with a dryer, easier burning, simple burley. A little would go a long way. The Latakia used in this is top notch however and had a great taste.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyTrees (70)	2021-08-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Finally another Latakia forward mixture without any Virginia. It’s not easy to get over here so I’m glad I got some friends overseas who are willing to help out.

Cold smell is very smoky - woodfire and leather dominant. Look is rather dark and one can see the 75% Latakia in this one. It crumbles apart easily and after some drying it packs very well and is burning even and steady.

Other than many expect, Latakia is a very low in nicotine and tongue friendly tobacco which is very strong in taste, though. Pirate Kake starts very spicy with pine smoke and leather flavors and supports only a minimum of sweetness. Not much ups and downs and very few acidity. Once you puff it very slow it will reveal beautiful oriental spices - peppery cardamom and pine needles - never overpowered and with a nice complexity. The character turning more dark and spicy in the second half so a sweet drink (coffee, tea) goes great with it.

Very well blended leaf of good quality. Maybe not an all day smoke but a great choice if you’re searching for a characterful, spicy but not too strong mixture.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Featherweight 9mm

Age When Smoked: Some time in jar

Similar Blends: Motzek - Kieler Foerde (TAK).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Seanv (35)	2020-04-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Extra Strong

The kake arrived moist. As I break it apart the aromas of latakia fill the room and cover my fingers. The kake breaks apart really easily. I like to rub this one out to be a fine ribbon cut consistency. Pre light draw is sweet latakia and some oriental notes. A few lights required to get it going. The initial flavors are of sweet latakia and incense like orientals. A few more than average relights are required and that is okay with me. I like to pack it a bit more moist than usual as I find that releases more of the flavor. The body of the smoke approaches medium but doesn't seem to ever get there completely. The strength like the body falls short of medium. If you enjoy latakia forward blends that bring hints of incense, I do highly recommend this one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2020-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant

The tin description says, it contains 75% (!) of Latakia, plus Turkish and Burley. Truly a blend for Latakia aficionados. In the tin you will find a dark square Crumble Cake, very easy to break apart and to load your pipe.

As a Latakia lover I’d say this blend is heavenly. It is a spicy, full-flavour Latakia mixture accompanied by Turkish to add a significant Oriental twist. The Burley just donates body and rounds up the mixture. It is not at all one-dimensional, even if it obviously is a Latakia forward blend, given its 75% proportion. This blend keeps me interested during the whole smoke. In this sense, it is a deep digging mixture, not heavy, quite campfire smoky, not leathery, without horse-stable notes. It deploys a large palette of all distinct aromas you find within the wheelhouses of Latakia and Orientals. Surprisingly it is only medium strong. I can smoke several bowls in a row and enjoy its very full flavour. This mixture is now on my favourites list.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Dunhill 23 (39)	2020-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is a pretty powerful blend that has plenty of flavor as well as Vitamin N. The tin note reminds me of leather and farmland. It lights easily and stays lit. The examples I opened was ready to smoke right out of the tin. The smoke has zero bite and is full of flavor. It is heavy on Latakia which might turn some people off but there are several other strains that come through in the smoke such as the smoothness of the Burley.

Overall a nice smoke. Get some. You won't be sorry.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falliver (42)	2019-12-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

A velvety, and almost full bodied, smoke with a strong taste of Latakia-woodiness, that’s perfectly balanced by the creamy sweet, buttery burley and cavendish. Leaving a creamy and peppery aftertaste that lingers, this is a modest Latakia bomb, and maybe my favourite Latakia blend yet! It lights and stays lit easily, smokes dry and clean with no bite nor moisture.

Pipe Used: Various GL Lillehammer pipes

Age When Smoked: Unknown

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ig88 (9)	2016-02-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Upon opening a small sample given to me by father, I noted the sample was about as hard as concrete. I managed to fumble a piece and I managed to drop it and it shattered like glass. I realized I needed to take this sample and let it sit overnight with a damp towel over a bowl. I smoked some the next day and I noted that it smelled similar to being in smokehouse. First light I tasted heavy notes of campfire, wood, earth and sulfur. It reminded me of smoking a burnt out matchstick or if you were to smoke the smoke off of a meat smoker. About mid bowl it seemed to mellow out and I did get some nice sweet notes. It got more pleasant towards the end of the bowl but the overall 'smokey' taste just seemed to dominate this blend. This is what this blend is supposed to do so I knew going in I would experience this. It is a very different taste from what I normally go for (I tend to like those hideous 'soapy' tobaccos from over the pond) but not something I believe is for me. I do note this is good for something different.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Der Pfeifenraucher (71)	2016-01-09		Mild	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Understatement of the year---"This is a blend for the Latakia lover" WOW. I bought a hunk of this looking for a purer form of latakia to decide whether I really was a latakia guy or not. Turns out I am.

PK arrived as a brick or block. Kake is misleading as the pressed tobacco has many of the characteristics of a small piece of 5/4 inch pine decking. Same thickness, same density, and some of the same smell. I could not cut this with my fairly substantial pocketknife, only whittle on it, just like a hunk of decking.

Tin note is great with lots of wood smoke, some pine, oriental tobacco, and slight creosote. Right up my alley as I burn wood to heat the house. Nose is definitely noticeable but not overpowering as some here suggest or like some aromatics. Preparing this one for smoking is a chore. The cake breaks up easiest by hand, first breaking off large chunks of the whole then smaller chunks then rubbing those out into smokable bits. Even the smaller pieces have a remarkable cohesive quality and are really unnecessarily difficult to get prepped. Don't even bother attempting to cut this kake, you'll have to hammer the knife through. Once the kake is rubbed out sufficiently it does need a little drying time maybe only 30 minutes or so. The tobacco seems dry enough when being rubbed out but is hard to keep lit without drying. There are a quite a few stems in my batch, I might go as far as to call it stemmy.

Now for the pipe. This is where the hassle becomes worthwhile. This stuff is the bomb. Lat bomb that is. From char to dregs lots of nice smooth, smoky latakia flavor with hints of minor components at times. This is a cool drawing blend that I cannot get to bite. A drawback for me is the frequent relights, even with a dried tobacco. I might relight this as many as 5 times in the course of a medium sized bowl. This stuff produces huge, thick clouds of smoke which never dissipate. While you are sitting there enjoying the bowl you can watch the smoke accumulate in the room and settle to the floor. It's almost as if the smoke is too heavy to be moved by the imperceptible drafts in a house that will carry most smoke away. Nic dose is fairly low on this one, which surprised the heck out of me because the flavor is so over the top. I'll also add that this tobacco stays with you for a long, long time. Smoke a bowl in the morning and you will taste it all day. You'll have to brush the taste out of your mouth. Smell also stays on your hands for quite some time after rubbing this out.

Although an excellent smoke on it's own this also makes a great blender. Right now I have it blended 50/50 with Prince Albert which mellows the smokiness a little. I also have it blended 50/50 with My Mixture 965. PK dominates the weak tasting 965 but 965 does add quite a bit of oriental and nicotine which makes the combination more interesting than the components. I think you could improve any blend with the addition of PK, most aromatics excepted.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pandc

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The good Rev. Rizzo (36)	2015-07-31		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

A Latakia lovers stand by for me. I always have a couple brownies of this laying around. The lat is very forward and pronounced in this. It smokes well. Very pleasing billows a white smoke.

Pipe Used: A bunch because it's a go to blend for me.

Age When Smoked: Less than a week

Purchased From: El Fumador in Sewickley, Pennsylvania

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Autumn joy (47)	2015-03-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Ok here it is pirate kake by cornell and Diehl. This blend is a very heavy latakia blend and is a real treat for latakia lovers. The oriental is noted early on until about mid bowl and then its pretty much the lat that steals the show in pirate kake a very smoky campfire blend. Now this blend is a real treat though because the burley in it. The burley is noticeable not so much for the taste but more so the nicotine hit that it helps provide. 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. Hey its not your fault latakia, burley will help you in this kake. Overall I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good English blend this stuff is top notch and is cheap and available. I would truly smoke this over a lot of other sought after blends.

Pipe Used: Billiard, rusticated tomato

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Boswell Northwoods, Dunhill Nightcap.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2014-11-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I love this blend. I got a tin dated July 1, 2008 on eBay for $16, and I am more than happy in spending that money.

Upon opening the tin I immediately got the strong smell of Latakia, but there was a little more that just that. There's also a sweet smell to it that mixes with the smokiness very well. The smoke leans a little further to the sweet than the smokiness, and I can definitely pick up on the Perique and Orientals more than I had anticipated. The overall effect is very good, similar to and in my opinion better than Mississippi River. I know, "BLASPHEME!" you declare. But I stand by that assessment.

I'm not sure what the fresh stuff is like, but I can totally recommend that you try some of the aged version if you can.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Legend

Age When Smoked: 6 years

Purchased From: eBay

Similar Blends: Mississippi River, Hearth & Home - Ambassador's Blend (Signature Series).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigNick (59)	2014-10-13		Very Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Overwhelming

Wow, this stuff is a Latakia monster. It actually made my neighbor come out and ask if I was burning tires. It's strong in taste and smell. The dominant feature is the smoky Latakia. It rubs out easy but it is messy. If you like a whole lotta Latakia, go for it. It is a pretty cool baccy.

I took the advice from one of the other commenters on this page and decided to spruce it up with some rum. I will comment further when I smoke it again.

Pipe Used: MM legend, Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Newb (49)	2014-06-08		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

Originally Reviewed on 5/29 Tin/Pouch Note: Sour apple, plum, campfires and leather. Strong pungency/vinegar(?) when the tin was opened but that subsided to the sour apple and plum notes being stronger, especially after transferring to a jar.

For starters, this is very concentrated latakia - almost meaty, creamy, rich. I also pickup some oriental mustiness but unlike most English blends, this has zero balance... the oriental is an afterthought that you pickup on the exhale but not when the smoke is in your piehole. What I'm getting? Islay malt scotch and rose water, as in a smokey, brine, iodine, perfume, incense sort of way. I pick up a lot more sweetness, with a pungent sourness, like cherries that aren't quite ripe yet. And the smoke has a creamy quality that coats your mouth and nose and everything in a 3 yard radius.

Room note? My wife thought I was burning tires.

I also found this blend seemed to pack a bit of nicotine when smoked in an MM General. However, I didn't find the same results in smaller pipes or even my briars so I might have just had an off day.

This is a good blend if you really want to know what "Latakia Forward" means. The best way I can put this blend, is that if it were a movie, it would be about latakia, there would be a preview before the movie starring oriental, and the burley and virginias would be listed in the credits as gaffers or extras.

Pipe Used: MM general, royal meer, savinelli 616

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uban (60)	2014-05-12		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

I guess I must be a real Lat fiend too. This is my favorite Lat-bomb of all time, having tried many that get harsh or bitter. This one stays creamy mild all the way, an occasional sourness & then sweetness, both pleasant, don't really shake up the Latakia's prominence. Seventeen stars

Pipe Used: Old meer, briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: J&R

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fredkao (11)	2013-12-08		Mild	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Well I was hoping to find something very strong as it's a Latakia Bomb but NO! It's very mild and I wasn't pleased with it after my first try but I have to say: you must take it slowly because it's really something!
Anyway, you can use it also for blending il you need a richer smoke.
I like it and I will love it, I'm sure.

Pipe Used: Charatan, Peterson, ...

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-10-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Strong

If you LOVE not like latakia try this but good god come on man

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2012-12-11		Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Boring, one dimensional lat. bomb. I was hoping for some spicy flavor to counterbalance so much Latakia, but alas 'twas not to be found.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-04-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Strong

The quality is there, no questions asked.

However, 70% + of Latakia makes this blend unidimensional.

I would not recommend it on its own, but mixed with some VAs or more Burleys to get the best out of it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	lvpipe (13)	2010-01-12		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This review will be simple. If you don't really like Latakia this will not change your mind. Please don't buy it and then tell everyone it's crap.

On the other hand if you like heavy Latakia blends then this may be for you. It is not the smoothest and certainly not the roughest but it is full of flavor and delicious in my opinion. The flavor remains constant with little or no nuances about to happen during the smoke. My wife likes the smell of this tobacco the best of all the tobacco I have, your wife probably won't. This not Old Ironsides of any version it may be better to some and not quite as good to others but if you like OI I can't imagine you not liking this stuff. It is what it is and I enjoy it every time I choose it. I give this 4Stars because it does not pretend to be anything but what it is. Penzance is good but it has no taste next to this. You have been warned.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	al1 (58)	2008-12-13		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

This is the latakia bomb of all time here. I mean that in the best possible sense.

I had smoked samples from friends and a small tin of this in the past but waited to review until I could get a pound to start on just to see consistency from tin to bulk.

Since in bulk I broke it into three big pieces and put it in a mason jar. Upon cutting the bag the latakia aroma permeated the room and my nose. This is serious stuff for serious smokers. There is a dash of cavendish in there but just to smooth it a little. So full flavored but with no hint of bite. This is probablly one of the smoothest blends despite it's overall strength there is.

This is ready to go right off the brick. Crumbles up real nice. Packs like a dream. A little air time helps but on a good dry day you can get by without it. A little drying helps the taste a little and keeps your pipe dry.

I reccomend this to someone looking for the strongest possible dose of latakia. If you are new to the pipe this would be a good way to sample where strong english begins. I would not reccomend it as a first smoke but after a month or so give it a shot. I don't think you could find a fuller tasting blend that is this smooth and soft on the tongue.

This offers a nice contrast to the G.L. Pease balkans I smoke like abingdon, kensington, caravan, and so on. While keeping the flavor and satisfaction in my smokes.

The nicotine will not knock you out but it is there and persistent. Not a rush but a steady buzz- nice in this dept.

This is a sit down and do nothing else but smoke tobacco. Great for late night or cool/cold weather smoking. Highly reccomended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2007-04-07		Mild to Medium	Very Strong	Very Full	Very Strong

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. As a previous reviewer mentioned...it's a drinkin' Jack Daniels feelin' dangerous type of tobacco. Not for the faint of heart, and definitely one to smoke when no one else is around. It gets one dimensional thru the bowl, in that Latakia dominates the experience and ultimately numbs the senses too much.

I currently add 25% Pirate Kake to Lane's Rum and Maple. It's become my absolute favorite smoke.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2007-04-03		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

As the description above notes, ??.LOTS of exceptional Latakia? and ?This is the blend for the Latakia lover.? Truer words have never been written. It is also an understatement. I like latakia but this blend goes above and beyond. My smokes started off pleasant enough, especially after a full meal, but the large amount of latakia slowly pummeled me. By mid bowl I thought I was smoking granulated road tar ? not good. It was overwhelming! In my opinion, this is a ?small bowl? blend and an occasional one, at that. Pirate Kake may best be utilized as a blending tobacco. If the ratings here at tobaccoreviews were based on letters of the alphabet instead of stars, I would give this ?Pirate? an ?Arrrrrggggh!?

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this blend 7.2 out of 10.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-01-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

If Nightcap is Wagnerian, this is a brass band. Loud and exhilerating in small doses but difficult to live with on a sustained basis. The orientals are drowned by the Latakia and the burley, apart from mitigating the burnt cork taste of pure Latakia, does little. An occasional excess has its place in life, and Pirate Kake is an excess.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2004-12-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

12-03-2004 Put away your cutlass' maties!

Appearance and Tin aroma: Nice pressed bricks, a little more moist than I'm used to from C&D. Smells like fine, sweet Latakia

Packing and Lighting: It can be time consuming to crumble, but you must, or this will not light well. 3-4 lights to get going.

Initial Flavor: Latakia! It is smooth, no harshness at all.

Mid-Bowl: The other leaves add their support and give this blend nice body. My latakia fix is getting quite satiated.

Bottom of Bowl: A nice build up of strength, still smooth, not quite as complex as Pease's Abingdon, but nevertheless still delicious.

Overall: This is for those who love Latakia, but want something that brings the best out of that fine leaf. This blend does it excellently! Also, this is a big pipe blend, we're talking Group 6 and beyond. Small pipes just do not do this blend justice. The room note is very cigar like, so be careful or get banished to walk the plank! I much prefer this blend over "Old Ironsides" or "Black Frigate" even though those are also worthy of sea rats and scalowags. Where's my jug o'grog? argh!

Rating: 5 out of 5 big hoop earings and cutlass', Enjoy.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-01		Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

A latakia-heavy cake? Must try! Wow, holding in the hands a brick of this extremely dark brown-black blend (no light-colored bits in it!) 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! Crumbling the cake is easy (but beware, your fingers will become dirty as if you had been playing with the ashes in your fireplace), and soon the flame can release some of the most intense flavor ever offered by a pipe tobacco. It is very strong and spicy, and the latakia is a wonderful presence throughout the bowl. As you progress, the burley makes its presence felt with a note that reminds of baking bread and rounds the harsh edges of the licorice-like (in looks and taste) black weed. Until the bottom of the bowl, it's an explosion of taste! It reminds of the intensity of Old Ironsides, but in my opinion it is slightly less pleasant. It isn't a very sophisticated, subtle or multidimensional tobacco, and it isn't suited for all-day consumption (in spite of the relatively low nicotine content). Nonetheless, it makes for a great after-lunch/dinner smoke. A must for any latakia fan, especially at the great price it is sold in bulk (and the cake form allows you to cellar it without perceivable deterioration). Just beware of the extremely strong room note: while not particularly nasty (unless you hate latakia), its ghost will haunt your house for many days, haunting your house!!!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-10		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

There is power in this kake. Lots of power. I first tried this in a Ser Jacapo LB Maxima Maxima. Let me share with you that upon trying to stand after about a half an hour of smoking, I nearly fell over. So, I sat back down and enjoyed the rest of the bowl! After the room stopped swimming, and the tastebuds recovered, I tried it again in a smaller block. Consistent flavor, good body, and lots of smoke...you can almost chew te stuff! Highly recomended...not for the faint of tounge or heart.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-19		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I bought a 1/2 lb of this product mail-order w/o first tasting it, based on its description and its reputation in latakia-addict circles. I was not disappointed.

This bulk tobacco came as one large slab, with sharp-cut edges, like it had been hewn from a monster brick. 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.

This stuff lives up to its reputation as Latakia Central. The latakia overwhelms the other "trace" ingredients. The turkish hides sheepishly in the shadows and the burley taste (if burley really has a taste) is MIA.

The lack of a virginia component is, IMHO, what sets this blend apart from my other latakia-laden favorites: Old Ironsides and Commonwealth Mixture. The result is a kind of monochromatic, but what a great color! Not much subtlety here folks, so do not come expecting a complex blend. Just beaucoup latakia from beginning to end.

One of my favorite after-dinner, sitting on the porch, watching-the-glaciers-move pipes is a "latakia parfait", constructed thusly:

In a tallish bowl combine first Old Ironsides as broken flakes (bottom third), next crumbled Pirate Kake (middle third), and finally Commonwealth Mixture (top third of bowl). To many, this would be a heresy on the order of combining several single-malt scotches (perish the thought) or good wines. Actually though, the experience is more like eating a parfait rather than a torte- one layer at a time. The taste slowly melds from one blend to the next. Sounds weird maybe, but it is a sublime experience for the latakia lover.

How ever you choose to consume it, PK is a GREAT blend. The fact that you can purchase large quantities at bargain prices is also a plus and encourages big purchases for cellaring purposes. I can hardly wait to see how this tastes a couple of years down the road. I'll have to get more soon, or my aging remnants will not last that long!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2003-08-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

I should have reviewed this tobacco long ago. While writing a review for Bow Legged Bear, I was reminded of how much it is akin to this. Although BLB is wonderful in its own right, I have to say that this blend takes the cake. This is the closest thing I have found to Latakia heaven at a bulk price. While I may still prefer some other tinned english tobacs, the price is right for this stuff. It burns cool and delivers latakia flavor like nothing else except perhaps for Penzance. There is tons of thick white smoke, and it really is a lot of fun to light up. The turkish tobacco is the perfect counterpoint to keep this from being a one dimesional smoke, and the burley keeps things very cool. I even find myself occasionaly inhaling this, something I rarely ever do when smoking a pipe. If their is a smoother English out there, I have yet to find it. My only gripe is that I have not had much luck in storing it. I think it loses something over time. I'm sure this has something to do with my humidifying skills, so I usually only buy a couple of ounces at a time. Bottom line: If you love a big dose of Latakia, then run and get some, if you don't this one may change your mind!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rev. Smoke (24)	2001-04-09		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Well, the description states it has LOTS (emphasis theirs) of Latakia, and it does. This is a dark black brick which crumbles into wonderful flakes very easily and is able to be sprinked and packed nicely - a few lighter colored flakes are evident in the crumbling. The nose of the bag is prodigiously Latakia. After the initial char, it takes to a match easily and produces good volumes of velvety textured smoke. As it says, Latakia predominates, but there are some sweet spicy notes making their presence known as well. A few puffs into the bowl, the Latakia smooths out a bit and it is just a great smoke. A few firemen at the fire meeting asked me what died in my pipe - but, for a Latakia lover, this was an incredible blend. It remained smooth and cool throughout while the spiciness of the Turkish and the sweet underpinings of the Cavendish also made their presence known.

If you love Latakia, this is a must try. If you like Latakia, try this anyway as it is exceptionally wondeful example of the fact that a predominantly Latakia blend can be heavenly.

This one has definitely crept aboard ship and stolen my tastebuds! 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!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pacific Captain (17)	2022-12-31		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I decided to wait a while to review this one because I kept bouncing back and forth from loving to hating it. I’ve finally settled on this is one great blend! Yes it’s filled with Latakia to the brim, but as mentioned by blenders before, Latakia has this kind of event horizon, where if you use enough of it, it’s less of a lat bomb than blends with less Latakia. Weird but true, and that’s exactly where this blend is. I get more flavor, sweetness and nuance from this blend then I do from other lat bomb balkans. I love this tin note being so leathery woody and sour. I get some sweetness and flowers at certain moments. It’s a classic in my mind and I’m not even the biggest Latakia fan. This blend will definitely make you question what you like to smoke and that’s a great thing. Oh and it happens to just be the perfect pairing with a dark cup of muddy coffee.

Pipe Used: Cobs and Meers

Age When Smoked: 2-4 years old

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Poodlejuice (51)	2021-06-02		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

C & D crumble cakes are fantastic. Pirate kake is no exception. Break off a piece of this "dark chocolate" brownie, break it up, and stuff away. This blend is a real treat.

I disagree with a lot of the reviewers that claim that this blend lacks complexity. I think it's loaded with all sorts of nuances. Dispite being mostly latakia it's actually not quite the punch in the mouth you'd think it would be. I get wood smoke, earth, leather, & savory meaty bbq notes from the latakia, which is quite robust, but also well supported by a good bit of floral sweetness & nice incensey notes. I also get some almonds, vanilla, and a bit of anise/licorice. Burns very cool & doesn't require many, if any, relights.

If they are certain that they enjoy latakia in larger quantities, then this would be a fantastic blend for a new pipe smoker. It burns very cool & absolutely refuses to bite. I don't smoke pirate kake very often but a few times a month I do get a CRAVING for it, and it always delivers.

Pipe Used: Cobs, various briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Reviewer (25)	2021-01-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is awesome. Really enjoy it anytime of day mostly in the morning with a cup of coffee. The tin I bought had perfect moisture and didn't need to let it sit out prior to loading up a bowl. Lots of latakia which is why I bought it and was not disappointed.

Pipe Used: Brigham 363

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Walper Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2020-09-27		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

3rdguy

Just finished my 1st full tin of this and it did not take long. Tin had almost exactly 3 years of age on it and yielded a latakia smoke that had all of the finer points of smoothness, mellow, consistent in flavor and no rough spots.

I did find drying it out a bit gave the best results and minimized the relights. It still took a fair amount of relights to get it going each time. 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. Ten Russians is still the latakia heavy blend I reach for but this is a nice step down.

Age When Smoked: Tin date of 9/26/2017

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Shoe (25)	2020-09-07		Strong	Medium	Mild to Medium	Overwhelming

If you want to strip the gears of a non-smoker, well folks this Latakia packed blend will get the job done. I am trying this out today as I wanted a full throttle Latakia smoke for a change of pace. A wonderful smoke! I knew by the guy who I traded tins with ( He got an old tin from me of Kingfisher ) that it was a full bore Latakia blend, I have to say I am most pleased. ( And I think I got the better of the deal ) So if you are a lover of Latakia this should satisfy your cravings. The room note though, will send some running for the door. Great smoke when the in-laws show up......

Pipe Used: Antique BBB rodesian

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Trade

Similar Blends: Reminded me of Bill Baileys.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Zarathustra (11)	2020-08-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Pure latakia goodness. Impressively well-balanced for such a latakia-dominant blend, the burley and orientals add a beautiful woody flavor to the rich smokiness of the latakia. Remarkable!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wally Frank Collector (46)	2020-07-08		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This and the pipe I used in smoking the "Lat Bomb" were given to me a generous friend and this smoke was an adventure worthy of the name "pirate." I have heard a lot about this lat bomb and I was ready to explode it in my den. I have to admit I sort of got into the spirit of this blend and my apologies for what follows.

Latakia, Burley, Oriental/Turkish are the ingredients. I opened the bag and was greeted by a very rich, heavy pleasant smoky flavor that was leading this charge of flavors. Right behind were the first mates of a mild earthy and mild woody flavor that played well together and led a balance assault upon my senses. This comes in a Krumble Kake and was fun to break and crumble to prepare for the bowl. It seemed perfect to smoke but I left it out for a half hour and could smell the smokiness across my den. Loading was easy since this crumbled in to small pieces. The charring light was interesting for the tobacco swelled grew like C&D's Crooner and the second light the tobacco took off nicely. The smoke was heavy yet disappeared quickly, but whether I sipped or puffed it stayed heavy until half way down the bowl when it grew even thicker and did not disappear. Looking up at the riggings... er... ceiling I noticed smoke hanging pretty well. My loyal first matey collie came in to join me and looked at the smoke and me and joined in for the fun. The next loyal matey did too but the rest... well those yellow stripe down their back traitors looked and ran... puffing or sipping this will not bite or even come close. This burned cool, slow and very consistently and needed very little re-lighting. This left no moisture in the bowl. During the smoke this left a sweet, rich, smoky aftertaste and after the smoke the same aftertaste that was pleasant for over an hour.

The room note, well.... 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. The room note is pleasant yet very strong.

Lighting up the bowl I was greeted by smoke rolling from the bowl and a rich, heavy, sweet smoke that I found very pleasing and that dominated this smoke. Not drowning out the others but definitely the Captain of this outfit. Closely behind the Smoke were a pleasant medium Earthy and mild woody flavors backed up by a light pleasant sweet butter, a mild spicy flavor, a light toasty and light nuttiness as well as a mildly spicy flavor. They did not change and they played very nicely together willingly letting the wonderful smoky flavor lead the way. Very consistent flavor that was much to my taste of this very uniquely wonderful blend that really is for those looking for something different.

I have to admit I sort of got into the spirit of this blend. I enjoyed it immensely and it really fed the itch for something different. It joins a favorite list and while it wont be a regular part of my rotation I definitely will smoke it when I need something different in my smoking rotation. 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. I give this a 3.8 out of 4 stars and it gets rounded up to 4 stars for when I turned on my ceiling fan and as I watched the smoke roll out the windows I couldn't help but laugh ....Har, Har, Har.... if I had close neighbors what would they think?

Pipe Used: John Middleton Oyster Rusticated Author

Age When Smoked: NEW

Purchased From: Gift from friend

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jt100 (8)	2020-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice. I really like this one. Latakia heavy at first (in a good way), then the orientals make their nutty, exotic spice appearance about half way in. I rubbed then let dry for an hour or 2. No burn issues at all with minimal relights. Will definitely get more

Pipe Used: Peterson 999

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Westminster, Star of The East Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Indianapolis (49)	2020-01-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I feel like I'm the naysayer here, I read sooo many positive things about this blend. But, frankly, I just don't enjoy it.

The latakia is heavy, which is fine. I can definitely enjoy a full english here and there. But it's a very static single-note mixture. I don't get any depth or complexity, just a basic smokiness. It says it has turkish and burley in there, but the turkish BARELY comes through, and the burley is buried.

To me, this one just isn't balanced, and therefore i won't be buying more. I like something that keeps me interested through the bowl, a little evolution, a little complexity. After a few puffs on this, I'm bored.

I will say, if you enjoy this at all, go get Maltese Falcon or Ten Russiana. Similar level of latakia, infinitely more fresh tasting, better overall balance, way more complex. Theyre just a better smoke.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	troyniss (38)	2019-12-03		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Presentation: A hearty, dark dense block. My 6 year old piece had a nice oily sheen to the eye and a few spots of plume. Black mostly in color with some remnants of what brown tobacco was there. The age has definitely blended the strong latakia together into the others.

Palette: Smells of rich peat, ash, campfire and a little spice. Had a light vinegar note on top. Taste like how it smells. Has a waxy essence to it and if you enjoy Latakia this will be a go to blend. You may even liken this to a creosote and tar aroma. Barely any sweetness in the blend, and if you do find it, it doesn't stay. With the majority of this being Latakia, you should know what to expect.

Performance: A very cool burning blend. Absolutely no indication of bite even when puffing vigorously. Very creamy, smooth in the mouth and leaves a nice coating for you to enjoy for an hour. Leaves more than average moisture and requires a few relights and smokes at a less than medium burn rate. One dimensional taste. I didn't find this blend to change much in the bowl. Mild nicotine. Not an all day smoke,. Maybe once a week.

Conclusion: A very interesting and heavy blend. You either love Latakia or you seldom partake in it. I fall in between. I enjoy a good Balkan or English blend, but not this much Latakia. I bought this because I found a 6 year old tin at a local B&M. I enjoyed the tobacco for what it's worth, but felt completely satiated for a while. A very straight and narrow taste profile with hardly any change. I can see why some like this alot, and some who would never smoke it more than an initial bowl. I don't think I will be buying another tin, but it was a good experience.

Pipe Used: Morgan Bones Thick Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 6+ years

Purchased From: South Korea B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2019-07-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cornell and Diehl's Pirate Kake is the last of the bulk samples from my recent half tinned and half bulk thin down purchase and I saved it for last. The reason for this was a combination of my observations and the many warnings from fellow reviewers about its heavy-to-horrid Latakia content. When I lit it up, my sample smoked like a purring kitten. Yes, a lot of Latakia, but I agree with several reviewers who used Pirate Kake as an example of how high Latakia content does not equate to overly strong. Heavy in each puff but always controlled by the Burley and Orientals, the Latakia seemed almost like a mild perfume that the other two were wearing. This perfume burned off some where in the upper third and the rest of the smoke proceeded down the bowl as, believe it or not, a light English. So, for all the dark brooding color range, somewhat ominous tin aroma and all the bluster; this blend smokes in a very civilized way and I have no problem recommending it to fellow smokers.

Pipe Used: Ashton ELX Brindle Billiard - 2007 NASPC yearpipe

Age When Smoked: unknown but not recent

Purchased From: an Ebay seller

Similar Blends: I agree with reviewer Pipestud 2004-08-29 that CAO's Old Ironsides is possible; only even more Latakia dense.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2019-06-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

A brownie of cyprian latakia - 70% (!) and orientals. Open the tin and a waft of campfire smoke will invade your nostrils. The cake / brownie is easily dismantled into crumbs that are easily loaded into the pipe. Burns well but I miss Virginias in here... It is a bit light on body for me... I miss some sweetness and complexity. It is a good blend but could be better if it were 50% latakia, 30% matured Virginias and 20% orientals, in my humble opinion. It is a great blend to make other blends stronger in smokiness if you will. Just get some of it and mix it at desired ratio with other non aro blends for a nice smoky twist. Recommended.

Pipe Used: vauen, Savinelli, stanwell, brebbia, peterson

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Local importer

Similar Blends: Hermit Tobacco Works Co. - Captain Earle's - Ten Russians.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rmsva (16)	2022-12-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I love lats but to be honest they mostly taste the same to me (mostly but there are plenty of exceptions) and judging by the aroma I figured that’d be The case. And for the most part, it is. But there is something very special in there that gives me a level of satisfaction that’s hard to find. Usually I only find it in blends with plenty of perique. But I detect none. Just a great meaty smoke.

Pipe Used: Cob

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeoffS (29)	2022-06-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I love Latakia. I was really looking forward to this. But like so many C&D blends I've tried, it's trying too hard. The flavor is one-dimensional and lacks any nuance. Surprisingly sweet, yes, but also flat. Initially very smoky, somewhat sweet, very smooth, but ultimately uninteresting. Will save this for chilly, rainy nights.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2022-04-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

One of the most popular mixtures of C&D and also among lovers of latakia.

The smell in your tin is strongly smoky, as you would expect. Once the pipe is lit, the flavor is very rich and its sweetness catches my attention, since despite having a smaller amount of virginia, it is sweeter than other English of its kind and this is something that I like in virginia/ latakia. Given the simplicity of its composition, one might think, a priori, that it is easily imitable, and yet, in my opinion, it has its own personality, something that I highly value in a tobacco, since some blends are like "deja vu" of others, but this does not happen with Pirate Kake.

I really enjoy smoking it at night, with the last pipe of the day and paired with a good whiskey.

Age When Smoked: 1 year and 5 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kaisersoze (10)	2021-10-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

If your looking for Latakia, then search no further, this has it. Very smoky, leathery, and herby. The Latakia is pretty much is the main driver, and the orientals do give some tea like qualities. I do read some reviews that the burley is undetectable, and used as a filler, however this is not the case for me. I can taste it from time to time, not in a nutty burley taste but more of a vegetative way. The cake crumbles good and packs well, I like to put the finer rubbed out pieces in the bottom and top with some fat chunks in the middle. The smoke itself, is probably the thickest, creamiest, smoke I’ve experienced. It’s actually quite satisfying to feel the the fat clouds rolling out of your mouth, taking any negativity from your day with them. 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. Though not similar in taste, it’s like nightcap, in the sense of a heavy desert like tobacco, or your last smoke of the day.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: The Tobacco Pouch/Tulsa

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nach0 (35)	2021-10-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

Step away from this if you are not a latakia addicted. Be aware of not have any other EM in your rotation bc this is the kind of tobacco thats affect your taste for ages, after a few bowls of PK you cannot feel any latakia in other mixtures. IMO it is a really good experience, not like a pure latakia, it has his own personality and delivers what it is suppose to deliver. The crumble is easy to break, easy to pack, easy to keep it lit, smokes really cool, full taste from the very beggining till the end. I just want more and more.

Pipe Used: many including briar and cob

Age When Smoked: straight from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Tom (20)	2021-07-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This is Lat strong, so if you don't like Latakia, take a pass. Pirate kake has that nutty burly and the sour orientals in the background of a sea of Latakia. It's smokey alright. Ex cigar smokers might enjoy this more than not.

Pirate kake is smooth, and it has a strong smell, but oddly enough my wife, who always complains about my smoke if it's not a sweet aromatic, came out once and sat next to me and said, "Whoa I don't know why I'm saying this but I like the smell of that." Maybe it was the drink she was drinking and that it was at night. I can't imagine that response in the morning or afternoon.

Pirate kake retrohales like a champ. It's smooth as butter on the retro. It has a smokey sweetness to it that I have not detected in any other blend. It's incense like. The aftertaste is yummy smokey incensy latakia.

I never really get a nic buzz from this. (which is fine) I assume it's because it's mostly latakia and the burley and orientals are background players.

I get a kick out of the one-star reviews. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, these guys write it like it's etched in stone. Guess what? Pirate kake is popular for a reason!

I initially bought a tin, liked it, then eventually bought a pound brick which I placed into two of the large mason jars. Every so often I grab a piece to refill my small jelly jar which I pinch it from when I smoke it.

Great stuff, IF you like latakia dominated blends.

Pipe Used: Meer, briar

Age When Smoked: new and a few months

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nuvoleazzurre (36)	2021-01-31		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Extra Strong

Aprendo la latta ci troviamo un plug pressato, abbastanza compresso, dai colori vari, marrone scuro, chiaro e punte di giallo. Gli aromi a crudo sono spiccatamente di affumicato e torbato, segno di un ottimo Latakia, ma preponderante, anche spezzando il plug non emergono altri sentori.

Prepariamo il tabacco e riempiamo la pipa, di solito utilizzate pipe ampie, l’accensione è rapida, un fine aggiustamento di pigino e via. Si sente un eccellente Latakia, un vecchio camino acceso in una grotta, per spiegare la torba e l’affumicato. Non emergono gli orientali, meno che meno il Burley.

Continuando il fumo è pieno, cremoso ma sempre e decisamente monocromatico, un solo tabacco prevale su tutti: il Latakia. Verso la metà si sente un lieve pepato e tostato, segno delle altre componenti, ma è un accenno, nulla più.

Certo per fumatori che come me adorano il Latakia l’appagamento è pieno, la qualità della materia prima è indubbia, ma manca sulla variazione tipica di altre EM della ditta (ad esempio Star of the East), è piatto e mono-tono, non assume carattere e l’armonia.

Tecnicamente è un prodotto eccellente, fuma in modo impeccabile, ma alla fine non rimane nel cuore, solo nella mente.

Troppo Latakia? Chi può dirlo, questo è un fumo da pirati, uomini rudi che amano un gusto davvero preciso e deciso. Non credo sia una occasione mancata della C&D, è la scelta di un tabacco Latakioso praticamente puro. Non è una EM è un Latakia tenuto sotto controllo dai due altri componenti. Poi conoscendo come lavora Craig Tarler non si può trattare di errore.

Alla fine un Ottimo prodotto, se si sa cosa si compra.

Un prodotto solo per fumatori esperti che non temono la forza della nicotina e i sapori decisi.

La nota ambientale è molto particolare sgradevole ai più.

Il giudizio finale 4,6/5.

Pipe Used: Castello, Dunhill, Savinelli

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2020-02-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Too much latakia and not enough flavor for my tastes. It will definitely do for someone who seeks as much latakia as possible though. I prefer Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from a new tin

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Zippo2000 (12)	2019-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

This is the first latakia blend that i try, and i'm lucky this be the first and my favorite blend. After i try PK the latakia jurney begin, keep searching other latakia bland that better than PK but i couldn't find any. I found several blend that match my taste bud, but i keep going back to PK when i craving latakia.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Unknown Briar Pipe

Age When Smoked: 1 Year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	qmpash (4)	2019-01-01		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Very Pleasant

This is neither a tobacco for noobs or for those who like aromatics. It has quite a Latakia kick (about 75 percent Latakia.) For me, it is sheer heaven and I could smoke it all day. I love that woodsy aroma and taste. Even stronger in Latakia than Captain Earle's 10 Russians (also a nice, heavy-Latakia blend.) Smoke it slowly in a 9 mm charcoal Briar Pipe and you will be richly rewarded. Probably would go nice with a good, single malt Scotch.

Pipe Used: various briars, usually a Savinelli

Age When Smoked: 2-3 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes and other outlets

Similar Blends: Nothing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2018-11-13		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Opening the fresh tin (080318 I love that C&D tins are so easy to date) the Latakia hits your sinuses straight away. Digging through the packaging you are rewarded with a well presented krumble kake. It is a little less dense than others I've had and also not at all wet, for me it is presented with perfect moisture content, but some may find it a touch dry. It is obviously dark from the 75% Latakia, but the lighter Burley, and the Turkish can be seen well mixed in. It is easy to rub a little off and I didn't find the need for a knife as I have with other pressed blocks.

On lighting the Latakia hits wonderfully. What I find Surprising straight away is that having imagined this a heavy smoke, it is quite the opposite. Whilst very heavy with Latakia it sips light and smooth, not at all like the Latakia laden English and Balkan blends I'm more familiar with. I could almost imagine this as a Latakia lovers perfect morning smoke, whereas I had it more in mind as the last smoke of the day. I think all of this is very much due to the masterful blending of this Tobacco, the Burley and Turkish really there to let the Latakia shine.

I could maybe see this in my rotation, or as a treat when I have a little time to enjoy a pipe on a lazy morning, but can't see myself smoking this daily. Overall this is a must for any Latakia lover, but approach with an open mind and don't expect anything you might be more accustomed to.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Preacher Pipes (12)	2018-10-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I expected this blend to be nothing more than a Latakia-bomb; 75% Latakia made it a good bet that would be accurate I thought. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong though; this blend is more of a medium strength. Of course the smoky stuff is prominent but it’s not all there is: smoky, sweet, zesty, and a slightly sour note on the finish combine to make a tasty and interesting smoke. It smoked cool and dry, leaving behind only fine ash. I’m glad I gave in and ordered this blend. I definitely will get more on future orders. (I don’t pickup room note myself when I smoke but my wife said it smelled like “hind end” FWIW)

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It is not a Latakia bomb; Orientals plays a co-leader role. Full in taste but medium in strength. The plug cut provides a very slow, peaceful, perfect, cool smoke. It lacks a little bit of a component: Virginia. I think a 5% more of it and it would be a really great blend! 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bence (34)	2016-04-13		Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong

I can't detect other content in it, than latakia and some latakia blended with a pinch of latakia. I always welcome this unique cake cut from C&D. Not an all day smoke, but a must try for the latakia/english lovers. IMHO it is more like a blending tobacco. 4 stars because it is very special and unique + because a must try baccy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2016-02-29		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This is a lovely lat-bomb. (That's not a sentence you'll hear very often.) It's surprisingly sweet and well balanced for such a wallop of latakia. The krumble kake is easy to worth with, the moisture level is great, lights and stays lit well, the mouthfeel is creamy and thick, the flavor (if you're into lat-bombs) is top-notch. What's not to love? A gold-hearted thug of a blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Russell D (2)	2016-01-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I like it. Only had about eight bowls so far but i'll buy more. It does better with a little drying time than fresh out the can. Burns all the way down and leaves the pipe dry and clean. A very cool and pleasent smoke. As far as the room note goes im not sure just yet. I snuck in a couple bowls n the house and my wife didn't say a word. I dont think she even noticed and believe me she will let me know when she notices.

Pipe Used: cob, peterson xl15, dr g.

Age When Smoked: not sure. new from tin at b&m

Similar Blends: Hard to say.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haroldt (26)	2015-12-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first got back into smoking pipes, a local cigar shop was getting rid of the pipe products he had - apparently not enough pipes smokers in the area. He gave me the remaining tobaccos he had. C&D Pirate Kake was among them. Lucky me!

For as heavy and robust a smoke it is regarding flavor, it is also an incredibly mild smoke. There is no bite to this blend no matter if you are puffing lightly or chugging like a freight train.

I also like the fact that it is easy to load, no knife needed to cut as it crumbles in your hand. I just pull it apart, load and light.

Pipe Used: Corn and briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh off the Pirate Ship

Purchased From: Pipe and Cigar

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haebar (52)	2015-11-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

I received an neat little 1/2 ounce cube of this as a gift from Smokingpipes.com in an order that I had placed. I was impressed with their giving it to me; it was a very attractive perfect little brick that I kept on my desk for a many months, just admiring its geometry and composition. Here 10 months later I am finally smoking it. Have had only two bowls of it so far but it is enough to know that this stuff grows on you if you give it a chance. I enjoy English blends regularly but not exclusively. Pirate Kake is more than just an English blend, it seems to be predominantly Latakia. I've never smoked a blend with this much Latakia and would not have, had it not been given to me.

The quality of the leaf is good, as are all C&D blends that I have had. The power/intensity of the smoke is impressive as one might expect from such a Latakia-forward blend. Even so, I don't find the nicotine strength to be particularly remarkable. The flavor is not very complex; it is quality Latakia center stage, with just enough Burley and Turkish to round out the edges. There is little balance of flavors in that this blend is a showcase of Latakia with the other components only serving to keep it from being too monochromatic. Smoothness and richness of the smoke is here in good measure. It burns dry and relatively cool. I smoked it in two different briar pipes: a medium-sized Orlik Captain Black billiard and a small Orlik pot.

Overall, it's good quality tobacco but my preference is a blend with less Latakia and more of a balance with other components.

Pipe Used: Orlik billiard, Orlik pot

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: a gift from Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	r (34)	2015-10-31		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Overwhelming

Pirate Kake is a study in excess, and that is not a bad thing. With a remarkable production of creamy smoke, an scandalous room prescence, and an ever-present, in-your-face overdose of Latakia, this blend is too much good stuff. So much good stuff, you'll want to exercise restraint and reserve its enjoyment for once-on-a-blue-moon situations.

Caution: it is such an unforgettable smoke, your pipe will keep reminding you of it no matter what else you smoke in it.

Recommended for English and Oriental fans only.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sentul (12)	2015-01-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Firstly, this tobacco is a Lat Bomb and definitely only for latakia afficionados.

Lovely tobacco to smoke but stinks like hell to all around you.

My only disappointment with this was that I expected it to be a bit stronger and higher in Vit N than it was.

Otherwise a lovely tobacco and well worth a try for anyone who likes Latakia and definitely a tobacco you can use to put a bit of latakia in another DiY home blend or similar.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FlatCapMatt (59)	2014-10-28		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

Disclosure: I was given a free sample of this from smokingpipes.com and I prefer aromatics.

As stated above, I'm an aromatic guy, I'm not a big fan of anything else. I was pleasantly surprised by C&D's Pirate Kake though. It was my first experience with tobacco in this form as well.

Opening the packet, it smells like a BBQ smokehouse. It brings to mind Texas BBQ, charred wood, and outdoor cookouts.

Whenever I've had non-aromatics, I've felt like they've tasted like a combination of BBQ sauce and soap, and this wasn't much different. It sounds awful, but it wasn't. It was more pleasant than I expected.

I don't have any problem smoking this. It wouldn't be the first tobacco I reached for, and I have doubts if I'd ever buy it, but I wouldn't refuse another sample.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Bjarne Nielsen, Peterson, Corncob

Age When Smoked: Fresh, as far as I can tell.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (106)	2014-10-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

There's not much to say about this one, except Latakia. I know it says there is some orientals in there, but I don't know. I got this as a sample from smokingpipes.com, and wanted to try a crumble cake. I smoke this one outdoors only as it is most offensive to pretty much everyone. I heard burning leaves and campfire from most everyone there. I have come to enjoy Latakia mixtures for the most part. While I did enjoy this with a good jolt of black rum on the side at a party, I'm not sure it's a daily kind of smoke.

The presentation was a cube in the sample I got. It was a half ounce. It smells very strongly of Latakia in the pouch. Heck, outside the pouch as well. You can almost hear your girl complaining about this one already. It crumbled up pretty easy and packed up well. Left a little oily residue on my fingers. It lit ok and burned fairly well. This would probably be great for coloring a new meerschaum. It tastes like it smells pretty much. Smokey, like woodsmoke. Peaty sort of flavor to it. It is pretty strong, both in nicotine and aroma. Sipping at this one, it didn't get too overbearing in its intensity of flavor. Goes well with the black rum, or maybe a stronger stout or IPA. Definitely a strong peaty highland single malt like Laphroaig or peat monster.

I only gave it a slightly lower rating bc I'm not sure a lot of people would like this. This one is good for what it is, which is a lat bomb. It is a pretty intense smoke in my opinion. You're going to want to take it slow at first with this blend. Most likely she won't let you smoke this one inside unless she's smoking it too lol. You may want to get a small amount to try it before you go bulk.

Pipe Used: Peterson lovat

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Sample from smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	incognitopoet (37)	2014-09-02		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Extra Full	Extra Strong

This was the perfect after-dinner smoke tonight. I spent hours getting my smoked salmon perfect. After all that time in a cloud of hickory smoke I wanted something that I could actually taste.

A pinch off the kake was easily crumbled in my palm, and one match got it going.

In my ridiculously long churchwarden the smoke was actually pretty mellow for a latakia blend. It didn't give me a headache or make my stomach hurt, so I will keep some Pirate Kake around for when the right occasion presents itself.

Maybe it isn't well balanced, but for an after-dinner smoke, when you have feasted on smoked meats, it is delightful.

Pipe Used: Churchwarden briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beercritic (33)	2014-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is, indeed, good tobacco. If you're looking for a better Latikia Bomb, check out Captain Earl's Stimulus Package or his Ten Russians. I find the Ten Russians to be a slightly better balance than Stimulus Package. I'm stocking these deep.

Pipe Used: Meer, Briar & Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh & 4 months

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Henry Mars (21)	2014-08-05		Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

I don't know it sort of reminds me of Bengal Slices (sort of). Tastes like Karo Syrup and Latikia. Way way too sweet for my taste buds. It is very monotone and I don't notice the "other" oriental varieties at all. I don't think I will be buying it again. It does smoke cool with no bite. Preparation isn't to difficult although it is kind of tough to rub out for a "krumble kake". If you like sweet stuff with your latakia this just might fit the bill. The kick from Lady N is not that strong. It is quality stuff for sure, just not to my liking. Don't let this review throw you off of the stuff ... you may like it. Nov. 22, 2020: I have upgraded my opinion of this stuff .... I want to add one more star it is growing on me.

Pipe Used: Corn Cobb

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Bengal Slices (sort of ).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stutter818 (51)	2014-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Slightly spicy, woodsy, heavier on the Latakia, rich, pungent tobacco. Very consistent smoke and taste throughout the smoke. I enjoyed it because of that. Easy going. Comes in a crumble cake form, like a dried out brownie. Easy to break off and prepare in your pipe. Really good if you're hungry too. Apparently, it's recommended to try mixing this with some Haunted Bookshop, however I have not tried that yet. :)

-- UPDATE -- awesome blended with some Lane 1Q... 1/3 Pirate Kake, and 2/3 1Q - marinate for a week in a baggie. Sweet latakia smoke. SO GOOD! Take away some of that slightly salty or charcoal Pirate Kake taste!

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow Grand Duke

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Beard (8)	2013-12-17		Mild to Medium	Mild	Full	Strong

Highly recommend with the caveat that you like a Lat bomb. That's what this is. I love a good lat bomb every now and again, and this blend definitely scratches that itch.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigCasino (27)	2013-12-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

My Favorite Latakia forward blend, not for the smoker who only likes a touch of latakia, it has enough Burley and Virginias to keep it interesting, but the Latakia will take over

Pipe Used: La Rocca, Fantasia

Age When Smoked: all ages

Purchased From: Alegheny Smoke Works

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phonomet (44)	2013-07-28		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is exactly what I look for in a latakia blend. It is sweet, cool and almost minty. I'd say it's complex, but not like Penzance or a GL Pease latakia. It's complex because latakia in itself is complex, and you can taste this fine leaf without any bitterness from less than premium leaf or obstruction from too many other flavors. The crumble cake is a lot of fun to handle and the smoke is very rewarding, even if it is a little light in the nicotine department.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking Sam (20)	2013-04-27		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Strong

This is a very hard tobacco to review, so I'll just note my first impressions. I ordered 4 oz. bulk of this blend, along with 4 oz. C&D's #099, Engine 99. The 099 bag was packed totally full of tobacco, whereas the Pirate Kake was only half full! I took this to mean that the Pirate Kake was very moist - and that is the case. Being the impatient person that I am, I wanted to sample this blend immediately. Yeah, I know that I am supposed to set out a bowl and let it dry overnight, but...my "compromise" was to only pack the loose crumbles that were in the bag. I packed the bottom half of the bowl very loosely, as usual. I fear that I packed the top third too tightly. This was confirmed by the frequent relights during the first half of the bowl - mea culpa. The bottom half of the bowl, not surprising, is much more productive.

I am a Latakia, English blend, and Virginia blend lover. 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 am getting the slightly salty, minerally taste, that other reviewers mentioned. The flavor is fairly monotone, and limited to the Latakia. It is not biting my tongue at all, and I am puffing the Dickens out of the bacci. Relights are much less frequently on the bottom half of the bowl, in fact, it is burning quite well.

In summary, this seems to be a Penzance lite. I am not tasting the complimenting Oriental flavors, as I do in Penzance. Pirate Kake is much less powerful than I thought that it would be. There is zero burn on nose exhale, and no tongue bite. The Latakia is always front and center, and to me, that is not a bad thing. The aroma seems to be fairly stong. I am sensing no vitamin N, and I am smoking this bowl very aggressively. The bowl of my pipe is staying absolute cool to the touch.

As others have mentioned, Pirate Kake would probably blend very well with FVF, or other sweet, full bodied, predominately English or Virginia blends.

I think that I am going to like this tobacco, therefore three stars for now. I will probably update my impressions in the future. Later folks....keep on puffing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Weisenheimer (19)	2012-12-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

A surprisingly delicate and spicy tobacco, which plays in the upper league of Latakia blends, together with Ten Russians and Da Vinci (all manufactured by Cornell & Diehl). Probably it is the little Burley content in Pirate Kake which makes it my personal favourite among these Latakia-thunderbolts. The room note, of course…ahem… “not spouse-friendly”…

If purchased as 16oz. block, PK is a true bargain.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-11-25		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is my favorite tobacco. I find it creamy, smoky and wonderfully perfect. I haven't been able to appreciate any other latakias after smoking a few bowls of this. Great job C&D!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2012-11-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a great blend. I love Lat. Actually, for a good Lat. fix this is a great place to go. However, for the most part I found that there was so much Lat. in this blend that it tended to be rather 1 dimensional. It was rare for me to pick out anything but the lat. especially the Turkish, which I really like. Overall, a good smooth smoke that had no bite. Great for one of those times that you don't want to think about the smoke while doing other things.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Elwin (14)	2012-10-16		Medium	Mild	Full	Tolerable

This is a tobacco blend that doesn't beat around the bush! You'll know in a heart-beat whether you truly love Latakia - or just think you do.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ArchtopBill (16)	2012-07-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

I really do not smoke this straight, but I do enjoy adding this to many of the blends I enjoy that need an extra kick of Latakia. I mix it three parts Dunhill Early Morning Pipe to one part Pirate Kake. This will keep you going.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MacNutz (12)	2012-07-18		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

For my purposes this is a killer wonderful rich tobacco with everything I want from a Latakia blend. the sweetness of the cavendish cut burley seems a perfect low key accompaniment to all those dark smoky flavours I want from the lat and orientals. I now understand why so many rate this tobacco highly. A rich warm real tobacco flavour bath. The wife will hate it but I'm too old to care. Not for anyone shy about Latakia, nicotine, or burley.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-06-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Overwhelming

Very latakia... The kake is very crumbly, easy to break into chunks or rub out. Smells pretty full on on the tin and while smoking. Taste is very smooth, strong and stinky. The burley is noticeable and really brings it all together. Enough nicotine to keep me happy, enough stink to annoy the wife.

I like it, but not sure if I'll buy more. This stuff is fantastic if you want to piss off non smokers. I now know why pirates don't have wives.

If you like latakia then consider this recommended, at least to try, it's an experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2012-06-12		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Strong

Although is is the Cake cut,it is easy to rub, burn easy and slow, and the pipe remains easy to charge. I like this so much! This will be one of my favorites. Is almost pure latakia...! I consider wondefull, fully taste, flavour and scent. I also consider in the same level of quality as classics: 965, Dunhill Standard Mixture ad Presbyterian. Fully recommended, but is only for people that fully enjoy Latakia and not for pipe begginers. Is also a good base formmaking personal mixtures, as source of Latakia. 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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-23		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

An ode to Cyprian Latakia if there ever was one. The smoke is dense and is rich with the incense like flavor and aroma of latakia and orientals. Smokes cool, slow, and extremely flavorful from char to dottle.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-03-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Overwhelming

I just started to smoke pipes, so you could say that I picked up this tin too fast. This tin taught me all too well what latakia is. I found it an intriguing taste, but my wife would have kicked me off the state if she had had the opportunity. Still it burned extremely well, and it was smooth smoke. I will recommend it for latakia lovers, and who knows once I have more experience I will appreciate the tin more. To be clear, I enjoyed the smoke a lot however the latakia odor still haunts one of my pipes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-03-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a niche tobacco for latlovers. Given the latakia content the taste is one dimensional but if that is a taste you crave then it's really not an issue. Few smokers will see PK as an all-day or even every-day smoke but it is what it is and if you want a latakia fix then this is nice to have on hand. This will really mess-up your hands when you break it up so I just did it once and keep it in a mason jar. I have not had the need to dry mine out and it smokes exceptionally cooly and dryly. I pack it somewhat loosly and it lights easily and burns nicely. I love latakia but this is not a daily bowl for me. My go-to tobaccos are Billy Budd and 10 Russians but I reach for this several times a week and taste it for an hour or more afterwards. Highly recommended for Lat-Heads.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-03-25		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

LATAKIA!!! I've been a hound for it, ever since my first tin of Penzance. This thing here -this Pirate Kake- has indeed hit the spot.

Now, I had some trouble with it early on. I smoked it moist, and it got very very hot. I smoked it fast, and it got very very hot.

This is a tobacco that requires you to take the time for it. Smoke it after it has dried, pack it loosely, prepare for many gentle (and I do mean gentle) re-lights. Above all, smoke it slow. Your preparation and patience will pay off, by God.

The most intriguing thing about this tobacco, I think, is its name. I can't help but wonder if it was named as an ode to seafaring rapscallions, or as a metaphor to the fact that you will find yourself digging for flavor treasures while enjoying a bowlful. The latakia is there, right up front, and bold indeed! Slow and careful smoking, as noted, will reveal a more complex flavor character than is on the surface. The burley appears for a moment after lighting, then steps back to make way for full- force latakia with bits of tasty turkish aroma punctuating.

I highly recommend this blend to the inner-pirate in everyone! A wonderful tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-19		Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Very Strong

A mighty cake burley, for the lover of Latakia. Keeps away loiterers and unwanted company.

Not for everyone, and cake tobaccos require some rubbing out, but all in all a good tobacco. Makes you earn it's respect. I enjoy it with a strong black coffee.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2011-10-18		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Neptune's trousers! This is a fantastic Latakia smoke! This was the last of 21 new blends that I recently worked my way through. PK made the top 5 list. C&D managed to hit a very nice flavor note! They have the Latakia and Burley playing so well together in this blend. I find it to have a very rich, flavorfuly smokey, pleasantly toasty, note. I taste at least three different alternate flavor notes as different sized chunks of tobacco burn. The Krumble Kake cut adds tremendously to this blend. It requires one to slow down and enjoy the ritual and preparation of a great pipe smoke. Without question, the different sized chunks of tobacco, with different blends of leaf, is at the root of the many different sub-flavors that manifest during the bowl. Most other cuts wouldn't work with this much Latakia. I recommend a small bowl with a longish stem for best smoke. Sip, don't puff hard! It lites well and stays lit right down to the end of the bowl. For me, this is my favorite Lat. bomb! Not an everyday smoke, but a great cold weather pleasure, to mix up the rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bayro (30)	2011-10-02		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Strong

This is a superb blend of all those who experienced latakian mixtures. Full, dense, aromatic taste leaves nobody indifferent! Indeed smoking of this tobacco is a spiritual experience! For each referral! Note: not for young smokers - this tobacco requires however some experience!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-09-08		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

I really like this tobacco once in a while, not an everyday smoke. Latakia is out front with maybe a hint of vanilla hidden way , way, way in the background. I don't like the cut of this tobacco ( Krumble kake, broken rubbed out flake). It doesn't stay lit, requires constant tamping and seems to fall out with hot embers.

A word about the aroma, I always thought this would send people running, but the other day I was with three other guys smoking cigars when I lit some PK, they all said how great it smelled. I guess aroma is all relative to your surroundings. I really don't think I will buy again as this is very one dimensional.

Updated 11/2/11- Well after a few months to breath and a different pipe ( if that is what one calls an Ozark Cherry Wood, original review was with a cob ), this blend is complex, without heat, creamy , cheezy and a keeper. It must be sipped , that way you bring in the Turkish as a minor player next to the Latakia. I don't notice the Burley at a sip, which is fine, since I'm not a Burley fan. I'm still not a fan of the Krumble Kake as stated above, but it does burn at a sip.

I had just finished some Orient Express and I noticed in the description that it was 50% Pirate Kake and 50% Odessa. OE was suppose to cut the heavy Latakia of PK , but one thing it does is bring the Burley slightly into play, that I don't like.

I still don't see this as an all day smoke , but I will buy again. I will now compare this to Engine 99, Odyssey & Ten Russians blends for my Lat bomb fix. Stay tuned for the results

Updated 8/10/12 I've just tried, Engine 99, back to back with, Pirate Kake, both bulks, and I find PK better . You had better have a liking for Latakia with both of these blends, more so with PK that gives an almost oily taste. E99 is not as sweet and doesn't bring much Oriental and is very one dimensional. I've decided I would rather put my money towards PK.

Updated 10/13/12- I ordered another Bulk batch of this blend, rubbed it all out, let it rest for about a month and I have to say, "this is outstanding". Everytime I try this tobacco, it's a new experience. It has a lot of similarities to Penzance (including the iodine note identified by reviewer," GSTQ 12/27/2011" ). It has a smoked bacon with sharp provolone flavor !!! I also detected an unusual Oriental scent when snorked, hold on....., it's a freshly split oak log with shellac coating scent ( Turkish?, Burley?),. I wouldn't even argue with reviewer,"Ecdycis 07/29/2012" on his "Menthol sensation", I know, it doesn't sound good but it's different and wonderful. I believe I detected the same oak scent in a tin of Dunhill London Mixture . I want to give this 4 stars but I will hold off as everytime I try this, I detect something diffrent?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Piper@thegates (20)	2011-07-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I bought in a half pound of PK and Star of the East a month or so ago and am very happy that I decided to try this beautiful cake. My preference has always been for latakia forward blends but admit to having reservations to smoking anything that had a 70% latakia content. My fears were for the overall balance of the blend, with 70% I expected the smoke to be one dimensional, not so. Although PK is very obviously a strong lat bomb, I found it to be remarkably smooth, much more so than Star of the East and that PK is actually one of the finest smokes I have had the pleasure of smoking.

A beautiful cake, so easy to handle and pack, the room note for me was acceptable, I quite like the smell of latakia and can never understand when there is so much comotion about it. What I do like also is that with the cake form, there is far more tobacco there in that cake than you'd think, once prepared you need much less than you originally thought.

I'm taking to C&D's blends really fast and have yet to sample anything I have not enjoyed to the fullest. Remarkable. But whether or not I continue to explore their blends, ofcourse i will, I will also make certain that I have a good supply of PK on order and in my cupboard before the rest of the smoking world wakes up to this blend, if they havent already. Easily four stars with pleasure.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-06-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Pirate Kake is only for the true Latakia Lover, it has 70% Latakia in it , so unless your a big fan of Latakia, as I am, you may not want to buy over a sample to try. This is a awesome smoke , very smokey , campfire comes to mind , there is some sweetness, but not as much as other English tobaccos, even so this is a great smoking tobacco. Lights easy & stays lit, great smokey flavor to the bottom of the bowl, for me this is top notch tobacco, but as I stated it is very rich in Latakia which puts some people off. If you really like Latakia buy a ounce or two & you will be in Latakia Heaven!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2011-04-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Not all that much one can say about a 70% Latakia blend, but the real coolness of this is in the presentation. I'm really starting to like C&D crumble cakes. Before this, I've had Black Frigate and Bow-Legged Bear, which were both really old (from those crappy metal tins C&D used to use that didn't seal), and were falling apart, and Briar Fox, which I liked; but this one is really dense and really fun to play with/chop up. Good smoke, if you like Latakia...

I got a one ounce sample, and loved the look of it: brownie-like cake (ok, a brownie left out in the sun!) that is dense and smells...of Latakia. Not much to say beyond that. Of course, I smoked some before ordering a half-pound, but this is just a straight out Lat bomb. Sometimes, I like that, though I smoke Virginias most often. I'm an experimenter, though, so I try all styles. I could give four stars for the presentation; it's about the coolest cake I've ever seen, but since it is almost straight Latakia, detract a star. I don't know how long it will take me to smoke all this, but since I like to do a Latakia mainline once in a while just for a change, I will not mind having this in my cellar. Very pretty to look at, and I enjoyed carving the "big brownie" into "little brownies" with an Alaskan chopping bowl blade. It was almost worth the price just for that. This cake should hold together nicely as it ages in the Ball jar.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

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. Having said that, this tobacco is in no way an every-day smoke as it just doesn't have enough character to contemplate on. However, when the mood strikes, Pirate Kake may just hit the spot. soli Deo gloria

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-01-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Less sweet, more nutty, camp fire smokiness. Yep this and star of the east are extremely delicious tobaccos.

Let tobacco dry out some and keep your pipe cool.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Strong

This is top of the notch latakia. Much better than Star of the East as an overall impression.

But I wouldn't smoke this on a regular basis. Such a concentration of LAtakia becomes unidimensional after a while, so it would gain to be mixed with something else to bring variety to it.

Of course it is hard to keep lit and everything, there's over 70% of Latakia in there!

And the bricks were pretty cool, I must say.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-23		Mild	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

This was my staple tobacco for a number of years. I took it up after having given up the pipe for a decade or so, took it up again, and wanted to recapture the intensity of the Balkan blend I used to smoke in my university days. Somehow, none of the blends I tried hit the spot, offering only a mere tantalizing hint of the Latakia pungency that I was after. With the benefit of hindsight, I suspect that memory had concentrated what had probably been the modest Latakia content of the Balkan I was trying to rediscover simply because it was the most sharply distinguishable component of the mixture and such a novelty when I first started smoking Balkans.

Be that as it may, I was fixated on finding the ultimate Latakia fix and when I started ordering from C&D, I worked my way through several less Latakia-heavy blends until I reached Pirate Kake. At which point, even I had to admit that this was as intense flavor-wise as anything I had ever smoked.

Needless to say, the Latakia dominates from beginning to end, but it is not entirely one-dimensional. I think I smoked PK as regularly and for as long as I did because it does reveal subtle flavor-facets over the course of both a single smoke and repeated smokes. Once you are habituated to it, you are pleasantly surprised from time to time by the sweetness that comes through, possibly as an artifact of your palate adjusting to the overwhelming flavor of the Latakia. At other times, you may also detect an almost perfumy fragrance, possibly a synaesthetic hallucination. There's something about the experience that's like drinking neat tea.

This is a blend I've since left behind but of which I have fond memories.

PS: I've rated it mild because nicotine-wise it has no perceptible kick.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-14		Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Good stuff. At one point in my life I would have run from a blend as robust as this. A gentleman was smoking this at the tobacco shop I frequent and I was shocked at how strong the smell was. It stank. But it is strange how the strong aroma of Latakia will start to grow on you.

After trying a few Latakia blends I thought I might be up to the task of trying this tobacco. I should never have waited so long to try it! Its a great product. It burns cool, rich tasting smooth flavor and a delightful smokey aroma. C&D got it right with this one.

four stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Durwood Sauls (10)	2010-01-11		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tried this for the first time today. It is absolutely exquisite. Smooth, super tasty. I only wish this was available in flake form as opposed to the two plugs I received as part of my sampler pack. This is my first C&D blend to try. I'll have to smoke more, but I've found my new favorite at the moment. Superb!

Update 06/29/10: Been smoking this on and off for the last six plus months. It gets better with a little age. I can't get over how smooth it is. Smokes cool, lights easy, the latakia/cavendish/turkish blend is astonishing, I taste every component, but since it was pressed they are in such a harmonious balance. I can particularly taste the cavendish cut burley when I exhale through the nose.

The great thing about smoking a bowl of this is that it's the same through- out. Very consistent smoke. As other reviews state, it is not for the light Latakia smoker, I believe this in on par with many other Latakia heavy blends, if not heavier. I've smoked this and C&D's DaVinci, another Latakia heavy offering (not pressed, however). And, I almost prefer this one, DaVinci's flavor profile is more complex compared to Pirate Kake. I suppose it depends on your mood when smoking it.

The only downside I've found to this blend is the mouth-drying effect it has. I have to have a cup or two or three of coffee (or something stronger) with a bowl of this stuff. Other than that, I believe this to be the perfect blend for true lover's of Latakia, it showcases the rich, velvety, smokey, slightly sweet, delectability of Latakia, while offering a robust, yet silky smooth, full smoking experience. I take back ever wanting it as a broken flake, I love the ritual of breaking chunks off the black bricks and rubbing them out individually.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Demetri (113)	2009-11-13		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

UPDATE 11-18-2009: I'm afraid I must contradict my own recent review of Pirate Kake. Perhaps in future I'll give a blend a bit more time for me to discover all it offers. Pirate Kake is definitely a blend which begs to be smoked out-of-doors. After initially trying this in a narrow billiard for the first two-three bowls smoked in an enclosed area, I tried it in a couple wider gauge pipes, a Custombilt with a more conical burn chamber and a BBB Two Thousand with a similar, though smaller bowl, out on my rear deck. There, in the breeze, this tobacco really displayed probably what it was meant to be - a wonderfully tasty Latakia based press. The "Ham Bone" aspect disappeared. My wife, 60 feet away doing some gardening remarked how nice this smelled. Go figure. I even caught some orange notes amid the smoky coolness. We all know that to us Cyprus is famous for its Latakia, but I must wonder if this one is not prepared over orange wood fires (orange orchards being another forte of Cyprus). It still made my tongue slightly numb, but then so does a shot of Mezcal, and I don't avoid that spirit. My dwindling two ounce sample will be replaced shortly with a larger purchase. 3 Stars, at the least.

Original post: I bought two ounces of this "because it was there", on the shelf at El Fumador and I had not tried it. I had thought to contrast it with McClelland's Syrian Full Balkan (acknowledging differences between a ribbon vs. a pressed product). It was a little difficult to rub out and properly pack and a good light took some effort. In pipelore, this IS an "L-bomb" to be sure. After a couple of minutes of gentle drawing my mouth became very dry and so I put the pipe down and went back into my house to get a glass of home vinted pear wine -slightly sweet - to quench the fire. Upon returning to my sun porch I was struck with the room note: as smoky as if one had spent all night tending a charcoal fire preparing a Carolina Pig Pickin'. Heavy smoke. The wine helped me get through the bowl. In the pipe it was hard to discern the accompanying tobaccos from the Latakia. McClelland's Syrian Full Balkan with it's Syrian Latakia presents a different experience with it's heavy Latakia yielding a very cool smoke - so cool one could think the blend is topped with menthol. Pirate Kake, on the other hand, it pure Cyprian smokiness without the coolness. If any ever wondered what Dunhill's My Mixture #10 was like, this is it sans cavendished Virginias. To the Latakia lover this should be a delight. I enjoy English blends in general but this is a bit over the top for me. On my rating scale 3 stars denotes recommendation with my intention to repurchase sometime in future. 4 stars denotes actual repurchase or intent to do so as soon as possible. 2 Stars is tepid recommendation denoting some value but not likely to buy again. Pirate Kake rates 2 stars.

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. Today I must up the ante yet again as I have reloaded my supply and am adding it to long term inventory plans.

Purchased From: El Fumador - Sewickley, PA.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2009-08-26		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

70 % latakia ...that should tell you something . like alot of C and D it's pretty dry . If you dig latakia alot ...try it . If you're noty crazy about Lat Boimbs ...run.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2009-06-02		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Here I am smoking this blend out of a Nording 2008 woodcock, sitting in my office reflecting on past bird hunting excursions and dreaming about the seasons ahead. This blend always takes me to the fall season in Michigan, no matter what time of year. With glorious color changes, leaves falling, and watching one of my German Shorthairs lock up on point on a grouse or a plump woodcock trying to remain undetected. This is definitely a blend for the Latikia follower, or one looking to escape reality for an hour or so. Sometimes I find myself puffing like a freight train, I just cannot get enough of this blend in one bowl! 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. Also a great retirement smoke, after spending a day in the upland woods chasing the king of game birds, the ruffed grouse. Pairs great with a nicely aged tawny port, or a Macallan Cask Strength.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-04-11		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Strong

The good: This is fun stuff with its astonishing black brick of tobacco, and the initial taste upon light up is a wonderful, rich & intense, smokiness.

But it goes south after that, being too one-dimensional. After the first 1/3 it actually becomes boring. Pirate?s Kake is a tease that ultimately leaves one unsatisfied. Might be a great smoke after a meal when you are rushed for time and have a small bowl pipe handy. But even then?

I disagree strongly with those who say Latakia is strong, and there in lies the trouble here. The Latakia is rich & smooth, lacking the strength, intensity, and complexity to keep it interesting. Nicotine content is low.

Moisture level is perfect right out of the brick, rub-out is easy, and it burns properly. Any drying, IMHO, would lessen the wonderful smokiness, which is the star attribute here.

I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based. Pirate?s Kake does not measure up. But I give it credit for it?s unique presentation and the courage to produce it at all. For it IS a fun and unique tobacco.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-10		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Very Strong

Two words describe this offering from C&D, Latakia Bomb! As I worked my way through a two ounce tin I could not help but wonder if this was created on a dare.

I love the presentation, two little coal black bricks of latakia doom. Patiently waiting to wreak your wife's opinion of pipe smoking in the house.

Pirate Kake is a good smoke IF you love latakia. If not I will be happy to take it off your hands. Its not an everyday smoke but is a great go to when in need of a latakia fix.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-05		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Awash in Latakia! nothing subtle here, but very smooth. I like to smoke this mid afternoon with a good cup of skunky coffee.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2008-12-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A Latakia blast similar to the ones which built the Hoover dam. Actually Latakia on its own is quite cool and smooth; however, monochromatic.

This is a cousin to the now defunct Old Ironsides . . . sigh. With Ironsides being lighter; far more creamier and nuttier, yet just a cool and long lasting. Pirate kake is quite a bit sharper and overwhelming if you smoke it too fast. I would leave it for an end of the evening smoke. Midday and your palate could be shot for quite awhile, perhaps until tomorrow or the day after.

It takes a bit of patience to light, but once it gets going it lasts for a very long time. Surprisingly the nicotine content is not that high, mind you Latakia on its own is no Howitzer either.

All in all, a different and unique pipe smoking experience; it will not be in the regular rotation, and I would not seek out again. There are too many others which I enjoy more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2008-06-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you like latakia, this is the one for you. Almost nothing but latakia but nicely laced with cavendish and some Turkish. Love the pressed bricks that lie waiting in the can when it is opened. Rubs out well and makes a very smooth smoke. Usually I do not think I would like such a heavy latakia blend but this is good. Couldn't smoke it all day or even on a dialy basis but certainly go for the occasional or more than ocassional latakia blast that one is looking for. I like it...bit heavy for those in the same room if they don't like latakia but nice when one is alone.

Revised: This is especially good when one has spent a week away from home and latakia blends. Very full and satisfying. Again, not an everyday smoke but fantatic when one is latakia deprived.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-10-29		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

A very nice blend indeed, assuming you like Latakia of course! A C&D pressed tobacco, it rubs and packs easily. I find the first 1/3 of the bowl a bit harsh and smokey, but then it settles down into a rich creamy smoke that is on par with Penzance in my book. I Highly recommend this blend to all latakia lovers!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-09-13		Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Full	Pleasant

this one is a big one , with strengh and interesting flavours , it needs a quiet ambiance to aassess its extent ; one of my favorites

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another great C&D english. I love the kake format, and will buy more. I have one on hand aging, but will wait for another purchase to get another tin going. Again, I cannot imagine an english lover not liking this C&D english.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-06-26		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Extra Full	Very Strong

If you want to get your wife out of the hose but she refuses, light up a bowl of Pirate Kake. This is one of the strongest Latakia blends I have ever smoked. The smell of burned wood and leather is very evident from the tin. It may be strong enough that you might want to store it in the garage so it does not influence your tobacco collection. The tobacco lights easily and stays lit well too. The flavors are mostly Latakia, Latakia and a little spice from the Turkish tobaccos. The smoke is velvety and soft the punch is strong. This blend is one for the manly men and only to be enjoyed amongst other Latakia lovers. The only heavy latakia blend I like better is CAO old ironside.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-06-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I definately recommend Pirate Cake, although my experience is limited with this blend. First, I was delighted upon opening to find a pressed cake. Dark and rich looking, begging to be smoked. Takes a while to get it going. Watch out,if smoked too fast you will get a big punch. Tastes like a Maduro wrapped Pardon. With complexities of smoke covering your taste buds. Smoked well with liquor, and savored slowly, it has properties that could easily gain 4 stars. Very complex tobacco that I'm glad I have more to sample!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fumeur (6)	2007-06-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

This one didn't work for me. While a love the flavor of Latakia, and have been seeking a good, rich near-pure Latakia flavor, I found this to be bitey and unpleasant, and it tasted like it had some overly moist Virginia in it, even though it apparently doesn't have any. This leaves my mouth feeling bitten for a day or two afterwards.

Still looking.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2006-11-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Strong

I like Latakia. I like burley. I like them when they're blended together. But this is just TOO much. In fact, it's so much that after about two minutes into a bowl, I'm no longer capable of tasting ANYTHING, including the latakia. Currently, I'm using this as a blending agent in place of straight latakia. On the positive side: the "cut" (or presentation) of this cake tobacco is superb.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-10-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Yowza!!! Slipped a nother cob into the arsenal yestiddy. Broke her in with my tongues? maiden voyage on Pirate Kake. Okay, Have you every chewed on a bit of boot leather? Well, Pirate Kake brings back fond memories of mother dear stewing daddy?s boots in the hard winter of ?78. Salty leather about sums it up. No, that isn?t a bad thing! Tobacco is all about unique taste experiences, and the worst part of eating leather is swallowing it, which is remarkably mitigated in smoke form. Smooth and creamy may seem incompatible with aformentiond sensations, but somehow it isn?t with Pirate Kake. And it makes my beard smell really cool afterwords. Very Piratey. GArrr!! There is this faint sense of a very dark chocolate that drifts through at times, so this stuff is not without occasional subtleties. But on the whole, about as delicate as a horse pistol in the ribs and a genteel invitation to walk the plank. Not something I would smoke all day, but outstanding for what it is.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-08-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

salted leather. . .faint musk of slaves, hmmm appetizing, I'd like to smoke me some o that. Well, I have to admit, Latakia and Turkish tobaccos smell, well, yeah maybe like the musky lather of a salted slave. I'm paraphrasing here, but I don't have a better description of this aroma. ok, campfire and dead trees works for me, too.

This cake is Very smooth. And at $25 a pound this is a marvel of modern, um. . . musk. seriously, if you even think you like Latakia, try this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

For the Latkia fan, its a must. I found that rubbing it out gave me the smoke I wanted and took away some of the haggardness of the rum smell. Once I broke off a chunk, rubbed it out and let it sit a day or two; boy does it have a great spicey hearth fire scent!

It takes a few lights to get going (possibly my own fault) but, once its underway, it goes fine all on its own with minimal fuss and the flavor is latkia spicy creaminess that is very strong. I'd recommend packing half a bowl as even after you are done latkia will saturate your very being with creamy smoke scent. This is cologne in a pipe (in a good way).

I smoke this after lunch in the office when I want to recharge the brain without too much of a nicotine fry ( nicotine strength is medium). As everyone here says, its definitely a whim smoke (not your regular) and for the latkia fans. I tried to smoke this once while sitting at the bar.........needless to say I had to switch; no one likes its room scent except other latkia fans.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-26		Extremely Strong	Very Strong	Extra Full	Very Strong

I have smoked about 7 oz. of this strange blend. Let me tell you "Deadmen tell no tales..." I recommend it only because nothing compares it. NOTHING. the 75% latakia will stomp you; like being taken prisoner by blackbeard himself. This is not an all day smoke. this is a once-in-a-while-I-have-been-drinking-Jack Daniels-kinda of smoke.So when you feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof or you are at odds with the mrs. or uyou are at the nearest biker bar, pack a good size bowl and light up the cannons. Warning this has been described to me as smelling like "cats that being lit on fire"

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-31		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong

if you liked 1792 but found iy just past your comfort level strengthwise the you should give this flavorful, after dinner smoke a try. i have found this one to be better if smoked only from time to time, and not as a good daily smoke, as more than one bowl in a day leaves the mouth unable to taste anything else for several hours.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was able to sample this wonderful latakia nougat bar at the recent Chicago Pipe Show. The nice people (esp. Pam) at Cornell & Diehl gave me several free samples of this luscious pressed latakia blend. It's tones are not as deep as Old Ironsides or as complex and earthy as Penzance, but it's definitely a rich treat for the latakia lover. It's almost what I had hoped Nightcap would've been. I love how C & D presses the mixture into bite-sized chunks almost good enough to eat. They're almost like little bars of hashish, which of course, I never inhaled. Having not tried many C & D products, after meeting them and sampling PK and a few others, I'm now a fan. Arghhhh, me likes dar Pirate Kake me duz!

Three and a half of five stars ----------------- Xmas 05 update

Found another chewy block of this magnificent cake at the great Jack's Tobacco Shop in Milwaukee. This is definitely one of my desert island choices. It puts other heavy latakia mixtures, even Penzance and Old Ironsides to shame. The block has been sitting for awhile again, as the plastic appears to have yellowed. Breaking off pieces of this luscious, indulgent cake, rubbing it out and preparing it in the pipe is half the fun. The aroma is immense, the taste surreal. Pirate Kake is one incredible tobacco; unique in all the world. Yes, this is Black Frigate without the rum; sans the liquor the flavor is more resonant & articulated. All the devotion to Nightcap ought to be transferred to PK, because this is what a deep,rich English ought to taste like. Let them try Kake and they'll abandon blends they thought were pinnacle. This is not a tobacco for the neophyte but for the latakia fiend who wants full-bodied spice, depth and complexity in their smoke. Rich, ever-changing as it burns, long-lasting and cool, PK is one of Craig Tarler's grandest accomplishments, the stuff of tobacco dreams!

Five of five stars ------------ march 06 update

Still great within its genre.......however, and a big however it is, it tends to get overwhelming and is almost too much of a great thing. Pack it in a small bowl, because if you smoke too much of it, it will overwhelm your taste buds and you will be racing to the finish line. Also, clean the pipe after each use, as this stuff will lead a silty residue. Still great stuff, but only for once in awhile, like after a charred steak dinner, or for when the urge for something immense and overpowering is desired.

Three and a half of five stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-20		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

There are latakia blends, there are heavy latakia blends and then........there's Pirate Kake. No less than 70% of the dark smokey leaf goes into this blend, an amazing amount. Many tobaccos with half as much bill themselves as "heavy" blends. Pirate Kake comes pressed, probably to get the Turkish and burley to combine with the Latakia's smokey flavor. It's not entirely a successful marriage, as the Latakia completely dominates its' partners. I like to smoke PK in a large bowled pipe, usually my big Striker billiard. It's not unusual to get a two hour smoke out of this combination. PK is also a late night tobacco for me, my last smoke of the day. For a while I drifted away from the Smokey One, as my taste buds craved more complex blends. These days, however, I find a little solo note in a tobacco to be OK at times. Three stars for PK.

Update 01/19/06- One thing that wasn't put in my original review is that Pirate Kake is a wonderful DGT tobacco, in fact sometimes I think I prefer to smoke it after a few hours left in the pipe. It seems to mellow the Latakia a bit, taking the edge off slightly and making it a little creamier. I still rate it at three stars, and worth your consideration if you're into heavy English blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-01-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

The taste of salted leather. The faint musk of slaves rowing in the galley below deck. Burning pyres to the ancient Sumerian gods in Babylon.

All these come to mind when smoking the kake. An enjoyable time except for the musk of the galley!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2006-01-02		Medium	Extra Strong	Overwhelming	Strong

This is latakia³. There's nothing wrong with this tobacco except for the overwhelming amount of latakia.

The latakia that Craig uses does have it's own unique taste and room note for whatever reason.

I just don't like this much latakia in my pipe at one time. PK smokes smooth and has no bad qualities if you're a latakia junkie. There's not much subtle about this blend and it starts like it finishes.

Latakia itself doesn't carry much strength so if you're looking for a nicotine wallop then you won't find it here. The overwhelming sensory overload of so much latakia might make some believe that there is "strength" in this mixture. Thus the medium rating.

If you want to try something interesting (and I'm sure that you do) then mix this about half and half with Captain Black White.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-24		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

This is Ambrosia for the Latakia lovers of the world. IMHO better than Penzance. Absolutely luscious! I usually smoke Black Frigate and this is just a wonderful change of pace for me. I believe this is the same blend as BF sans the rum. An outstanding 4 of 4 Latakia stars. A must for all Latakiaphiles!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Pressed tobacco blends are among my favorites for taste and this blend is no exception. Yes, it is for the latakia affectionato but there is so much else going on in this one. The note is brighter and more lively than others,which serves to create it's own bold, lusty personality. I smoke this whenever I desire to be entertained within a fast moving panorama of almost familiar sensations that build not to a climax and quiet farewell, but just keep rolling on as a caravan that one has disembarked. Comparisons are almost always inadequate and mistakenly imply some presumtion of superiority. This burns well and maintains my attention from beginning to end. No pretense is made about subtle reflections but instead, a robust presentation of flavors that complement one another well. There is no delicate inference of pleasures to be detected but instead, a well balanced presentation of players that compliment each other on a stage of pleasure. Yes, there are others - not better, simply different. I recommend this blend without any reservation. The scent from the open bag makes promises that are kept. Four stars and full sail ye swabs.

Meerschaum Man,smoking a 20 yr old CAO Bacchus

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Latakia, Latakia, Latakia let me go.

Fantastic stuff for the latakia fan. It's got full-on flavor and is comprised of quality leaf. While it lacks the subtle complexity of Esoterica's "Penzance," PK delivers a lovely, creamy, cool smoke that leaves amazing flavors on the palate.

An 8 oz. tin provides four bricks of crumbly, rich black tobacco with a few random flakes of lighter orientals here and there. The bars rub out easily enough, and the moisture content is almost right for smoking straight out of the tin, though 20 minutes of drying time doesn't hurt.

This is as close, however, to cigar smoke as the wife will tolerate, as the room note can be cutting and a little acrid.

PK is an everyday affair for me, and it could be an all-day affair for many. I usually enjoy it earlier in the day and save the Penzance for later in the day after tea or dinner.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2005-09-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

This is taking condimental overload to the extreme. I am a Latakia lover, and have from time to time smoked straight latakia and turkish, but this may be too much. The smoke is heavy and rich and leaves wherever you are smelling like a campfire. I do enjoy this from time to time, but it is not really that great of an achievment in tobacco blending. The single clarion note LATAKIA is all you get. This would be good broken up and mixed with an overly tangy red virginia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-04-16		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable

An english blend from the gods. Made from several high quality latakias including syrian and cyprian. A very full bodied and strong blend not for the mild smoker. Wonderful pressed cake is just right for the cellar and aging. Delicious flavors mend together and form a smooth, rich English blended by the tobacco gods themselves.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-04-13		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Pirate Cake is simply an infusion of Latakia. But not just any Latakia. This is primo condemental that is extremely smooth and creamy with smoke so thick you can eat it. Even Penzance is not as creamy as the Latakia used in PC.

The included Turkish is also very high quality and the perfect compliment. While the cavendish cut burley does not contribute to the taste in any way, it gives this blend a smooth, cool and even burn. The sheer quality of the condementals and the lack of virginia is what sets this blend very far apart from many of the other popular latakia heavy favorites in the Brotherhood of Latakia Junkies.

4 out of 4 rock solid stars!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-09-03		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

For the Latakia lover who doesn?t care about anything else in the blend, this is probably the blend to get. I use the term ?blend? because it isn?t straight Latakia, but it?s pretty darned close.

A very cool, smooth, and pleasant smoke if you love Latakia. I never really caught the Burley, but that is no big surprise, considering the general nature of Burley. The Cavendish tries now and again, but about all it can seem to muster is to have a slight sweetening effect on the Latakia. It?s one-dimensional, but you don?t smoke Pirate Kake for complexity, you smoke it for a major infusion of Latakia. The Pirates won?t let you down.

I guess I am one of the lucky ones, I can smoke Latakia in the house. But the room note on this one actually drew comment from my wife. All she said was ?that smells kinda strong.? And this from a lady who smokes Balkan and English blends herself.

I enjoyed Pirate Kake, and when this is gone, I plan on getting more. It will last a long time though, this is more of an occasional smoke. Definitely not an all-day thing, as it would become boring.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-10		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I must say that I was surprised at the smoothness of this blend considering its very high latakia content. I was also surprised at the fact that I got a little bit of complexity out of this blend. The flavors actually varied through out the bowl ranging from smokey to earthy and very lightly sweet. The burn was very cool and consistant and did not require relights. Although this is not a regular smoke for me I will keep some of this around and smoke it on occasion. A must try for the latakia-haulics!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-12-22		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I just wanted to add my four stars to this terrific blend.

The flavor is smooth and fulfilling. Great for an everyday smoke if you like latakia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-10-11		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

A few weeks ago I rediscovered several ounces of this stuff that I had put away for aging and forgotten about. It has been sitting in my closet for almost exactly 6 years. I had it in a plastic bag that was inside a bail jar. It seemed to have dried out some, so I have tried rehydrating it. Firstly, it has smoothed out quite a lot from the way I remember it. I had forgotten how nice that first blast of latakia is when it's lit. Smoking PK is to the latakia lover something like what I would suspect eating a very dark unsweetened chocolate would be to a lover of that confection. The smoke ripples out of the bowl upon that first light, thick and velvety, so gray that it's almost blue, and the palate is hit with a blast of latakia that some may find overwhelming, but others such as myself simply surrender to. At first puff, you may think this will be a one-dimensional smoke, but soon the latakia smooths off to a very rich, heady, slightly sweet smoke. If you don't like latakia, stay away from it. If latakia is your thing, you absolutely must try this tobacco. It is almost certain to flunk the wife test, and it's very strong room note is possibly best taken outside.

I had forgotten how much I like this stuff, but I still don't consider it one of my regular smokes. I usually prefer my latakia in more moderated dosages, but when I'm in the mood for a good strong latakia, this is the one I fire up. If you want to try this stuff, you should probably put some away for a few years so you can compare the aged stuff to the fresh. I seem to remember the fresher stuff to have a bite to it that is now gone, or maybe my technique has just changed in the last 6 years.

I also use Pirate Kake to soup up other tobaccos that I think would benefit from a little more latakia. And like other heavy latakia blends, this one tends to make me thirsty.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

If you like latakia, you will love this blend. It burns slow and lights easy. I'm partial to Billy Budd myself, but this seems just like the same without the cigar leaf. Both have huge ammounts of latakia. The BB seems to burn better too, for some reason....Enjoy, you huge latakia fans....there's nothing else.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-11-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I really wanted to like this tobacco, but I find the heavy latakia blend to be too parching to enjoy regularly. My sample is from 1995 or 1996 and was stored until 2001 without adequate moisture control. The flavor is largely latakia, but not one dimensional, as Old Ironsides is, for me. I have not gone back to it for several months, but it is certainly a must try for the latakia lover.

Too big of a latakia punch for me.

November 2002

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-01-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

A must try for the latakia lover . Tasty and full , with excellent pack and burn qualities . A great value in bulk .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2023-04-14		Mild	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I think reviewing this "blend" comes down to one thing: Do you like latakia? Yes? Get some. No? Don't even think about it. I like latakia, but usually not this much. I really enjoyed my first pipe of this though, its quite a full bodied and smoky experience. There is a little bit of spice in there but the latakia overpowers most of it for me. I'll probably buy a tin again in the future, but not for a while. Smoking this helped me start picking up fainter latakia taste in other blends. Every latakia lover has to try this one at least once.

Pipe Used: briars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-04-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

When trying to describe this, Latakia/Turkish makes sense. I don't really get any burley influence. The Oriental mellows out the Latakia without diminishing it, the perfect distance for me from unmitigated Latakia. This is almost exactly what I'm looking for in a powerful Latakia blend, minus a bigger nicotine kick.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeadmasterOfHerf (25)	2023-01-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is the classic lat-bomb English blend.

It lends itself well to smoking out of a cob, in my experience. Heavily features smokey, leathery flavors along with a little bit of sweetness to it.

Pipe Used: MM Salem Woodsman

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Local B&M

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Burnt Stove (4)	2023-01-24		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Pirate Kake delivers a whopping dollop of 75% Latakia in the blend. Now, that sounds overwhelming at first, but Cornell and Diehl have managed to pull off a masterpiece. The Latakia is certainly noticeable, but somehow does not completely take the bowl over.

Another aspect that makes it great is the fact that when you pack a bowl, it does not have the tendenciy to spring back up. Unlike Cornell and Diehls Tuggle Hall which you have to keep re-stuffing back in there.

Great blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (556)	2022-10-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Tin note is sour and latakia, tin date is 102617. The Kake easily breaks apart, easily rubs out. Tobacco is soft and dry. Burns consistently once lit. The strength is mild-med, nic is mild at most. No Flavoring detected. Taste is med to full and consistent throughout. Taste wood, mildly sweet, some floral and smokey earthy flavors. The smokey latakia is up front (though I wouldn't consider it a lat bomb), and floral riding shot gun and mildly sweet in the back. Room note offends everyone and leaves that creosote like aftertaste that I enjoy. 4 stars

Pipe Used: Castello Sea Rock Briar SC 31

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bwh31 (3)	2022-07-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Tin note - Very earthy/musty Lights easy and burns well. Minimal relights.

This tobacco is incredibly smooth and cool to smoke. Since it is a lat bomb, obviously Latakia is the star player here and pretty much what you are going to get. The main flavors I pick up are a dark leather mixed with an earthy peaty taste, with a subtle sweet/smooth undertone. A lot of people say it reminds them of a campfire, but to me I get a much more "box of leather" vibe from it. It is pretty straightforward with its flavors , but in an enjoyable way, and as I said before it is a very cool and smooth smoke. It is also very consistent throughout the entire bowl. Not a life altering smoke for me, but one I will always keep on hand for those cool fall/winter evenings when I crave a bit warmer/darker smoking experience. A very enjoyable 3 stars with no complaints from me.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Cob

Age When Smoked: Straight out of new tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	maxiRica (8)	2021-05-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Éste es un tabaco para los Latakialovers.

En toda la fumada el protagonista indiscutible es la latakia. Le acompaña el Burley y dicen que Orientales, que no puedo apreciar, excepto en el carácter de ésta labor.

Tiene un sabor profundo, muy terroso, ahumado, pero nada agresivo a no ser que le des mucha candela. No amarga nada, y el sabor propio del burley solo se puede apreciar por su aporte de madera y terrosidad a la fumada. La latakia, su marcado sabor ahumado, y quizás unas notas algo dulces, protagoniza una mezcla que puede llegar a saturar a quien no adore la latakia. 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 debería de ser de difícil fumada.

Viene con cierta humedad, así que después de desmenuzar hay que dejarlo un buen rato para que se oxigene y adquiera el punto óptimo. De vitamina N va justita, no me resulta para nada agresiva en ese aspecto.

Aunque no es una mezcla mordedora, si he notado alguna aspereza.

Un tabaco digno de un Maestro Sith

Age When Smoked: Fresco

Similar Blends: Dan Tobacco - Old Ironsides (American History Mixtures).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Extra Strong

You'll need a knife to break this one up, its a pretty tight brick. Copious amounts of latakia ...doubtful you'll taste much of anything else. Very cool smoke that will linger long after you're done puffing...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-06-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a nice cake, black in appearance, smelled smokey and robust. The aroma was all latakia and the taste was pretty much the same. Nice and creamy latakia, indeed. This was not a very complex blend regarding variance in flavor, but it was a good smoke. I got a sample from a friend and was very grateful, but I wont be purchasing any of this, just not something I would not smoke often at all.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-07-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am not quite sure how to fully describe this tobacco. I know I like it, but I am not sure if it will always be in my stock. I like how it smells while burning, and I enjoy smoking it. Its toasty, slightly nutty, with a mild briny tartness underlying everything. There is also some sweetness to the blend, but the factor that I can't quite describe is almost a menthol sensation. Its reminds me of taking a handful of fresh basil and stuffing your mouth (but not as extreme,) and once the flavor has left your palate there is still a certain feeling present. This is what is left in my mouth while smoking this blend, an odd cooling sensation not unpleasant in any regards, just unexpected and strange. I find the blend very relaxing and I am still working through the sample ounce I purchased. It could very well become a regular, but for now I am unsure. Maybe I will try mixing it with something.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-12-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Appearance is a pressed briquette ("krumble kake"), rubs out to a coarse mixture of pieces and ribbon. Smells of smoke and creosote. Tastes smoky with mineral overtones.

Pirate Kake is an interesting smoke, providing a full serving of Latakia. I do not find it as strong as many other reviewers. The smoky flavour is nice and develops a slightly salty, mineral taste. A tongue numbing iodine note remains after smoking. There's no finesse nor subtlety here. Recommended for Latakiaphiles.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-13		Medium	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

All the reviews are very complete, so I will just add my few points. I have some difficult lighting and smoking (a feeling of weakining burning) more than other Latakia blends. The good point is the concentration on Latakia, with no corrections, and this is also a weak point, since it flattens the experience. Since a long time I can not find Penzance, that stands in my mind as the best one. I appreciate GLP Maltese Falcon and Odissey, that I find more enjoyable and round than this. But this still is a good and rough almost pure Latakia island for Pirates!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I have carefully read the reviews to get an idea, and I thank everyone for the excellent guidance and advice.

It has not been a nasty surprise this buy, otherwise. I agree with many of the previous reviews that have described sensations, taste and flavor to the extent that I myself find.

Say no more, but something that seems really important, this mixture has smoke very slowly, leaving cool as possible, but it is not difficult to smoke.

Who would you recommend it? Surely only a real lover of Latakia!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-06		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Having wanted to go for a really heavy blend I decided I'd give it a try. Being mostly interested in English blends this really satisfied my love of latakia. I would recommend letting it dry for perhaps twenty minutes after breaking it up as the bars can be very moist.

Once I got it going I found it to be packed with flavor right from the get go. Powerful, smooth and very rich. Sweet taste and slight reminiscence of coconut. It can be a bit tough to get lit though. This is a real acquired taste.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-04-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Pirate Kake is what it is- a no apology latakia laden blend. I've gone through two ounces and while halfway through I ordered two more eight ounce tins. I absolutely love this stuff; it is smooth, dark, full and creamy. The taste on the palate apparently does not translate as far as room aroma; my wife does not much care for the aroma but she does not complain, bless her heart. I also love the sharp tangy latakia odor that is left on my clothes or hand - Pirate Kake is one of those blends I enjoy as my last pipe of the day (usually while in my pajamas and reading a book); I revel in the lingering latakia odor clinging to my hands and hair when I finally go to bed. While for me Penzance is for special occasions, Pirate Kake is the perfect last smoke of the day for every day. I don't believe it has much in the way of nicotine and I would imagine that it is the cavendish cut burley that gives it the dark and full flavor. 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. Highly recommended for those that heartily enjoy latakia, like I do.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-20		Medium	Medium	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have just finished my first tin of Pirate Kake, and feel like I'm in love! This stuff is fantastic with a very rich latakia taste and a elegant plume of white fragrant smoke. It is very similar to Old Ironsides but just a bit lighter in body.

I tried this blend which came recommended by my tobacconist, knowing that Old Ironsides is discontinued, and soon will be impossible to aquire. No need to worry because we have a winner for Latakia lovers.

The pressed cakes are good looking, somewhat moist and tightly pressed. The tin aroma is that of hay in a barn. Not bad, just different. The cakes are easy to break apart and rub out nicely. Lighting is relatively easy with maybe two to three additional lights after the charring light.

Pirate Kake will fool you with its robust and hearty taste. There is a relatively low nicotine content in this blend. I cant seem to tolerate the nicotine rush associated with the more fuller bodied tobaccos.

The taste is a rich, creamy, smooth almost minty flavor with latakia dominating the senses. The orientals make a nice showing with a nice spicy finnish. I think what balances out this blend is the use of burleys. The smoke is abundant with each puff, and I guess some would probably find offensive. It reminds me of a fireplace burning in the wintertime, and brings back fond memories. This is an ideal evening, or after dinner smoke.

I would HIGHLY recommend this blend to anyone who wants a latakia fix in a smooth, light english presentation. I plan to keep several tins on hand. Another winner from C&D. Four of four stars.

I will gladly "walk the plank" with this pirate anytime!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-18		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This is one of the very best tobacco I have ever smoked. Latakia in capital letters, but smooth, evenly burning, never to harsh. Leaves Penzance (also 5 stars) a mile behind. Has a strong room note but loved by everybody had the "luck" to experience it. I would not suggest it to an unexperienced mainly aromatics smoker but...if you enjoy classic english mixtures or perhaps good dark flakes do not miss it. Leaves my pipes dry as a bone. Beautiful gray ash. Easy smoking. My suggestion, as always, smoke it slowly,very slowly in little medium vintage pipes . A taste of old England! What a smoke! Psst...don't tell anybody ;). __________ must downgrade to 3 stars due to certain dullness after some tins smoked, or maybe compared to Penzance. Still very good.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-02-17		Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable to Strong

Amazingly smooth and heavenly delicious! Superb taste and smell! This is THE blend for the latakia lover!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-30		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like Latikia, but this may be just a bit over the top for me. I find that by the time I get to the last 1/3 of the bowl, I'm on overload. This is definitely a blend that calls out for a small bowled pipe and gentle smoking. As an occasional smoke it's ok, but when I finish the tin I probably will not purchase more. As the write up says, you must really, really like Latikia to enjoy this blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-05-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Love this stuff. This was the 1st time I understood "creamy" as a description for smoking. Exhale through the nose, and thats it. Taste is a bit like a cigar for me. Very ascertive, and smoky. Puff too fast and you'll think the plank is a runway...Great Stuff. Also a great mixer- See my C&D review of Jamaican Rum. *5/30: Well- Seems tastes change- Latakias a little strong for me now, and I think I like it better as a side dish, rather than main course.Still quality stuff though.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-08		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I'm a big latakia fan, but this was even too much for me. Worth a try if you love the dark stuff, but be careful with it - it can knock you back.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-01-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

Ahoy! As subtle as a cannon shot full o' nails and cast iron! A blast o' latakia smoke and sweetness that never gives quarter. So many of me maties have given a good review - I'll squander no more of yer time. But if you love the rich, black leaf you'll be jolly at the sight, smell and taste o' this kake! you may even be rogered! Avast!

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