Cornell & Diehl Pirate Kake

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.