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

Very smooth... sips like a fine bold black coffee.Very smoky which I love. tastes like and smells like tobacco, Not a campfire.. not a cookout..not a pack of almonds..JUST tobacco. The wife lets me smoke this when she sits beside me on the porch swing..need i say more?

Tin notes of smokey Latakia, sweet Virginia's figgy perique...man you name it it is in here and you can smell it! Dark attractive brownies in the tin that to me seem more cake than crumble cake, but is there really a difference? As for the mechanics, mine came wet and needed 30 minutes of dry time. It rubs out easily and packs well. It is a very full flavored tobacco like a death by chocolate type of dessert, the flavors are bold and full bodied. The latakia is smokey and sweet. Just shy of a Latbomb, the other tobaccos take the edges off. The perique is what hits me as hard as the Latakia, for my tastes the perique was a bit heavy handed. Very peppery with the figgy notes mixing with the sweet Virginia's. there is a molasses or maple note that comes and goes from the cavendish. I really wish they backed off of the perique, the flavors are very good but it gets too peppery for me and it makes it seem harsh at times, this does vary from bowl to bowl but it happens too much for my liking.

I just don't find this interesting. I initially tried this tin a year ago and I made some notes that said: "spice builds & Burley shows in the last 1/2 bowl , needs 6 months of cellar"!!!! Well, it's been a year, and I just retried the tin with some similar results. I know, Burley is not listed , but in the second half of the pipe it sure tastes like a strong Burley component. Orientals are covered up and the latakie just doesn't "sing". Really not much sweetness either. I like my blends with more sweetness and less spice ( Perique) . I do think it is high in "N" but I find this a bland blend. I keep searching for flavor. I've got to go against the crowd, and won't buy again . I actually like Ten Russians better, but not by much, I guess I'm not "tomorrow's connoisseur pipe smoking aficionado".

Sailing with the captian is a pleasure indeed. The crumble cake is easier to deal wioth that a plug and delivers that great married flavor. High quailty English and a Latakia dream.

Preparation & Burn: 10/10 Excellent presentation, moisture content, handling. Burns great.

Taste: 20/20 Rich virginia lat blend. Tasty but not overpowering.

Mildness: 8/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much nicotine here.

Total: 38/40

I am currently on a quest to explore more English blends. I confine myself to Burley blends and have fallen in line with the "American English" Burley Latakia blends. This infatuation has spurred to explore more traditional English blend and have yet to be knocked off my feet.

Is this blend the one, is the the English that will become my go-to?........no. this is a expertly blended tobacco with a unquestionable smoothness, balance and refinement that just bores me to death. I find this so uninteresting that I struggle to pull district flavors. To me this taste like a English. It is smoky, with some notes of grass, and wood and some sweetness and just a touch of spice. I have no doubt that many will enjoy this as it is a well crafted blend, it just not for me.

Getting back into Captain Earles I have enjoyed smoking this blend this week. Truth be told I'm getting myself ready for Ten Russians which will be my last review of the series. I've been surprised so far by the richness and variety of the Captain Earles blends and there are several that I could easily see myself buying again.

I have yet to mention the tin art in this series, but I think it leaves a little to be desired. However, what it lacks on the outside it makes up for on the inside. Private Stock is a cake like all the others and it rubs out to a nice ribbon. The smell in the tin consists of leathery, smoky Latakia, sweet dark fruit, tangy Orientals, and lightly toasted Cavendish. This is easy to pack and light. It holds a flame well and burns nice and slow.

Right off the bat the Latakia is smokey, leathery, and a touch salty. The Orientals follow close behind offering tang, flowers, and herbs. There is an intriguing interplay between the two. The perique offers some dark fruit but not a whole lot of spice. The Virginias are hiding in the background, giving body and citrus every now and again. There is a toasted note coming from some Cavendish and it just takes the edge off what could be some rough edges.

The taste is a medium-full. The smoke fills my mouth, and the complexity of flavor and the overall mouth-feel make it more full than an average medium. The strength is a medium. This is an average affair with Lady N, nothing too fancy. The room note may be a bit strong, but I smoke on the porch anyways. All in all a very repeatable smoke, and one that is complex enough to sit back and think with. I give this one 3 stars

This has become my favorite English. I have a more sensitive palatte than I used to and I'm not looking for anything harsh whatsoever.

The definition of medium full and rich with absolutely no trace of harshness and it's replaced my Dunhill (Peterson) Englishes. Then, my palatte has grown more sensitive (I now smoke Royal Yacht out of 9mm filter pipe, which is a perfect smoke imo).

What this lacks in complexity it makes up in smoothness. I find it ever so slightly skewed toward the orientals but mostly balanced. The deep red VA does mute the spice tobaccos especially in cake form, but I like this kind of English presentation and I do not find it dull, but I'm not looking for English thrills and chills anymore.

I would describe it like Dunhill's Standard Mixture without any bite or harshness.

A real cut above C&Ds "standard" English tobaccos in approachability, yet having much more body than the "Frog Morton" type Englishes which are popular from other blenders.

A real unheraled, older "brand" and should not be overlooked.

I was on a Captain Earle’s kick awhile back at my local brick and mortar tobacco shop and purchased this one some time ago. I had already tried 10 Russians, Night Watch and Honor Blend. First, I am going to gripe about something petty but presentation sometimes is the key, especially with pipe tobacco, of course taste is paramount also. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a nice square cake of tobacco with one of the corners cut off. I thought, let me guess, it was a little over the 2 oz. that the plug sold for. I thought, are they really that cheap, couldn’t let probably an 1/8 of an oz slide? Mutilating my once perfect square. In all seriousness I did find it somewhat irritating. I know petty. This tin was dated 121718. Tin note was rich and had a nice strong smell of Latakia. This one is hard for me to describe other than a good Latakia blend. Unfortunately, when I see something called ‘Private Stock’, I mentally expect more to be offered and this one really did not do much for me. Probably my least favorite of the Captain Earle’s I have tried. But who knows, down the road, my taste buds may be different and I may like it a little more. Maybe I prefer a little sweeter Latakia blend, not sure but sounds as good as anything else. Chopped off plug, (I know, I can’t let it go) two stars, taste around three.