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

I get a chuckle out of just opening the tin. The guys at the B&M shop said, " lookout, Marty is getting ready to throw a Goodyear on the burning peat bog fire". Yes, I am a Latakia lover and this is one of my top 5 blends. For me it burns slow, and not as rich in flavor as Penzance, but just as satisfying. This is one of the few blends that I am stocking up on.

I was looking for a good latakia blend since my usual Pirate Kake was out of stock. This one definitely delivered. I didn't catch the big nic buzz several people have talked about, but I did find it very calming after a long work day. The latakia is not as front and center as I was expecting it to be. This is my first time with any of the Hermit tobacco works brand, but if this is a good representation of their blends then I'm going to make my way through their stock. I wouldn't label this a latakia bomb, it's a completely different animal altogether. It's like listening to a 15 minute jazz quartet jam session where it's the same tune, but every member of the band has their solo to make it their own. In one word...symbiosis. The crumble kake is easy to break up and required little drying time. Smoking a bowl of this as I prepare for slumber. This may have to be my new nightly ritual. Next time I'll pair it with a nice bourbon.

Mostly black with a few brown flecks. I'd call it a plug, I think. It is softer and easier to cut than plugs I've had by Peterson and GL Pease, but I found it too dense and firm to easily crumble with my fingers, so I can't in good conscience call it a cake. Suffice it to say, I found it quite easy to prep as far as plugs go, but it does require a knife or some other sharp tool. It's just a hair on the moist side...surprising considering that it is manufactured by Cornell & Diehl, as their stuff always seems to me to be a tad on the dry side. I'll blame it on the plug, which always seems to hold more moisture than ready rubbed. Anyway - it smokes fine as is, but it wouldn't hurt to leave it out and let it dry a bit.

A bold latakia presence makes itself known right out of the gate. I don't believe this has quite the lat percentage as Pirate Kake, but it might be close. Ten Russians no doubt fits my definition of "lat bomb." There's a significant Oriental percentage, methinks, as I notice a sour tang next. Personally, I don't like an overwhelming Oriental presence...this is up front, but it isn't over-the-top. Mouthfeel is thick and spicy. A bit of pepper in the flavor, just enough. On retrohale, I get a nice peppery burn in the nose, but also a creamy sweetness comes into play that I previously didn't notice in the mouth. The latakia sledgehammer mellows a bit as I pass the halfway mark, and the overall flavor quiets down somewhat into a nice peppery smoothness for the remainder of the bowl.

Burn is good, requiring an average number of relights. Room note is somewhere between "foul" and "wretched." LOL Nicotine is perhaps a bit stronger than medium.

Rich, bold, spicy, and very complex in flavor. I've had four bowls so far, but I still feel like I haven't quite wrapped my brain around all of its intricacies; unfortunately, I've only got a small sample to review, so I had to go ahead and get my thoughts down. Ten Russians is by no means an all day smoke, but is wonderful in the evening on a full stomach paired with an after dinner black coffee. Highly recommended.

This is a great blend for the Latakia lovers. It comes in a plug that you can either tear apart or cut chuncks off with a knife. A very smokey blend that I like to have on cool winter nights. Has a good amount of nicotine i smoke cigarettes on occasion so may be overpowering to some. This really is one of the best English blends I've tried.

Perhaps my palate is jaded. I've almost finished a two ounce tin of Ten Russians and have enjoyed it thoroughly. My tin was dated 27 Jan. 2011; I opened it in mid- September of 2011 so perhaps the almost nine months of "aging" toned the latakia down somewhat.

I did not find it to be a latakia bomb nor even a nicotine bomb (though I do have a very high tolerance for nicotine).

What I did find it to be was an exceptional smoke. Not a whole lot of nuances but a very pleasant, somewhat sweet and somewhat heavy on rich smoky flavor. It crumbled very easily, loaded very easily (a light loading and a very light settling/tamping in the bowl) and "held fire" very well. Overall, a very very pleasant, easily-smoked mixture with enough flavor to hold my interest and enjoyment until almost the end.

I say "almost the end" because in some pipes, particularly those with a dublin shape, the mixture would get a little sour and a little harsh at the very end.

I tend to smoke my pipes down until there is nothing whatsoever left but ash; on this mixture I found myself sometimes dumping out the dottle... the leftover shreds of unsmoked tobacco at the very bottom of the bowl, mainly because I just didn't want to taste that bit of souring and harshness at the end.

Room note was not objectionable to anyone; my wife never once commented on it, as she might with some latakia blends (GLP Odyssey or Penzance for instance).

I also thoroughly enjoyed Ten Russians after somewhat lengthy DGT; many times I would load a pipe in the evening, smoke a third or half of it, and then relight in the morning with a cup of coffee... it always, after the first couple of puffs, blossomed into a good, rich morning accompaniment to a strong cup of coffee or a strong cup of Earl Gray tea stirred with brown sugar and just a hint of Half & Half.

I very much intend to purchase more of Ten Russians... I've enjoyed it in the morning, midday and in the evening. For me, at least, a very very pleasant and enjoyable mixture.

I had the pleasure of savoring this wonderful tobacco at our pipe club meeting this month. As an avid cigar smoker, I've always loved a full-bodied smoke. This holds true as well with my pipe tobacco. I've always searched for a tobacco that was strong, cool to smoke, and did not have any bite to it.

I was handed a small batch of tobacco in crumble cake form. I've heard of Hermit as a brand. I know they're made by C&D. I've heard a lot of good things about it; however I've never tried any of their tobaccos. From the beginning one can deduce that this would be one powerful smoke. It was dark and there is no mistaking the good amount of latakia in this blend. I have to admit I do love latakia and lots of it. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite tobaccos is C&D's daVinci. Unlike other krumble kakes, this tobacco broke apart easily, packed and smoked very well.

I used a Cavicchi Bent Brandy with a chamber depth of 1.89” and a chamber diameter of 0.90”. I will concur with everyone who reviewed this product. This is a POWERHOUSE of a smoke. I mean this in a good way, though. What is so surprising is that unlike other strong tobacco, it had such a cool smoke that I could hardly detect any bite to it. Again, be forewarned this is NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED SMOKER! C&D for the most part, have always put out a good product. Captain Earle's Ten Russians is an example of such product. Out of a possible 4 stars, I would give this 3 ¼. Although I love the strength and the coolness when smoked, it could do with a little more complexity in flavor. However, I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.

I am glad I was given the opportunity to smoke this fine tobacco. I wish this came in 1 lb. tins. I will definitely try other products from Hermit.

My favorite thing I've tried in I can't say how long. I Love Lat and this comes through. I continually set the pipe down and walk away just to enjoy every last bit of flavor on the back of my teeth and roof of my mouth.

Strong, but not overwhelming, full and complex. Seems to be pretty even all the way throught the bowl, I describe the room note as pleasant against the sig. oth.'s vote, I think she was leaning toward unbearable as she does whenever I smoke anything not from the drug store or the tinder box.

Note to self *buy more*

Update 9/26/15

Still a blend I return to regularly. Married now, not to the previous sig oth. Wife loves the room note. Strong, interesting (she says).

I've come to find that I like Latakia blends with orientals present, which this has plenty of. The smoke tastes busier with some oriental present. This has the smoky Lat, but plenty of the spicy and complexity I like in this type of blend. I don't think it's the one note Latakia mix it's been accused of.

In a large bowl it smokes cool. The flavor is consistent throughout the bowl. I prefer it to nightcap because I prefer the nicotine and the robust, full mouth feel. Perhaps the cavendish gives it body.

Still living this.

An absolute HOME RUN of an english blend! A Full and rich latakia infused rush of flavor.I would warn those faint of heart and used to aromatics and virginia's away from this!If you love lat. however,you may have hit "pay dirt"..HIGHLY RECOMMENDED preppypipe

You have to love Latakia and a big Nic-kick. Nothing subtle or complex here. Latakia, Latakia, and more Latakia. A very singular full throttle Latakia bomb with high nicotine content.