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

Produced by Cornell & Diehl for Hermit Tobacco, I find two rectangular Crumble Cakes in my 2oz tin. The cakes are dark and fibrous but they are lighter in color than Nightwatch. The tin aroma is Oriental with Latakia. I cross-cut the cake with my pocket knife and rub out enough to fill my Peterson. This blend is easy to light and produces voluminous clouds of smoke. A very nice Oriental flavor with quite a bit of Latakia mixed in. I find this is a very easy smoke to enjoy. 9 out of 10 stars

I confess that I made a mistake of having my first try of this blend first thing in the morning in a rather LARGE pipe. I was wide awake after that!!! It is a fairly strong blend (think London Blend 1000). The latakia is predominant taste here. Not in a C&D Da Vincci way but more of a Nightcap with 25% more latakia way. I am not complaining at all. This blend smokes very cool and also requires very little in the way of relights. It would make for a great break in tobacco. It has some VA and Turkish taste which makes the balance of strong latakia and sweetness almost irresistible.

I am a Ten Russian lover. This is one of the best latakia blend ever! Better than Nightwatch or much european "english blend". Heavy in latakia, rich and full taste. Cut: Crumble Cake.

I love latakia, and I love this blend. The crumble cake is fun and has married the different components so that Ten Russians tastes a bit aged even from the get-go. You can taste the orientals and virginias from time to time; the latter are likely responsible for the good dose of vitamin N the blend provides--definitely not a morning blend. However, the delicious latakia is in the driver's seat throughout the smoke. Another reviewer noted a clove-like taste to this blend, and I concur. This is a spicy, full-bore Cyprian latakia blast. While I grant Ten Russians is a bit pricey, the high-quality tobaccos, great full English taste and long-lasting smoke make it well worth the ducats. Room note is only a guess, as I've only smoked this out of doors. It does not heat up too badly even in a breeze, which is nice. Three and a half stars for English smokers, four stars for latakia maniacs.

Maaaaan ... there´s something in front of me now!! I ordered this tin based on many good reviews here, most of them telling that this blend is really strong. All right, once it said, i opened the tin expecting find mainly latakia overpowering the blend (which is good IMO), as a latakia lover, there´s never too much of it. BUT ... i have to say, the first smell is sort of 'cheesy', im sure this smell is due to some cavendish fermentation, for the very first time i steped back thinking maybe could have something wrong going on. I smelled the tin again and then i could feel the latakia, now mixed with that stinky cheesy scent. Dont get me wrong, this is not like a stinky feet smell, is something closer to an aged food, dry aged, salty and sort of food condiment. Ok... after this first impression, i filled up my pipe to have a try, and once i was lightning the bowl, i got instantly the latakia and a salty nuances, smoked bacon and smoked cheesy are always coming back to my mind. i cannot get any sweet in here. I´d rather smoke it after a heavy meal or following a good and sweet drink than at morning drinking coffee. The nic-hit is lower than i was expecting considering the reviews here, the moist is perfect straight from the tin, easy to keep it lit and smokes cool as its heavy latakia body. One of the best blends i tried so far. 3 and half stars.

If instead of talking about tobaccos here we were talking about colors, I would think that I have become color blind. I'm referring to I've read quite a few reviews here that speak to the overwhelming load of latakia and the powerful nicotinic punch of this mix. However, I have not found any of that. With this I am not questioning what other smokers have experienced.

When you open the tin, a very rich fragrance emanates, where the smoke of the Latakia certainly predominates. I think I remember that Spark Plug, by G.L. Pease, it had a similar smell. When the tobacco is lit, it burns perfectly well, producing a somewhat creamy smoke, with no more than a few re-ignitions required and no tongue biting at all.

In the flavor section it is very balanced and, in my opinion, latakia never appears as a soloist, but always goes hand in hand with the oriental ones, producing a very smooth and markedly dairy flavor, very typical of many Balkan blends ( although this mixture is presented as "English"). That flavor is maintained from start to finish throughout the smoke, something that may not satisfy those looking for a more complex tobacco, with more variations in flavor. In my particular case, I have not had any problem with this homogeneity in flavor, since I love those milky notes. So much so, that I usually smoke it in a very big pipe, and I have not been overwhelmed by the latakia, nor have I been tired of the taste, nor has the nicotine hit me to the point of leaving me k.o., hence the first paragraph of this review.

In short, an absolutely recommended blend for smokers who can enjoy a very rich but uniform tobacco, where the first puff tastes practically the same as the last and in-between. I will certainly repeat ...

Ten Russians: Smooth perfected intensity

I do not know why I put off trying his blend for years. It is definitely one of the best full English blends that I have ever tried. The cedar-smoke and leathery flavors of the Latakia dominate this blend and are quite enjoyable. There are no harsh parts/points in the smoke nor any dusty residue that is present in some Lat bombs. The cavendish definitely adds a slight smooth creaminess but not much flavor. The oriental variety adds some sourness, which pairs well with the tanginess of the red virginias, though the latter keeps mostly hidden in this blend. The Nic hit is a step above Nightcap. The rubbed out cake burns well in comparison to others I have tried.

This is one blend that I will stock up in my cellar.

7.20.23 Update: Well, I didn’t cellar much, but I still love Ten Russians as one of my favorite Latakia blends. There are some harsh spots in the smoke that I don’t remember. However, the strength of the Va leaf mixed with the sourness of the Turkish leaf sets this blend apart.

Gents, I had been waiting for my tin of Ten Russians with great anticipation. It did not disappoint at all... Opening the tin I am pleased with a 20z brick of heavily compressed pipe tobacco. Dark colors predominate... Serious latakia here...Moisture is just right and the krumble kake is easy to handle and brake for a filling portion. Lots of campfire smell, bacon, typical latakia delight. It burns easily and steadily, No bite, no extreme heat... taste is full- latakia - hmmm awesome...I can compare this with Penzance with less sweetness and more punch on the nicotine contents. Smoke relaxedly calm - read a book, or your Ipad and contemplate the delicious tatse and aroma of the velvety dense latakia fumes. No gurgle, no mess on the bowl...burns to a fine gray ash. High quality stuff here - By Hermit and produced by Cornell and Diehl specialists. Highly recommended for anyone in love with Latakia and fuller English or Balkan blends. Grab your tin.

First, a quick note on the nicotine content: I didn't notice any kind of overwhelming nicotine hit; and from what I understand, Latakia tobacco is low in nicotine despite that it smells very full and smoky.

With that out of the way, my review is pretty quick: this is a fantastic pipe tobacco, probably my all-time favourite, I can't say enough good about it. It's easy to pack well, stays lit, tastes rich and satisfying, it's easy to smoke slowly, no bite, burns cool ... and the room-note is surprisingly unobtrusive for something that smells so powerful out of the tin.

If you are into pipe tobacco that tastes like cherries and apricot pie, this probably won't be for you (or maybe it will convert you?). If you're into unflavoured, smoky Latakia blends, then it doesn't come any better than this.