The latakia here overwhelms this blend. Not something I would smoke all day, but outstanding for what it is. It's definitely loaded with latakia but it just doesn't overwhelm the blend. This is a superb blend of all those who experienced latakian mixtures. This is what this blend is supposed to do so I knew going in I would experience this. After the initial char, it takes to a match easily and produces good volumes of velvety textured smoke. English lovers unite! 4 stars. Any drying, IMHO, would lessen the wonderful smokiness, which is the star attribute here. The tobacco's are easily discernible, and while the Latakia is up front and not hiding, they are in fact well balanced. Very creamy, smooth in the mouth and leaves a nice coating for you to enjoy for an hour. As it says, Latakia predominates, but there are some sweet spicy notes making their presence known as well. Great for late night or cool/cold weather smoking. So smooth I would describe it as creamy. Pirate kake is no exception. 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. This is a rare case of too much of a good thing. I do believe the time worked in my favor as the sharpness did mellow some. This is the closest thing I have found to Latakia heaven at a bulk price. I only wish this was available in flake form as opposed to the two plugs I received as part of my sampler pack. The tobacco is presented as a tight crumble cake. Midday and your palate could be shot for quite awhile, perhaps until tomorrow or the day after. I have saved about a 4 oz chunk of this in a jar and smoked some this evening with some black tea. Similar Blends: GL Pease Odyssey and Quiet Nights.. Pirate Kake boasts a whopping 75% latakia, so if you don't like latakia you'll probably want to pass on this one. This was fine until I hit midbowl and quite honestly grew tired of it. Any pipe tobacco shipped to a New York State address will be subject to the applicable state imposed excise tax (75% over the wholesale price) and appropriate New York State sales tax. Opening the fresh tin (080318 I love that C&D tins are so easy to date) the Latakia hits your sinuses straight away. Its taken to long to write this. Islay malt scotch and rose water, as in a smokey, brine, iodine, perfume, incense sort of way. I definitely will get more on future orders. But it's a very static single-note mixture. 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. If you smoke it on a low heat like incense, you can enjoy the very delicious aroma of Latakia. Really three-dimensional. 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. I got this as a sample from smokingpipes.com, and wanted to try a crumble cake. I would never have purchased this by just reading the 75 % Latakia, but trying this in the sampler was a very nice surprise! It's my go-to comfort smoke. WARNING: Smokingpipes.com does not sell tobacco or tobacco related products to anyone under the age of 21, nor do we sell cigarettes. It smokes cool right of the tin. 3 Stars, at the least. It rubs out easy but it is messy. Every so often I grab a piece to refill my small jelly jar which I pinch it from when I smoke it. The nice people (esp. 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. In my opinion there is no sweetness in this blend but I don't mind. 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. As I worked my way through a two ounce tin I could not help but wonder if this was created on a dare. 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. Definitely a strong peaty highland single malt like Laphroaig or peat monster. Had a light vinegar note on top. Tin note is sour and latakia, tin date is 102617. . This is actually a very well rounded blend. The fact that you can purchase large quantities at bargain prices is also a plus and encourages big purchases for cellaring purposes. Pirate Cake has 22% THC. Yep this and star of the east are extremely delicious tobaccos. Crumbles up real nice. But on the whole, about as delicate as a horse pistol in the ribs and a genteel invitation to walk the plank. The smokiness is front and centre throughout. It smokes well. I should have reviewed this tobacco long ago. I will look forward to trying the other tin after much aging hopefully mellows the lat a bit. Tobacco. Im normally an aromatic smoker but was intrigued by this. I find it to have a very rich, flavorfuly smokey, pleasantly toasty, note. I give this 2 stars because it does seem to be a quality mixture. This stuff rocks! 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). Pirate kake is quite a bit sharper and overwhelming if you smoke it too fast. The taste of salted leather. Moisture level is perfect right out of the brick, rub-out is easy, and it burns properly. The smell in your tin is strongly smoky, as you would expect. The other tobaccos are added to simply smooth off the rougher edges, as opposed to smoking it straight. The bottom half of the bowl, not surprising, is much more productive. With complexities of smoke covering your taste buds. The day is upon us.. 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. I had thought to contrast it with McClelland's Syrian Full Balkan (acknowledging differences between a ribbon vs. a pressed product). It was better when I broke up the beautifully blended cake and dried it overnight. However after I killed a 1/4 pound I realized that I was spot on. I knew I would like this blend based on your reviews. I find it to have a very rich, flavorful smokey, pleasantly toasty, note. 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. All these come to mind when smoking the kake. The Krumble Kake cut adds tremendously to this blend. 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. My wife, 60 feet away doing some gardening remarked how nice this smelled. This is as close, however, to cigar smoke as the wife will tolerate, as the room note can be cutting and a little acrid. I still rate it at three stars, and worth your consideration if you're into heavy English blends. 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. If latakia is your thing, you absolutely must try this tobacco. Very consistent flavor that was much to my taste of this very uniquely wonderful blend that really is for those looking for something different. Not much subtlety here folks, so do not come expecting a complex blend. I have not gone back to it for several months, but it is certainly a must try for the latakia lover. I've been perfectly happy smoking it consistently and plan on getting lots more. The pressed cakes are good looking, somewhat moist and tightly pressed. 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. The age has definitely blended the strong latakia toget her into the others. 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. Burley and Oriental tobbaccos harmonize and smoothen the taste. The aroma was all latakia and the taste was pretty much the same. It's smooth as butter on the retro. I do know it did not hurt it one bit. Amazingly smooth and heavenly delicious! . Update 06/29/10: Been smoking this on and off for the last six plus months. I give it 3 stars. Top Notch. Easy to rate, easy peasy: highly recommended. I just can't say enough about this tobacco except, try it for yourself, it is pure heaven!!! Whatever. Ive finally settled on this is one great blend! It's the taste of darkness. If not I will be happy to take it off your hands. This blend always takes me to the fall season in Michigan, no matter what time of year. No pretense is made about subtle reflections but instead, a robust presentation of flavors that complement one another well. Above all, smoke it slow. The bowl of my pipe is staying absolute cool to the touch. 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. Pipe Used: Icarus Stubby Apple, Self-Made Magnum Cherrywood. I tend to like latakia in moderate doses. Intensified if you will. But, frankly, I just don't enjoy it. I am a Latakia, English blend, and Virginia blend lover. It still took a fair amount of relights to get it going each time. If you receive this confirmation repeatedly, you will need to enable cookies so that your response can be saved. I opened the backy and let it dry a tad bit,and then loaded a bowl. I think I'm ready to have a bowl of it on it's own. 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 agree with the previous reviews that it is rather linear and lacks balance, but if you're looking at Pirate Kake like I was, it's because you wanted that lack of balance; I wanted as much Latakia as possible. 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. It does produce a decent amount of smoke. Sip, don't puff hard! I even find myself occasionaly inhaling this, something I rarely ever do when smoking a pipe. Easy going. Pirate Kake is good for what it is but the other tobaccos add nothing.Good blend but will not be buying any more its just a bit too far out there. 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. Pirate Cake is simply an infusion of Latakia. I want to give this 4 stars but I will hold off as everytime I try this, I detect something diffrent? 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! Only if we can get aromatics to taste and smell like this then we'll be cooking with gas big time or maybe i just havent came across one yet to satisfy my smoking pleasures. I first acquired pirate kake to better understand latakia and I did learn that, too me, there is such a thing as too much of it. Very full and satisfying. 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 almost felt as though I was smoking a straight bowl of latakia. It might need a relight or two. of exceptional Latakia accompanied by Turkish and Burley. 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 & Diehls Pirate Kake. If you like latakia then consider this recommended, at least to try, it's an experience. Despite being 75% latakia I was easily able to pick out the oriental tobacco. I bought this because I found a 6 year old tin at a local B&M. Smoked in a new Missouri corncob to understand better the flavors and subtleties. The plug cut provides a very slow, peaceful, perfect, cool smoke. So well named? The tobacco is not super pressed, its easy to rub and easy to fill your pipe (unlike Seattle Pipe Clubs Plum Pudding). Relights are much less frequently on the bottom half of the bowl, in fact, it is burning quite well. I really like this one. The latakia is smooth, even at 75%. I just love it! I smoked a one ounce block of Pirate Kake in shot order now, in a variety of pipes. The next day PK lights right up and smokes all the way through. I didnt break it up well enough and it tasted. not good. I'm also getting a little cocoa and berry flavors. This is also the most dense cake Ive come across. This is a very hard tobacco to review, so I'll just note my first impressions. not good. Definitely a blen d I refuse to ever run out of. Of course the smoky stuff is prominent but its not all there is: smoky, sweet, zesty, and a slightly sour note on the finish combine to make a tasty and interesting smoke. 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. 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. I truly enjoy reminiscing on the flavor and the smokey smell in my moustache well after my bowl has been finished. I had a very tough time finding any other flavor to come through from the Burley or Turkish tobaccos. This blend has a lot of charm. 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. This mixture is now on my favourites list. (how many times did I say smoky so far? Highly recommend with the caveat that you like a Lat bomb. One of the best tobacco's I have tried.Superior in every way.it has an interesting sour note in a good way. Occasional notes of dark baker's chocolate, hickory, and brine. Its packed with a perfect punch, with just enough bite. I will probably update my impressions in the future. I just purchased the 8oz tin.. it really is that good. Put a pinch in a very large bowl of mature Virginia and youll have something nice, but by itself its just nasty. I like to rub this one out to be a fine ribbon cut consistency. Kinda like the O Douls of pipe tobacco. As stated above, I'm an aromatic guy, I'm not a big fan of anything else. Only had about eight bowls so far but i'll buy more. This was the first real pipe tobacco I ever purchased. I would recommend letting it dry for perhaps twenty minutes after breaking it up as the bars can be very moist. It gets better and better with time. Similar Blends: Creosote soaked camel's dung.. 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. Black mostly in color with some remnants of what brown tobacco was there. I have not had the need to dry mine out and it smokes exceptionally cooly and dryly. It may get my additional half star again with aging. I thought the smoke was gonna be the way it smelled, but to my surprise it was a soapy like smooth smoke that had a uniq ue odor without tongue bite. Roasting fish over a campfire I just got this an the first bowl I tried in a briar, just didnt do it justice. Tobacco is soft and dry. I had been curious to try a "lat-bomb" and this certainly seemed to be held in high esteem by many so I gave it a shot. argh! 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 love it. I think if I had bought this in any quantity it would be a great blender with a dryer, easier burning, simple burley. A very cool and pleasent smoke. PK smokes smooth and has no bad qualities if you're a latakia junkie. Pirate kake in the little devil cob this morning. Truer words have never been written. This is a sit down and do nothing else but smoke tobacco. 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. Excellently smokey and rich latakia blend. It definitely smokes slow and cool- that half bowl i had lasted well over an hour. I'll keep some on hand from now on. The Tobacco in Bulgaria report includes: Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends. Definitely recommended. Flavoring? Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares. 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". No, no, no. I take advantage of a small sunny clearing in a cloudy week for a moped ride, and a small pipe break by the river. This stuff is, well, out of line. The Pirates won?t let you down. This has a very fresh tin aroma, almost perfume like. I was mainly a cigar smoker for a number of years, with pipes as a sometimes thing. As an occasional smoke it's ok, but when I finish the tin I probably will not purchase more. Keeps away loiterers and unwanted company. De vitamina N va justita, no me resulta para nada agresiva en ese aspecto. I found it to be an excellent blend. Edit: It should have a bit of dry time. Sipping at this one, it didn't get too overbearing in its intensity of flavor. __________ must downgrade to 3 stars due to certain dullness after some tins smoked, or maybe compared to Penzance. It reminds me of a fireplace burning in the wintertime, and brings back fond memories. Found another chewy block of this magnificent cake at the great Jack's Tobacco Shop in Milwaukee. 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! 56g tin. I suppose it depends on your mood when smoking it. 1. What a smoke! One of the best tobacco purchases I've made so far. Upon the initial false light, I noticed an interesting flavor: a slightly sweet, dry, yet herbaceous taste. Yes, this is Black Frigate without the rum; sans the liquor the flavor is more resonant & articulated. 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 flavor is one-dimensional and lacks any nuance. I will say I like it, a lot but this is not a tobacco that you need to ponder. It's only from smoking PK many times that I can barely, barely detect other tobaccos here. of exceptional latakia accompanied by Turkish and burley, Pirate Cake by Cornell & Diehl is a latakia lover's treasure. Similar Blends: Westminster, Star of The East Flake. Thanks C&D! It?s one-dimensional, but you don?t smoke Pirate Kake for complexity, you smoke it for a major infusion of Latakia. Latakia lovers delight! I'm not a Latakia fiend, but I wanted to keep something like this on hand for cold, snowy days. The tobacco was allowed to stand for two whole days. I smoked a tin then I bought a pound. And here I thought I was going to be an Aro guy! $11.90 - $36.98. I expect to re-order this regularly. C&D's #099, Engine 99. Compared to other Latakia-rich mixtures, I found Pirate Kake to be a flavorful yet monochromatic smoke. It's surprisingly sweet and well balanced for such a wallop of latakia. I can hardly wait to see how this tastes a couple of years down the road. Further down the bowl I detected a pine taste which was not bad. 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. d. there were twelve principle manifestations of Allah. It is a strong smoke but pleasant to the pallet. However, for the most part I found that there was so much Lat. If you are completely enamored with Latakia, you cannot go wrong with Pirate Kake. It comes in a plug which I tore apart and put in an air tight jar, like the large ones sold on this site. Goes well with the black rum, or maybe a stronger stout or IPA. The great thing about smoking a bowl of this is that it's the same through- out. Easy to break off and prepare in your pipe. I love Latakia. 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. It was overwhelming! This lat balm is in a very nice kake, has amazing flavor and depth, and has smart branding to boot. Burns consistently once lit. In my opinion, this is a ?small bowl? Now that I am a major ity of the time pipe smoker, I enjoy a piratey blend like this. But, for what it's worth, I'll add my thoughts to the site. A Latakia lover's treasure. A gold-hearted thug of a blend. Order this. TONS of smoky spicy and an after taste that makes you think you just the bark off a whole smoked pork shoulder. Second mistake: Burley has no proper taste; its a neutral tobacco without a specific taste. ORIGINAL: Well now I know what a lat bomb is. This is definitely a blend that calls out for a small bowled pipe and gentle smoking. If you want to get your wife out of the hose but she refuses, light up a bowl of Pirate Kake. A cigar is to be enjoyed. When you open this tin your instantly brought around the campfire just an awesome smokeyness! Just too much Latakia for me. Thanks to C&D, all the reviewers, SmokingPipes, and AbeIve been waiting for this!!!! I was able to sample this wonderful latakia nougat bar at the recent Chicago Pipe Show. Not pleasant. At one point in my life I would have run from a blend as robust as this. So much so that I just ordered a 16ox bag of it. Smoke it really slow and steady to truely enjoy the experience. Pirate Kake is definitely a blend which begs to be smoked out-of-doors. A very nice blend indeed, assuming you like Latakia of course! All rights reserved. This is my favorite tobacco. The tobacco smokes evenly, and burns to a white ash afterwards. I didn't find necessary to humidify again in 5-month period, somehow it keeps sufficient humid in the cake. For this reason in my personal system rating (from 1 to 10) my score is 3 and only a star. Love the smell right out of the package. I appreciate GLP Maltese Falcon and Odissey, that I find more enjoyable and round than this. I was able to smoke a bowl of this. Very ascertive, and smoky. I love Latakia and this did not disappoint! Finally another Latakia forward mixture without any Virginia. 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. Ok here it is pirate kake by cornell and Diehl. THE ROLLS ROYCE OF TOBACCO. that just makes this blend too much for me.