This is a definite tobacco. Once you are habituated to it, you are pleasantly surprised from time to time by the sweetness that comes through, possibly as an artifact of your palate adjusting to the overwhelming flavor of the Latakia. The crumble cake is a lot of fun to handle and the smoke is very rewarding, even if it is a little light in the nicotine department. The kake breaks apart really easily. Psstdon't tell anybody ;). I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. My usually very lenient significant other told me not only to kindly leave the house, but leave the county before I smoke this blend again. 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. Yes, this is Black Frigate without the rum; sans the liquor the flavor is more resonant & articulated. A must try for the latakia-haulics! I will keep this in my rotation and continue to cellar as I go. 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. A latakia-heavy cake? Its now at the top of favorite list; not sure I can make it through my rotation of 50 blends before getting to it again, LOL. Makes you earn it's respect. Its not the most pleasant smell. I enjoy a good Balkan or English blend, but not this much Latakia. That is a very good blend but its not a lat bomb. It's easy to rub out and smokes coolly. Even then it's a very nice smoke. Yes, this blend deserves that much respect. I love laktakia, oriental bases, but the excess of Laktakia made this blend somewhat bland after a 50 gram tin. Any drying, IMHO, would lessen the wonderful smokiness, which is the star attribute here. I am a lover of strong peaty scotches, and this right here reminds me of the taste of a full strength Ardbeg. It also has a clean finish thats not heavy in the mouth. musk. As others have mentioned, Pirate Kake would probably blend very well with FVF, or other sweet, full bodied, predominately English or Virginia blends. Taste is very smooth, strong and stinky. It seems to mellow the Latakia a bit, taking the edge off slightly and making it a little creamier. I cant seem to tolerate the nicotine rush associated with the more fuller bodied tobaccos. I even caught some orange notes amid the smoky coolness. A beautifully smokey taste with a sweet background and almost barn sawdust background note that burnt down to the bottom with a beautiful creamy mouthfeel. The latakia that Craig uses does have it's own unique taste and room note for whatever reason. Therephore,it will compose mixtures simillar to "your own English type" Also,is a tobacco of the type that i like: is not strong in nicotine, bu strong il flavour, scent and taste. 2oz Tin. I like to rub this one out to be a fine ribbon cut consistency. Though heavy on the latakia its interesting how the orientals and burleys play in the background with every sip. I found a retro-hale was the best way to truly get the smokey leathery flavor of the latakia to shine. If not I will be happy to take it off your hands. This became my favorite pipe tobacco blend halfway through my first bowl. I smoked it fast, and it got very very hot. Roasting fish over a campfire I just got this an the first bowl I tried in a briar, just didnt do it justice. With age the body increases along with a dark sweetness. Ahoy! Do yourself a favor and just give this stuff a shot. I guess I am one of the lucky ones, I can smoke Latakia in the house. The taste of salted leather. There's nothing wrong with this tobacco except for the overwhelming amount of latakia. Now, that sounds overwhelming at first, but Cornell and Diehl have managed to pull off a masterpiece. of Latakia, plus Turkish and Burley. It burns cool, rich tasting smooth flavor and a delightful smokey aroma. Its a circus sideshow blend, taking its place on stage next to the Bearded Lady and Mr. Lifto (google him, kids.) This blend always takes me to the fall season in Michigan, no matter what time of year. From char to dregs lots of nice smooth, smoky latakia flavor with hints of minor components at times. Tonight, it is C&D's Pirate Kake. Followed by a couple hours later and you can still taste it in your mouth just as strong as if you just took a bite, and you want that flavor out of your mouth by any means necessary.. but the horror sets in when you discover that no amount of alcohol, oral hygiene products, or other means can help you. The other tobaccos are added to simply smooth off the rougher edges, as opposed to smoking it straight. I buy i Pirate Lake is a full body English bend. Ive had straight Virginias with a stronger flavor overall, therefore I'm dropping pirate kake to two stars. I know I like it, but I am not sure if it will always be in my stock. I use the term ?blend? That said though, I quite like it! Surprisingly the nicotine content is not that high, mind you Latakia on its own is no Howitzer either. It strikes me that this is a good blend to build off of and I'll report back when I do but for now it's just lacks the depth to be interesting. The cavendish cut burley provides a little nuttiness, toast, wood and earth in the background. This is not a great mixture but a great mistake. Barely any sweetness in the blend, and if you do find it, it doesn't stay. C&D's #099, Engine 99. With the majority of this being Latakia, you should know what to expect. I will say I like it, a lot but this is not a tobacco that you need to ponder. The overwhelming sensory overload of so much latakia might make some believe that there is "strength" in this mixture. I take back ever wanting it as a broken flake, I love the ritual of breaking chunks off the black bricks and rubbing them out individually. Highly recommended to the lat bomb smokers. But not just any Latakia. I wish there was a more consistent taste throughout on this one. Very smooth with little, if any bite. Somehow, none of the blends I tried hit the spot, offering only a mere tantalizing hint of the Latakia pungency that I was after. Third mistake: Turkish is absolutely useless and this is not an oriental blend! Pipe Used: Peterson 1910, Savinelli Autograph, Stanwell 30. That is the exact progression I went through smoking Pirate Kake. It has a smoked bacon with sharp provolone flavor !!! A smooth, robust blend with lots (75%!) PK has the reputation for being a Lat bomb, but it is actually a nice and smooth smoke. The dark and light leaf are easily distinguishable by sight. FREE Shipping on all US orders over $95 | When Will My Package Ship? Pirate Kake is very smooth and it produces copious amounts of fragrant smoke with consistent flavor. Flavor, room note, strengththis has it allwhat a great smokeExceptional Blend. Put down the 1-Q, step out of the candy aisle of the tobacco world, and enjoy a truly flavorful tobacco. I was expecting a one-dimensional experience, but I assure you there is more to this tobacco than many give it credit for. Arrrr -- shiver me timbers -- Pirate Kake is the second blend Ive smoked in as many days that has bewitched me into thinking there were Virginias mixed into it (apparently, based on a couple of other reviews, I wasnt the only one to be so fooled). The BB seems to burn better too, for some reason.Enjoy, you huge latakia fans.there's nothing else. Comes in a crumble cake form, like a dried out brownie. I had just finished some Orient Express and I noticed in the description that it was 50% Pirate Kake and 50% Odessa. For latakia lovers this and "Heart of Darkness" are hard to beat! A gold-hearted thug of a blend. It is true to its word, but C&D could tinker the blend and do better. If you like latakia, this is the one for you. Perfect for the Winter or when you want to scare away your Spouse, Kids or Neighbors. 3 Stars, at the least. This perfume burned off some where in the upper third and the rest of the smoke proceeded down the bowl as, believe it or not, a light English. The taste didn't turn me o ff, cause it certainly has a beefy bold smoky flavor to it, but it didn't keep me going with it either. Perhaps the antidote to sweet and cloying tobaccos. I don't know if it's too much latakia at 70 percent, or if there's another something in there (burley?) Orlik Golden Sliced Pipe Tobacco Tins . I will probably update my impressions in the future. In fact, it's so much that after about two minutes into a bowl, I'm no longer capable of tasting ANYTHING, including the latakia. Like a good childhood memory. It didn't give me a headache or make my stomach hurt, so I will keep some Pirate Kake around for when the right occasion presents itself. And that was only through the nose. A full bowl of Pirate Kake burned slow and consistently. Used to smoke this semi regularly years ago. I don't think I will be buying it again. I had a very tough time finding any other flavor to come through from the Burley or Turkish tobaccos. I do enjoy a good English, and one with a good balance of Latakia. It's still a strong smoke, it's just got a fairly mild flavor. The aftertaste is yummy smokey incensy latakia. It is very moist. It gets better with a little age. Pirate Kake is Latakia. Superb taste and smell! A must try for the latakia lover . Perfect flavor & strength. It does stay lit well. To order by pound, use multiples of 16. Tobacco being one of them. Ron Swanson. I can hardly wait to see how this tastes a couple of years down the road. This is for those dirty pirates!!! It burns fine right off the kake but becomes a very tiny touch ammoniated by the end of the bowl owing to being over moist. This is a smooth, robust tobacco, with awesome smokey , and nutty, and woody tastes. Mild nicotine. Packing and Lighting: It can be time consuming to crumble, but you must, or this will not light well. It is pretty strong, both in nicotine and aroma. I'm upping this to 4 stars and it's made it into my favourites as well. No amarga nada, y el sabor propio del burley solo se puede apreciar por su aporte de madera y terrosidad a la fumada. It is surprisingly smooth and easy on the palate. I smoked a tin then I bought a pound. Surely only a real lover of Latakia! Cake breaks up very eas ily. Well, Pirate Kake brings back fond memories of mother dear stewing daddy?s boots in the hard winter of ?78. Flavor wise, it's not as strong as one might expect and I'd say the nic level is medium. A wonderful smoke! Still very smoky. With the benefit of hindsight, I suspect that memory had concentrated what had probably been the modest Latakia content of the Balkan I was trying to rediscover simply because it was the most sharply distinguishable component of the mixture and such a novelty when I first started smoking Balkans. It's smooth as butter on the retro. I also like the fact that it is easy to load, no knife needed to cut as it crumbles in your hand. These days, however, I find a little solo note in a tobacco to be OK at times. The presentation was a cube in the sample I got. One dimensional taste. Well blended, the plug/kake smells delicious and rubs out well. I now know why pirates don't have wives. seriously, if you even think you like Latakia, try this. I recommend this to any Latakia fan, and for anyone looking for a warm blend to smoke on a cold winter day. I ordered a one-pound brick of Pirate Kake (#970P). The Cavendish mellows out the obtrusive, musty aromas and settles the blend for smooth smoke - exactly as in Pirate Kake. Burns very cool & doesn't require many, if any, relights. If you enjoy the smoky leaf and want to push the limit, I highly recommend this blend! I suppose there are those who just can't get enough latakia who will like it, just as there are those who put an entire bottle of ketchup on their food. Overall I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good English blend this stuff is top notch and is cheap and available. Recommended. I foresee lots of Pirate Kake and Star of the East Flake in my pipe smoking future. 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. Put a pinch in a very large bowl of mature Virginia and youll have something nice, but by itself its just nasty. Being a Pirate Kake fan I'm starting to love some of the Captain Earle's offerings more and more. It was around 1999 and I had not been long into pipe smoking. 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. The main flavors I pick up are a dark leather mixed with an earthy peaty taste, with a subtle sweet/smooth undertone. It is top notch Cyprian leaf with solid Burley and Virginia's. Good stuff. It is too much, after a few minutes of it my senses numbed. This blend has a lot of charm. 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. It had a high moisture content as well. I could easily do back-to-back bowls of it, but I'm not a new smoker so YMMV. PS: I've rated it mild because nicotine-wise it has no perceptible kick. C&D managed to hit a very nice flavor note! Room note? Step away from this if you are not a latakia addicted. Pipe Used: Perfect for classic Bent apple or bulldog, Age When Smoked: Doesn't matter, never changes, Purchased From: Burlington Tobbacanists (Alberta, Canada). Easily four stars with pleasure. Four stars and full sail ye swabs. My 6 year old piece had a nice oily sheen to the eye and a few spots of plume. Originally Reviewed on 5/29 Tin/Pouch Note: Sour apple, plum, campfires and leather. The aroma seems to be fairly stong. I do believe the time worked in my favor as the sharpness did mellow some. The rest will be put to good use bolstering other blends. 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! I've smoked this and C&D's DaVinci, another Latakia heavy offering (not pressed, however). After packing the bowl, once you give a deep smell to your fingers, you'll get the point. I like Latakia, but I wouldn't consider myself one that likes it to totally dominate the blend. If you enjoy a great Latakia blend this one's for you. It doesn't bite me any, regardless of my technique, it's just a very comfortable smoke. Nice and creamy latakia, indeed. Its not an everyday smoke but is a great go to when in need of a latakia fix. Wonderful blend, and certainly a 4-star blend! that just makes this blend too much for me. Otherwise a lovely tobacco and well worth a try for anyone who likes Latakia and definitely a tobacco you can use to put a bit of latakia in another DiY home blend or similar. Still, it's a pretty impressive cake and it pairs best with a cup of two day old black coffee (which I'm also fond of), or a guinness. This is taking condimental overload to the extreme. This blend is a perfect example of how tobacco mixtures can be full flavored but still fall flat due to lack of nuance & slight to moderate shifts in complexity. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. Performance: A very cool burning blend. Words cannot describe how enjoyable a smoke this is. It's not entirely a successful marriage, as the Latakia completely dominates its' partners. I could very well see pirates smoking this out of their clay pipes as they flew the Jolly Roger. But it is strange how the strong aroma of Latakia will start to grow on you. The orientals are drowned by the Latakia and the burley, apart from mitigating the burnt cork taste of pure Latakia, does little. Pirate Kake has a steady latakia impact throughout the bowl and burns down to a fine gray ash - no dottle and very little moisture if smoked slowly. Flavorful. Its one of the best, Very robust and authentic tobacco english..strong..wow. Enjoy! (I dont pickup room note myself when I smoke but my wife said it smelled like hind end FWIW).