Haebar reviews Cornell & Diehl's Pirate Kake
I received an neat little 1/2 ounce cube of this as a gift from Smokingpipes.com in an order that I had placed. 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. Here 10 months later I am finally smoking it. Have had only two bowls of it so far but it is enough to know that this stuff grows on you if you give it a chance. I enjoy English blends regularly but not exclusively. Pirate Kake is more than just an English blend, it seems to be predominantly Latakia. I've never smoked a blend with this much Latakia and would not have, had it not been given to me. The quality of the leaf is good, as are all C&D blends that I have had. The power/intensity of the smoke is impressive as one might expect from such a Latakia-forward blend. Even so, I don't find the nicotine strength to be particularly remarkable. The flavor is not very complex; it is quality Latakia center stage, with just enough Burley and Turkish to round out the edges. There is little balance of flavors in that this blend is a showcase of Latakia with the other components only serving to keep it from being too monochromatic. Smoothness and richness of the smoke is here in good measure. It burns dry and relatively cool. I smoked it in two different briar pipes: a medium-sized Orlik Captain Black billiard and a small Orlik pot. Overall, it's good quality tobacco but my preference is a blend with less Latakia and more of a balance with other components. Pipe Used: Orlik billiard, Orlik pot.
