I am not a big crumble cake fan. Granted, this is only the 2nd “kake” I have tried, with my first being Plumb Pudding. I enjoyed the flavor of the Plumb Pudding, but I didn’t like the packaging. The block of tobacco wasn’t bad in itself, it just didn’t break up that nicely. I was left with more of a mulch then a tobacco. It was difficult to smoke.
The Pirate Kake was a better experience. A little rub in my palms, and this stuff just fell apart. Although I would probably like it more if it came in a ribbon cut, this isn’t bad as a cake.
But honestly, the cut isn’t what is important. The taste is. Pirate kake is a strong Latakia blend with a full flavored, smoky taste. They say this is 75% Latakia with the remaining 25% being Burley, Cavendish, and Turkish.
The Latakia is the main player, no doubts about that. However, the burley comes through a bit, and there are subtle hints of the Turkish. About 20 years ago, I went through a Camel cigarette phase, They claimed to be made from “Turkish and Domestic tobacco” and this Pirate Kake had hints of that Turkish flavor.
The main star of the Pirate Kake is the Latakia. And it is there in all it smoky goodness. The flavors of this tobacco remind me of a camp fire, or maybe a barbecue. It was the charcoal smokiness that an open fire gives you. The flavors are strong, and stay with you. I can taste this tobacco long after I have finished the pipe (and that isn’t a bad thing.)
If you are not a Latakia fan, go someplace else. There are other tobacco blends that you will like better. But if you love Latakia, you need to try Pirate Kake.
In the video below, I am smoking this out of a Comoy, but later, I tried another bowl in a Missouri Meerschaum, and I do believe there is something special about the combination of the Pirate Kake and a corn cob pipe… It taste like a cookout.
Pirate Kake is an unsophisticated (in a good way) brute of an English Blend. It will punch you in the palette with it’s full array of Latakia and Turkish flavors. If you want subtle and smooth, you won’t find it here.
So to sum things up, if you are into full flavor, rich, smoky, Latakia heavy English Blends, then you need to try Pirate Kake. If you don’t like any of that, then you shouldn’t.
