June Pax Tobacco Crawl with New Head Blender for C&D - Jeremy Reeves
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My guess is that Pirate Kake will be the most controversial blend we smoke in this crawl. Members will love it or hate it - at least at first.
I tried Pirate Kake last fall for the first time and I was taken aback by the aroma wafting from the pouch. The Latakia on first light was overwhelming and I couldn't finish the first bowl in one sitting. Over time, I adjusted and smoked most of the bag but noticed earlier this week, that I still had a bowl or two left, dried to a crisp, sitting in my smoke room.
Since last fall, I've smoked Lakelands, ropes and other strongly flavored blends and my palate has adjusted and I can appreciate bold flavors.
It has been over six months since I first smoked PK and I was curious as to how much I would like it this second go-round. On opening the package, I was rewarded again with the heavy smell of Latakia. I think I could actually smell it before the baggy was opened.
This shipment of PK is barely a krumble kake. Unlike FOS, PK is very dense and it took some effort to rub it out to smokable density. I haven't tried but I don't think it possible to cut off a plug and smoke this without rubbing out or cube cutting. Anyone attempting to do so might as well try to suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
I received a brand new pipe this week, one I commissioned with Eric Paulson. It is another poker with a military mount.
You can see more pics here: http://ericpaulsonpipes.com/forsale-steve-graves.html
Click on the thumbnail image of the pipe to see full size images.
I christianed the pipe first with a bowl of FOS. Last night, I loaded it with Pirate Kake, despite some reservations about ghosting. In my experience, you can restore a ghosted pipe just by smoking a few bowls of Virginia or another more neutral blend. Since I'm breaking in the pipe, I'll likely smoke only a bowl or two of PK and then switch off to other pipes when smoking PK and switching to tobaccos when smoking the poker.
This time around, I enjoyed PK much more than I did last fall. The blend is 75% Latakia with just enough Orientals to round out and add character to the diesel like smoke. And, while most descriptions of this will invariably include campfire as an adjective, I think diesel works best for me.
Now, I know diesel has some negative connotations but I hasten to add that I find this blend intensely pleasurable. The smoke is thick and retro-enhaling reminds me a bit of a heavy, full bodied ligero cigar, of which I am a fan.
The wife will not likely be pleased with the room note and your clothes will reek. It is reminiscent of a fireplace, on a rainy day, that been dead for a couple of hours. But I like that smell. It reminds me of my fishing cabin, which is heated by a wood stove in the fall, winter and early spring.
While I think it fair to say that PK is a complex blend, I think the profile is a bit flat. I just don't taste much difference between the first third of the bowl and the last.
What I have noticed is that PK smokes beautifully using the DGT. (Delayed Gratification Technique) I set aside the bowl, only half smoked, and let it rest overnight, myself doing likewise. I smoked the remainder of the bowl on the way to work this morning, and it was wonderful. The smoke was more rounded and smoother than the first half smoked the night before. It was like it had matured after being cellared for several years.
Strength-wise, I found this to be a solid medium. I think FOS had more nicotine.
I will report back later, after trying this blend in a cob, and some smaller bowls.
I look forward to your reports.
Pax
I tried Pirate Kake last fall for the first time and I was taken aback by the aroma wafting from the pouch. The Latakia on first light was overwhelming and I couldn't finish the first bowl in one sitting. Over time, I adjusted and smoked most of the bag but noticed earlier this week, that I still had a bowl or two left, dried to a crisp, sitting in my smoke room.
Since last fall, I've smoked Lakelands, ropes and other strongly flavored blends and my palate has adjusted and I can appreciate bold flavors.
It has been over six months since I first smoked PK and I was curious as to how much I would like it this second go-round. On opening the package, I was rewarded again with the heavy smell of Latakia. I think I could actually smell it before the baggy was opened.
This shipment of PK is barely a krumble kake. Unlike FOS, PK is very dense and it took some effort to rub it out to smokable density. I haven't tried but I don't think it possible to cut off a plug and smoke this without rubbing out or cube cutting. Anyone attempting to do so might as well try to suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
I received a brand new pipe this week, one I commissioned with Eric Paulson. It is another poker with a military mount.
You can see more pics here: http://ericpaulsonpipes.com/forsale-steve-graves.html
Click on the thumbnail image of the pipe to see full size images.
I christianed the pipe first with a bowl of FOS. Last night, I loaded it with Pirate Kake, despite some reservations about ghosting. In my experience, you can restore a ghosted pipe just by smoking a few bowls of Virginia or another more neutral blend. Since I'm breaking in the pipe, I'll likely smoke only a bowl or two of PK and then switch off to other pipes when smoking PK and switching to tobaccos when smoking the poker.
This time around, I enjoyed PK much more than I did last fall. The blend is 75% Latakia with just enough Orientals to round out and add character to the diesel like smoke. And, while most descriptions of this will invariably include campfire as an adjective, I think diesel works best for me.
Now, I know diesel has some negative connotations but I hasten to add that I find this blend intensely pleasurable. The smoke is thick and retro-enhaling reminds me a bit of a heavy, full bodied ligero cigar, of which I am a fan.
The wife will not likely be pleased with the room note and your clothes will reek. It is reminiscent of a fireplace, on a rainy day, that been dead for a couple of hours. But I like that smell. It reminds me of my fishing cabin, which is heated by a wood stove in the fall, winter and early spring.
While I think it fair to say that PK is a complex blend, I think the profile is a bit flat. I just don't taste much difference between the first third of the bowl and the last.
What I have noticed is that PK smokes beautifully using the DGT. (Delayed Gratification Technique) I set aside the bowl, only half smoked, and let it rest overnight, myself doing likewise. I smoked the remainder of the bowl on the way to work this morning, and it was wonderful. The smoke was more rounded and smoother than the first half smoked the night before. It was like it had matured after being cellared for several years.
Strength-wise, I found this to be a solid medium. I think FOS had more nicotine.
I will report back later, after trying this blend in a cob, and some smaller bowls.
I look forward to your reports.
Pax
It took me a little while to warm up to Latakia blends but I have eventually come to really enjoy them so I was very excited to try Pirate Kake...I was not disappointed. :D
I cracked the tin this morning when I got home from work and was greeted with the bold, but not overpowering, aroma of the Latakia...delicious. Being new to kakes I expected to see a bar that looked like FOS but this was not the case. The mottled brown and almost black specks of leaf pressed together really looked good and when I picked up the kake I could feel that it was somewhat moist. There was a layer of krumbs on the bottom of the tin so I scooped a bowl size portion out and put that in my tobacco dish to dry for a bit. When dry enough I packed a bowl in my new Peterson Aran Bulldog and headed out to the pond to enjoy a smoke by the waterfall. And enjoy is exactly what I did...it was just as luscious and delicious as the tin note.
I put a charring light to the tobacco and set the pipe down for a minute or two to go out. I then gave a light tamp and relit only to have the pipe go out on me after a few puffs, another relight and I was off and smoking. I smoked right to the bottom with no further relights and no need to tip the powdery gray ash. I really enjoyed the taste of Pirate Kake. The Latakia was most certainly front and centre bought not at all overpowering. There was a slight spiciness that was constantly present and pleasing. A very full and well rounded flavour was my take on this one. A real pleasure to smoke. I can see now why many forum members have spoke highly of Pirate Kake and I can see this being a blend I will enjoy on a regular basis. I will post more on this after a few more bowls. :
:
I cracked the tin this morning when I got home from work and was greeted with the bold, but not overpowering, aroma of the Latakia...delicious. Being new to kakes I expected to see a bar that looked like FOS but this was not the case. The mottled brown and almost black specks of leaf pressed together really looked good and when I picked up the kake I could feel that it was somewhat moist. There was a layer of krumbs on the bottom of the tin so I scooped a bowl size portion out and put that in my tobacco dish to dry for a bit. When dry enough I packed a bowl in my new Peterson Aran Bulldog and headed out to the pond to enjoy a smoke by the waterfall. And enjoy is exactly what I did...it was just as luscious and delicious as the tin note.
I put a charring light to the tobacco and set the pipe down for a minute or two to go out. I then gave a light tamp and relit only to have the pipe go out on me after a few puffs, another relight and I was off and smoking. I smoked right to the bottom with no further relights and no need to tip the powdery gray ash. I really enjoyed the taste of Pirate Kake. The Latakia was most certainly front and centre bought not at all overpowering. There was a slight spiciness that was constantly present and pleasing. A very full and well rounded flavour was my take on this one. A real pleasure to smoke. I can see now why many forum members have spoke highly of Pirate Kake and I can see this being a blend I will enjoy on a regular basis. I will post more on this after a few more bowls. :
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As mentioned before, PK is the first tobacco I've tried that really took me back to my favorite of 40 years ago, Burlington Arcade. That blend has been long discontinued, and so far I haven't found anyone who can tell me more about it. I believe it had both Latakia and Perique, and was probably more English or Balkan than anything.
So, tonight, another lovely bowl of PK as the Delta breezes started filling in, and the dogs are at rest after a long day of mostly napping.....
Tin (or bag!) note was a bit reminiscent of a fireplace, but in the best possible way. Deep and mysterious, not revealing much.
I dried this load down a bit more than the last several, to good effect. I even purposely made the pipe go out, as it got too hot, and as I had to roam around to tend to my compost heap! Burning was easy and steady, and I tried to tamp rarely and lightly. (Still training myself!)
My wife thought the smoke rising from the bowl and my face at first was a Jasmine scent, which soon turned into a musk note. The good kind she assured me.
My own taste buds are inexperienced, but I kept being reminded of brandied peaches, and later, peppermint, then pepper without the mint.
But the loveliest effect was that the first few puffs took me back to my long lost favorite. Shades of Proust!
I also bought an ounce of Latakia from my B+M store, and have smoked a bit of that straight (as a top to other tobaccos) and mixed experimentally. I guess I am a Lat Head after all.
So, tonight, another lovely bowl of PK as the Delta breezes started filling in, and the dogs are at rest after a long day of mostly napping.....
Tin (or bag!) note was a bit reminiscent of a fireplace, but in the best possible way. Deep and mysterious, not revealing much.
I dried this load down a bit more than the last several, to good effect. I even purposely made the pipe go out, as it got too hot, and as I had to roam around to tend to my compost heap! Burning was easy and steady, and I tried to tamp rarely and lightly. (Still training myself!)
My wife thought the smoke rising from the bowl and my face at first was a Jasmine scent, which soon turned into a musk note. The good kind she assured me.
My own taste buds are inexperienced, but I kept being reminded of brandied peaches, and later, peppermint, then pepper without the mint.
But the loveliest effect was that the first few puffs took me back to my long lost favorite. Shades of Proust!
I also bought an ounce of Latakia from my B+M store, and have smoked a bit of that straight (as a top to other tobaccos) and mixed experimentally. I guess I am a Lat Head after all.
I've smoked six or seven bowls of Pirate Kake so far and I just simply really like this blend, everything about it. The tin note, the appearance of the kake itself, how easy it smokes, the taste and the aftertaste. All of this put together just really does it for me. I don't have enouth experience to break it down and analyze it as some do but simply put it's just good tobacco and so easy to smoke and enjoy. I can taste the fullness and complexity of the blend while smoking it but no single taste jumps out and steals the show, it seems very well rounded and I find myself really enjoying it without trying to...all I have to do is smoke it! ::
:
I smoked several bowls over the weekend, in different medium sized bowls. Burns great in pokers and billiards. I'll try a small bowl tonight.
One of the adjectives not often used in pipe tobacco reviews is "unique". Very few blends are so unique that a similar blend couldn't meet the general taste profile. There are only so many variations possible to Latakia forward blends. But giving credit where due, Pirate Kake stands alone, in my limited experience. Anyone who has tried Pirate Kake, could month's later, pick it out of a blindfolded smoke challenge. I don't know of another blend that would be confused for Pirate Kake. And that is a high compliment, indeed.
Pax
One of the adjectives not often used in pipe tobacco reviews is "unique". Very few blends are so unique that a similar blend couldn't meet the general taste profile. There are only so many variations possible to Latakia forward blends. But giving credit where due, Pirate Kake stands alone, in my limited experience. Anyone who has tried Pirate Kake, could month's later, pick it out of a blindfolded smoke challenge. I don't know of another blend that would be confused for Pirate Kake. And that is a high compliment, indeed.
Pax
I'll be on travel starting tomorrow, so I'm posting the tobbaco review summary for Bourbon Bleu early. It apparently has not yet been reviewed so maybe one of us crawlers can be the first. I'll check in when I can and I'll be reading your reviews even though I will not be posting as often - which may be a good thing.
Cornell & Diehl - Bourbon Bleu (Cellar Series)
EDIT THIS TOBACCO FAVORITE WISHLIST SUBSCRIBE
Perhaps the most well-known street in the French Quarter, the oldest district in New Orleans, this Cellar Series blend takes its name from the colorful Bourbon street, whose distinct blue shutters have lined the rue for years . In this equally memorable blend, bright and red Virginias are mixed with just the right amount of dark-fired Kentucky and long-cut Perique, then married together with bourbon before being press to form an old-fashioned crumble cake.
Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By Cornell & Diehl
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type Virginia Based
Contents Kentucky, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring None
Cut Plug
Packaging 2-oz. Tin
Country US
Production Currently available
Cornell & Diehl - Bourbon Bleu (Cellar Series)
EDIT THIS TOBACCO FAVORITE WISHLIST SUBSCRIBE
Perhaps the most well-known street in the French Quarter, the oldest district in New Orleans, this Cellar Series blend takes its name from the colorful Bourbon street, whose distinct blue shutters have lined the rue for years . In this equally memorable blend, bright and red Virginias are mixed with just the right amount of dark-fired Kentucky and long-cut Perique, then married together with bourbon before being press to form an old-fashioned crumble cake.
Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By Cornell & Diehl
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type Virginia Based
Contents Kentucky, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring None
Cut Plug
Packaging 2-oz. Tin
Country US
Production Currently available
Better love latakia for this one! The C&D description of Pirate Kake is right on the money - "A Latakia lover's treasure". The note out of the bag is smokey and rich and is a well pressed, resin filled cake. Cut off two thin slices and fully rubbed it out - a little dry time seems to help the burn a bit, but not too wet.
Smoked it out of several pipes, from tall and thin to short and fat - seemed to work best for me in a smallish group 3 sized bowl. Does not go over well for me in a short fat bowl, but no heavy English cake or flake does for that matter.
After the initial light, it takes off and burns well, producing lots of meaty thick smoke. The Latakia is right out front but there are some sweet and spicy notes in there if you are paying attention. The latakia does smooth out as you progress a bit and it is just a great smoke to the end. Pirate Kake is going to be great (for my tastes) in the cold winter months. Another first class offering from C&D.
Smoked it out of several pipes, from tall and thin to short and fat - seemed to work best for me in a smallish group 3 sized bowl. Does not go over well for me in a short fat bowl, but no heavy English cake or flake does for that matter.
After the initial light, it takes off and burns well, producing lots of meaty thick smoke. The Latakia is right out front but there are some sweet and spicy notes in there if you are paying attention. The latakia does smooth out as you progress a bit and it is just a great smoke to the end. Pirate Kake is going to be great (for my tastes) in the cold winter months. Another first class offering from C&D.
Really good flavor out of the Pirate Kake, rich, smokey, and smooth. Great burn too, I think this is the first blend I've ever gotten down to the point where I need to get rid of some ash and found that I was right down to the bottom of the bowl.
A cup of strong coffee and a cool humid morning really brought out a bunch of flavors that I would actually associate with an old wooden pirate ship! Salty sea air, hemp rope, old oiled wood, that I didn't notice at all otherwise.
A cup of strong coffee and a cool humid morning really brought out a bunch of flavors that I would actually associate with an old wooden pirate ship! Salty sea air, hemp rope, old oiled wood, that I didn't notice at all otherwise.
Pirate Kake, a meaty, smokey, tasty blend that would be something to take your mind off those calm days @ sea, and paired with your favorite beverage, even better. Coffee, rum, port or porter, this blend will not blush.
Bourbon Bleu :clap:
I cracked the tin open Thursday night in anticipation of smoking on Friday. I was greeted was a very pleasing dessert like sweetness...banana bread is what came to mind. Wonderful tin note. I took the cake out to further sate my curiosity and found the tightly pressed golden brown coloured cake to be just as pretty to look at.
I smoked the first bowl Friday afternoon. Preparation consisted of tearing a chunk off the corner and crumbling it into my drying dish where it sat to dry for about 20 minutes. Loaded up my pipe, don't remember which one, off and smoking I was. After the charring light I was able to smoke through the bowl with only a few relights. Each bowl since the first has been the same as far as relights are concerned. Taste and flavour is right on the money with this one...smooth and well balanced. I'm getting the Virginias up front with a nice hint of the Perique and DFK supporting nicely in the background. While sipping gently there is a nice sweetness on my tongue mixing nicely with hints of the Kentucky and slight tingle (spice?) of the Perique. I notice the Kentucky and Perique slightly more on the retrohale.
I cracked the tin open Thursday night in anticipation of smoking on Friday. I was greeted was a very pleasing dessert like sweetness...banana bread is what came to mind. Wonderful tin note. I took the cake out to further sate my curiosity and found the tightly pressed golden brown coloured cake to be just as pretty to look at.
I smoked the first bowl Friday afternoon. Preparation consisted of tearing a chunk off the corner and crumbling it into my drying dish where it sat to dry for about 20 minutes. Loaded up my pipe, don't remember which one, off and smoking I was. After the charring light I was able to smoke through the bowl with only a few relights. Each bowl since the first has been the same as far as relights are concerned. Taste and flavour is right on the money with this one...smooth and well balanced. I'm getting the Virginias up front with a nice hint of the Perique and DFK supporting nicely in the background. While sipping gently there is a nice sweetness on my tongue mixing nicely with hints of the Kentucky and slight tingle (spice?) of the Perique. I notice the Kentucky and Perique slightly more on the retrohale.
For some reason my first post gets the end clipped of when I submit it?
Part 2:
I've smoked five or six bowls so far and each one has been equally pleasant. I've used four different pipes but they are all similar in bowl size so no real difference there. The last three I sliced and rubbed out, ripping a chunk off struck me as somewhat barbaric. For me this blend is right on the money, a real winner that would be a treat in the evening and just as easily a good all day smoke. I will surely be stocking up on Bourbon Bleu in the near future. ::
Part 2:
I've smoked five or six bowls so far and each one has been equally pleasant. I've used four different pipes but they are all similar in bowl size so no real difference there. The last three I sliced and rubbed out, ripping a chunk off struck me as somewhat barbaric. For me this blend is right on the money, a real winner that would be a treat in the evening and just as easily a good all day smoke. I will surely be stocking up on Bourbon Bleu in the near future. :
:
My very first impression of Bourbon Blue was that it didn't have what I'd call a high impact of anything. I realize that one bowl isn't how one evaluates a new blend, and I see quality tobacco in the plug, so I have hopes to be able to develop more flavors as I learn the blend.
jkrug, it could be that my appreciation for Bourbon Bleu suffers in contrast to Pirate Kake. Of the four blends in this crawl, I find the 5'OS and AE to be my favorites.
Pirate Kake is certainly tasty, but as I keep a few Lat blends in stock, it's not (so far) something that causes me to want to cellar bunches.
There must be much more subtlety to Bourbon B than I'm capable of detecting after a few bowls. It is improving its impression upon me with subsequent samples, but it's still not what I'd call a 'grabber'.
Pirate Kake is certainly tasty, but as I keep a few Lat blends in stock, it's not (so far) something that causes me to want to cellar bunches.
There must be much more subtlety to Bourbon B than I'm capable of detecting after a few bowls. It is improving its impression upon me with subsequent samples, but it's still not what I'd call a 'grabber'.
Fair enough. :D
For me I would rate the blends in order of enjoyment as follows:
1- Bourbon Bleu
2- Pirate Kake
3- a tie between Autumn Evening & 5 O'clock Shadow
I'd have to say this crawl was a great time and I'm glad I came along for the ride. Will surely do another one again in the future. Thank you Pax and Jeremy for making it happen.
Cheers for now, Jim. ::
For me I would rate the blends in order of enjoyment as follows:
1- Bourbon Bleu
2- Pirate Kake
3- a tie between Autumn Evening & 5 O'clock Shadow
I'd have to say this crawl was a great time and I'm glad I came along for the ride. Will surely do another one again in the future. Thank you Pax and Jeremy for making it happen.
Cheers for now, Jim. :
:
I was in Charleston, SC for the past week and managed to enjoy a bowl or two of Bourbon Bleu each day, mostly in my new mid-sized Neerup egg. The tin aroma was pleasant - but the bourbon casing was faint. The firs bowl was just unexciting but I was distracted with company and couldn't pay complete attention.
But I enjoyed each subsequent bowl more than the previous. This is a nice, nuanced blend that smokes sweet and smooth. I've learned that tobaccos that are so unique that there are no ready comparisons tend to grow on me.
BB is such a blend. The perique and dark fired burleys support the sweet virginias while the bourbon pulls it all together. This is a very nice mash indeed.
The flavor profile is one of increased sweetness but the Virginians never nip much less bite.
If you appreciate diversity, thin Jeremy did a great job this month. The smokes range from desert to meaty latakia to solid Kentuckys.
I won't rate these against each other. Each is a fine tobacco but represent different families and styles. For my personal cellar, I'll be ordering Five O'Clock Shadow and Bourbon Bleu. I already keep Pirate Kake around but I consider it a novelty smoke. If I get in the mood for a decent aromatic, I would certainly consider Autumn Evening in the top five of aromatics of those I've tried.
Pax
But I enjoyed each subsequent bowl more than the previous. This is a nice, nuanced blend that smokes sweet and smooth. I've learned that tobaccos that are so unique that there are no ready comparisons tend to grow on me.
BB is such a blend. The perique and dark fired burleys support the sweet virginias while the bourbon pulls it all together. This is a very nice mash indeed.
The flavor profile is one of increased sweetness but the Virginians never nip much less bite.
If you appreciate diversity, thin Jeremy did a great job this month. The smokes range from desert to meaty latakia to solid Kentuckys.
I won't rate these against each other. Each is a fine tobacco but represent different families and styles. For my personal cellar, I'll be ordering Five O'Clock Shadow and Bourbon Bleu. I already keep Pirate Kake around but I consider it a novelty smoke. If I get in the mood for a decent aromatic, I would certainly consider Autumn Evening in the top five of aromatics of those I've tried.
Pax
I've been trying the BB but I don't think I've figured it out. Middle of the bowl is where it smokes better for me. The bourbon is subtle and I haven't been able to pick out much, still enjoyable though.
At this point I could see getting PK and AE again, I'll need to finish the tins of FOS and BB to see if they wake up more for me.
I liked the crawl, nice variety of tobaccos to try and discuss. As a lighter pipe smoker, not having more than 3-5 bowls of each during the week can make it tough to get a good feel for some blends. :puffpipe:
At this point I could see getting PK and AE again, I'll need to finish the tins of FOS and BB to see if they wake up more for me.
I liked the crawl, nice variety of tobaccos to try and discuss. As a lighter pipe smoker, not having more than 3-5 bowls of each during the week can make it tough to get a good feel for some blends. :puffpipe:
I had to bow out for the last of the quatrain. (Emergency ward, two weeks in hospital). So haven't touched BB, nor in fact any tobacco for over three weeks. Desire for coffee just returning now, tobacco will follow in a bit, I am pretty sure.
But learned a fair amount, and thanks to all who participated, esp. those who actually made it happen.
But learned a fair amount, and thanks to all who participated, esp. those who actually made it happen.
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