German blenders Kohlhase & Kopp are responsible for producing many of the most sought-after pipe tobaccos among seasoned smokers. Anyone who enjoys Robert McConnell, Rattray's, Sillem's, or Solani has benefited from the expertise and passion that K&K bring to their work. I'm a particular fan of K&K blends, especially their aromatics, of which Sillem's are my favorite. My own appreciation for Kohlhase & Kopp aromatics makes me especially pleased that K&K are releasing a new line of aromatic blends named after the most famous pirates and privateers: Caribbean Blue. The new series comprises six distinctive blends inspired by the scents and flavors of the West Indies, each bearing the name of a famous, or infamous, plunderer of the high seas: Drake; Wynne; Bellamy; Rackham; Seegar; and Graham.

Drake

Known by his Spanish foes as El Draque, Sir Francis Drake was a prolific adventurer and a complicated figure. Drake is chiefly remembered for his daring capture of many galleons along the Spanish Main, including the Cacafuego. He also conducted the third-ever circumnavigation of the Earth, the first Englishman to do so. Of interest to pipe smokers, Drake was a personal friend of a certain Sir Thomas Cavendish, after whom the tobacco is named.

Drake's blend makes appropriate use of his association with Sir Cavendish, combining a mix of rich Virginias with portions of Black and Brown Cavendish, creating a satisfying foundation on which toppings of pineapple, banana, and Madagascar vanilla play delicately off one another to produce uniquely satisfying aromatic experiences.

Wynne

Emmanuel Wynne was a French pirate in the 17th century who began his career plundering English ships off the Carolina coast; he also has the distinction of being the first pirate to fly the Jolly Roger. In addition to the iconic skull and crossbones, Wynne's colors included the outline of an hourglass, a warning to his victims that their time to surrender was running out. Not much is known of Wynne, though he was certainly active in the Caribbean, taking Spanish and English ships after leaving Carolina, later evading capture by the English off Cape Verde.

Wynne's mixture is a heady blend of Virginias, Dark-Fired Kentucky, and Black Cavendish, in a slow-burning rough cut topped with honey, vanilla, and goji berry. This eclectic mix of flavors offers a smooth and satisfying smoke sure to keep wind in one's sails for hours.

Bellamy

"Black Sam" Bellamy, despite his brief career, was among the most well-known pirates of his day, and certainly the richest. Active off Cape Cod, Bellamy was known as "Black Sam" for eschewing powdered wigs in favor of tying his dark hair back with a bit of cord. Born in Devonshire, England, Bellamy first took to the seas as a sailor in the Royal Navy. After making port, Bellamy made his own way south to Florida, with a group of fellow sailors, in search of the sunken Spanish treasure fleet. They found no fleet, but soon turned to piracy, sailing under Benjamin Hornigold and his first mate, a certain Edward Teach. When the crew voted to depose Hornigold, he and his followers, including Teach, left the pirate fleet, leaving Bellamy as captain of his own vessel. Bellamy's pirates would go on to capture 53 vessels in attacks that earned the captain a reputation for gallantry and mercy on his captured quarry before the whole crew were drowned in a Nor'Easter off Massachusetts just a year later.

The tobacco components of K & K's Bellamy are straight-forward as far as aromatics go, employing a balanced and cool-burning mixture of Virginias, Burley, and Black Cavendish. However, the toppings are anything but predictable, comprising extracts of honeydew, banana, and orange to create a tropical smoke that will calm even the grimmest New England storm.

Rackham

John Rackham, known as "Calico Jack" in his time, remains one of the most widely remembered pirates from the Age of Sail. Rackham was most active in the Caribbean, often capturing small vessels close to shore, though he is also known to have taken larger ships in the vicinity of New York City as part of Charles Vane's crew, who he replaced as captain after a mutiny. Rackham was notable for keeping two women in his crew, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, one of whom, Bonny, was his lover and both of whom claimed to be pregnant at the trial after the crew were taken prisoner. Read died in prison of complications from childbirth; no record exists of what became of Bonny. Rackham himself was hanged and his body gibbeted on a small island at the entrance to Port Royal, known to this day as Rackham's Cay.

The blend named after Rackham features a tried-and-true mixture of Virginias, Black Cavendish, and Burley in a rough cut. The toppings are particularly eclectic, with essences of mango, passion fruit, strawberry, plum, and cherry playing off of one another to create smoke well worth one's turn in the gibbet.

Seegar

Born Edward England before changing his surname, Seegar was ironically an Irishman. An educated man, Seegar was known for his relatively less bloodthirsty attitude, often showing clemency to captured foes. Like Rackham, Edward Seegar also started as part of Charles Vane's crew after being forced to join as a prisoner, later becoming Vane's quartermaster. In 1718, Seegar became captain of his own ship and set sail for Africa, taking a number of ships off the Gambia coast. In 1720, Seegar's crew engaged in a bloody fight with the Cassandra, and its captain James Macrae. Seegar lost 90 of his own men in the encounter but refused to kill Macrae when he surrendered, which eventually led to his crew marooning him with a few others on the island of Mauritius for three months. Seegar and his men were able to cobble a boat together and reach Madagascar, where he remained for some time before dying of a tropical disease.

Seegar's blend is a complex mixture of Virginias, Black and Brown Cavendish, Burley, and a hint of Latakia that, when paired with top-notes of tonka bean, citrus, rum, and caramel offer a rich and heady smoke, sure to be a desert-island blend for discerning palates.

Graham

John Graham was active in the early days of high seas piracy. An Englishman, he operated primarily off New England and the coast of Africa. His time at sea began as a ship's doctor aboard a ship based in Jamaica on a trade mission that included a bit of privateering, later leading a mutiny, marooning the captain, and turning the vessel to piracy. The crew captured ships off Virginia, Cape Cod, and Gambia before returning to Massachusetts, where Graham was caught and imprisoned. He managed to escape with the help of the locals and returned to piracy. Little is known of what ultimately became of Graham, perhaps he retired to a sunny island in the south seas.

Graham's eponymous blend combines a full-bodied base of Burley, cube-cut Virginia, Black Cavendish, and Brown Cavendish for a rich depth of flavor. Topped with coconut, cane sugar, blackberry, and nuts, this blend offers an engaging balance of sweet earthy flavors that will intrigue palates from Cape Cod to the Ivory Coast.

These six unique blends showcase Kohlhase & Kopp's inventive approach to creating top-quality aromatics. Caribbean Blue offers smokers an opportunity to experience totally new flavors that will surprise and delight with complex mixtures that will please discerning palates and their non-smoking companions alike.