Lane Limited Captain Spice

You have to sip this one or risk tongue bite. Do that and you'll get a slight bit of tobacco taste along with the vanilla, and perhaps a licorice note or two. I never figured out why the word "spice" is in the name since it's not spicy in any way, but there is a slight cinnamon and nutmeg hit. Has little nicotine and is one dimensional. Then again, that's typical of most blends in this genre Burns clean at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves some moisture in the bowl, and requires a few relights. An all day smoke. I can't give it three stars because there's nothing special about it, but if you're in the mood for a vanilla cavendish, this will do. Also sold by Tinderbox under their house name.

-JimInks

I got a free sample of this with a pipe I purchased at the Tinder Box back in March of this year.

I found it to be a wonderful vanilla cavendish. Its a simple blend that doesn't bite. It doesn't promise the harshness of perique or the depth of multi-leaf mixtures. Looking for those things here is to miss the point.

It is a consistent product that performs its duty every time. If you want a mild vanilla aromatic that will be a crowd pleaser, this is for you.

If you want harshness, bite, and complexity - it ain't here, go get some Nightcap.

🙂

For a vanilla cavendish, it gets 3 stars and for not being pretentious another .5 stars.

Thanks,

Ethan

The rating is for Stockebye's C-Spice. I knew Peter and back in the 80,s he made almost every Tinder Box tobacco. I assume they still make North Sea but that is ps-24 and Crown Royale was ps-21 I don't recall the code Peter used on C-Spice. I've been told there is a different maker now. One last thought Peter Stockebye was a fine gentleman and I always enjoyed his company.

I first started pipe smoking in 1976 with London Dock, then discovered CB Perkins Mutiny On The Bounty, and after a Tinder Box opened locally, I discovered Captain Spice. This was my number one blend for many years. I distinctly remember the written description on the jar and in the catalogs (which I still have several years worth) as stating, "Exclusively our own. Made especially for us in Denmark." I haven't smoked it for well over 15 years now as the local Tinderbox closed. What I remember most was an appealing black cavendish tobacco, not too sticky or goopy, little to no chemical taste, and a pleasant Vanilla room note. It was a favorite of non-smokers in the room as well. It had a modicum of tobacco taste and I recall that fact since other aromatics I tried during my early pipe smoking years were more like smoking hot air. Captain Spice was a blend a beginner could cut their teeth on without incident.

Today's version may not be the same as some reviewers have already stated. Other vanilla-based black cavendish I have smoked were usually too goopy and had a terrible chemical taste to them. Even though I now favor tobaccos with more tobacco flavor, if I could find the original again, I would be happy to smoke it. A solid 3 stars for Captain Spice original!

11/18/2008 I smoked this tobacco since the mid 70's, it is, (or was), my every day smoke. I recently found out that Tinder Box had changed their blender. I'm pretty sure that Lane no longer blends for Tinder Box. This could explain the reduction in quality for this blend. It is half of what it used to be. The flavor is weak, and the tobacco seems to wane in flavor the longer it is kept. On a positive note, the room note for this blend is one of the best I have experienced. I get lots of un-solicited comments on the aroma. Should Tinder Box wise up, I will re-write my recommendation on this blend.

I will first say that I am not an aromatic smoker, but I will not pass up an opportunity to try a blend. This blend exhibits the same characteristics that most vanilla black Cavendish's have. It is too wet and to sweet, and has no real tobacco flavoring. It is fairly difficult to light, and will foul up any pipe it is put in. Other than that it does like many others attract the women, and taste like a vanilla candle.

This tobacco is sweet, mild, and has a great aroma. That is the good.

The bad? It is very moist, does not dry out, gunks up your pipe, and cannot be smoked all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

All in all, this is a tobacco of fair quality with its merits, but there are better aromatics on the market. I'd probably send you towards Tinderbox's Crown Royale instead. It has comparable flavor and aroma with better smoking qualities.

This isn't bad, but it isn't that great either.

I don't smoke aromatics very often. I have tried this one and it isn't bad. Would I buy it again? Probably not.

This is one of those I have to be in the mood for. It tastes OK and has a nice aroma. I wouldn't dump out my humidor for this.

Again, If you don't like aromatics, then do the Dionne Warwick and WALK ON BY. If you do like aromatics and you are in the mood to try another tobacco, Buy a small bag and give it a test puff.

I must admit to not being a big fan of Cavendish or Vanilla. I have been happy with most TinderBox aromatic blends, but this was an exception. I recieved a pouch as part of a smaple pack, and after smoking all the others, and enjoying them, was down to Captain spice. Smoked a bowl and found it insipid at best.