I smoked lots of pouches of this when I was a beginner and now I am sorry that I spend that time smoking it.

In a way Captain Black Royal is a more refined rendering of the chunky White version, with a stronger casing agent, and a more defined aromatic structure. It also comes with a higher degree of moisture. It definitely is more syrupy and oily than the original White, but it also produces a pervading room note that, indeed, many non smokers find at least tolerable, when not pleasant. Chocolate, vanilla, some caramel, all very chemically Cavendish in the sweetest sense of the term.

In my view, Royal easily becomes a cloying smoke (unlike its White and Gold siblings), and does tend to affect the burning qualities of a briar. So a pipe devoted only to aromatics is highly recommended when smoking this blend. Similar tobaccos, but far less aggressive in the sweetness and goopy departments would be 1Q and MacBaren's Original Choice, the latter probably being the better choice.

All in all, a good indoor-social smoke, suitable for both beginners and those established pipe smokers tolerant of aromatics, but, in my opinion, only once in a blue moon.

PS: Is there any difference between Blue and Royal (whic comes in navy blue pouch)? Just wondering...

Pros: Worldwide available , cheap and consistent quality, this tobacco is the king for the social smoke, the room note is amazingly attractive and positive for none smokers, forgivable by anti smokers militant, the vanilla/chocolate tastes is highly apreciated by new pipe smokers.

Cons: highly syrupy smoke, will leave your briar oily and wet for few weeks, the flavoring is chemical and will stay in your pipe4ever ( ). The pleasure of vanilla/chocolate smoking taste and smell is highly affected by the diminishing return effect (the more you smoke it the less you enjoy it.).

Royal is the best of captain black series and was my first pipe tobacco. Highly recommended for a new pipe smoker.

Captain Black = Marlboro = Coca Cola = Mac Donald

Regardless what you hear, it is true that it is difficult to find the aroma of this tobacco filling the room in another tobacco.

If you don't like sweet aromatics, Then don't waste your time or money. If you do, well you probably already have smoked it.

Royal ( dark blue pouch ), Light ( light blue pouch ), Gold ( golden pouch ) Captain Black or ?Captain Black White? ( white pouch ).

Light ( light blue pouch ) :

The pouch says carefully selected tobaccos. It is a fine ribbon cut of toast colored light tobaccos. The tobacco is the driest to the touch of all the CB and also has the least noticeable pouch aroma ( which is still strong. It is still the same CB smell with an almost yogurt like quality or mildness to it. OK this stuff burns like an oil soaked rag. Produces a decent but short lived smoke and tastes of almost nothing and just kind of dries the pallet. The room note is perhaps the least pleasant of the CB but this is still within the famous pleasant room note of CB barely but not unpleasant. This is so light that it is probably the only one of the CB series that I could actually recommend to the novice as an almost non smoke ( I think one should try something like an English first as it bites less and will develop better skills so I wouldn?t recommend any CB to the novice, but hey whatever ). I personally wont finish the entire pouch or keep this stuff around. Burns to salt and pepper ash and leaves small black dottle in bottom of bowl. Somewhat harsh on the mouth more so than the other CB at least for me. The worst of the CB for me.

Gold ( golden pouch ) :

The pouch says matured golden Cavendish tobaccos. It is a fine golden ribbon cut. Not as dry to the touch as the Light but still somewhat drier than the others. It is however now getting sticky as are the others with exception of the Light. Same CB pouch aroma but stronger than the Light and weaker than the others. It boarders on that mellow yogurt like roundness to the aroma and the more overwhelming aroma of the other CB flavors. This stuff burns like wild fire, smoke is in good quantity but once again dry and short lasting somewhat aggressive on the pallet and hot. Light and I would recommend it over the actual Light as it has some flavor key work is some. Now we get that famous CB room note in a stronger sense. Once again small moist black dottle and a more salt than pepper salt and pepper ash. Better than the Light but worse than all the other CB for me. Won?t finish it or keep it around.

Captain Black or ?Captain Black White? ( white pouch ) :

The Pouch says rich black Cavendish and mellowed burleys. It is a kind of ribbon cut but shot and stubby. This is the stickiest of all the CB. An overwhelming pouch aroma the strongest of the CB. That famous killer room note and also somewhat harsh on the gums. Burns relatively well fore such a wet feel. Decent smoke but not heavy or very thick. I think of all the CB this is the most common and if only drug store brands are available and the Royal is not stocked then this is an acceptable alternative. The old standard is just that an old standard and will be around forever. I say give it a try once. I won?t keep it around but might smoke a few bowls of it since I have the pouch here.

Royal ( dark blue pouch ),

The Pouch says aromatic black and golden Cavendish. A ribbon cut of black and golden Cavendish. Somewhat sticky to the touch but not as much as the white. A good burn and decent smoke but not heavy and doesn?t last. The pouch aroma is strong but not as overwhelming as the white. Good room note with that expected CB smell. I think this is the best of the CB series. An acceptable smoke and the better of the drugstore finds. I wouldn?t pass up some GLPease for it but if nothing else is around I would reach for this over the others on the local hardware store shelves. I guess give it a try and se what happens. Yes watch out for the heat and bite if you are used to better tobaccos especially if you are used to English blends as the fine ribbon cut Cavendish?s laden with topper will burn hot and wet.