I'm confused by all the rave reviews of this tobacco, mind you, I am aware that this is all quite subjective. To each his own...

I've gone back to it (mostly because I don't want to waste tobacco) and I have to say, it's no better. It lights ok, burns unevenly, has a bit of a bite for sure and no one around me expresses any favourable review of the aroma. And its expensive. Well, relative to others.

Unremarkable at best.

Apologies to the veteran smokers from a true beginner.

I know I have a bias, since I found out that I'm not that into aromatics, but thought I could help someone choose a more suited blend for their tastes. I apologize to those who enjoy it.

I had not planned on trying Captain Black, but since I found out I could contact Scandinavian Tobacco Group for a free sample, I gave it a whirl. The three main things Captain Black White (CBW) has going for it are as follows: 1) It has a great room note. 2) It produces smoke like a pot-bellied dragon. 3) You can find it anywhere. In terms of flavor, this blend offers very little to my pallet. While there is nothing in the flavor that is very offensive, there is also nothing that impresses. Aside from the hard-to- describe, kind of leafy-tangy, run-of-the-mill tobacco flavor, there is, perhaps, just the faintest hint of sweetness. I would note, however, that my pallet does not seem to pick up on sweetness in pipe tobacco very well. Nevertheless, there is certainly more sweetness in the air around you than in your mouth when you smoke Captain Black. I would also note that there is a kind of ashy aftertaste to this blend that, while it is not terrible, it is kind of "blagh." On a side note, it is a little goopy. While smoking, my pipe cleaner would come out of the stem much more brown than with my typical tobaccos. Also, CBW does irritate the mouth and throat a bit. To my tastes, there is nothing really going on in CBW that is not going on in less expensive, finer tobaccos. It's not terrible, but it's not great. For those looking into entering the hobby, you could request a free sample (if they are still running this promotion, that is), buy a Missouri Meerschaum pipe, buy some pipe cleaners, and use a wide-head screw for a tamper. Doing so, you could try pipe smoking for $8 or less. But, unless you are trying Captain Black for free, I would go with something else. I am new to the hobby and cannot make too many recommendations, but I find Boswell's Best to be a tobacco in the same realm as CBW that is 1) less expensive, 2) less irritating, 3) less goopy, and 4) has a cleaner after-taste. Also, I understand that RLP-6 from Lane Limited is essentially CBW without preservatives. I cannot speak to that as I have not tried RLP-6, but when you can get RLP-6 for less than $2.50 per ounce, the value kind of blows CBW out of the water even if it is not quite the same. In short, CBW is not bad, but it's not great either. You could do better with something less expensive. As my numbers above indicate, by itself CBW would earn a low three stars. But, as a consumer, I have to take back one star to reflect that the buyer can do better for less. Sorry, Captain.

Capt black gold was my first tobacco, and I hated it. It ate my tongue, gave me a headache, and didnt taste like anything. But still, it made an impression on me, and till this day I think of the capt black smell as the pipe smell.

I just picked up a pouch of white after contemplating it for over a month. No way I thought at first, for honestly, it is not that cheap. I figured I can put that money towards "real tobacco". But, I am very glad I bought it!

For some reason, fall time is aromatic time for me. Also, after going on a nearly year long english extravaganza, and a more recent cornell and diehl english exploration, I am taking it easy on the heavy blends for a while, and focusing on the more simple ones. I have now been smoking long enough to notice that, unintentialy, my tastes change in an almost circular rhythm. And, Captain black white is very pleasing to my present mood.

Anyway, it smells like toasted marshmallows and vanilla, and tastes similar. The taste is not very strong, and you can sort of forget about it. It is not too overly sweet. Many straight virginia blends, and even some english blend are sweeter. I am not sure how old my pouch is, but the tobacco was very, very dry inside of it. Perhaps the seam broke, but it was still wrapped in plastic. Overall good smoke for what it is. Burns great, smokes great, just a little hot if you smoke too fast, and it stays lit forever.

Definitely worth a try.