Mac Baren Capstan Original Navy Cut

Simply the best,when it comes to a straight virginia! Never find out what kind of flavour used here, but it works amazingly. Perfekt in the nic-department also. A nice semi sweet and never biting cool smoke. I review a new tin and i am not sure who is the blender right now. 2 years ago it was made by orlik but i have heard it is made by mac baren now. Are all orliks made by mac baren now? Doesn t mind. Highly recommended

26/04/2015 Update I have to downgrde it because of the somewhat changed flavour which is used here. In thr current version i get bored afzer a half bowl. 10 years ago this was my benchmark when it comes to bold and simply virginiaflakes. Now it lacks on the perfekt virginia scent

Middle of the road Virginia that is very enjoyable smoke. Nothing exciting but that's OK. One of my favorite Virginia blends is Dan Tobaccos Hamborger Veermaster which I would put in the same class with Capstan Blue. An easy to smoke consistent very pleasant Virginia with a sweet to semi-full smoke with a very nice room note. Occasionally I am asked what would be a good Virginia flake, as an introduction, and I usually direct them to Capstan Blue Flake.

This is my first "full Virginia flake" style tobacco. I will admit that I bought this mainly as a Tolkien fan (don't judge). Having no prior experience with this style of tobacco, I waited till I smoked it 10-12 times and even mixed it with some left over Escudo at one point just to really try and get a good hold of what I had. Let me say first off, that I love the smell of this directly from the bowl, but if you walk up on someone smoking it, you think... Marlboro light! And consequently, that's the impression after you smoke it as well, in your clothes, hair, and aftertaste. After all though, remember that we are smoking... tobacco. I personally just find that one aspect rather unfortunate. Now on with the nuts and bolts; It is sweet. Naturally sweet, which is different if you are coming from syrup laden aromatics or relatively low sugar content heavy Lat blends. I catch the fig/prune taste others have described and also the hay/straw taste as well. It is not a complex smoke like so many English blends, but rather a... meat and potatoes blend? I find packing these works best completely rubbed out using the air pocket method(personal preference). lights well, good moisture level, but you don't want to fight with VAs to keep them lit, they'll bite. I just let mine go out and re-light if necessary, and practically keep it on the edge of going out most of the time, slowly sipping. I might buy this again, but for now I shall continue trying other VA flake blends just to see what's out there.

This review is for the Capstan that was recently reintroduced to the U.S. market and is made by Mac Baren. Beautiful stacks of precisely cut flakes greet the eye immediately denoting a MacB product.

The flake is medium dark in color with more of a fig and prune aroma dominant and less hay forward. This is good for me as I prefer less of a hay smell. From the first light this tobacco had good flavor, no hard puffing was required to get taste. It packed great using the simple fold and twist method and burned very well. Perhaps there is a slight casing but it's subtle. It's also light to medium in nicotine (IMHO) which is a plus for me.

This was a very enjoyable smoke and surprising since most "Navy Flakes" don't work for me. My only knock on it is the price and I do feel bad citing that given what my fellow pipers around the globe must pay for tobacco, but...

If you want V at his (almost) best this is the one for you. Not very enjoyable for nonsmoking ppl around. Highly recomended...

I had the privilege to smoke a 2 year aged tin of the pre ST Group era of Capstan, when the tin was still rectangular in its presentation. A friend of mine brought the ST Group version of capstan which strongly reminded me of orlik Golden Sliced both in the colour and the tin aroma of citrus and hay. The version I smoked smelled of figs, raisin and a slight smoky note that makes me suspect there might be some Ke into it. The flakes rubbed out extremely easy and were at the perfect humidity level, thus avoiding me to make it dry out prior to fill in the pipe. Smoking Capstan is a real charm. It will bite slightly upon the charring light but will not insist. It smoked remarkably well and brought forward the taste of figs, raisin, a slight plum like note as well as the famous smoky taste I was referring to earlier. Capstan reminded me enormously of the delicious Four Square Red VA flake that has been discontinued for years (sighs...). Unfortunately, I do not think the new version will match this one. I will not even attempt to try it as I have already tried Golden Sliced and can not say I truly enjoyed it.

The bigger brother of Gold Navy Cut. Nice, dry fruit smelling flakes that produce a beautiful blue smoke upon lighting. The taste is of a slightly cased Virginia Flake tobacco, slow burning and medium bodied. Tangy, sweet with some brioche-like accents once in a while especially if smoked slowly. The topping shows up once in a while as an very mild licorice note. A solid Danish style Virginia flake.

Virginia lover

A good, clean, straight-ish, mild, pale Va flake with minimal topping in a handy little tin. Doesn't set my pants on fire but a reliable standby to have at hand epecially in hot weather when I just want a smoke.

I really like this one, it is a new tobacco for me since I've moved to Spain. It has taken me some time in my pipe smoking journey to get to the place where I can appreciate blends like this. These type of blends require the highest degree of attention and take the "art of pipe smoking" to it's highest heights. This tobacco is not for those who just want to light and go, very different from your american aromatics or your english blends with latakia. You don't want to go to town puffing on this one, no it requires a slow sipping technique, but once you get that down it opens up a whole new world of flavor in pipe smoking, and I feel like blends like this with their light sultry sweetness and their temperamental bite teach you to relax and take your time with the pipe, which is what it's all about. I love to lightly rub this one out or fold it and pack it loosely and just sip away, a slow smolder, lots of relights, but keeping this one on the edge of going out will keep you in heaven!