Mac Baren Capstan Original Navy Cut

Simply put, I do not go through tins of any other blend faster

Here are some additional words to hit the 25 word minimum 🙂

p.s. This is what Tolkien smoked

First reviewed under Original Navy Cut.

I've been smoking the new Mac Baren incarnation of this classic; the flake in the blue tin is what I'm speaking of. Upon opening the tin you are greeted with a predominantly darker brown flake with some speckles of lighter leaf present. The tin aroma is one of prunes and figs with a moderately sweet note. Loading with the fold and stuff method and lighting were a breeze. The taste is very raisiny with little if any Virginia hay/grass present. There is a spice to this one especially when allowing the smoke to enter the back of the throat and come up the nasal passages - not over the top, but present. The smoking experience reminded me of a milder, but slightly fuller in body, Dunhill Flake (one of my favorites). No matter what my smoking cadence, I could not get this to smoke hot nor bite. This was certainly one fulfilling Virginia smoke and I can see why many have raved about it. I have yet to try the yellow-tinned flake yet, but will do so after I smoke more of the blue.

I've tried many Virginias over the years and my biggest complaints were that they were either too grassy/hay-like in taste or they had very little taste and body. The blue Capstan Flake seems to me the near perfect - if not the perfect - Virginia flake. For those who like Virginias, this will not disappoint. All the trouble spent with Sam Gawith's offerings were truly a waste of my time when compared to Capstan Original Navy Cut Flake! As a predominantly Burley smoker, I can smoke this every day and be happy. Truly a 5 star, and stellar, smoke that rates a highly recommended from me.

A beautiful, wonderful tobacco, one of my favourites. On opening the tin, one is presented with 2 x 3 inch flakes which are easily seperated, ranging in colours from lemon yellow to dark chestnut. I tend to lay mine out on a sheet of newspaper for 24 hours as their is a light topping (fruity ?) which soon dissipates and I am left with a superb virginia.

I tend to rub out my flakes, which means I have difficulty in packing a full flake into a Group 4, fold and stuff would be recommended for those who do not like to rub out.

So with two thirds of a flake in a Group 4 or a half flake in a Peterson No6, a single match and I'm greeted with a naturally sweet virginia, the topping is gone in the first quarter and a good honest tobacco is left, smoked slowly, this will not bite.

Smooth and sweet, with more body than FVF but perhaps a little more coarse. If FVF is for the Gentleman, Capstan is more for the outdoors type of man.

An excellent day time or evening smoke, now although I do not detect a range of notes, this is not a monochromatic tobacco by any means, it builds slowly in taste and flavour without becoming overpowering. A good nicotene content that is not agressive.

Burns down to a fine grey ash, I would place this in the Freibourg & Treyer's stable of cut plugs and virginia's

This is an edited review, last time I gave it a one star, I up it to 4, why? Well by the time I finished the tin, I'm begging for more. I love the mild (yellow version) but this is quickly taking it over. For me it is similar to R. McConnell's Scottish Cake and Petersons Uni Flake. It is milder in strength to Uni Flake and not as hay/grassy as Scot Cake. Top flake, ages well in tin, doesn't dry out to much by the end. I get a nice sweet VA with a little sour after taste and a hint of Licorice.

An old classic. It is sold anywhere here in Denmark, and Capstan is what i buy when I am out of my favourites.

Dark, pungent and fruity (dried fruit) with hints of well.. Just plain old, good quality matured VA. It is way better than Yellow Capstan and much more complex. The nicotine-level is satisfying and it does not burn at all.

I have not tried it aged yet, but it is very nice fresh. A little drying should be necessary; It is a little too wet, straight out of the tin.

I like to smoke it in the evening, together with a nice cup of hot strong coffee..

One of the Patriarchs of VA-flakes

********* Update, June 14 - 2004

---

Blue Capstan is growing on me. The past 10 days I have been puffing it all day long. It will never burn and can easily be smoked on mornings as well as evenings.. Gets better and better!

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

This is a very, very good straight Virginia. If there is casing it is an adhesive? Not flavoring, more of a binding of the elements. You taste pure tobacco. It is fun, enjoyable, but not … sweet. Very good but not my favorite? Worth a four star rating for sure.

I had some of this from the US as sadly it's not available here - just the "ready rubbed" which I had a few pouches of more than a decade ago and obviously didn't go rushing out to get more in the meantime... I do prefer my Virginia tobacco in flakes, and this is most pleasant.

The predominant aroma in the tin is of well dried hay, with a hint of horsefood. Not really fruity and I don't notice much citrus and it's not fruity. It smells entirely natural, I don't detect any topping or flavouring. The flakes are beautiful, clean and square and totally regular, presented in a gold paper wrapper within the tin, with a sticky label to re close it and keep them tidy. You don't often see tobacco so nicely presented these days!

The light brown flakes are easy to rub out, and I find minimal rubbing to break them up a bit is best for this baccy. The moisture content is fine, they don't need any drying time unlike some flakes, and it lights with ease, often a one match job. Slow breath smoking does the trick, it may need one relight before it's done but the burning characteristics are easy.

The flavour is simple, undemanding Virginia tobacco, hay and bread, with gentle natural sweetness. The bowl can become a little warm to the touch, as with many Virginias, so when the time does come to relight it's worth setting it aside for a while to let it cool down. The flavour is pretty steady throughout, just becoming a little richer towards the end but overall pretty mild.

I'm enjoying this on a warm summers day, outdoors, reading a book. It's pleasant and not distracting, nice after breakfast and probably ideal for the all day smoker. I'd certainly get more to stash if it were available in the UK, but we have plenty of other nice Virginia flakes available.

To compare with some other favourites of mine - Dunhill Light Flake and it's clone the Charatan Flake a tad fruitier and stronger. Gawith Hoggarths Bright CR flake is very similar, perhaps a tad more citrus. Sam Gawiths Best Brown is similar but a little breadier and burns cooler, and their Full Virginia Flake is stronger and fruitier. Peterson Signature Flake similar but more moist and citrusy.

TIN NOTE

hay , grass , figs , fresh mirabelle plums, citrus, some stewed dark fruits. Mostly un-matured Virginias , and the smell is very straight forward.

SMOKE PROFILE

It's a summer tobacco.. lots of fruit, figs, hay, grassy freshness, bread, and a tiny bit of cedar wood. You need to smoke it when the sun is out. Very simple and approachable tobacco.

SMOKE MECHANICS

Rubs out and packs easily. Moisture was on point. Tends to burn hot, but didn't bite. Use a narrow chamber to control the temp.

FOUR STARS

There is a reason Capstan Blue is considered a classic!

What an extraordinary tobacco!

First, the presentations is great. The tobacco comes in nice blue tin. Inside you will find two rows of beautiful flakes, wrapped in golden foil. Each flake is approximately 4g, so I tend to use half of the flake per bowl. Moisture is perfect straight from the tin, flake rubs out without any effort. Tin note is wonderful - sweet, hay, citrus tones.

The tobacco lights without any issue. Taste is heavenly - sweet with notes of honey and citrus tones and keeps up well down the bowl. Just be careful to smoke slowly and sip, don't puff, otherwise it will taste like ash (like any virginia flake).

Highly recommended!