Mac Baren Capstan Original Navy Cut

My goodness, what a tin note. Something about this blend in the tin made my mouth drool. Fantastic. Very fruity....almost identical to apricots. Perfect moisture level. Easy to light and smoke, burning to the bottom right out of a newly-opened tin. And that is saying something because I am terrible at packing a pipe.

The flavor is good. Solid Virginia. Deep and dark, although not as dark and strong as Old Dark Fired. However, it was unmistakably in the same vein. Bold flavor, with no unpleasant aftertaste. I didnt notice a nicotine presence, although I am sure a bigger bowl or more than one bowl would have made it surface. No tongue bite even after puffing like a train.

I am beginning to like flakes more and more and this one is a keeper. I wouldnt consider this a top tier grab for me, but definitely worth many bowls. Recommended.

Oh, and my wife liked the room note. So that is REALLY saying something.

I love this flake! Capstan Original Navy Cut was my first VA flake and it didn't disappoint me. The flakes come in a very nice presentation and regular sizes, of bright colours and fresh grassy aroma. Easy to fold and stuff. I smoked couple of bowls using the rubbing out method, but I got less flavor using this method. It can smoke a bit hot if you, like myself, like to puff like a train, but otherwise is a cool smoke for a VA. I got my tin from Danish Pipe shop and I went through it very quickly. I know there are plenty of other VA flakes out there, but Capstan is quality stuff.

Edit 15/08/2015 It ages very well and turns even better and sweeter with time.

I waited awhile to review this fine flake, smoking it in various pipes and with various prep methods. And I'm still struggling to articulate the flavor profile of this outstanding blend. While some have described this as a sweet Virginia, I must agree with several previous reviewers that there is a spiciness to this blend. Not peppery but rather salty. There is, however, the most delightful, subtle, natural Virginia sweetness that asserts shortly after the charring light and remains present throughout the bowl. It's enveloped by a more classically robust Virginia flavor that frames the sweeter notes. Then there's that saltiness- could there be some high quality burley in this blend? Regardless, the sweetness and the saltiness intermingle in an almost magical way.

I enjoy a number of Virginia flakes and ribbons and can honestly say this one stands out as unique in the field. An outstanding blend. All of the classic VA flake presentation, visually and in tin note. Benefits from some drying time (I like 45 min to an hour, but I'm in a damp climate). But otherwise takes a match well and requires little prep or maintanance (unlike another popular VA flake). That mellow spiciness might just make this the VaPer lovers favorite straight VA flake.

This one has world class aging potential written all over it from the first puff.

The tin note, as you open it, does not hit you as something out of the ordinary. It just smells like plain virginia tobacco (there is nothing special about it). The flakes are well presented and they're all pretty much the same length and width. As they contain a fair amount of Virginia gold leaf, they look rather light (brown) with visible gold spots. Virginia tobacco will in most cases burn hot in your bowl, but I haven't experienced any issues with this respect. In the nicotine department it seems to be rather mild and I haven't detected any flavouring at all (not that it is not in there somehow). As you light up your pipe, the taste is rather mild, but it seems to evolve quite nicely as you progress more and more with your smoke. I find this tobacco quite pleasing on the tongue and really satisfying as you pass it through your nose. As you enter your the 3/4 of your bowl, its virginia characteristics will start to show off. Despite its apparent sweetness and sugar content, I find this tobacco to be a slow burner. This is a virginia tobacco that will display all of its glory and splendour if you know how to approach it. That is to say this it is not recommended for newbies, virginia hatters or hard puffers.

Edit1: This is probably one of the best full virginia tobaccos I have ever tried so far. In terms of value for money, I believe this is one of the best options there is out there in the market. Pity they don't sell it in bulk.

Before some time i could easily say the best straight virginia out there is:::: SG Best brown flake !!

Sorry; for me not any more! To much "problems" with tobacco preparation; why on hell should i pay dam 12,5 EUR for moist flake (moist like somebody has urinated on it.....sorry Sam!) if the CAPSTAN BLUE is avaliable for 10,2 EUR!!!!!! Be fair and sell normal (dry) tobacco. Now- i just simply open my nice small tin, pack a pipe, 3-4 matches and THERE WE GO.....(without any preparation...drying, cutting, cubing etc....)

So; Capstan has quickly become my favourite all day virginia smoke. The flavor and aroma remind me on chestnuts and raisins. A little honey sweetness, especially on relights.... excellent plain tobacco flavor. I can smoke it all morning and still be game to smoke anything in the afternoon and evening, whether I decide to stick with straight Virginias all day, or switch to Virginia-Perique. Burns easily and stays lit with slow, gentle puffing.

I love this tobacco and will be cellaring as much of it as I can afford. Some days the CAPSTAN will turn to LEGEND.

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Best Brown Flake.

Purchased From: https://pipe-shop.net

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

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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.