McClelland Captain Cool

good. nice aromatic and very gentle on the tongue as advertised. some nice, natural tobacco flavor in there with the tasty vanilla. no notice of said mint. some might find this too bland or lackluster, without enough going on in the flavor department.

i like it quite a lot as it is a safe bet for an always gentle and enjoyable bowl and is generally unoffensive to the noses of nonsmokers.

Got this at a local shop because I liked the tin aroma. After smoking a few bowls this blend has become one of my favorite aromatics. No bite as advertised, lights easily even though it's a bit wet fresh out of the tin, and stays lit. Great taste throughout with a burst of flavor toward the finish of the bowl. I could smoke this stuff all day. If you are an aromatic fan, put this blend on your "must try" list.

This is the best aromatic blend that I have smoked. I am trying to put the cigarettes down for the last time, I found a tin of this dated 06/04 which I had setting in my collection for 2 years, the last time I had smoked my pipes. My usual Virginias and medium English bends were just too hot and heavy because I was smoking to fast, like I was burning 3 packs of full favor 100?s cigarettes per day. I have never had any use for aromatics except when I smoke in public and don?t want to offend others. This blend may be changing that, it is Very flavorful for such a mild blend. I couldn't detect the flavoring in the blend, it just taste good, does not bite, and my wife says it room note is good!!! Captain Cool burns clean and dry, in any pipe I have put it in and left no after taste in my pipes. For those new pipe smokers, or returning to pipes from cigarettes, this one is a must try.

This is a delightful blend for the aromatic lover or an english blend smoker who wants a gentle change of pace. The aromatic quality is mild to medium with a very pleasent room note. The vanilla is apparant with just a light touch of mint. Another flavor - that I can not identify - is barely noticable in the background. It arrives just slightly damp in the tin. It lights well, stays lit even if you take a 10 minute break - and as promised burns remarkably cool and even throughout the bowl. You can not make this tobacco bite even if you try! The pure tobacco taste comes through well and is always upfront - somewhat surprising for a aromatic. Overall, I would describe this blend as a mild and more interesting comparision of Hunters Blend Retriever. If you want a mild change of pace or perhaps have suffered some tougue bite and need a break - this blend is worth trying. I smoke it on a regular basis.

In the tin it's a moist mixture of just about 50-50 black and dark brown strands. It has a strong sweet-sour aroma which I find pleasant.

This packs and lights easily, and true to its name, smokes cool. I suspect there may be some menthol or other mint flavoring. It produces rich billowing smoke in which one detects sweetness, vanilla, maybe caramel, and surprise, some actual tobacco taste. I'd class this as a strongly aromatic tobacco but not as powerfully so as say Lane's BCA.

So if you like unapologetic aromatics you'll find this very satisfying. If not, you won't.

I haven't smoked this yet, but P&T Magazine said of this blend: "It is refined and not overpowering, but there is no question that this is an aromatic....maybe some vanilla, maybe caramel, maybe something else. The pleasant surprise is that the Virginias come through with the wave of a match, along with an unfolding sweetness, and a crowd-pleasing aroma captures the room. Yes, it tastes like tobacco, refined and delicate tobacco. Enen at lighting, this is cool, and just stays that way no matter how provoked. This is not remarkably cool, it is astoundingly cool, and you could puff all day without fatigue. Highly recommended for the aromatic fan."

I'll do a review on this when I pop my can, but for now, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt.