Mac Baren Capstan Gold Navy Cut

In search of a great VA, I recently sought recommendations. I got them. As a result, I ended up buying a tin of Capstan Gold Navy Cut nine days ago. Currently, the very last of it is burning in a reasonably large bent billiard/brandy BST. The tin code suggests this was tinned in 2013.

Simply put, this is a fantastic blend. It is everything I thought I was looking for in a VA: mild-medium body, super sweet, high quality leaf, easy to work with, easy burning, and delicious. It delivers all of these and more, and I can't overstate the sweetness. I taste little to no added aromatic quality to this blend, but this has to be the single sweetest non-aromatic blend I have ever smoked. Full stop.

The flakes arrived at the perfect moisture level to smoke with little or no drying. They look clean, crisp, immaculate. They are insanely easy to rub out, and work just great for folding-and-stuffing. I can get about an hour of smoke from a rubbed up half flake generally, or a much longer smoke by folding the whole thing up and stuffing it in a pipe. My longest smoke with this stuff was a whole flake at around two hours. And the flavor, sweetness, everything only got better as the bowl went on.

This isn't the mildest tobacco I've ever smoked, but it certainly has a crisp, light, bright flavor. It is closer to a medium strength tobacco in terms of nicotine than the very mild flavor would suggest, but it certainly isn't a full-on medium; it's just a touch stronger than one might initially suspect based on appearance and flavor.

The room note is pleasant as these things go, but again it's not an aromatic.

I was so smitten by the stuff right off the bat that I initially thought I might want to smoke nothing else until I was done with the tin. It turns out that while this is a fantastic blend, I couldn't maintain the discipline to do that. The sweetness is lovely with this blend, but it also is a limiting factor in determining how much of the stuff I can actually smoke. That said, in order to get a really good feel for this blend, I did smoke at least one bowl of this every day until I ran out - usually more. If smoked too much, though, the sweetness tends to start to fatigue me, and I start getting a touch of bite. I could see myself being content to smoke only this blend if I only smoked once every day or two, but as it stands I am not. Early in the morning, or after a long evening of too much tobacco, this blend isn't always actually what I want. That said, it is probably the best example of the kind of tobacco I was seeking. It's got really clear, light VA taste with sugar galore, and when I'm in the mood this is simply a breathtaking, stunning blend. But I am simply not always in the mood, and sometimes I need something less sweet or with more weight to it in terms of flavor if not in terms of nicotine.

This isn't a cheap tobacco, but neither is it prohibitively expensive. I could definitely see buying some tins of this to age, or to just keep on hand for when I want a special, sweet, plain Virginia. The only drawback to this tobacco, if it's fair to call this a drawback, is that I couldn't smoke this all day. It's just too rich in sweetness. Which is also it's great strength in terms of being a more occasional, special-treat smoke.

I plan on trying the Capstan Original next, having heard it has just a touch more body and a touch less sweetness, but I'm extremely glad to have tried this blend, and I imagine this won't be the last tin I ever buy of this.

This tin was smoked over the course of nine days from a variety of pipes, including a few different briar pipes, a brand new Falcon (which I have broken in with this), and a Barling meerschaum. I didn't find drying to be especially advantageous, but it did help with avoiding dottle in larger pipes.

For me, this isn't an all-day every-day blend, but I have to give it full marks on every front except price. It could be less pricey, but this is one case in which I think the quality can justify an extra two or three dollars per tin. Extremely highly recommended.

I smoked this flake side by side with it's more stronger brother, the original Capstan. This blend has a bit more sweetness to it and less nicotine than the original Capstan. I would best describe it as a very light Virginia flake with noticeable honey, fig, and natural Viriginia notes found throughout the smoke. Like its brother, I suggest letting it sit for 5 minutes before smoking it so it can dry a bit. This is definitely an easy-going and all day smoke. Highly recommend it.

Opening a 1 year old tin I was greeted with thin, wide pressed flakes in gold and brown colors. There was a fermented tangy odor as the tin was opened. A deeper sniff showcased grassy notes and a sweet lemon-like citrus smell. The moisture level was just about perfect for me, and an unlit sip brought a light sweetness through the stem. The initial light tasted of hay and a darker sweetness than before. Overall there were light citrus notes with a dark sweetness in each puff. Every so often I would get a grassy note or a hint of hay, a pretty straightforward Virginia I think. The aftertaste lasted a little while, and the room was left smelling pleasant and toasty. I enjoyed this blend and think it showcases everything I enjoy about certain Virginia blends. I’d recommend this blend to anyone who likes a straightforward and light Virginia flake.

Wow!....a straight Va. that smokes with sweetness and spiceness, I am pleasantly suprised.

Tin presentation is impeccable, more bright colored leaf than OGS, well pressed and uniform in cut.

Smell is hayish, but sweet- cant identify any casing myself, like say University Flake or Erinmore.

If respected my patience pays off with sweet sugary sips early to mid bowl. I do get peppeey spice toward.the end-not unlike I taste with perique in a blend.Of course it can burn and bite but I rub it out well and pack it firm. Highly recommended from someone not hyper-fond of straight anything in the baccy realm.

With a slow smoking I really enjoy my smoking experience with this blend. When I pack it into my Stanwell 163 sand, it is really easy to pack, burn slowly and with consistent taste and flavour. I really enjoy this blend from 1st light until I finish the whole bowl.

My tin was marked as made in Denmark by MacBaren in 3/13 and this is one of their more enjoyable flakes even though it hadn't aged much. As usual, the flakes are nicely prepared and ~ 3" long. The moisture content is ideal and makes the flakes pliable for my fold and pack method. It burns cool and dry and the sweet VAs come thru. If you like VA flakes, give it a try.

Amazing tin. Very beautiful and perfectly allocated flakes inside the tin. Visually winsomeness. I tried it in various ways (ground, whole flake, brocken flake, etc.). At first it struck me, probably influenced by its "historical" name. It is quite heavy, with a honey-like, stable flavor throughout the bowl. I wouldn't agree with the “subtle flavor” indicated by the manufacturer. It was hard to light in every way that I smoked it. It also needs to be left open to dry. Maybe in its earlier years this Virginia tasted better. Neutral flavor in the room and it causes no cough. I have another tin and I most certainly do not feel ashamed, anymore, of the reason that after 20 years of pipe smoking I had not tried it.

The high quality leaf shows itself with its wonderfull smell in the tin. The flakes have a medium moisture degree. So you may dry them at your own choice. This will change the smoke in a nice way.

I smoke this tobacco without rubbing the flakes. In this way it offers a long lasting smoke. If you are looking for a strong Virginia flake this may not satisfy your needs. The mild to medium nicotine dosage and cool, fresh smoking makes this tobacco ideal for summer days.

The flavor is a true tobacco, sweety taste. Highly recommended..

Simple sweet consistent honey hay citrus...just a treat