National Tobacco Red Cap

Found an old pouch of this in my cellar. Apparently this is still in production. I don't really remember buying it, but here it is. I didn't expect to like it, but I thought it might become a base for some homemade aromatic experiments of mine. I decided to load a bowl in one of my small cobs for tasting.

It's everything I expected and more. I expected it to be bad, and it's that bad and gets more bad as I smoke it. I was hoping for something very simple and basic that I could drown in flavorings and toppings. I don't expect any topping or flavoring to improve this. It's acrid, bitter, and sour. Tobacco flavor is hard to distinguish behind the taste of ash and hot air. Tobacco flavored straw is a good description and would probably make an accurate match. Don't bother with this one. Not recommended.

Tried this one on a whim when I saw it behind the counter at a Circle K off the beaten path. I'm revisiting some old OTC / Drug Store blends and had never tried this one. Like some of the other reviews for this one, I was intrigued by the retro looking packaging.

It was horrible. I got through half a bowl and called it quits. I prefer English tobaccos so it wasn't an issue of raw tobacco flavor versus an aromatic for me. It's just that the tobacco they used for this blend really doesn't belong in a pipe. It tasted really nasty and bitter; more like smoking a cigarette than anything. In fact, after emptying the bowl I came really close to just throwing the pipe away, too! I came to my senses and gave it a thorough cleaning and worked some coconut rum into the cake. All that effort just so I wouldn't have to taste Red Cap again!

This tobacco was the only thing the shop had for pipe tobacco. The nice lady that helped me told me it was similar to Dorrel cigarets. Well guess what? I now know I don't like Dorrel cigarets. Bought the .75oz grey bag and I really did not enjoy it at all. I won't be returning to that shop(which was pretty much a Head shop) or trying Red Cap again. I will stick to Captain Black for a back up tobacco.

Aggressively mordant and bitter. Packs quite a bit of vitamin N. Not a pleasant experience.

Bought the red and gray pack at the same time. For about a dollar each, it seemed like a cheap enough experiment.

I tried the red pouch first and could not believe that pipe tobacco could be this bad and be on the market. I didn't like it at all and couldn't imagine a worse smoke. Then I tried the gray pack.

2nd time in my life i decided to pick up the pipe after giving up on it and the B.R. black cavendish i was given by a friend 9 years ago that makes me sick thinking about. Bought a pouch of Red Cap "pipe tobacco" at my local smoke shop. It was all they had besides the large costco sized "pipe tobacco" bags which i was almost certain was meant to be rolled into smokes based on the price/quantity. I smoked cigarettes, Camels to be exact, for 13 years. Also used chewing tobacco when i was in the navy, and when working in a non-smoking shop. Quit cigarettes and dip due to the cost, the hacking, the smell, and the overall lifestyle associated with them. Sorry, anyways on to the Red Cap. I like the strength it has. I like the no nonsense tobacco. Absent of any additional flavoring, yet smelled wonderful in the bag. All was great until i lit it, and it tasted, to me, like relighting last nights half-smoked marlboro. I experienced no tongue bite whatsoever with it, so that's a plus...but in my opinion, it's not for me. i then reluctantly bought a pouch of C.B. Cherry (yuck) and B.R. Ultra Light (weak) i tried mixing the Red Cap with the weaker ones, gave me hot breath and a headache. And I find it unfortunate that it was the only brand of actual pipe tobacco they had. I know the nice fellow who owns the store, and he asked if i had any suggestions which to stock there. (bonus!) so i've been thoroughly reading and studying others reviews, in hopes i can find that certain one that keeps me from giving up on this yet again. Any suggestions?

First pipe tobacco I tried and hated it. I was looking for a transition from cigs to the "grandpa smell" but this was no better. Burned very hot, tasted and smelled horrible, wife was not persuaded. Threw the huge bag away after 20 or so bowls, waste of $15.

I, too, was intrigued by the retro design, color, red and white aluminium fabric Red Cap packaging sporting a jockey with his mount. Alas, that's where the intrigue ended. This is a harsh, bitter smoke...there may really be more Turkish cigarette tobac than anything else in this blend. Smell reminds me of my Dad who was a pack-a-day Camels man. Even tried to make moderate corrections by adding a bit of latakia and perique, then tried a cherry flavored mixer. Not much worked to dull the intensity. Plan to trash this stash but I'll keep the pouch for one of my favorite tobacs when I go Crappie fishing.

I love the nostalgic pouch it came in. I nursed it along gently, but it doesn't have much flavor, and the aftertaste is awful... Stick to Prince Albert, Sir Walter, or Granger, if you can find them.

Otherwise, do yourself a favor and check out the blends from Uhle's, Peretti's, or Pipeworks and Wilke. Yes they cost more, but they are worth it!