Tobaccos CAO - Moontrance

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	matthieuduquette (12)	2013-07-10		Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

In the tin. CAO Moontrance is dominated by the bourbon vanilla casing. Yet it also has a similar oak and moss note to it that is reminiscent of most Peterson blends.

As far as the mechanics. Moontrance is easy to pack and light. Smokes cool and dry. Has little tongue bite. And smokes for a good 40-50 minutes with maybe one relight.

In the pipe. Moontrance is one of the best examples of how you can case a quality tobacco successfully. The tobacco flavor in this blend is fairly pronounced. I would liken it to Dunhill Early Morning Pipe or Mississippi River. While the casing only serves to enhance the experience. Not to steal the show. The bourbon vanilla remains the dominant casing but is much more subdued than the tin note.

The room note is very nice as well. Here the oak-like note I detected in the tin comes through. It's a sweet and woody aroma that reminds me of a used wine barrel. Very nice indeed.

CAO Moontrance is a wonderful melding of good quality tobacco and a light complementary casing. It would do well for pipe smokers who smoke several times a day. Personally I smoke only once or twice a day so I would favor bolder flavored aromatics over Moontrance. Yet I will not let that personal preference effect my opinion of this blend. One that well deserves a four star rating.

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-01-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I may have just had the best full bowl smoke with Moontrance. Like those coffee commercials "good to the last drop", which is why I have to give it 4 stars. Only a little moist, no bitterness, almost perfect burn. For me, the flavor is super tasty and it leaves a teasing flavor in my mouth that says let's have one more before bedtime. I will definitely keep a regular supply of it.

Pipe Used: cob

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-07-12		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

My shop was out of Blue Note, so I decided to give Moontrance a try instead. I'm glad I did because this is one of the best aromatics I've ever tried. I find Moontrance to be of exceptional quality.

Moisture level: Just about perfect. I can load this tobacco right into my pipe without having to dry it. Smokes dry to the bottom of the bowl. No bite for me.

Tin aroma: Pungently fruity with a hint of vanilla.

Flavor: As with pretty much all aromatics I've smoked, there's not much flavor on the tongue. When I exhale through my nose, however, I do readily detect fruit, bourbon and vanilla as advertised.

Room note: Very nice vanilla scent with a hint of bourbon. I also get occasional hints of an earthy, cigar-like note. I don't know if this blend has any cigar leaf in it, so maybe I'm mistaken, but there's definitely some real tobacco notes mixed in with the vanilla and bourbon.

Though I'm smoking mostly English and VA blends these days, I'm considering buying more of this blend for when I want something sweet.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-07-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Well shoot, matthieuduquette described this blend perfectly and word for word what I experienced as well. He seemed to grab my own thoughts, no need to repeat. This is a great aromatic blend and I'm throughly impressed. I CAN add that Moontrance is not boring... Bourbon Vanilla? A nice, tasty, unusal twist that stays with a quality tobacco smoke. Best aromatic I've smoked yet. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob. London Selected Grain.

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Animus Furandi (6)	2014-06-30		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Having cut my teeth on English blends, I occasionally find myself searching for an enjoyable aromatic. That search brought me to a sampler pack containing CAO's Moontrance, Black, and Eileen's Dream. In the tin, this stuff smells great, no two ways about it. The rich, sticky-sweet smell of honey paired with sweet fruits was the first and only thing to really impress me about this blend. A lot of this bouquet hits you hard on the charring light, then fades out for the most part. Throughout the whole bowl, it remains a sweet smoke with just the slightest hint of tropical fruit, and it leaves a pleasant trace of fruit and honey on the palate. Like the other CAO blends I've tried, you have to dance an especially delicate dance with this stuff, because the casing only comes through when sipped. It won't bite you, even if you rush it, but if you aren't sipping, you'll just taste the decent tobacco underneath.

The best way to summarize Moontrance is that it's a blend that lights easily, stays lit, and produces a ton of light, pleasant-smelling smoke. I could probably smoke this all day. However, I could say the same things about plenty of stuff that tastes better and doesn't cost as much. Moontrance is admittedly a nice little smoke, but for the money this stuff usually costs, it's not difficult to do better.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2013-06-11		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is kind of a tough one for me to review as I really liked the second two thirds of the bowl, but the first third was dominated by a topping that I did not really like. I think it is the combination of the tropical fruit and bourbon that I just did not enjoy, but the flavoring does lighten up a bit after the first third and the remaining ride is incredible.

The underlying tobacco taste is prevalent and screams quality leaf which is something that I look for in aromatics. If the remaining flavors by CAO series share this dynamic than I will certainly look forward to trying some of the other offerings in said series.

Overall, I recommend this blend and would probably bump to four stars if I enjoyed the topping more, but it is highly likely that you may enjoy this flavor. So with that said I do recommend at least trying it if you enjoy a good tobacco taste with your aromatics.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bbrown626 (150)	2015-06-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I didn't like this at first, but a little drying time made the difference. A flavor that is unique in the "whiskey-vanilla" blends. The bourbon and vanilla really work well together in this blend. A mild yet satisfying experience

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mhulsey (36)	2015-12-14		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This tobacco was a fun one to try as I smoke a pipe regularly but will occasionally smoke a cigar as well. Being as I have had these in cigar form and enjoyed them very much I was eager to try this in my pipe. The tin note is amazing, and smells identical to the cigars that I so enjoy, smelling heavily of vanilla, raisins, and honey. Taste however, is a completely different experience altogether. I am glad that I tried this one in both forms as they are completely different experiences for me at least. I did not think that this one tasted anything like a cigar which was surprising to me as that is what I had expected. The tobacco was easy to pack, light, and burned well through to the end of the bowl. The taste was much milder than expected especially for those that have had the cigar and after smelling such a strong tin note. Upon lighting this tobacco one is greeted with the mild taste of vanilla with hints of sweet honey and a faint fruit-like taste which stay with you through to the end of the smoke. The room note was not as strong as I would have believed that it was going to be after smelling the tin note, and according to the wife, had a mild smell but definitely had the aroma of honey and vanilla. Overall, I was surprised at how mild this blend is after having the cigar, but was pleasantly surprised at how well this worked for me in my pipe. Definitely a good aromatic to keep around for those days when you just crave something slightly sweet.

Pipe Used: Italian Briar

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rhapsody Baccy (16)	2015-09-10		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

My first aromatic, recommended by the grumpy dude at the store who pretty much threw at me saying ‘This is what most people start with, ‘ without even making eye contact.

I bought it.

Intense smell of cake, bourbon vanilla and whatever “exotic fruit” means.

RECOMMENDED FOR... It’s a nice start and a cool and mellow smoke.

OTHER: PS this is very very well with plenty of sticky syrup and PG

Pipe Used: MM Various

Age When Smoked: New

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason h. (51)	2015-05-01		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Im not sure if I want to love, or hate this blend. First off ill start by saying this blend is excellent unto itself. The room note is good, and the taste is somewhat mild and sweet. Here lies my problem, I bought this blend because I have tasted and smelled the Moontrance cigarillos (which by the way are awesome!), and im not too sure that this is a blend that was "translated" from the cigarillo, to the pipe..........and this my friends is the problem. The cigars have a more coconutty smell, which i dont detect in the pipe tobacco. Overall though pretty good, but not what I was hoping for.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kunsan (76)	2014-10-22		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Sometimes I wonder what other people are smoking when they write reviews, because my experience is often just completely different. It makes me suspect that manufacturers plant great reviews themselves just to sell more product. This Moontrance is a case in point. Where other reviewers get the result of 'great aromatic' etc I really don't know. What this is is basically cigar leaf stuck in a tin and called pipe tobacco.

When I opened the tin I was greeted with a strange chemical smell. Some people describe it as 'oaky' or 'mossy'. I didn't get any of that, just a strange chemically laden smell with no particular identification. It was wet so I left it a day to dry out. On smoking it smells and tastes just like a cigar. No aromatic qualities at all. Okay, perhaps the slightest hint of vanilla which disappeared in a couple of minutes. The smoke is like cigar smoke, the smell and taste are cigar, and even the ash is like cigar ash. I didn't know anything about CAO - I bought this tobacco based on reviews. I'm not surprised at all to now find that CAO is a cigar maker, because that's basically what this tobacco is. I feel cheated because if I want to smoke a cigar I'll buy one. This tin should really say 'crushed cigar tobacco in a tin' because that appears to be what it is.

When I smoke my pipe I'm looking for a 'pipe experience' not a cigar.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2012-08-06		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Of the CAO aromatics, this is my favorite (not including the Bella Vanilla, which is really a different thing altogether, and very unlike the other mixtures in their aro line). Frankly I put off cracking this tin open for a long time because the others were so nasty. I got a good deal and ended up buying one tin of each. I made the mistake of smoking the Cherrybomb and Eileen's Dream first, and they were both very dissapointing. I am going to be giving each of those another smoke and then will post reviews, so I will not belabor the issue here.

Moontrance is another animal however, for a couple of reasons. First, it is a more well -balanced and less cavendish heavy blend. I like cavendish, and some of my favorite blends use it as the primary condiment leaf. The CAO cavendish, however, strikes me as similar to the goopy drugstore variety, and that I do not care for at all. This, however, has less of that effect (although it is still there, alas), and has evident virginias which are absent in the two aforementioned blends. This smells nice from the tin, but it is a lot less fruity than the description might lead you to believe, and less so than other fruit-topped or cased aromatics. With that said, the tin aroma is very pleasant with a nice sweet heaviness to it, some fruit overtones, and even a little lakeland type floral odor. The room note while smoking has even less fruit, but is a rich sweet mixtures of tobacco and honey. I really do not detect the bourbon, but for me this flavor rarely stands out, so perhaps that is just how my palate works.

Second, the burning characteristics are pleasant, and that is what pushed this into 3 star category. It is not overly damp in the tin and dries nicely. That is always a good sign, as it means that they have not used a heavy hand with the humectants. I personally try to avoid smoking those types of additives, and stay away from blends which have clearly been coated in the stuff. it takes a char nicely, and with one or two relights burns readily, and not too hot if you do not puff wildly. While it never reaches any serious level of flavor, strength, or complexity, I agree with some of the other reviewers who have noted that it improves and becomes richer (not rich, but richer than where it started from) throughout the bowl. It burns with a nice clean ash and does not seem to funk the pipe. Tongue bite is minimal to nonexistent with proper pacing.

This is nice aromatic. I do not think that it rises to the level of the truly great aros (if you are looking for this type of aromatic, Boswell does it better, and I personally like the English style aromatics which are usually less casing-forward, and offer a richer tobacco experience), but it is a tasty change of pace. It seems that a little age will do it good. This would be a good blend for smoking if you are planning on a multiple bowl day, as it is easy on the tongue and palate.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2017-10-28		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

CAO - Moontrance.

An equal addition of both black Cavendish an Virginia. The composition of the blend's mainly mid-size ribbons with one or two coarser pieces. It smells quite strongly of the aromatics, and has a good hydration.

I wasn't too sure how I'd get on with this, the ingredients vary from site to site, but it turned out to be a winner! For the first quarter the prominent flavour is a sweet vanilla one, from the honey and vanilla extract. These two are way ahead of the rest of the additives for the inaugurate part of the smoke. Once a quarter's been burned the fruit announces it's presence, having a tropical flavour; we're not talking plums and cherries! Because the toppings are quite heavy don't expect much from the tobaccos. It burns cool, independent, even, and bite-free.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: lovely.

CAO Moontrance? A four star aromatic:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Atinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2015-05-09		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend is pretty awesome. I really love the tin note that it has: dark dried fruits and cream. Like the other CAO blends I have tried, this one is not overly moist or gunky. It packs well and it hasn't ghosted any pipes. Upon the first light, the fruit flavor is definitely persistent. The bourbon vanilla doesn't come in until about mid bowl and it creates a wonderful, mild, thick smoke. I love smoking aromatics, and this is definitely one to keep around. It would be good for just about anyone. No bite, mild but delicious flavor, and no mess: just how I like 'em!

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustDanD (9)	2015-04-24		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

All the other reviews say the same thing I will. Light on flavor but a good smoke.

My wife used to smoke the CAO flavored cigars years ago before I changed to a different type of cigar. When she saw the CAO pipe tobacco, she wanted me to get these so that she could see what they were like. I bought a 4 pack sampler and I was more afraid of this blend than the others.. because I never liked it as a cigar (and never touch those kind of cigars anymore).

Suprise! It is not bad at all. In fact, it is the only one of the four CAOs that I enjoy. There is a very nice bourbon smell in the tin that is actually present in the smoke. Its very light but it didn't dissapear on me like many aromatics do. The burn is great right from the tin and hardly ever needed any attention from the lighter. The nose exhale is sooo easy and it is very easy on the eyes.

I would call this my "Forgettaboutit" blend. I fire it up, put the pipe in the corner of my mouth and go about playing on my phone or watching TV. I forget about it. The wife was happy with the smell though she said the "mustache smell" was cigarette smokey. I use the balsa filter in my Savinelli while doing these kind of aromatics and did not get any bite or gurgling. I tend to puff too much.

I can't say for sure if this will be kept in stock as there are other aromatics that have more robust flavor, but it is a great smoke for those, like me, who just keep puffing while doing other things.

Pipe Used: Savinelli w/balsa filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (104)	2014-09-17		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I got a tin of this before leaving on vacation to Florida recently. I needed something for mixed company, as mostly women accompany me on this trip. The shop I purchased this from didn't carry any peterson or dunhill aromatics, and so I bought this one. I will say that it has gone over well with the ladies here.

The tin note is strong sweetness, not really noticing fruit, but the vanilla is coming through well. It does also taste like tobacco. It's burning a little moist, but I'm stuck outside in fairly intense humidity in comparison to Connecticut. Kinda sipping at it. The second half of the bowl is better than the first to me, which is normal. Burned down well in a cob I bought for this blend.

Not much nicotine to this blend, but a nice light smoke with a pleasant smell. It is serving its purpose well enough. Drinking goose island 312 urban wheat today, and it's pairing nicely. I would recommend this if you need something pretty smelling that won't make you gag if you smoke stronger tasting tobacco. I won't buy more of this one I think. After the ladies retire this evening I will break out my 965 and some scotch and have a real smoke.

Pipe Used: MM cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bradpaton3 (2)	2014-09-16		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Just got this today. This is an outstanding aromatic. Smells gorgeous in the tin. Room note is sensational! Smoked beautifully straight out of the tin. Some bite if you puff excessively but if sipped it's great. I'll be adding this to my regular rotation.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4 noggins

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gunner525 (66)	2013-05-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Picked up a tin in a recent order.

It's a nice combination of bright and dark Virginas.

The tin note is fruity with a bit of bourbon noticeable. It smells similar to Peterson's Connoisseur's Choice.

The blend does come a bit moist, but is smoke able straight from the tin. For a better experience though a bit of drying time will help.

It takes a lighting well and burns nice and evenly to a fine white ash. Definitely a quality leaf.

The casing/top dressing, in my opinion, was done well. It's noticeable in the background but not over powering. I got just hints of vanilla and fruit with a bit of bourbon flavor here and there.

As long as you sip on it like most aromatics it shouldn't bite you much.

The room note is pleasant and even piqued my friend's interest enough to ask if he could have a bowl. He seemed to have similar feelings about the blend as I did.

Overall it's an aromatic that's worth trying out if you're into aromatics.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2012-01-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Top quality aromatic through and though. Quality tobacco, top notch flavoring. Despite the description here stating it is flavored with bourbon, it is actually bourbon vanilla, big difference!

Tobacco taste comes through, and a slight sweetness of the vanilla and fruits. Flavoring is done with a light hand, and is not one bit cloying. Burns very clean and dry, which is is a hard trait to find in aromatics. I've been smoking Va flakes almost exclusively the last few months, it was nice to take a break with Moontrance.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-09-25		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Many Aros don't work for me. This one, however, does. Very little bite when the tobacco is given a little time to dry and smoked a little on the slower side. Luscious vanilla and fruit flavors. As far as smoking around others, I suspect your wife or girlfriend will beg you to smoke this one. A total departure from the Dunhill london mixture I smoke mostly. I will say I picked up some of the moontrance cigars as well just to try. I'd recommend those for something different as well, if you are so inclined.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-04-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Remarkable close to Eileens Dream with a couple subtle differences. But they do share one bad trait in common. Bad chcmical perfume thing going on.

Complex indeed and very sweet but I would shine brightly if it were not for the chemical flavor that dominates everything.

This would be a great tobacco were it not for that. I can't even identify it specifically. Its just got this lakeland perfume chemical thing going on in front of the good stuff. I gave this to a friend who actually got sick from it.

This stuff is pricey enough, so don't waste your money honey on chemical perfumes in the toby.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-11		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is one of the few aromatic blends that really wowed me. Honestly i didnt have very high expectations on a ten dollar tin however i really did enjoy it. It maintained a consistent burn the entire time and the room note alone is reason enought to purchase another tin. My girlfriend constantly asks me to put the pipe out and smoke the one she likes (of course referring to this one). If your a fan of aromatics this is the one to try.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-19		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

My first tinned tobacco. I was interested in CAO after smoking a Gold Honey robusto cigar of theirs. I'm not much a cigar fan, but that was one spectacular smoke. So I picked this up to venture away from bulk aromatics and into better, less-flavored blends. I was blown away opening this up. The packaging (as are all of CAOs) was beautiful, and the tin note, which smelled of passionfruit, honey, and (what I can now discern from my learned knowledge of tobacco) some virginas. The flavoring is fairly faint while smoking but can be picked up through very gentle sips and nose-exhales. As the smoke progresses, the topping burns off and the smoke becomes buttery. Very close to Blue Note but more subdued.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Oldcrow77 (1)	2021-06-16		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I smoke slow, I tend to relight regularly with any tobacco. Moontrance does burn smooth and even if that is a concern for you. The taste is fine. I got a few of the same notes listed by others. Pleasant room note, smells amazing in the tin. It reminds me of my first semi-long term girl friend. She was nice, smelled good, looked good, not very complicated. However I knew there was better stuff out there for me. Even so I stuck around longer than I should have hoping things would get more interesting. They didn’t.

Pipe Used: Trevi 606

Age When Smoked: Me or the tobacco?

Purchased From: Online

Similar Blends: Blue note no doubt..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PickyPiper (11)	2018-11-29		Mild	Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I will start this off by saying the tin I received is new packaging, where half the label warns you about dying if you smoke it. Fun. Don't know if the blend is any different.

Tin note was different from the cigar, a mild fruity smell like mangos and something else that I can only call bourbon maple. Came sticky to the touch, but not overly wet. It was a little easier to light then some of the other tins in the line due to a more ribbon-like cut. The cigar I had tasted of cheap tobacco with no fruit, and very poor construction. The pipe tobacco still tastes funny, but there is at least flavor, and it does taste like fruit to some degree, but in a somewhat artificial way. Room note was tolerable, like a fruity car freshener. Very disappointing for CAO, but the best of their line I've had so far.

Pipe Used: Bent Apple of unknown brand I use for aromatics

Age When Smoked: Fresh (tin)

Purchased From: PipesandCigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	De leòn (1)	2018-06-19		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Vary bad. Once you have a good blend you try this and just think man I could have just put in one of my good blends. This is something you force your kids to smoke to say “don’t smoke”

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyMetalPiper (64)	2018-05-30		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I didn't take many notes on this one about specifics other than that it is a light, smooth smoke. The bourbon flavor is much more present on the retrohale.

You can view my video review of this blend here:

Pipe Used: Peterson Summertime 150

Age When Smoked: 5 Months

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Bombadill (120)	2017-06-04		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Where to begin? Although this is a heavily cased aromatic, it's not a goopy kid's/starter blend. I should not that I prefer English blends but enjoy an aromatic now and then. This mixture hits the sweet spot while still being satisfying for the person who likes tobacco and not candy-blends. Vanilla flavored blends are pretty standard but Moon is notable for having a touch of bourbon with the vanilla. I enjoyed this more than Blue Note because there was ZERO tongue sting and it was more flavorful. Smoked cool. Very nice quality tobacco. I was pleasantly surprised because I didn't think CAO would get pipe tobacco right. I like matthieuduquette's and Pipe guy's review for really getting into detail much better than I. I was close to giving it 4 star but I reserve that rating for the blends that really hit my subjective, personal sweet spot. Definitely will buy it again.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Kaywoodie, Grabow

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: Blue Note, Luxury Blend..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2017-03-25		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Awhile back I was on a vanilla quest, after trying about five, I awarded Dan's Sweet Vanilla Honeydew the title for best vanilla. It worked by not overdoing the topping and still managing some sugar notes when lit. Opening Moontrace had a similar feel, the vanilla was there and not too pushy, but it also had some (as advertised) fruity whatnot in the background which was bit off putting for me. This was something of a vanilla hybrid.

It was a great burner that took a little more effort to stay lit, but had a slow burn that lasted a long time. It is nowhere as sweet as the other vanillas and to be honest didn't have very much flavor coming through in the smoke, yet I found it pleasant enough as a light aromatic without being too thin on taste.

CAO Moontrance is closer to a warm Vanilla Coke than a sweet sugar cookie.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-08-01		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

I also must defer to matthieuduquette's review...nailed the tin note and tasting notes perfectly. The CAO description matches the experience. Fruity citrus, vanilla and bourbon. Although I'm not a heavy partaker of aromatics, I always keep some of this around for the originality, as well as for the wife. She loves the aroma of moontrance, and I find the flavor combination very pleasant, very unique. Toppings are judiciously applied, so the tobacco burns well with plenty of flavor without being a goopy, soggy mess. Very well done for an aromatic. No burn issues here...packs and lights effortlessly right from the tin. If you enjoy bourbon vanilla aros and would like to try one much more original than most, this is a must try.

Pipe Used: Stanwell HCA I, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old6String (27)	2014-10-19		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

This one just didn't do it for me. I was disappointed with the uber mild flavor but enjoyed the quality of the tobacco; that may sound contradictory but was my impression non the less. I simply love Eileen's Dream which is also mild but has more flavor imho.

Pipe Used: MM Legend (new) Anderson Freehand Volcano

Age When Smoked: Initial smoke: new tin Update: one week open

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Conde (17)	2012-12-18		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This was my first pipe tobacco after transitioning from cigars. Overall a nice smoke. It was a little wet but dried out quickly and burned smooth. The taste is primarily vanilla with a hint of fruit almost as an afterthought. It was a good beginner tobacco for me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-12-11		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Another hit for CAO. Very plesant smoke. The only drawback if you are a new pipe smoker (as I am)take care in packing your pipe too tightly.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-08-09		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant

My journey of the briar has brought me to explore aromatics. I tend to reach for non-aromatics most of the time. However, occasionally I'll reach for the aromatics and I've discovered many that I enjoy a great deal. Unfortunately, for my tastes. This isn't one of them.

Taste: Chemical factory. I didn't get any hint of the vanilla and the fruit notes came across as very artificial and chemical tasting. I understand that many aromatics have a tendancy to taste artificial. This particular blend is just a chemical taste to me. I didn't like it at all.

Room note: Pleasant. It smells nice enough, although I was a little disapointed here as well. The bargain bag of Smokers Pride Whiskey smells much better.

Final thoughts: I suppose they can't all be winners. The biggest turn off I had with this blend is the bite. It bites really hard. I truely expected this to be better. Maybe I got a bad tin? I suppose that is possible, but I'm not buying a second tin on the chance that may be true.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (192)	2021-02-06		Very Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Smoking now;

The tin note is divine. It’s exactly what you think it smells like.

It is moist from the tin, I would dry out a bit. Sweet, vanilla, nougat, honey and yes some fruit. Reminds me of a Piña colada. Some bread and hay from the Virginia. My friend says it reminds him of a Fig Newton and I would agree. Smoke cool, it’s an aromatic so sip it gently and you’ll be rewarded with a great aromatic.

Does leave some moisture in the brown and required some extra relights. Pleasant after taste and I imagine the room note is very nice.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wally Frank Collector (46)	2020-07-12		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This was a gift from a friend and a huge thank you to him. Upon opening the bag I was greeted by the aroma of Honey, Light Vanilla and a whiff of Bourbon with a pleasant mild woody and light citrus in the background. The moisture was just about perfect for smoking in this blend of Black Cavendish and Virginia with some medium toppings. The ribbon cut loaded easily and lit easily. There were fewer than normal re-lights with this. Upon lighting the smoke was medium and the room note a very pleasant Honey and Vanilla. This burned consistent at a medium pace with no bite, no moisture and the casing did not block out the tobacco flavors. The flavor did not fade or become bitter. During the smoke this left a very pleasing light honey and vanilla sweet aftertaste and after the smoke it lasted for about 20 minutes.

Upon lighting I was greeted by a pleasantly sweet honey flavor with light Vanilla and a whiff Bourbon in close background. Backing them up were a nice light woody flavor with a slight citrus flavor and all the flavors played well together and created a pleasant smoke. The flavors stayed consistent in position and in taste the whole smoke. This doesn't appear to bite but I did find some rough edges if puffed.

This was a very pleasant bacca and I enjoyed this one very much. This joins the favorite list although not a regular rotation list, but it will get attention from time to time for I like it very much. A solid 3.5 out of 4 stars for this is a fine smoke that everyone should try if they like aros. It is a light aro and doesn't appear to ghost a pipe either. A pleasant warm or cold weather smoke.

Pipe Used: GBD Compact

Age When Smoked: NEW

Purchased From: Gift from friend

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2019-01-15		Mild	Very Strong	Mild	Pleasant

I'm redoing this review after trying some more Moontrance from a new tin.

The tin note was vanilla to my smell. The tobacco needs to be dried out for my preference (I like it a little drier than some) but once dried out it will pack and light fine.

The taste in the charring and first part of the bowl is vanilla and whiskey. It reminds me a little of the "Old Grandad Bourbon" tobacco I tried once. It's a little artificial tasting but not horrible. The 2nd half of the bowl tended to be just dull with a slight vanilla taste.

I'm glad I tried it again as I'll give it two stars as its not in the 1-star (pitch it) territory.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meanska (11)	2014-04-30		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I tend to smoke aromatics with my morning coffee, which is exactly what I'm doing now with Moontrance. After several bowls, all of which have given me a consistent pleasant experience, I think I can safely recommend this tobacco. The flavoring is not "in your face", but nevertheless results in a bigger taste than I expected (but not quite medium), yet refined. CAO also makes a Moontrance cigar, but since cigars for me need to be full-bodied, I'm not likely to buy one. Still, this is a fine morning smoke.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Nana Ivarrson

Purchased From: Cigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Hardcrab (3)	2014-02-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've had the Moontrance cigars before and enjoyed them. The pipe tobacco is just te same. Not bad, but not as goid as the stick.

Pipe Used: Venturi

Purchased From: mail order (CI)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Doggie_Daddy (5)	2014-01-19		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This blend is a very refreshing areo. It has a fruity flavor with notes of the woods on a fall hunting trip. A bit moist it burns well and has little or no bite. Makes me think of Blue Note.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoke_Ring (158)	2013-06-29		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

Moontrance, 50g tin

Star Rating = 3.75

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst

Pouch Note = 9

Room Note = 9

Flavor = 9

Bite = 9

Burn = 9

After Taste = 9

Raw Score = 54

Rated Percentage = 90%

Comment = Very Smooth, Very Mild, Mellow, nice round Flavor, this is a very enjoyable smoke

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2012-08-28		Mild	Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

If you don't like aromatics or if you are diabetic stay away from this stuff. It is a type of mixture that is sometimes called a "dessert blend." It is strongly cased and it is similar to Blue Note, Melange and Sweet Mystery. I wouldn't want a steady diet of it but it nice to occasionally have a pipeful after dinner or as a nightcap. It is superior to most of the OTCs such as Captain Black.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-11-19		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

ok this is my favorite. For an everyday or go to, this is it for me. However in this town, availability is limited. I must go to lengths. But the taste, room, and flavor is medium enough for an everyday, all day smoke. And, She Who Must Be Obeyed doesnt wrinkle her nose too badly.

Update: I now alternate this with other aro's and enjoy the rotation very much. SWMBO is a fan. So, win-win.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkansas Piper (47)	2022-12-09		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I’m usually not this critical, but this stuff did not sit well with me. The tin note had a lot of fruit and vanilla, but when I lit it up, the fruit mixed with the vanilla in an unsavory way. It just tasted like a mishmash of artificial fruit flavor.

Pipe Used: MM Legend

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpicyLegato (9)	2021-07-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Wonderful tin note that doesn't translate into a very flavorful smoke. Picked up a bit of cream and medicinal fruit notes that come in waves. Smoked well with no tongue bite. Wouldn't purchase again, but it was fun to try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Volunteer Piper (3)	2020-09-01		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

As a revived pipe smoker I am trying all types of tobaccos, both aromatic and non-aromatic blends. I have roughly 20 tins in my collection of both varieties and have opened a little less than half of them.

I have to say that when I opened the Moontrance tin I was blown away by the smell. I do like to smell it a lot more than the other aromatics I own. Very strong bourbon vanilla smell with some fruity notes in there as well.

For some reason that great smell doesn't carry over to the smoke in my opinion. Don't get me wrong I like Moontrance but I'm not rating it quite as high as I have others. The first few times I smoked it I got some tongue bite but mainly because it was a little too moist and I didn't let it dry before packing a bowl. Now that I've had it jarred and it has dried out a little, I don't get much, if any, bite.

This blend does burn well and it doesn't require but may one or two lights after the charring light. It just doesn't have the same taste as it does smell. I do get the bourbon vanilla flavoring and just a touch of the fruit. The room note is excellent as it is another one of my aromatics that my kids like to smell in my house.

The biggest negative point for me is when I get down to the bottom of the bowl, every time I have smoked a whole bowl of it, it turns bitter. I don't know what causes it to do that but the last couple of times I have smoked it I only smoke it down to a little above a quarter of the bowl then let it go out. As long as I do that it is a nice, pleasant smoke. When I smoke it too far, I get that bitter taste and it really turns me off. I'll keep smoking it and I'll recommend it if you are an aromatic fan.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Oceano 616KS, Peterson's Calabash

Age When Smoked: 2-3 weeks

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael D (29)	2020-07-02		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Remember those days gone by when the concoction of honey with a bit of whiskey was mixed in with the tea and stirred with a vanilla stick or drop of extract for those medicinal purposes.. cough; well, lighten up on the tea and whiskey and you get Moontrance.. I thought I would try a four tin CAO sampler and this turned out the best of the lot. Opening the tin I am greeted with the vanilla and honey sweetness. A fairly good looking tobacco with a wetness to it. Careful loading into a Savinelli Eleganza 606 Brownblast, It lights fairly well. Glancing down the rich dark blue stem, past the shiny spigot mounts, towards the first rise of the smoke from the beautiful blast on the bowl, it presents itself as a light sweet honey, coated over by some very pleasant vanilla. The Virginia gives me a slight tingle to keep me awake. The blend for me, burns slow, a bit hot and all the way to the bottom. a good after meal smoke that I will probably buy again.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Eleganza 606 Brownblast

Age When Smoked: NEW

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Cleverpants (5)	2019-03-23		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This stuff is pretty good. The toppings are mellow, and are just sort lingering in the background. Not much of a nic hit, and burns at a nice pace. If you like Navy blends, you might want to give this one a try.

Pipe Used: Molina

Age When Smoked: 1 month

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redd (117)	2012-02-10		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

AS WITH ALL CAO BLENDS AROMATIC BUT THEY ARE VERY SOMKEY DUE TO THE BLACK CAVNDISH WHICH IS A GOOD NE LEVEL IS THING FOR THE FULL BODY SMOKER. THE NICOTINE LEVEL IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR A MORNING STROLL. THE AROMA IS NOT SUITABLE FOR INDDORS THEN AGAIN WHAT PIPE BLEND IS IT IS GOOD THE OUTDOOR AROMA.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-09-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I smoked this twice from two different pipes. The first, in a no name briar pipe that I restored and the second in a MO Meerschaum MacArthur style corn cob. The second was that pipe's first ever smoke. Right when you light up, you're met with cool mellow smoke with a fleeting taste. It isn't completely tasteless, but as other reviewers have said it takes some slow inhales and nose exhales to really catch the flavor. This last until about a fourth of the way into the pipe when I experienced a rich, fruit taste. In the briar pipe this lasted, quite enjoyably, for the rest of the smoke. In the corn cob, it did come but was only there for about an eighth of the rest of the bowl. I definitely enjoyed this more out of my briar pipe than my corn cob but it was an extremely good smoke with very little bite. One of the few tobaccos I've smoked that didn't draw disgusted comments from my Mother! In the end, it is a good blend to smoke if you are a fan of aromatics, but stay away if you tend to enjoy english blends more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The vanilla and honey flavors come through well. The fruit flavor is sweet but not overwhelming.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	paulw (76)	2022-11-18		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

WOW I sell this tin blend at Colony and I can see why! If you like fruit and Vanilla bourbon cavendish tobacco than you’ll love this!

Pipe Used: Davidoff

Age When Smoked: new tin

Purchased From: Customer sample

Similar Blends: Blue note pipe tobacco.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	willie b (37)	2022-10-10		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

first. very vanilla up front. a bit of bourbon and the sweetness of honey is light. I think the Viginia leaf adds to the sweet flavor more than honey. a good burn throughout. I sip on it indoors as I'm not a big aromatic fan. I don't get a lot of the fruit that others detect. the tobacco is of good quality. as my palate has evolved over many years, I tend to favor Balkan/English blends. I do try some aromatics on occasion, and I do like this one. just rich enough to satisfy my taste. of course, the room note is favorable to the nonsmokers around. you must like vanilla to appreciate this one. think creme Brule when smoking and sip it to enjoy the flavor.

Pipe Used: rattrays

Age When Smoked: fresh and aged.

Purchased From: tobacco pipes

Similar Blends: Sutliff custard but less harsh..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2021-11-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

As a newer pipe smoker, I am mainly exploring the different blends (I favor aromatic blends, although I am dipping my toes into the non-aromatic blends now) to find what I like. Opening the tin, what I smelled was vanilla and liquor. The flavor I tasted was mostly vanilla and not much/if any of the liquor. I did not have any tounge-bite with this blend.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Watson

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.