Lane Limited Captain Black Dark

Captain Black - Captain Black Dark.

I've wanted to try one of the Captain Black's for absolutely ages, ever since I first saw one being reviewed on YouTube. When I finally came across them, along with Sir Walter Raleigh, available to be delivered to the U.K., I jumped at the chance! I normally smoke VaPer and English blends during the day, but enjoy a sweet aromatic after my tea, in the evening. This fits that slot perfectly. If you don't want a strongly flavoured aro', then walk away.

I opened the pouch to find one of the blackest blends I've ever seen. I could tell it's heavily flavoured because, 1: it stinks of vanilla and sugar, and 2: it's wet. But that's all forgiven after an airing and I'm piping it, I enjoy the smoke very much. Although the list of ingredients on here is almost endless, the only extra tastes I can identify are the vanilla, chocolate, and sugar; the vanilla's stronger for the initial part of the smoke, and then it gives way to the chocolate. The flavour of the tobacco isn't much of a surprise, it's a simple Black Cavendish taste; but due to the weight of the topping, the vanilla sweetness gets a little lost/confused with the vanilla from the added flavour. Even though this is cased strongly, it doesn't bite me, and the temperature's about the coolest ever!

If you pipe for nicotine smoking a bowl of this would be totally pointless: it's got none in it! And finally, the room-note's very false: it would probably suit some non-smokers with its sweetness!

I can see how some folks may feel incensed at a bowl of this, it is after all, a strongly flavoured, simple tasting aromatic! But I think even though it's quite basic, it's been executed well, very well.

A straight-up four star aromatic. High praise from an English/VaPer fan!

Highly recommended.

OK gonna give this 4 stars!! Since McClelland is gone now and the price gouging for the leftovers has begun, I felt compelled to post this review as quickly as I could upon trying Captain Black Dark. Simply put, it is almost identical to McClelland VBC. Fans of the VBC can now get their favorite vanilla cavendish fix with this blend and shed no more tears for our tragic loss of McClelland, at least for this flavoring. For more details see my review of McClelland Vanilla Black Cavendish.

Captain Black Dark at this time is the best pure dark vanilla cavendish on the market, and the price seals the deal. You can pay much more and get a lot less. The only other vanilla blend I smoke that can hold a candle to this one is MacBaren Vanilla Cream. No Bite, mild cavendish tobacco taste, great vanilla flavor and outstanding room note. A pleasure to smoke and a crowd pleaser to passers-by and at parties. No one will be offended and even the most rabid anti-tobacco howlers will reluctantly admit they love the smell of this one. Cheers All, Good Draw to You!! Glorfindel

I packed a brand new Dr. Grabow with some freshly opened Captain Black Royal the day I graduated from bootcamp in 1982. I lit and puffed and lit and puffed, wanting to enjoy it, but failing miserably. With no internet to guide me, and no knowledgeable tobacconists around (the guys at the mall Tinderbox just mall employees, not pipe smokers) my masochistic piping didn’t last long. Fast forward to 1998 when I bought a Peterson System rustic 303, and introduced to really good baccy. The blogs I read more or less implied that grownups didn’t smoke aeros. If you weren’t puffing a Va/Per, English blends, or some exotic Oriental, you were some rube stuck in the world of drugstore pipes and PG saturated garbage. Over the years, I certainly came to appreciate the great variety of blends available, but still missed the aroma (if not the tongue bite) of Captain Black. It took me even longer to realize that there is no shame in enjoying an aero. Now that I’m a bit more seasoned, I can enjoy an aero without burning my tongue. Captain Black Dark takes me right back to the great vanilla aroma, without any bite, easy to keep lit, and actually tasting like real tobacco. Not my everyday smoke, but it makes a great dessert smoke, and is much more forgiving than the stuff that scorched my tongue in my 20’s.

I've had this pouch for over a year just sitting around collecting dust, and I finally got an inkling to give it a try. And as the story goes, boy am I glad that I did! I guess I hesitated giving this a try due to my uneventful experience with the original Captain Black White. The White has a fantastic pouch and room note, but falls flat when it come to any actual flavor. That's where the Dark really excels, flavor! It has all the aromatic qualities that Captain Black is famous for, and the flavor to make it real. It is sweet and confectionery in taste as in aroma, but quite short of cloying. It also has a substantial "mouth feel" that is very pleasant, which its older brother very much lacks.

Don't let the whole "pouch", "over the counter" thing fool you on this one. As far as aromatics go, IMHO, this one is a must try!

A VERY black steamed Cavendish with a lot of surprises. The first is that despite the appearance of being too moist in the pouch, it smokes remarkably dry and without moisture building in the bowl. Next, the taste is sweet but in a rich and delicious way. Not overpowering at all. CBD also didn't bite when smoked in any pipe and at any pace. Just pleasant over all. Also, a pleasant after taste. Finally, I have never smoked a pure black aromatic that smoked with such character. This line is not a world's best seller for no reason. The folks at Captain Black have done their homework and created yet another well made aromatic that would be a great beginner smoke for its forgiveness and a regular go to smoke for any long time smoker because of its excellent flavor and quality leaf.

For those who love latakia and perique and don't particularly care for aromatics but picked up a sample or a free pouch to try, don't bother to write a review. We know you will not care for CBD. This is an aromatic connoisseur's treat.

My experience is that CBD consistently burns to the bottom of the bowl with minimal re-lighting, produces dense smoke and tastes and smells very nice.

My only downside to this tobacco, and it is true with many such aromatics, is that after about half the bowl is gone, ALL of the flavor is gone. I tend to smoke the bowl about half way down and then dump the remainder. The last half tastes more like cigarette smoke than a rich pipe tobacco. Still, this is a blend that I really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who enjoys aromatics and values a remarkably good room note.

I was shocked! Bought a pouch of Dark on a whim simply because I like to try drug store blends occasionally and got one Hell of a good smoke. This is one of the best aromatics I've ever had. The toppings are a hodgepodge of flavors but they amazingly come together to create a delicious smoke. No bite, just a smooth, gentle, soft experience. Not overly sweet but right on head for my personal taste. I won't try to describe the flavor as I think every smoker going to find it a bit different. Highly recommended.

This is far and away the best pipe tobacco I have ever tasted. I cannot find anything negative to report on, not that I wish to. This, in my opinion, is simply superb, it smells good in the container, it produces a thick, fragrant smoke that is especially delightful for those, like myself, who like to play with blowing smoke rings. Unlike most I've tried, this burns equally well in all my pipes and that's unusual. The taste is good, neither too weak nor too strong its a complex yet smooth flavour that rewards mouth rolling, retro inhaling from mouth to nose and is equally pleasant to either. It entices you to play with it, its the best way I can describe it ...and yet...its especially rewarding for a long, slow, reflective smoke just sipping it enough to stay alight. I think I may not bother trying any more tobaccos and as the final seal of approval I just bought 1lb of it and will make sure to get more before it all gone.

Captain Black,IMHO, is the best of a good line of blends. It does need a bit of drying time, but once dried a little, it loads and lights easily. The toppings are there but do not sublimate the tobaccos. Burns to a gray, fluffy ash with little moisture in the bowl. This could easily replace CB White as their best seller. A very good beginner blend. Also, a good blend as a relief from heavier aromatics and a nice change of pace from English blends.

This is a mild, good tasting, straightforward Cavendish. Burns cool and very satisfying. Simple and clean-tasting, nothing artificial tasting.

This could be an everyday cavendish or a nice break for those regularly smoking more complex tobaccos.

Sometimes less is more.