Lane Limited BCA
(3.23)
Fire-cured Cavendish tobaccos discreetly flavored to produce an extremely mild, slow burning cool smoke.
Details
| Brand | Lane Limited |
| Blended By | Lane Limited |
| Manufactured By | Scandinavian Tobacco Group |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Cavendish |
| Flavoring | Alcohol / Liquor, Cocoa / Chocolate, Vanilla, Whisky |
| Cut | Coarse Cut |
| Packaging | Bulk, 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.23 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 71 - 78 of 78 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 13, 2007 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
I discovered BCA in 1974, in a college town pipe shop that blended its own tobaccos. I quickly noticed that their most popular blends, and the ones that I liked best, were full of this rich black stuff. I thought "If this is what they all have in common, I want to try the straight stuff," so I got the proprietor to scoop me some out of his blending stock and learned from him that it was called B.C.A., for Black Cavendish Aromatic. I really liked it. It became my favorite pipe tobacco, and it has been ever since.
That was a really fun time in my life, so I may be biased toward BCA in the same way as toward an old perfume a whiff of which brings back vivid memories of a teenage romance. But there's nothing wrong with that, is there?
I can load up a pipe with BCA anytime and know that I'll have a pleasurable time with it. I don't get tired of it. It's nice to have something different now and then, but I'll always have BCA around. Others have already commented adequately about its flavors and aromas. Lane hit on a really nice combination with this stuff. There are other similar tobaccos out there, but I haven't find any of them to quite measure up. To me it's the standard for cavendish, and for aromatics.
Nonsmokers tend to like the fragrance of BCA, and often comment at some length about how they can't stand cigarette or cigar smoke but love to smell pipe tobacco, which they feel is more "natural." (Which is rather amusing considering that the source of much of the pleasant aroma is the added casing.) Maybe smoking wouldn't have been subjected to so much restriction and banishment if more folks had been smoking sweet aromatic pipe tobaccos!
I did much of my learning to smoke a pipe on BCA, and I went through all of the problems that have been mentioned in this thread including the wet pipe troubles and yes, even tongue bite! They are all problems resulting from improper smoking technique. After learning how to properly pack, light and smoke a pipe, BCA will give a pleasant, dry smoke from start to finish, and at the end the gray ash can be emptied out of the bowl by simply turning the pipe upside down. It will leave the pipe dry and clean, and doesn't even build up much cake.
I highly recommend BCA, which is as good a tobacco as any for a pipe novice and one that any experienced pipe smoker will want to keep handy in his stock. I could get along happily with BCA alone if I couldn't get any other pipe tobacco, and not feel that I was missing a thing.
That was a really fun time in my life, so I may be biased toward BCA in the same way as toward an old perfume a whiff of which brings back vivid memories of a teenage romance. But there's nothing wrong with that, is there?
I can load up a pipe with BCA anytime and know that I'll have a pleasurable time with it. I don't get tired of it. It's nice to have something different now and then, but I'll always have BCA around. Others have already commented adequately about its flavors and aromas. Lane hit on a really nice combination with this stuff. There are other similar tobaccos out there, but I haven't find any of them to quite measure up. To me it's the standard for cavendish, and for aromatics.
Nonsmokers tend to like the fragrance of BCA, and often comment at some length about how they can't stand cigarette or cigar smoke but love to smell pipe tobacco, which they feel is more "natural." (Which is rather amusing considering that the source of much of the pleasant aroma is the added casing.) Maybe smoking wouldn't have been subjected to so much restriction and banishment if more folks had been smoking sweet aromatic pipe tobaccos!
I did much of my learning to smoke a pipe on BCA, and I went through all of the problems that have been mentioned in this thread including the wet pipe troubles and yes, even tongue bite! They are all problems resulting from improper smoking technique. After learning how to properly pack, light and smoke a pipe, BCA will give a pleasant, dry smoke from start to finish, and at the end the gray ash can be emptied out of the bowl by simply turning the pipe upside down. It will leave the pipe dry and clean, and doesn't even build up much cake.
I highly recommend BCA, which is as good a tobacco as any for a pipe novice and one that any experienced pipe smoker will want to keep handy in his stock. I could get along happily with BCA alone if I couldn't get any other pipe tobacco, and not feel that I was missing a thing.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 02, 2007 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A great cavendish aromatic.
BCA is more complex than most cavendishes, and is solid for any aromatic smokers. Beginners will enjoy it for its sweet smoke and low maintenance, veterans will enjoy the layers of flavor it has to offer. A few notes:
--Pouch Aroma: Sweet, but not too sweet. The aroma isn't "standard vanilla." I'd say its a much deeper, "thicker" vanilla. Add to this a bit of black licorice aroma and I think that's a reasonable description.
--Packing and burning: The tobacco is a bit sticky (even when allowed to dry), but that doesn't inhibit the packing much. The tobacco likes to pack fairly dense, and smokes well that way--but that means to take care with the charring light. I usually char this one 2 (sometimes 3 for a large bowl) times before lighting for real...take care to pull that flame all the way through the bowl--it'll be worth it later. The smoke burns evenly throughout, needing very few relights. Also, it didn't take much, if any, effort to keep a cool, smooth burn. No tongue bite here!
--Flavor: Not quite what the pouch aroma advertises...actually, I find it to be better. One thing I've noticed is that its a very deep taste. Depending on your palate, and a billion other variables, this has the ability to be slightly different everytime you smoke it...different flavors come out more, deepen, fade, mellow, or brighten each time. Even better, these change as each individual bowl progresses as well. I've found this to be rare with topped cavendish blends.
If I had to describe the general flavor, I'd say its build on a firm foundation of vanilla...not boring vanilla but a rich, complex vanilla. The base tastes more like ACTUAL vanilla, not what we've come to associate with vanilla flavoring. Usually, the licorice that's in the pouch aroma pokes its head out a few times in the bowl. It is usually a very mellow flavor hiding in the background, but it does pop up every now and again. Beyond that, different tastes will spring up from time to time. At different times I've picked out what seems to be a berry sort of flavor. Sometime I can taste cherries. Often there is a nutty flavor and quality. Once or twice I could've sworn I tasted roses.
On the whole, this is a terrific tobacco. Great for beginners and vets alike. It works well as a first smoke of the day with coffee, a good afternoon or after work smoke, its nice and sweet after an evening meal, and is relaxing and pleasant enough as a just-before-bedtime smoke. No doubt about it, 4 out of 4.
BCA is more complex than most cavendishes, and is solid for any aromatic smokers. Beginners will enjoy it for its sweet smoke and low maintenance, veterans will enjoy the layers of flavor it has to offer. A few notes:
--Pouch Aroma: Sweet, but not too sweet. The aroma isn't "standard vanilla." I'd say its a much deeper, "thicker" vanilla. Add to this a bit of black licorice aroma and I think that's a reasonable description.
--Packing and burning: The tobacco is a bit sticky (even when allowed to dry), but that doesn't inhibit the packing much. The tobacco likes to pack fairly dense, and smokes well that way--but that means to take care with the charring light. I usually char this one 2 (sometimes 3 for a large bowl) times before lighting for real...take care to pull that flame all the way through the bowl--it'll be worth it later. The smoke burns evenly throughout, needing very few relights. Also, it didn't take much, if any, effort to keep a cool, smooth burn. No tongue bite here!
--Flavor: Not quite what the pouch aroma advertises...actually, I find it to be better. One thing I've noticed is that its a very deep taste. Depending on your palate, and a billion other variables, this has the ability to be slightly different everytime you smoke it...different flavors come out more, deepen, fade, mellow, or brighten each time. Even better, these change as each individual bowl progresses as well. I've found this to be rare with topped cavendish blends.
If I had to describe the general flavor, I'd say its build on a firm foundation of vanilla...not boring vanilla but a rich, complex vanilla. The base tastes more like ACTUAL vanilla, not what we've come to associate with vanilla flavoring. Usually, the licorice that's in the pouch aroma pokes its head out a few times in the bowl. It is usually a very mellow flavor hiding in the background, but it does pop up every now and again. Beyond that, different tastes will spring up from time to time. At different times I've picked out what seems to be a berry sort of flavor. Sometime I can taste cherries. Often there is a nutty flavor and quality. Once or twice I could've sworn I tasted roses.
On the whole, this is a terrific tobacco. Great for beginners and vets alike. It works well as a first smoke of the day with coffee, a good afternoon or after work smoke, its nice and sweet after an evening meal, and is relaxing and pleasant enough as a just-before-bedtime smoke. No doubt about it, 4 out of 4.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 17, 2007 | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
My favorite Lane blend so far and one of my favorite Cavendish blends. Stays lit, burns well and leaves a dry residue. Great taste and delightful room note. A much better tobacco than 1Q.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 07, 2007 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
This blend is just a delicious treat for me. I always keep some handy. Never bites, stays lit very well and burns cleanly and never leaves a damp residue. I mostly smoke burleys like MB's Navy Flake but this aromatic really hits the spot. Smoke some every day!
I absolutely never have to re-light this tobacco unless I have put my pipe down for a while. Lane has a winner in this one.
I absolutely never have to re-light this tobacco unless I have put my pipe down for a while. Lane has a winner in this one.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 13, 2004 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Lane BCA, or Black Cavendish Aromatic, is the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked nearly 30 years ago, and it's still my absolute favorite! It always provides a cool, smooth smoking experience in virtually any pipe. Vanilla flavor, but not too overwhelming, with hints of licorice and chocolate.
I had the chance to visit the Lane factory in Tucker, Georgia a few years ago and learned that Herman Lane developed this tobacco in the early 1970's using only Green River tobacco of the one sucker variety. Several farmers in Kentucky grow this strain of leaf and Lane buys all of it. Other tobacco companies try to imitate BCA, but to no avail. The base tobacco is one the secrets to its unique flavor and burning qualities.
If you get a wet dottle smoking this blend, than I believe it's your technique rather than the tobacco. Try packing it a little on the loose side. It won't bite even if you have to puff more frequently.
Overall, BCA is a classic. No bite, great flavor and aroma, incredibly smooth. A solid 10 out of 10!
I had the chance to visit the Lane factory in Tucker, Georgia a few years ago and learned that Herman Lane developed this tobacco in the early 1970's using only Green River tobacco of the one sucker variety. Several farmers in Kentucky grow this strain of leaf and Lane buys all of it. Other tobacco companies try to imitate BCA, but to no avail. The base tobacco is one the secrets to its unique flavor and burning qualities.
If you get a wet dottle smoking this blend, than I believe it's your technique rather than the tobacco. Try packing it a little on the loose side. It won't bite even if you have to puff more frequently.
Overall, BCA is a classic. No bite, great flavor and aroma, incredibly smooth. A solid 10 out of 10!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 10, 2004 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
This blend is very black in color with just a subtle note of Vanilla in flavor. As several of the above reviews say, no matter how hard you try, you can not get this tobacco to bite. This is the perfect blend for beggining smokers to start out with and a nice mild smoke for experienced pipers when in the mood for something cool and mild. This is also an awesome tobacco to mix some Cyprian Latikia and natural cavendish with.
Smoked straight, It has always burned very clean. It has NEVER produced any gum or dottle in the bowl of any of my pipes, so where some claim to have experienced this, I can only speculate as to why.
Based on its merits both as a straight smoke and as a great blending choice, I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
Smoked straight, It has always burned very clean. It has NEVER produced any gum or dottle in the bowl of any of my pipes, so where some claim to have experienced this, I can only speculate as to why.
Based on its merits both as a straight smoke and as a great blending choice, I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 23, 2004 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Very Pleasant |
BCA is like comfort food. Simple, satisfying, consistant. It is my all-day smoke. Good socially, Good in Private. Good with SWMBO.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 13, 2023 | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
This is my wife's favorite room note tobacco. 'Nuff said.
...also, it burns well, tastes good, and blends nicely with other tobaccos. The taste is simple but enjoyable without any of that chemical flavor. If I want a little heavier or more complex flavor I'll mix it with 1-Q or something else nice. Always have this on hand.
...also, it burns well, tastes good, and blends nicely with other tobaccos. The taste is simple but enjoyable without any of that chemical flavor. If I want a little heavier or more complex flavor I'll mix it with 1-Q or something else nice. Always have this on hand.
Pipe Used:
cobs, briars, MM hardwoods
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