Lane Limited Captain Black Original (Regular)

This was my very first tobacco (as it seems it has been for many new pipe smokers). I've been smoking a pipe for just two months. I have to say, if I had to start all over again, I wouldn't select this brand.

I'm confused by all the rave reviews of this tobacco, mind you, I am aware that this is all quite subjective. To each his own...

I've gone back to it (mostly because I don't want to waste tobacco) and I have to say, it's no better. It lights ok, burns unevenly, has a bit of a bite for sure and no one around me expresses any favourable review of the aroma. And its expensive. Well, relative to others.

Unremarkable at best.

Apologies to the veteran smokers from a true beginner.

I have resisted reviewing this, because I have never really liked it, and my grandmother told me "If you don't have anything nice to say..." I decided maybe it was time.

It comes a little moist and takes an eternity to dry out any. It is mostly black in appearance and has a strong vanilla note in the pouch.

The smoking experience is one that is uneventful, and there is not much tobacco in the flavor. It is easy to overpack due to the moisture, and it requires a relight or two. I get a burnt marshmallow flavor and am told the room note is a pleasant vanilla. It has a fairly sweet taste with a chemical note to me, and I get the musty flavor I often get with black cavendish. The flavor is a little thin to me.

In terms of things to recommend it, you can find it almost anywhere that has OTC tobacco in stock. It seems to sell well.

On the negative side, there is the flavor. It also ghosts pipes, and sometimes you get an estate with a persistent vanilla ghost that endures. You can still catch a whiff of CB at the end of a bowl after a couple of pouches of Carter Hall or SWR.

It is hard to rate this, but for my palate it is a 1 really. The only way I can finish a pouch is to mix it with something to tone down the flavor and give it a little body.

I'm new to pipe smoking and thought I should give such a popular and mild tobacco a try. The pouch note was nice, a combination of vanilla and mild tobacco. It lingered in the pack I carry every day and was a pleasant reminder that I had the stuff with me and might get to try it soon. I must be getting better at packing and lighting as this was the first bowl of anything that stayed lit for a good while, even very moist right out of the bag. But this is also the first time my Peterson System gurgled. I thought easy burning and liquid buildup wouldn't go together, but again I'm new. The smoke itself was mild in strength and flavor, but just tasted like a fancy cigarette, if that's a thing. I don't know what flavor I want; I just know I don't want a cigarette. The room note was not good according to my wife and I agree based on what I smelled coming straight out of the bowl. On the plus side, I got no tongue bite, which has been an ongoing problem as I learn how to manage my pipe. So a Not Recommended from me. If you want to try the $1 special I keep seeing, you can't go wrong. I wouldn't pay the $10 I did at Walgreen's again. Cheers

Why anyone would smoke this is beyond me, might as well stuff a marshmallow in your pipe and smoke that.

Purchased on recommendation as a newbie. Not really sure why this is considered a go to for beginners - it's just boring. 2 dimensional and bland. It tastes like faintly sweet steam. Stop telling new pipe smokers to start with this, it's not a good introduction.

Captain Black, a relatively inexpensive Cavendish tobacco produced by Lane Limited, is considered one of the most popular drug store pipe tobaccos and sells readily across the country.

The pouch aroma of Captain Black is that of vanilla. The contents of this blend include Black Cavendish, Burley, and African Virginia tobaccos. This tobacco has a heavy casing, which imparts the somewhat monotonous candy aroma to the blend.

Captain Black has a short ribbon cut which is predominately black interspersed with brown/yellow colors. Packing of this blend is easily accomplished and the initial moisture is at a decent level.

Captain Black becomes lit almost instantaneously without any problems. The initial burn seems even. The room note can be said to be fair and similar in respects to the fragrance of burning sugar. As the smoke continues the moisture becomes progressively worse and the pipe gurgles more and more. Giving the tobacco time to dry has no great affect in diminishing the moisture that accumulates while smoking. Considering all of these characteristics, the humectant, Propylene Glycol, is certainly utilized in the manufacture of this blend and undoubtedly is applied in an overly liberal manner. This unfortunate over usage of the humectant is the culprit of the wet, goopy smoke.

The taste of Captain Black can be quite harsh. Hardly any real tobacco flavor and thus true substance can be detected over the overbearing candy taste of the applied casing. A somewhat horrid aftertaste completes the experience. Little bite is given off by this blend and the tobacco does yield a decent amount of white aromatic smoke.

It is widely understood that Captain Black is either a beginner?s tobacco or the preference of those who consider it their staple smoke due to its low price, easy accessibility, and perhaps mediocrity. With all things considered though, this is a very poor tobacco. Many tobacconists carry other low-priced bulk aromatic blends by Lane Limited that are quite similar to Captain Black but far superior in quality.

I am very surprised that this blend is not one of the top reviewed tobaccos in the database stats. I am sure that the majority of the reviewers has tried this blend at least once in their lifetime.

This blend can be habit forming. The vanilla is quite scrumptious. CBW is smooth, tasty, and soft (no bite). Room note very pleasing. Anti-smokers will compliment it's aroma.

This stuff can be found "everywhere". It must be very popular. I know people that smokes this blend by the pound!!

Although quite tasty, I have one big problem with this blend as well as for other "candy smokes". .....I can not have vanilla for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, supper and a nightcap. It amazes me that someone can eat/smoke this "all-day-long"!! .....I have tried to smoke this blend as a daily, but by noon; I am sick of it!

Final Grade: Good tasting, Good Aroma, No Bite. ....Candy Addicts will love this blend.

As for me: ....I have never had much of a sweet tooth.

Another Lane blend that has been tweaked for the worst. This blend hasn't been good since the late 1970s or early 80s. The black Cavendish in this is like syrup soaked cardboard. This is a far cry from what it used to be.

Out of sheer, burning curiosity, I wanted to know what an over-the-counter aromatic would be like. I had experience with Chacom #2 and #3, which are divine, as well as my favorite aro to date, Savinelli Cavendish.

Also, my second tobacco purchase originally was Mac Baren Aromatic Choice, which I do enjoy smoking my first and only pouch down gradually as a non-challenging, only artificially-complex pleasure smoke.

The note in the pouch is like a slice of black forest cake from any average American restaurant. Tasty! Vanilla with some chocolate and cherry — to me.

Another way to put it would be a cherry cordial candy that you got from the drugstore. Don’t get me wrong, they may not be Godiva, but they’re tasty.

Smoking, it has a tobacco base, but it’s harder to perceive than the average. Someone here described it as cardboard, and it worked on my senses — it did have a sort of flat paper-like quality to it.

Other times, it did have tobacco vibes in there but they are quiet. (But I’m mainly a fan of powerhouse, non-budget Gawith Virginia & English blends, so what do I know.)

This stuff is easy to light, easy to smoke, and the flavor is utterly unoffensive in any way. You’re basically a smoke-based potpourri dispenser.

While other tobaccos such as those Gawiths, can become foggy if not packed correctly or if covered by too much ash, etc., Captain Black is kind of a fog in general when it comes to tobacco flavor. Luckily without the tongue-burning steam. It’s just how it is in general.

I would say recommend for a beginner makes sense, but then again I feel Mac Baron aromatic choices all around better. The tobacco has a higher quality, the toppings are more interesting in general.

Anyhow as slow as I’ve been smoking my Mac Baron Scottish mix in aromatic choice, this will be smoked probably 10 times slower. I’d be happy to give us away. I bought it on a lark as an experiment and consider it an amusing failure. Back to my $16+ a ton English tobaccos I go. I would see if you want an aromatic try Savinelli cavendish, Chacom two (fermented plum) or three (bourbon vanilla-maple) or if those are too pricey, Mac Baren Aromatic Choice.

Also in this cheap aromatic lot, I bought a pouch of Mac Baren vanilla cream. It’s alright — better than this. But I still like aromatic choice better.

Anyhow best of luck to you!