Lane Limited Captain Black Original (Regular)

This tobacco deserves much more respect and appreciation! Maybe it's snobbery, maybe it's just people who don't like smoking aromatic pipe tobacco, idk why this tobacco gets rated so poorly!! If you urchase Captain Black White be aware you're grabbing a full-grown, sauced aromatic - but one of the better ones out there!

Now THIS is the taste and smell of "Pipe tobacco" as I'm thinking of it, when a old man was sitting next to you smoking his pipe. I do like that this tobacco has some tradition and was probably smoked by my/your grandfathers and even their grandfathers 😉 Back in the days, there weren't 10.000+ blends - there were 5-6 blends, that was it. (At least I got told so) People smoked this, enjoyed, and loved this blend for decades.

Now to the review: The tobacco smells great. A sweet nutty smell it gives, paired with a whiff of vanilla I can smell. It reminds me (almost) exactly of the smell of "Down by the River" by 4noggins (which btw. has execllent reviews......and its 99% the same smell and taste...) From the pouch you can clearly say "this is an aromatic" - but its a good one, with pleasant flavour!

Easy to pack, easy to light, easy to enjoy! The taste is somewhat like a sweet nut flavour. Caramel-ish. A bit of Vanilla in the back, but only very decently to me. Also by imes I get a strong, but tasty licorice taste, which is 100% like real licorice. But this flavour only pops out by times, sadly!

The tobacco gives it a bit of spice, which makes this a very delightful blend. I love this sweet, very nutty flavour, it is almost the same as "Down by the River" by 4noggins - but even more refined. Captain Black has just got more soul to it, at least I think so.

The nicotine isn't weak at all and much stronger than with most aromatics. So I personally love smoking this in the morning, to get my N-Addiction satisfied - AND enjoy a excellent aroma. Usually I used to smoke 1 cigarette in the morning, because a pipe diddnt serve my addiction. But this one is just perfect for that. Good taste, good nicotine - literally a "all-day-every-day"-smoke.

It has soul, a refined taste and it has a history to it. The room note is excellent and is just what everybody thinks of, when thinking of "a pipe smoker".

|| Personal rating: 3,5-stars | Rated for what it is: 3-stars ||

When I started smoking pipes many years ago I took on a few blends: Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey, Captain Black Original, CAO Eileen's Dream, and Peterson Sherlock Holmes.

I decided to get back to all of these and review them after all these years. See if they bring any memories, do I recommend them or not now that I got more experience.

Here's my #3 review: Captain Black Original.

A few months ago I purchased an estate Stanwell Diamond 242 to add to my 242 collection. Once it arrived I smelled the bowl to see which types of blends it would lead me to. I immediately recognized a blend I haven't smoked in about 18 years: It was clearly Captain Black Original. So I decided to purchase a pouch to see what I think.

Captain Black has gathered a poor reputation as an OTC blend that many people start and end their pipe journey with. I was afraid that this is more or less what happened to me. Not fully remembering what it was (although the smell was fully recognized) I thought it might be an off-putting Burley blend. But as I opened the pouch, it came back to me and I was pleasantly surprised. This is clearly a Lane Limited blend, dancing around 1-Q.

I pick up some cocoa and nuttiness from the Burley, a bit of alcohol-type note, and a hint of vanilla.

Upon lighting the pipe, the vanilla comes out much more. This is very much an aromatic blend. It's smooth and creamy, very similar to Lane Limited 1-Q.

It's pretty mild and consistent throughout the bowl. A bit moist, but leaving it in the pouch slowly dries it out over time so it could be smoked straight from the pouch over couple of months. It has a very good room note. My girlfriend asked me "what is that chocolate smell?" before noticing that I'm smoking my pipe.

Coarse cut, easily to pack and smoke, couple of relights, can be (and for its fans it is) an all-day smoke. If sweet aromatics are your thing. I personally smoke an aromatic ones a day or two, mostly as my last smoke of the day.

Now, if you're a Captain Black fan and only smoke that blend, I can totally understand. It can be satisfying for aromatic smokers and did make me like this blend again. However, it does not reach the heights that 1Q does and the price is a bit too high in comparison as well. So while I am tempted to buy this from time to time, it won't be a regular buy. That said, I'll finish on a positive note. It's a great blend and the purity snobs can complain as much as they want. But if you only eat vegetables, don't hate on someone who likes to suck on a lollypop. They're just ain't the same.

Let me first start out i'm not a snooty pipe smoker and I have smoked cigs for 30+ years so my palette is probably burnt out. 🙂 I also think a big mac is pretty dam good. So you can see i'm not high falutin. That all being said I think CB White is an enjoyable blend. It has a nice aroma and enjoyable vanilla taste as you sip on your pipe. It is mild and burns good. The first half of the bowl is the best losing the vanilla taste on the bottom half. So if your just a down to earth pipe smoker give it a try.

CBW was my 3rd Drugstore blend after the $1.99 Vanilla Cavendish and then CB Royal. A lot of pipe smokers that I've run into only smoke this stuff, a rare few are aware of other better blends.

This is a blend that is EASY to get, the cost of a pouch today makes it overkill when you can get a MUCH better blend(Boswells Christmas Cookie)for much less. Nevertheless, to this day, After 6 yrs of on an off pipe smoking and my recent Full Force Return(and For Good)I still like Captain Black White and keep it around.

I keep it for the nostalgia, being my first blend I liked, and because the pipe smokers I grew up with smoked this and provides the smell that no other blend can to remind me of them.

Smoking slow and focusing on the scent is how I learned to enjoy this. I never put it in my better pipes, but the Dr.Grabow I had when I first smoked this in, is still in use and is only smoked when Im in the mood for this blend. To each his own, and while there are better aromatics, it is important to remember that this is still around for a reason. Enjoy!

Like for many others, this was the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked, nearly 20 years ago now.

A lot of people on here seem to be having some problems understanding this blend. Gentleman - you're not going into this expecting a premium, hand crafted pipe tobacco. Some people are acting like they were expecting an 18 year old Macallan, but got Johnny Walker Red instead. The trick with this tobacco is to accept it for what it is.

All of that said though, I still enjoy this from time to time, simply because I don't have high expectations for it, nostalgia, and the incredible room note. Really, the room note is superb. No one will ever complain when you are smoking this. In fact, they will probably come up to you simply to get a better smell of what you're smoking.

It doesn't offer a lot of nicotine, but the flavor is pretty nice. The vanilla is not too artificial (I've had much, much worse) or sickly sweet. I think the balance here is pretty great to be honest. I think this is exactly what the blenders were going for and they've accomplished that - a wonderful smelling tobacco which is easy to smoke, easy to maintain, and easy to enjoy. And despite being pretty moist out of the pouch, it's not a blend that really bites, either.

Sometimes you just want a greasy, $4 burger. This is exactly that. It's not a gourmet offering and it was never meant to be. And while I do love my Dunhill's, Solani's and Gawith blends, I just don't look at this the same way. Captain Black White is like an old friend, one which I don't visit or talk to very often, but when I do, it's like we've never parted, and we pick up right where we left off.

Some reviewers make this out to be some horrific blend but it really isn't. I mean, if you want a really horrific blend, just grab a pouch of Borkum Riff Whiskey. Compared to that, Captain Black White is like a work of high art. So just take it for what it is and enjoy. It's a classic in its own right.

Captain Black, was the pipe tobacco smoked by real men. Like our Fathers and Grandfathers and salty Uncles. Men who chopped cords of wood all day, took our Scout Troop camping or canoeing, taught us how to hunt, tie knots, build fires, in a phrase... be MEN. They weren't Lords or Dukes from England wearing panty hose and ruffled shirts and powdered wigs.

The Captain is common. It's average. It's a known quantity. It's not something a tobacco mad scientist cooked up with 10 different ingredients. And those around you don't wretch with nausea. It's mild, pleasant, and smokes cool and consistent. It's a drug store tobacco. It's a great beginner tobacco.

But, reading the reviews on here, a lot of people are "better than us." Snobs, spoiled, privileged, or at least want others to think so.

Everything sucks, right snobs? Vinyl records suck, right? Because now there's MP3's and streaming music on your smartphone!! And cigarettes suck because there's e-cigs where you can crank the Nicotine content through the roof and blast a cloud of vapor that used to only come from the stacks on a textile factory. Wood stoves suck because now there's central heat/AC with digital thermostats. And cameras and computers suck because your smartphone does it all with mobile Internet and a 12MP camera.

There's a reason that Captain Black has been around this long, and it's NOT because it SUCKS! Things that SUCK don't survive in the marketplace; Yugos, Teddy Ruxpins, Hayden Christensen, etc..

But everyone is entitled to their opinion, if yours is that CB sucks, then don't buy it. Apparently enough people still do for it to remain in business after all these years.

I'm going to come right out and say that this is one of those tobaccos people like to make fun of or give the impression they are "better than" in some way. Is Captain Black the greatest pipe tobacco in the world? No... Is it a master blend of flavor and quality? No... Is it a tobacco you can buy in the same store you buy couch syrup, band aids and deodorant? Yes... So for those who have given Captain Black bad reviews because they somehow feel like they are the only one telling the Emperor he isn't wearing clothes, I got news for you... You aren't telling us anything new. It's a (OTC) drugstore pipe tobacco, I wasn't expecting it to be the most fantastic tobacco I ever smoked for the same reason I don't expect a Big Mac to be the most incredible burger I've ever eaten in my life.

Now for the rest of us... Captain Black Regular was the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked. It's a classic and even if it isn't the greatest tobacco in the world I enjoy a pouch of it from time to time. Whenever I meet someone who is interested in pipe smoking I usually point them in the direction of Captain Black or Half and Half.

1. It's available just about everywhere. 2. Most people like the smell. 3. Once you get the hang of it you won't burn your mouth. 4. If you don't like it your only out a few bucks.

Trying to put Captain Black up against "high quality" pipe tobaccos from companies like Cornell & Diehl or Hearth & Home isn't exactly a fair comparison. It's like putting a Chevy Aveo up against a Dodge Viper... Yeah they are both cars but one is built to get you back and forth to work... the other is built to make you feel better about getting old... I will let you pick which is which. So if you are looking for a high quality tobacco with subtle complexities and hints of this or that... I wouldn't go with Captain Black. If you are looking for a classic "Pipe" smoke that smells the way you remember pipe smoke smelling when you were a kid. Bingo this is it!

At the end of the day Captain Black is a pipe tobacco that most people have fond memories of. You may have moved on and found better blends of higher quality tobaccos but you shouldn't look down on your humble beginnings. It might not be an everyday smoke. It might be a little fake tasting now that you know better. It might be your guilty pleasure from time to time. But for a pipe tobacco that doesn't claim to be anything other than a pipe tobacco it's fantastic for what it is. Personally I think it's great in a Cob around a camp fire drinking a few beers.

I like this a lot.This is like the band ABBA.No one admits to liking this or even had smoked it but they have sold millions of records(Yea ,I'm old)for decades.You can find this everywhere,smell it everywhere.It is exactly what it says it is.Mild,full vanilla,soft on the pallet(to me).This is a tobacco with loads of flavor, not just flavored air. One match light.Anyone with a sweet tooth will be rewarded with a dessert type smoke.You will need to use pipe cleaners during your smoke and a good pipe cleaning is necessary afterward.Dedicate a pipe for this tobacco.It flies in a corncob.It is not intended for your Dunhill or grade 19 Nording,but that is up to you.It's funny,most people think that this is a summertime smoke,and thats fine,but I tend to smoke this inside in the winter.(My wife ,son & cats love it) and I take my strongest tobacco outside in the summer(read:Latakia)I could'nt smoke this all the time but I do find it"s delicious,smells great and even though the nic level is low,very satisfying.Newbees & vets should appreciate this aromatic. I like ABBA too.

I don?t think there is any relatively young pipe smoker out there who has not at one point tried either Captain Black White, Lane?s 1Q,Borkum Riff Bourbon, Clan or Gold Block (if English)/Prince Albert (if American). Of these rather common and easily obtainable blends, I believe Captain Black is perhaps the most popular and in many ways the best one, although Prince Albert should be set aside in the sense it is one of the few non aromatic drug store blends. In reading the previous reviews I get the feeling that most of my fellow smokers express a legitimate nostalgia regarding this blend. I couldn?t agree more. Many a pipe smoker owes CBW his/her initial acquaintance with what is properly defined as a ?gentle art? rather than a habit or vice. The abundance of chunky vanilla flavoured Black Cavendish, with ribbon cut brown and light Burleys has become something of a classic. Not difficult to pack, though it may take some time before actually get it going, and virtually bite free, this mild to medium strength smoke is truly satisfying and pleasant. Most non smokers (or at least non pipe smokers) readily accept CBW as "the" traditional pipe aroma, to the point that some friends once told me I should quit smoking that ?cheap? stuff (referring to My Mixture 965), and go back to what they called the ?classy and elegant? CBW. With all of the above reviews I definitely recommend this either as a beginner?s tobacco or else as a nice, now and then change of pace, especially if in the need to please one?s company.