Lane Limited Captain Black Original (Regular)

(2.54)
From P&C's website: Captain Black has been the biggest selling line of tobaccos in the United States for almost fifty years, and this one is the original. Captain Black Regular is a mixture of Virginia, burley and black cavendish with a distinctively warm, pleasantly sweet flavor and aroma.

Details

Brand Lane Limited
Blended By Lane Limited
Manufactured By Lane Ltd.
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Black Cavendish, Burley, Cavendish, Virginia
Flavoring Other / Misc, Vanilla
Cut Coarse Cut
Packaging 1.5 ounce pouch, 12 ounce tin
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.54 / 4
89

180

156

83

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 11 of 508 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 30, 2005 Mild to Medium Strong Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
Fair enough, the world, much less this forum may not need more discussion on one of the world's most recognizable pipe tobaccos. With that in mind, I will try not to repeat what has already been said about it in detail. Yes, it's everywhere, it's arguably inexpensive (except here in Canada, where no tobacco is inexpensive) it's loved, it's maligned, and like the old death and taxes routine, it's there and there's nothing you can do about it.

This tobacco is often refered to with a quaint, archaic description used by the pipe smoking community, the "drug store blend". This both references and conjures images of a time when drug stores were the 7-11's of their day, where in addition to pharmaceuticals could be found all manner of household items, usually of the cheap and fast variety. A pouch of Prince Albert and a bicycle tire repair kit might constitute an average sale. You didn't go to the drug store to buy fine tobacco, your town had a "tobacconist"(miracle of miracles), who actually blended the mixture himself. You went to the drug store to buy tobacco that was cheap, available, and definately mass produced. This is the heritage of both Lane Limited and it's most famous product, Captain Black "White".

Perhaps this still used "drug store" reference is an indication of how old fashioned many pipe smokers are, regardless of their actual age (I'm certainly guilty). What I feel is being missed, or maybe only vaguely touched on, in the reviews, is that this is not only a mass produced "drug store blend", it is a "NAME BRAND PRODUCT". In pipe tobacco it is "the" name brand product. Like Coca Cola and the Big Mac, this is a very high profile (a colassal understatement) product owned and endorsed by a major corporation. As such, it is subject to the barrage of scrutiny and contentetion that such fame inevitably brings. Conneseurs look at it as unwashed, the masses never question it (they probably think it's the ONLY pipe tobacco), and those of us somewhere in the middle all have our varying opinions. These opinions are based on many factors of taste, class, exposure and sometimes, even the quality of the product itself.

Ah, the product itself. Somebody here called it the "Old Spice" of pipe tobaccos. I think of it more as the "Oreo Cookie" of pipe tobaccos. Ever notice how many cookies try to copy Oreo, and none of them get it right? You'd think it wouldn't be that tough to replicate a cookie, cola, or pipe tobacco but guess again, product formulas worth that kind of international trade are closely guarded secrets. Oreos are supposed to be chocolate, I guess, but they don't exactly taste it. It's a hard flavour to put your finger on. The Captain is supposed to be vanilla, I guess, but doesn't exactly taste it. Just try the originals back to back with some of the hordes of other little chocolate cookies and trade grade vanilla pipe stuffings, and you'll see what I mean. It just has a flavour and aroma that are hard to describe, and unlike any other. Captain Black may not be the pipe tobacco against which all others are measured, but it is the pipe tobacco against which all other mass produced, aromatic "drug store blends" are marketed.

I don't believe it is a terrible, or even a bad tobacco. If it tasted like burning tires, nobody would buy it, no matter how gullible they might be. A Big Mac is not prime rib. A Big Mac is, however, a carefully created, easily prepared sandwich which is very predictable, inexpensive, widely available, yet still generally enjoyable to most people. If that desciption happens to remind any pipe smokers of a brownish weed they've encountered in a white pouch with a sailboat on the top, it's no coincidence. If you're tired of it, it's time to head off to the tobacconist, or the steak house.

I enjoy Captain Black's vanilla meets raisins meets old furniture at the antique shop sort of essense. My grandfather never smoked it in his pipe, yet it somehow sort of SEEMS like he did. I buy better tobaccos, and for that matter cheaper tobaccos, which I greatly enjoy. Pipe tobacco is one area of life where I really get to exercise my penchant for trying new things. However, I never seem to be without this stuff, and I've never smoked a bowl of it I didn't enjoy. Am I a victim of the corporate machine? In this case I think I'm more of a willing participant. Some people will not like it's flavour. If someone finds this harsh, they weren't cut out for pipe smoking. Some will reject it because they prefer other types of blends, more latakia, less sweet. Some will even never try it and turn their noses up on the basis that it lacks "culture". Culture, my friends, is all around us.

P.S. - I personally find the Big Mac kind of disgusting, don't really like the sauce that much. I LOVE the Quater Pounder with Cheese.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 17, 2011 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
Reading some of the other reviews of this well-known tobacco, I am reminded of the collegiate of up-nosed avant-gardes who populate the pipe-smoking community. It's no wonder that when many peope imagine a pipe-smoking chap they envision an snobbish demeanored 18th century English wasp textile-baron archetype.

"Lovey, I shall dine in three quarters of one hour, alert the staff!" "Yes, dear!" "Hmmmhmmm...yes, yes... and then after our dinner of baby seal snouts and braised elephant ivory I shall retire to a puff of smoke in the drawing room to plan the company budgets and sign yet another stack of dead-peasant filings... then perhaps murder an orphan child for sport."

Yes, Captain Black Regular or "White" IS an aromatic tobacco. Yes, it IS a "pharmacy-blend". It's also what half of our fathers, grandfathers, and uncles smoked. And for good reason. Captain Black Regular is smooth, mellow, and satisfying. This coming from someone who has tried many tobaccos, from your Prince Alberts and Carter Halls to your Reserve 1928s and your Revelations. The Captain packs quite nicely, lights without a fuss, and then ALWAYS burns down to the quick producing a fine white ash. It's also extremely easy to find, is faily priced, has absolutely NO tongue bite, and comes in a rather air-tight canister that makes for a consistent smoke.

The room-note is, in my humble opinion, unmatched in any tobacco out there. My significant other is quite fond of the smell as well. Trust me, it's hauntingly good. It's the kind of smell that, when smelled, reminds you of things past. Personally, I think of puttering around the yard raking leaves, mowing the lawn, roofing the garage, and detailing the GTO.

As for the taste... heh. Well, it's all a matter of taste isn't it? To me, the taste is light and airy with some more brutal undertones at certain times throughout the bowl. It tastes of sweet vanilla with a nutty undercurrent at times (especially at first), and then evolves (or devolves if you wish) into more of a toasty marshmallowy taste. It is best sipped with something sweet to accent it (such as a diet mountain dew or sweet tea) and not such a "coffee-paired" tobacco like say... Hal'o the Wynd. Certainly an all-day tobacco though, never wearing on my taste and forming the backbone of my rotation of favorites.

One caution though... DO NOT BUY THE POUCHES. The tobacco inside is dry and flavorless. ONLY BUY THE CANISTERS. You probably won't regret it.

So, this is MY opinion on the famous old pirate. Take it or leave it, but certainly consider it.
59 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 24, 2012 Mild to Medium Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
Lots of vanilla and a little honey are the flavors that stand out. I never really got much nuttiness, earth or wood from the burley though I have noticed a little grassiness from the Virginia. The sugary black cavendish is infused with a moderately deep vanilla. A bit of PG keeps this tobacco moist. The strength is a couple of steps past the mild mark. The taste is just past the center of mild to medium. Has a mild nic-hit. It can get harsh and bitey if you puff fast, so a slow cadence is recommended. Requires few relights. Leaves too much moisture in the bowl, and slow puffing will reduce the chance of goop. The flavor is mostly consistent. It smells great and back in the days of smoking in public, you could get a date smoking this brand because women love it. A decent beginner's aromatic.

-JimInks
50 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 17, 2015 Very Mild Medium Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
Say what you will (and I know you will) Captain Black Regular is about as stable as your going to get when "large scale" aromatics come into play. Seriously guys, after all the bellyaching and whining I've heard (read) concerning this lowly and trusty tobacco, you'd think it was made by some company in China using the worst products available. But from my experience (4 bowls tonight while sitting on the front porch with my wife) I'm seriously considering ordering a 12oz can for me to keep in my study. This isn't some "Chemically Laden", "Vomit Inducing" tobacco that many pipe smokers would lead you to believe it is.

Captain Black Regular is exactly what everyone knows it to be, a pleasant aromatic with light strength and an aromatic room note that will please the most sensitive nosed passersby. It's not trying to be a complex and detailed tobacco harkening back to the days of old tavern smoking and high dollar drams of scotch. It's a drug store tobacco, don't try to make it something it's not. Easiest way for me explain it is as follows: When I want to have a beer with a friend at the pub, and all I want is something that will satisfy my tastes, I'll most likely grab a cheep beer and enjoy my conversation not thinking twice about the drink I'm partaking in. Why(?), because I came to enjoy the company of my friend, not critique and rate the beer on its malt content or the percentage and type of hops used to craft the drink in my hand. I wanted to taste beer, so I got a beer. On the contrary, when I get a flight of beer or go to a beer tasting, I'll tell my friends to shut up and focus on actually tasting the beer in hand. When I want a to smoke a bowl of tobacco and tinker with fixing my lawnmower or repair the tail light on my car, I don't want to smoke something that demands to be studied.....I want something I can just "smoke" and not think too much about. That's the way I see Captain Black Regular, it's always there, it's always faithful and it should be seen for what it is.....a light smoking, pleasant smelling tobacco that's not meant to be taken too seriously. (Chances are, if your reading this and getting hot in the head, you should probably try not taking yourself too seriously for starters.....)
Pipe Used: SMS Premium - Quarter-bent COACHMAN
PurchasedFrom: Walgreens
Age When Smoked: New
48 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Pip
Aug 28, 2009 Very Mild Mild Mild Pleasant
All pipe smokers have to try this one at least once. And I mean ONCE. From the pouch the initial smell was nice but not in a natural way. Take a deep sniff and you will easily detect the chemicals. The tobacco (if it really is tobacco)was very moist and sticky, as expected.

It burns hot and tastes like burnt cardboard that was dipped in anti-freeze, a nasty smoky sickly sweet taste if you will. The room note is the same very sweet. Its pure poison if you ask me. Blah!!!!!!!! It also funked up my pipe.

After about half way down the bowl I dumped it out and tossed the pouch into the BBQ. You should have seen the flames!!! Crazy!
46 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 20, 2008 Very Mild Medium to Strong Very Mild Very Pleasant
Okay, the best thing you can say about this blend is that it's a babe magnet. Women fall all over themselves trying to get their hands on the man smoking Captain Black. I guess in that regard alone, this may be one of the finest blends ever bestowed upon mankind. (-;

But, on the other hand, I am already married to a beautiful woman (she even likes the smell of latakia, can't get any more beautiful than that), so, I can forego this blend.

Is there a pipesmoker who has not tried Captain Black? It is mild, tastes like vanilla flavored prunes and will not bite no matter how hard you puff. It stays lit well, and is even cheap enough for Jack Benny. If I am out and about and find myself without any quality leaf for my pipe, I don't mind taking the Captain for a cruise...as long as it's a short one.
33 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 12, 2014 Extremely Mild None Detected Extremely Mild (Flat) Pleasant
The captain sailed back into my life after a long and not much maligned absence. Its nice to know in such a chaotic world that some things remain everlasting. Indeed the Captain is just as vicious of tongue and tastelessly boring as that girl I knew in college. A true bedrock of banality filled with not but regret and remorse.

There are only three reasons to smoke this blend; 1.You bought it and feel bad now that you spent so much on it and are obliged to finish what you started 2. You want OTHER people to enjoy the smell of your pipe and not ask you to smoke outside whilst you suffer in dumb agony wondering if you'll ever taste anything ever again. 3. Your into self degradation and have found this blend as key to expanding your choice of self flagellation.

There is no flavor worth commenting on. There is no Nicotine worth commenting on. The only way to enjoy this smoke is to cut it 50/50 with something that adds some kick and flavor and to use you nose to try and squeeze something of value from the vapid grey smoke.

The Captain will however teach you (with the alacrity of a cruel schoolmaster) to smoke 'cold molasses' slowly as you must remove yourself from all distraction and turn you full faculty to regulating your draw and burn temp such that you avoid suffering confusion as to whether you're enjoying your evening smoke or have in reality grabbed the business end of an acetylene torch.

Pipe Used: Cob
PurchasedFrom: OTC
Age When Smoked: 1 week
32 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 13, 2015 Mild Mild to Medium Medium Very Pleasant
For all of those that call this a terrible smoke with a taste of cardboard and on and on and on, I say you lack the palate to back up your griping. I am an avid fan of G. L. Pease and Mac Baren tobaccos. I smoke Mac Baren's 7 Seas Royal Blend as my every day smoke and am a fan of all types of Virginia blends, my favorite is probably the straight Virginia No1 from Mac Baren. Having said this Captain Black Regular is in my pipe every morning with my first cup of coffee. It is a quality aromatic with just the right touch of virginia and nicotine for the first smoke of the morning. This tobacco in an expensive tin would get rave reviews from you tobacco snobs out there. It's not complex, it's not intriguing, it's not mysterious, it is a straight forward, well blended, consistent smoke and should have a place in all educated pipe smoking aficionados rotation.
Pipe Used: Savinelli
PurchasedFrom: Careys
Age When Smoked: fresh
21 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 20, 2013 Very Mild Mild to Medium Extremely Mild (Flat) Pleasant
Wow, smells like a candy store, always catches one admiration in public. Tastes like I've eaten a badly constructed chemistry set from the most dysfunctional RadioShack in the backwoods. Bleck...Double bleck!!

Smoke in peace, brothers and sisters of the leaf.
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
TW
Jul 16, 2012 Extremely Mild Medium Very Mild Unnoticeable
An American friend suggested I try this as a change from my usual non-aromatic English/Balkan and Virginia blends. He smokes aromatics and swears by it.

I was a little wary, because I've always disliked aromatics, but gave it a try.

What can I say? It's "tobacco" for people who don't like tobacco. It's like the "aromas" you can get for the "electronic pipes" that produce a mist of nicotine and assorted chemical-laden fake flavours, only without the nicotine or flavouring. If this were music it would be played in elevators.

Quite pointless.
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 23, 2017 Medium Medium Medium Very Pleasant
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 ||

14 people found this review helpful.
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