Lane Limited MV-1000

This is yet another gourmet version of Capt. Black. In this case it is Capt. Black Gold. Unlike 1Q, it is not nauseatingly sweet but not as masculine (you'll have to figure out what that means) as RLP6, the other 2 gourmet versions of CB, Royal and White respectively. You get a mild taste of tobacco and a room note similar to RLP6. This is a light colored, finely, short cut, Virginia Cavendish. The blend burns fast and easily. If you experience a little bite it is not the blend, but the rapid burn. Just take it slow. A dash of Burley would help this blend and 1Q as well. RLP6 is full of Burley. For those who don't usually smoke aromatics I would strongly suggest this one as a test, or an alternative to the non-aromatics you smoke now. If you like this blend and would like to try it with the volume turned up, try RLP6.

I bought a 5lb bag of this in 2005 and packed it into glass Ball jars. I recently popped a jar of this and I must say it is my favorite aromatic blend by far. As previously noted, it is mild in the nicotene department, but that's no surprise for an aromatic, I suppose. I find it really performs best in a deep bowl, especially one with a good cake. To me, it has a wonderful cocoa flavor and aroma, but I can still taste the underlying tobacco. This is what an aromatic should be IMO. The flavor profiles don't really evolve throughout the smoke, as one would look for in an uncased Virginia, but remain cool and dry with a mild cocoa flavor, without ever becoming cloying or hot. This is a crowd pleaser if one is in a tolerant crowd who won't scream and faint at the sight of a chap enjoying a pipe. This will remain in my occasional rotation for quite some time,(5lbs!). If one enjoys aromatics, I think this is head and shoulders above the rest. I'm sure this is available at B&M's under a variety of names, so one might try this for less than a 5lb investment. I like it.

I am a very new pipe smoker, and this was my initial foray into the art. I ordered a pipe essential kit from PipesandCigars, and this was one of the tins that came with it.

I am coming to this tobacco from having smoked cigars, more cigarettes, and LOTS of mint chewing tobacco. This has completely opened my eyes. This tobacco, unlike chew, is beautiful to look at. There are so many colors of gold and brown and tan. It is wonderful to touch as it falls apart with the slightest rubbing of my fingers.

I taste very little vanilla, which I like. I like that I am able to smell and taste tobacco without "unnatural" scents cropping up. The smell after the pipe is finished is heavenly. As far as taste, I am still learning the difference between Virginias and Burleys and such. I can say that there are moments where caramel and floral notes come through. I don't feel like there is a substantial amount of nicotine. I have read a lot about tongue bite, but I have not experience it, so I would say that is a testament to this tobacco for beginners.

I don't know if it is due to my inexperience, but I have had a hell of a time keeping this tobacco lit. I have to smoke it pretty hot and keep a very fast rhythm. I have read that many aromatics are more difficult to keep lit due to the moisture, so it could be that I have not dried the tobacco well. This is my only real complaint; the tobacco does not burn well.

All that aside, I truly enjoy this tobacco, and I look forward to finishing this tin and smoking more.

This one surprised me. I was gifted about 3 oz of this from a friend of mine who runs a tobacco shop. He was cleaning out the back room and found this hidden, along with some Peter Stokkebye Optimum and Lane BCA. He gave me a bag of each, and this was the one I was the least excited about. I packed a bowl of this fine shag-cut mixture into one of my favorite briars and fired it up. The charring light was disappointing: no taste at all. I was sure I was in for a pretty bland smoking experience but I continued on...and I'm really glad that I did. I smoke Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic on an almost daily basis. I love the stuff. After about 10 or 12 puffs of MV-1K, I started tasting a familiar taste. It was beginning to taste nearly identical to Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic, but with a sweeter, creamier note in there somewhere. I think I'll be keeping some of this around.

This has been my daily smoke since I dropped rubbing snuff in favor of the pipe full time. I'm fairly new to reviewing and have little experience at this point with many different tobaccos; however, I would like to offer my novice opinion--might help someone else.

This blend is fairly mild, burns cool with proper puffing, and has a slight touch of sweetness. I find it to be somewhat mild in the nicotine arena, which leads me to frantic puffing at times to get a good dose. Even with this frantic puffing, I have had a sore tongue, but not a harshly bitten one. I would recommend this tobacco for a new smoker and one that smokes Virginia on a regular basis.

Enjoy! SUMO

This was a welcome surprise. I didn't detect any flavoring, but it does smell pretty good. I am going to try this with some Burley tobaccos for a homemade half and half. This is a very finely shredded tobacco, so it tends to burn relatively fast.

10/23/04: Too fine for most pipes. Makes a good blender with any quality Burley for a nicer "Half & Half" without the flavorings. Would also be an o.k. R.Y.O. cigarette tobac. By itself would probably smoke too hot in a pipe.

02/13/04: Bought a new batch. This sample had a more obvious flavoring than the original review. Very tasty. A very "Danish"flavoring. Perhaps honey? I smoked it after some Rum & Maple and I enjoyed this more than the R&M.

Here's a perfectly respectable bulk aromatic. If you want an inoffensive, inexpensive tobacco that it available everywhere and will moderately please the smoker and those he smokes amidst MV 1000 will do it for you.

Don't expect anything spectacular. This is a fine cut Virginia of middling quality with an entirely inoffensive vanilla top dressing. It's a latte from Starbucks. It's a little different from 1Q and if 1Q suits your fancy, why not try a Virginia-esque variation on the same.

Soft, simple, sweet smelling but not insipid. Nice and almost forgettable, but you a do a great deal worse.

This is one of the better aromatics that I have come across. The flavor, although somewhat lacking in true tobacco taste, was pleasant and light. The room note was appealing to all that I smoked it around and experienced very little wet dottle at the end of the smoke.

I like and enjoy many bulk blends but this is not going to be one of them, I found this tobacco heavily cased with a bitter flavor. This biterness is covering up whatever the base tobacco would have tasted like.

I agree with other reviewers that this is similar to Skandinavik in many respects, but as I also do not enjoy that blend I will have to pass on MV-1000.