Tobaccos Lane Limited - Captain Black Black Sea (Premium Edition)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChapperralTobacconist (3)	2014-05-04		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Satisfying mixture of tobacco flavor and aromatic room note. Disagree with the description on the tin label--This is not a Balkan mixture hybrid, because the addition of latakia does not constitute Balkan. Show me the Orientals--then we will talk Balkan! The Dark Kentucky nicotine kick was nice, the mixture eye appeal was nice, the tin note nice. True flavor with aromatic twist. Good stuff.

Pipe Used: New Savinelli Punto Oro Corallo Bulldog

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Laudisi

Similar Blends: This tobacco mixture has some dark Kentucky Burley, that reminds me it's like Mac Barren Mixture with a touch of latakia, and some black cavendish..

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-11-15		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was given a couple of ounces of this by a friend. It is a small "fish flake" cut, and can at a pretty good level of hydration for me. I just packed it and did not do anything special to prepare it.

The smoking experience is a little thin, but it is pleasant. It is sweet and has some latakia woodsy flavor and room note. There may be a hint of vanilla here, but it is a mostly a nondescript sweet with latakia in the background. I did not get much tobacco flavor when sipped. Puffed I picked up some Virginia notes.

This is a solid 2.5. I will smoke up what I have and not regret the experience. I am not likely to buy any more.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Travelingmanwv (4)	2014-03-20		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Received as a gift from the owner of http://www.wvsmokeshop.com. He wanted me to try it, so we enjoyed a pipe together. IMO it's a Very mellow blend with a pleasant room note. Aromatic hybrid...must say IMO this tobacco is a joy to smoke. Two non smokers said, "that smells really good." Just after I had lit the pipe. As I continue smoking this mixture it's evident that it's flavorful, and I think the variety of flavors are complex. I typically prefer a Virginia or an English blend, but for a mild all day smoke this blend has the perfect amount of Latakia. Certainly will keep the " a Black Sea" in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Grabow Golden Duke

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: www.wvsmokeshop.com

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2014-11-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The Cyprian Latakia is a smoky, earthy, slightly woodsy, minor component that mainly acts as a flavor push to the other ingredients, but you will notice it. The black cavendish is sugary with a touch of vanilla, complimenting the sweet, mildly nutty, woody, earthy Kentucky burley, the latter being a supporting player. The Virginias are citrusy without a hint of grass or earth, leading me to suspect it's subjected to the cavendish process. The very sweet topping sublimates the tobaccos to some extent, and though I'm not sure what it is, it does have a little alcohol base. The strength is a couple of steps past the mild mark. The taste is almost medium. Has very little nicotine. Burns at a reasonable pace with hardly a relight and no bite, and almost no moisture in the bowl. The taste of the product is consistent. An all day very sweet smoke. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wintermute (90)	2015-06-24		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

For those who know Captain Black, this one is a complete departure from the typical aromatics that the Captain puts out. This is one of those aromatic blends that companies try to make so that smokers can enjoy an English style while still pleasing the people around them. When you open the tin, there is a smell of leather and smoke and sweetness. Even after aging for 6 months, the moisture level is just about right. The ribbon cut seems a little shorter than typical ribbons to me. It packs well and lights right up. The taste of Latakia comes through from the start along with the distinct flavor of Virgina tobacco. The smoke does not come in giant plumes, but it is a good amount to keep you puffing. The room aroma is the only sweet part of this tobacco that I can detect. None of that sweetness comes through in the smoke. In fact, this is only the second Latakia blend that the wife will tolerate in the house. Most are evicted at the first puff. The only other Latakia blend that made the cut was Presbyterian Mixture. Oh, and one more thing about the aroma, it goes away very quickly. The flavor stays the same to the bottom of the bowl and the stuff finishes in a fine ash. There is no tongue bite. There is plenty of spice for the back of the throat. The nicotine level seems higher than all of the other Captain Black blends. There is no after taste and the pipe is left clean and dry and ready for another trip on the Black Sea. A real winner! By the way, there is supposed to be Burley in here, but I could not taste any of it. I am a huge Burley fan, but no luck with finding it here.

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow Omega Bent, corn cob

Age When Smoked: Aged 6 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Presbyterian Mixture.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redd (117)	2015-04-04		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Extra Strong

Finally a full American / English Blend Loaded with Latakia. CBBS A smooth hefty full bodied smoke that doesn't get boring all the way through the bowl. All I can add is that I Love it Love it Love it.

Pipe Used: Neerup Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: PIPE & CIGARS

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	atomicbuster (79)	2015-04-06		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a great, simple blend. Very mellow and easy on the tongue. Burns well, but just a tad wet. Minimal drying needed. However, it does not last long in a travel pouch, in a car, maybe 4-5 days. You can taste the Latakia, it's not dominant, but just right. The balance is great and everything just works well. Maybe I won't buy this particular blend again, but I'm definitely buying the rest of the CB premium offerings to try out. Definitely recommended.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dottie Warden (22)	2017-01-13		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Interesting, surprisingly!

Touted as a hybrid, this blend attempts to do both the impossible and the unthinkable at the same time, and to a degree pulls it off. Typically, as crossovers tend to be, this blend achieves neither the qualities of an English nor those of an aromatic. That said, I find the execution to be excellent and in their own right the Captain’s blenders have achieved a very smokeworthy and unique blend.

Upon opening the tin, you are greeted with that unmistakable odor of Latakia followed by a strange and contradictory sweetness that bewilders the senses. A newcomer to the world of Latakia might be as easily put off as the hardcore Lat aficionado, and rightly so. However, I suggest a level head and an open mind be maintained by either and one dare to fill their favorite pipe with a loose pack of this strange mélange.

The cut is coarse and the quality of the Cavendish and other tobaccos is undeniable. It takes some effort to get a consistent burn, but the creaminess of the smoke is will reward your effort. The Latakia taste is much milder, for better or worse, than the tin note would lead you to believe, yet strong enough to tell you are not smoking a typical aromatic either. Don’t push it though, because it will tickle the tongue and may even bite.

Taste is surprisingly pleasant and you will be glad you didn’t toss the tin as you were initially inclined. I remained perplexed throughout the first bowl as the taste of the Latakia became gently more present through the evolution of the smoke, as the sweetness moves from the foreground to the background, without ever quite disappearing.

Perhaps not immediately, but soon your curiosity will likely get the better of you as you reach for another bowl of this anomaly.

I have to hand it to the Captain for his efforts, and I’m thankful I had the good sense to give this blend a chance. I don’t see this blend ever becoming my standard fare, but at the same time it was a positive experience and I’m sure to enjoy every bowl the tin provides.

Give it a try for yourself, knowing full well this blend is unusual, but at the same time tasty and unique.

Update 2017-05-27:

My inexplicable craving for another tin has caused me to upgrade my rating from 2 stars to 3. Yes, this is one strange concoction, but hey, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

Pipe Used: Chacom Salsa 297 Canadian

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Gift

Similar Blends: This unique blend cannot be legitimately compared to anything on the market.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-11-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Lane Limited - Captain Black Black Sea (Premium Edition).

The contents of the tin are fairly coarse/rugged, there's many a size and shape in there. Before I'd read what sort of blend this was, the tin-note helped me to clarify: vanilla flavoured. The tin includes many different colours: from black to yellow, and moisture quantity's good.

This is a comforting blend; the Latakia's not harsh, the Virginia's sweet, the Burley gives a strong nuttiness (the heaviest of the tobacco flavours) and the Black Cavendish plays off with the vanilla addition perfectly. To be fair, it's nowhere near as sticky with vanilla as the smell had me thinking it was going to be; it's more of a custardy creaminess as opposed to a sledge hammer of falseness. A bowl burns well, and gives a bite free smoke that's pretty cool in temperature.

The nicotine's mild to medium and the room-note's pleasant.

I enjoy this, it has more tobacco taste to it than some of the other Captain Black's.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Mastro Cascia

Age When Smoked: Two months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wulfheard (7)	2019-08-05		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Okay let's not beat around the bush. Most of us know that Lane Ltd. owns the Captain Black name and that many of Lane's bulk blends are simply better quality versions of the Captain Black line of otc tobaccos. CB Black Sea is no different....Upon opening the tin, I was greated with a very familiar tin note...Upon lighting up the first bowl, my nose was greated with a very familiar room note. This stuff is basically Lane's HGL in a tin. That being said, it is not a bad thing. I'm a big fan of HGL which is nothing more than RPL-6 with a touch of latakia added. Black Sea, like it's bulk cousin, is a very easy to smoke English/American crossover blend. There is no bite or harshness to the smoking experience. The blend of virginia, burley and latakia tobaccos work well together to create a mellow, pleasurable, smoking experience. There is a mild vanilla topping in the background that doesn't overpower the smoker or the tobacco taste. All in all, Black Sea is a rather friendly tobacco with enough depth and character to keep things interesting for aromatic smokers who are looking to make a move into a mild English blend. But for those of you who are looking for a full on English or Balkan lat bomb, you should probably look elsewhere as this blend will be somewhat disappointing.

Pipe Used: Briar Workshop, Stanwell, Racine and Laramie

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Lane LTD HGL.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	professorpipe (2)	2019-06-17		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

First off, let me say I enjoy this blend, but I like the whole spectrum of crossover and hybrids that combine American style blends with some English attributes. In this case, just the right amount of Latakia. The other components (Virginia, Burley, Black Cavendish, and just a touch of Vanilla casing) speak much more of the other Captain Black lineup members, and the lighter Lane aromatics (1Q, etc). But the Latakia here is a nice touch. Smokes full, cool, a little spicy, and mostly bite free. The smell is great, as you'd expect, with the light are predominating, but not cloyingly so, and the Latakia smokeyness makes it all legitimate. Very much enjoyed!

Pipe Used: Design Berlin billiard, 9mm

Age When Smoked: Good newly opened; better after a yearp

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Lane Limited - HGL, Sutliff Tobacco Company - Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend, McClelland - Frog Morton (Craftsbury Series) but only a distant cousin to the good Frog.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clive Moses Apikouris (41)	2017-09-12		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nothing really new here, and that's good. Black Sea isn't a Balkan for sure as there are no Orientals included in this blend. Also this isn't a classic "English blend" either. Actually Black Sea is another entry into the "American - English" category of pipe blends. The tin is filled with a kind of flaked cut of various shades from black to golden. The aroma is smoky and sweet, vanilla but not at all overpowering in any regard. The blend is moist, I find that a plus. The smoking experience is sweet and smooth following an easy lighting and it doesn't require more than perhaps another relight. The taste is certainly sweet but not too sweet though and the vanilla is there but somewhat muted. There is some Burley body a tad of nuttiness but not much. The flavor is predominately Black Cavendish and Latakia. The Latakia is not at all powerful but it is certainly there and in an amount which exceeds many well know "English mixtures". There is a bit of natural Virginia sweetness but no prevalent distinct Virginia flavor and no Virginia tongue tingle or burn. I found Black Sea to be very enjoyable and a pleasure to smoke. Those searching for an "all day tobacco" could certainly consider this blend. Black Sea reminds me of Edgar G.Robinson's Pipe blend but heavier on the Black Cavendish and with vanilla topping replacing the plum. Black Sea isn't exotic or powerful, it has nothing that jumps out at you, everything is moderate and balanced. Black Sea is just tasty, relaxing and easy to smoke. The nicotine is mild so if you reach for another bowl your head won't spin.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Fachen Rhodesian 9mm

Age When Smoked: recently purchased

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Edgar G. Robinson's Pipe Blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Chef (52)	2016-04-08		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a good "hybrid" blend with just the right amount of Latakia as a condiment. Other hybrids have not been as enjoyable for me, but this one suits me just fine. A great cut with a good burn and the right amount of moisture out of the tin. I enjoy it when I can't decide on English or Aromatic. Lane produces another winner, in my opinion.

Pipe Used: Falcon Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nwpipesmker (27)	2016-03-20		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Bought a tin popped it open strong smell almost like mesquite. Not to over powering through smoked some it has a sweet hint with nutty cream of burleyand you get the lakatia smokey flavor. Not bad but only three stars.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	georgariou33 (16)	2016-03-06		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

i wanted to write a review but redd117 in a below review said it all...they want more words so i say add this one to your mix

Pipe Used: big ben and stanwell only

Age When Smoked: 70

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: 000.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-03-04		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Another bad offering. If you want to venture into mild English that actually are worth it, try Dunhill's early Morning Pipe. These cross - overs between aros and English always taste bad. At least, it didn't goop up my pipe as much as Midnight Gold did.

1 person found this review helpful.