
Reviews


Captain Black - Gold 1.5oz
Best of the Captain’s cellar
I quite liked the flavor of Captain Black’s Gold. It was a great Cavendish! This is my favorite of the Captain’s offerings. I found it just right. The strength was fine; nothing to be ashamed of. And the flavor is mild, but not too mild. If you let your tongue look for it, you will find this to be a classic Cavendish variety with no second guesses about who it is and what it’s meant to be.


Captain Black - Dark 1.5oz
Too Light
I wanted to like the flavor of this one, but I just couldn’t. It was not an unpleasant flavor, it simply just felt too light. The strength of the tobacco was just not there, and the flavor was not strong enough for me to consider this a tobacco to come back to


Captain Black - Royal 1.5oz
Royal Disappointment
Despite what my esteemed peers in the reviews section would say, I found this the most lackadaisical of the Captain Black tobaccos. The strength is on the light side, but not too light. The flavor is just simply too bland for me. Having just gone through and sampled each Captain Black tobacco recently I found this one to lack much redeeming quality for a second buy. While not revolting or nauseating, it is certainly just a basic flavor that doesn’t do much for me in terms of memorability or eliciting desire for more. I smoked this sample pouch for a week and found it to be a rather boring affair. In fact, on one bowl I thought to myself it felt as though I were ‘going through the motions’ as I smoked the pipe; something that should never occur for a truly contemplative, restful, and enjoyable pipe smoking experience. Rather, a good bowl should leave the smoker feeling at ease, and long for more time to commune with his favorite blend. This one, did no such things. At least it did not have the sickly sweet taste of Captain Black Cherry, though. Still, it was just a disappointment, for what should be the Captain’s best.


Captain Black - Original 1.5oz
Light Vanilla
I appreciate the vanilla aroma. In fact, this is one of the more significant aromatic vanilla scents I’ve experienced. I suspect it is due to the addition of black cavendish with the vanilla essence. The smoke is very light, and long lasting. It’s a fine smoke. A decent, average smoke at a decent, average price. I’m a big fan of this. And, I was surprised at how different it is compared to other offerings in the Captain Black lineup. I may even buy more!


Peterson - Irish Dew 40g
Decidedly Nondescript
This tobacco is advertised as having "otes of whiskey, fruit and floral essences." I tasted no such things. Even the pouch note was bland. I questioned if it really was an aromatic or not. I was unimpressed. The 3 * nicotine strength also was not present while I was smoking. I was sorely disappointed.


Sir Walter Raleigh - Aromatic 1.5oz
Mid-Tier. You can do better.
I understand there are many out there who cherish and love SWR Aromatic, but I have recently heard rumors that the formula has changed. As I have never had the pleasure of trying the previous, I only can review from the supposed ‘new’ variety. That being said, I just didn’t care for it. It bit just slightly. The nicotine content was right where it should be, in the medium-to-low end of things. But, the aromatic taste just wasn’t there for me. Honestly, I think regular SWR is soo much better, and has better flavor and taste for me. Aromatic just didn’t cut it for me. And, as a relatively new pipe-smoker, I finally understand what they mean when they refer to ‘chemical’ taste. Will never buy again.


Half and Half - Half and Half 1.5oz
Cilantro Tobacco
This is my first time trying this classic, timeless blend. I do not dislike it, in fact, it’s quite unique! I couldn’t quite nail what flavors I was tasting, and then I looked up a flavor profile and realized coriander was used. That’s when it hit me; this is cilantro tobacco! The unique flavor is almost acidic, but not at all in a bad way… Much like adding a dash of lemon to your water, or spritzing a lime over your next taco. It’s refreshing to the mouth and does not leave any noticeable harshness on the tongue or mouth. A slight bit more nicotine, than, say, Presbyterian or Early Morning Pipe, but still very mild and relaxing. I would classify this as a distinctly midday smoke; a working man’s tobacco, from a time when working men could still smoke on the job, I suppose.


Captain Black - Cherry 1.5oz
Not for Human Consumption
Alright. I’m gonna say it. This tobacco has no place in a connoisseur’s cellar. The smell of artificial, medicinal cherry is nauseating from the bag. And, like many others have said, when smoked it almost always gives tongue bite. The aroma is pungent, and not in a hood aromatic way. Imagine burning medicine, and you’ll come somewhere close to what this monstrosity smells like. One can barely taste the cherry with all of the tongue irritation, either. This is one of the worst tobacco’s I have ever tried. I will not be buying another bag.


Sutliff - Field & Stream Match
Mild Mannered Mellow.
This was a very mild, mellow smoke. Like other reviewers, I agree that this tobacco seems best when moist. I found the flavor to be nutty, but easily lost if burning too hot and dry. I tried this because of the Gerald Ford connection, but will probably not return to it. It's a decent smoke, but extremely mild in all aspects. I can see why President Ford's biographers mentioned he switched to Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed by the time he was in office!