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Welcome to Codger Country, the series where we'll be smoking every Codger blend we can find and ranking them in an effort to find the "definitive" Codger blend. A codger blend refers to commonly found over-the-counter blends you'd find at a liquor store or pharmacy. From Carter Hall to Super Value, we're giving them all a fair shake. Today, we're sailing out to try Captain Black.
Captain Black has been in production since 1956, originally produced by Lane Limited, part of Reynolds American Inc., who is best known for their cigarettes like Camel. Scandinavian Tobacco Group acquired Lane Limited in 2011 and gained ownership of Captain Black and a few other brands. According to their website, it is America's number one best-selling pipe tobacco brand. How neat. There are currently six blends in the Captain Black lineup: Original, Cherry, Gold, Royal, Dark, and the latest release, Platinum.
Captain Black became of particular interest to me with the recent death of a majority of Mac Baren's catalog, which included my beloved 7 Seas Black. Captain Black Original was supposed to be the inspiration for 7 Seas Black, so I have particularly high hopes that it can fill the spot in my cellar after I run out of 7 Seas.
Initial Impressions
Captain Black is an Aromatic ribbon-cut blend of rich Black Cavendish with Burley and Golden Virginia added for some depth and to mellow it out. It's topped with hints of vanilla and is known for its sweet flavor and pleasant smell. Open up the pouch and like so many of these blends, it's clumped together in a little brick that you just jostle your fingers through to loosen. First smell is an overwhelming vanilla. Let it breathe a minute, go back in, and the vanilla is still heavy but now you can smell some of that Cavendish and Burley, though not so much the Virginias.
I didn't feel the need to let this dry out. I give my trusted GBD meerschaum-lined Billard a gravity fill, and we were off to the races. Easy light, nice and simple. The first couple puffs are very mild. I can taste whispers of the Virginia but it's mostly the Black Cavendish with gentle Burley in the very back. I used to smoke Dunhill Vanilla Cavendish (A-21000) back when they existed so this feels very familiar and nostalgic. Only a few puffs in and the room is filled with vanilla like I'm baking cake. Honestly, it's one of the best-smelling tobaccos I've ever smoked.
The flavor is either a problem or not a problem depending on your preferences: It's incredibly simple and it's a very mild and gentle smoke. The vanilla is prominent with those nutty Burley undertones. I've seen others compare it to a marshmallow, and I'm inclined to agree. It burns well. Something I've mentioned before is that I smoke fast when I work and I've never gotten tongue bite from Captain Black, and I've also never had the medicinal taste some of these STG blends carry. It's a mild nicotine hit, definitely lending itself to an all-day smoke but I didn't particularly enjoy it with coffee. However, sweet tea was nice.
But how does it compare to 7 Seas Black? I don't think it really compares at all, to be honest. 7 Seas Black has a lot more toppings, particularly anise and amaretto with cocoa and vanilla. As I mentioned, this is more akin to Dunhill Vanilla Cavendish. I came in looking for a replacement for one tobacco and instead got a replacement for another. I actually had some of that old Dunhill kicking around in my cellar and decided to compare it with the last few bowls. I couldn't tell the difference to be honest, which is a compliment. I'm rather enthusiastic about this discovery.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
Like any of these codgers, Captain Black Original can be a bit of a debate. One of the biggest topics you'll see out there is the difference between Lane Limited and STG. I have no baseline for this but many who smoked the former say that STG added elements and ruined the taste. I don't get any of that in Captain Black Original. Another common complaint when it comes to Captain Black is how mild and simple it is. Perhaps it's ironic coming from a woman who's doing tasting notes on codger blends but I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.
I enjoy the nuance and complexity of blends. Father, Friends & Fire Batch 002 Virginia Perique Flake is a mainstay in my rotation and it offers a very deep flavor profile. While I enjoy that and could smoke it all day, sometimes I just want my brain turned off and to enjoy something that's comfortable and familiar like an old pair of jeans. That's why I enjoy codgers so much; they're simple but taste good. Yes, they can sometimes offer a surprising amount of depth and I enjoy picking that apart to a degree but the point of this series isn't to compare these blends to the likes of G.L Pease Key Largo, it's just an appreciation of the simple smoke.
They aren't all great. I didn't really like Velvet and I thought Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey was a bit of a letdown but sometimes I find something I really like and keep it on my desk, like Granger, for a simple all-day smoke.
Is it worth trying?
Captain Black Original was not the replacement for 7 Seas Black that I hoped it would be, but it did scratch a nostalgic itch for a blend I didn't know I missed. I think Captain Black is worth a try, especially since you get it in a 1.5oz pouch instead of being forced into a 7oz commitment. I do not think it is life- changing, and I do not think it is the most complex of blends that I've tried in this series, but I've smoked the entire pouch and went out to the generic liquor and tobacco shop down the road just to get another pouch until I can order some more. It's worth a try. Who knows? It might even scratch an itch you didn't know you had.
Leave a comment down below sharing your thoughts on Captain Black, and join me next time as we continue our journey in Codger Country together.
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Comments
Nice review, Rose. I'm really enjoying your Codger series and Captain Black is one of my favorites. It's such a simple, easy smoke and doesn't require much thought. You can easily puff away all day enjoying every minute without having to think too heavily about it. For me, that's the sign of a really good pipe tobacco. What is a codger blend if not a tobacco that has stood the test of time and still remains one of the best?
Your review is very similar to my experience of the blend. Last summer I found myself away from home and running low on tobacco. The local vape/cigar shop had only Captain Black by way of pipe weed, original, along with two others in the series. I pulled the trigger on the original and was surprised how much I liked it. It's not likely to going to be in my regular rotation, but I'll be buying more. Satisfying, easy to smoke, and VERY easy to find!
Love me some captain black! The royal is my personal favorite and while I don’t always smoke aromatics, I’m never disappointed in a nice bowl of the captain.
I like Captain Black. All except one version. It's seems similar to Half & Half but it is less "creamy".
Decades ago, while walking through a store I detected the aroma of the old captain. Drifting toward the originating smoker, I ventured, "Say, I bet you're smoking Captain Black tobacco." He looked open-mouthed stunned - as if I had mentioned the s
Avoosl On March 26, 2025
Decades ago, while walking through a store I detected the aroma of the old captain. Drifting toward the originating smoker, I ventured, "Say, I bet you're smoking Captain Black tobacco." He looked open-mouthed stunned - as if I had mentioned the square root of infinity.