So What's the Deal With Captain Black

zonomo · Feb 21, 2013

At the Seattle Pipe Club meeting tonight, a guy comes in and he has this plastic/paper pouch of Captain Black. A guy comments, "I can't afford that" but it almost seemed to be a derogatory comment. Then the guy explains that its not easy to get and its expensive. I'm kind of scratching my head because the other guy said, you can buy that crap in any drugstore or grocery store. I've never seen it anywhere. Then he said, "Its over priced for what you get and people who buy it, would tend to be the kind of people not willing to spend $100 on a pipe". So I'm kinda confused by all of this. I do know one thing... this guys room note (in a room of 20 pipe smokers) was amazing. I want to try some.

pstlpkr · Feb 21, 2013

inherently blended and formulated more to please those in the same room as the pipe smoker, rather than the smoker himself.

Dead on. :clap:

uberam3rica · Feb 21, 2013

It's an OTC baccy. I don't care for it. It has a chemical tast to me. As for being hard to find, and being expensive, I don't get that. I can get it at many gas stations, liquor store, grocery stores, and mega marts(walmart, meijer, etc).

wnghanglow · Feb 21, 2013

Zonomo there's two things you should have gotten out of that pipe club meeting. First is all the smokers will gang up on the Aromatic guy enjoying his smoke. Secound you will get just as many opinions on smoking and pipes and brands an types of tobacco as there are people in the room. I do know if you like captain black there sold at a lot of gas stations and at every one of this sites sponsors. As for the hippy chemicals on all Aros yes it is there and it will make the last bit to goopy to smoke but the goop is pretty much vegetable oil *humuculant* and if you can get past the taste, is harmless. My advice is try it, but while your at it try everything else, and when you find what you like get used to defending it xD

judcole · Feb 21, 2013

Mike and Uber are dead on about OTC aros. If you are gonna smoke an aro - and I don't - at least smoke a good one.

My advice is try it, but while your at it try everything else

Why, for god's sake? If that's all you can afford, smoke it in peace; but if you can afford better, smoke better. I've smoked enough drugstore aros to know I don't need to try any more; I've explored codger burleys just to say I did it, and am ready to leave those behind, without trying the ones I haven't smoked. I won't even consider smoking stuff like Smoker's Pride or all of those relabeled RYO blends. Bleh.
You don't have to smoke everything! If you've given half a dozen examples of a genre a fair shake,be it VaPers, latkakia blends,or whatever, and didn't care for any of 'em,it is perfectly ok to decide that genre is not your cup of tea at this point, and move on. You might want to revisit one in a few years, to see if your tastes have changed; but for heaven's sake don't feel you have to try everything! I try new blends; some of 'em I add to the rotation, lots more I don't. Are there blends out there I might like but will never get around to trying? Probably, and I'm OK with that.

jgriff · Feb 21, 2013

The real sin is that it isn't cheaper than online bulk stuff like C&D or H&H anyhow. I shudder thinking of the goop I had to clean up everytime I smoked it.
But what do I know. I suspect they sell more Captain Black everyday than most of my favorite blends sell in a year.

05venturer · Feb 21, 2013

Then he said, "Its over priced for what you get and people who buy it, would tend to be the kind of people not willing to spend $100 on a pipe".

guys sounds like pretty much an a$$hole to me. I think that anyone who judges someone to be lesser than them because of what they smoke can kiss my pasty white a$$.

I have smoked some CB a few times and just can't get any flavor out of it, hence I don't buy it anymore but I most certainly wouldn't bash anyone for smoking it. Also I am the type of guy that would never spend $100 on a pipe either. I will stick to my cobs and smoke what I like and be a happy puffer.

Give CB a try, who knows you may like it.

taerin · Feb 21, 2013

He must be a disgruntled pipe maker. I do think CB is overpriced compared to other "drugstore" blends, however the couple times I have smoked it so far, after some drying, has been rather nice and enjoyable.

bentmike · Feb 21, 2013

Well my take on it is this in the form of an analogy: A hundred years ago some guy that ran a brewery had the big idea to make up one beer for the masses. He did it and it became wildly popular. Now there is nothing wrong with an ice cold Bud and I'll happily drink one when there isn't anything else to be had.
Thank heavens for the craft brew movement that came along in the 1990's. Give me a hardy ale or a micro brewed lager made with wholesome ingredients in small batches and brought to market at the peak of freshness. Again, there is nothing wrong with a rice brew but it's not a sin to expect a little more or set your standards higher when enjoying your choice of beverage or leaf.
I'll stick with the Mac Barens, Pease, Esoterica (when I can get it) and other small batch producers of fine tobaccos instead of settling for the everyman's standard.

zonomo · Feb 21, 2013

I've read your post 3 times and still can't tell whether you're joking

No mike, totally not joking. I still consider myself a new smoker having only been at this for about 3 months. So a lot of really basic questions come to me and a lot of other noobs. I've never heard of Captain Black in my life until recently.

zonomo · Feb 21, 2013

[/quote] First is all the smokers will gang up on the Aromatic guy enjoying his smoke.

Check. Mission accomplished.

Secound you will get just as many opinions on smoking and pipes and brands an types of tobacco as there are people in the room.

Check. Exactly what happened though I do feel as though everyone looked down on the Capt Black guy. I know one major thing, people may have a person reason for not wanting to do something like everyone else. There may be a reason why I dont care for the smell or taste of something. Thats why none of this bothers me if people rib me about something. I kinda felt bad for the poor bloke.

zonomo · Feb 21, 2013

I shudder thinking of the goop I had to clean up everytime I smoked it.

Oh I almost forgot. They also mentioned that this stuff really screws up your pipe and he recommended that if I try it, I may want to used a dedicated pipe for it. Too much goopy crap I guess.
Good analogy bentmike.
Final take, since I've been pipe smoking, I've only so far tried things like Peterson Suset Breeze, C&D Autum Evening, Hobbits Weed, Boswell's Berry Cobbler, Pipers Delight, Lane 1Q & BCA, and a few local blends from my B&M. I'm a pretty happy smoker and feel I've gotten off to a good start, based on the advice you've all given me and countless others. : puffy

:

guerillapiper · Feb 21, 2013

I've never purchased Captain Black, so can't say for sure. But I wouldn't buy socks or underwear from drugstores either. Besides, the tobacconist needs your money more than CVS.

bigvan · Feb 21, 2013

In an earlier thread, someone wrote : CB is tobacco for people who don't like tobacco. Couldn't agree more.

lordwolf · Feb 21, 2013

I smoke CB when Im backpacking because its cheap. It smells good so other people in the hostels dont get pissy and I can save my money for food. Other than that, it really is the everymans smoke.

cigrmaster · Feb 21, 2013

My neighbor is a pipe smoker and has been for over 50 years. He smokes Captain Black Gold in his Dr Grabow pipes which he buys 2 of a year and gets rid of his old ones. I gave him a few blends but he didn't like them. He loves his CBG, and that is the only thing he will smoke. Does this make him a non pipe smoker, I think not. Who is anyone to judge what he should smoke and enjoy? Who has the right to look down on someone like this, no one. There are more pipe smokers like this than there are of us, trust me. These old timers have their one blend a couple of pipes and they are happy. The guy at the pipe club who looked down his nose at the guy smoking his CB is an asshole.
If you want to try CB then go for it, who knows you may love it. I personally have never tried the stuff so I will not comment on it's flavor. I do know that many OTC's are up to 35 percent in weight of PG and toppings. I prefer more natural tobacco but that is me.

spartan · Feb 21, 2013

Captain Black White was the second pipe tobacco I ever tried and it was great. I didn't know the array of flavors the pipe world had to offer and the B&M carried it, so I bought it.
It smells great. 100% of the time.
I grew out of it though. Extremely mild, when you blow it out your nose you get a GREAT smell of vanilla, or sweetness, very one dimentional. But people love it. And for a time I loved it too.
My favorite aromatic by far is W.O Larson - Signature Blend. It's crazy amazing.

seanlamb63 · Feb 21, 2013

I cut my teeth on Captain Black Gold, still to this day I find myself packing up a bowl of this from time to time. I like it, its nothing special to most, but the smell and flavor is reminiscent of my Uncle who smoked it exclusively for years; it reminds me of him and that is really the only reason I still hold on to it. Mediocre at best but snobbery aside, it’s something that brings back a lot of memories and is really great for the room note...the others I can't say I enjoy as much.
Sean Lamb

zonomo · Feb 21, 2013

I may pick up a cob and give a pouch a try.

wnghanglow · Feb 21, 2013

@jud. I never meant try every OTC Aro or even that you have to try CBW, I'm saying if your curious try it, obviously your not =p
I forget who said it but someone mentioned that OTC's will goop up your pipe and to dedicate a pipe to them. It is true they leave a goop and purely out of personal preference I have one pipe dedicated to them, but if your on a budget or just can't find a $5 cob then if you clean your pipe properly it shouldn't be to bad, although come on, get a $5 cob.
As for another comment I read about Aro's being for people who don't like tobacco I Completley disagree. First off if your new smoking it's going to taste like light tobacco and no flavor, and once you have been smoking for a while it's good to have a light tobacco so you don't build up a tolerance to the flavor/nicotine in your regular smoke.
CBW gets a bad rap, when I smoke it slow I can taste the vanilla, it's sweet and mild and does exactly what it's supposed to, if you don't like fine, but don't call it bad because it's not your taste because obviously its not marketed to you then

So What's the Deal With Captain Black

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