Hey all, can anyone recommend a tobacco similar to Capstan Blue that is more easily available in Canada? They are selling it here for about $70 for 50g. A little on the pricey side for me right now. Fairly new to pipe smoking so don’t have a great deal of experience with tobaccos. At roughly $50 average for 50g, it is hard to just sample a bunch. Need a little guidance.
Canadian Capstan Alternative?
- Thread starter Bassman65
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Not really. I mean, if you aren't a Bonafede taster, any old Virginia Flake might work for you. But, nothing is like the Capstans, which is why they get their asking price.
Any recommendations? Up here the ones most available are MacBaren (but not capstan), Cornell and Deihl, or Borkum Riff.
MacBaren's Pure Virginia is a good. It is about the only MacB Virginia that I smoke.
When you say “a tobacco similar to Capstan,” I’m not sure whether you’re looking for similarities in form (flake), flavor (a medium-strength blend), or constituent leaf (all-Virginia). But here are some thoughts if you’re looking for a Virginia flake:
If you can find it, Peterson’s Flake is quite good, though it will be a lighter flake—in every sense of the word—than Capstan Blue. But it’s still very good and well worth checking out. (What I mean is that it’s not so light as to be flavorless.)
If you have access to Samuel Gawith, their Full Virginia Flake is my #1 VA flake. (The Capstan would be a close second.)
I’m not too familiar with C&D’s output (I haven’t enjoyed many of their blends), but I don’t believe they produce a Virginia flake. However, if you have access to C&D, perhaps you can also get GLPease. And while I don’t believe Pease produces an unflavored Virginia flake, he does make an all-Virginia blend, Union Square, which you might enjoy. His Embarcadero is also quite good; although it’s a VA/oriental, the orientals are barely there.
But now I’m probably far afield from what you were originally looking for…
+1 for (Dunhill) Peterson Flake, not the same but if you haven't tried it you should, it's another trad standard for a reason
I also recommend HH Pure Virginia.
C&D Bijou is in, or at least near, the same ballpark. It’s a broken flake.
C&D Bijou is in, or at least near, the same ballpark. It’s a broken flake.
Dunhill/Peterson are not distributed anymore in our DB country.
The only possible alternative I see would be Brigham Legend Series Klondike Flake. I believe it's probably a tad more on the sweet side, but it's an all Virginia flake and probably available.
And probably less expensive as well.
I'll second the recommendation for HH Pure Virginia, and (since you say that you can get C&D) I'll add a recommendation for Opening Night. Both are on my short list (along with Capstan Blue).
HHPV is at a similar flavor level as Capstan Blue, but just slightly more savory, less sweet.
Opening Night is a smidge sweeter than HHPV, but also a smidge lighter.
HHPV is at a similar flavor level as Capstan Blue, but just slightly more savory, less sweet.
Opening Night is a smidge sweeter than HHPV, but also a smidge lighter.
Wow that pricing sucks. I really like Capstan Blue but I like many others as well