Capstan & Tolkien

[marconi]

Just opened a tin of Capstan Yellow from 2016 really impressed, very clean Virginia has little or no topping.As others have said its great as a morning smoke with coffee very slow burning flavour increases as you go down the bowl smooth no bite.I like the Blue also but that has a disinctive topping that a lot of people like.

 

[greeneyes]

Old Capstan came in Navy Cut Full (pink), Medium (blue), and Mild (yellow). I had some Medium this afternoon and I can tell you that W.D. & H.O. Wills put such a fine cut on their flake that it rubs into shag with practically no effort.

 

[karam]

I smoke my favorites every day as there is not a blend in my cellar that is not a favorite. When I was building my celllar I refused to settle for any blend that I didn't love. That is why I only ended up with 41 flakes, plugs and rope. If I didn't love it, then it was not added to the cellar.

41 is quite wide though isn’t it? And by following your posts I know you also went deep.
How do you - and others with good cellars - manage smoking variety without compromising your blends? I guess if we are talking about tins it is easy, if we are talking about 250g plugs and large sections of ropes though I reckon they need to be cut and portioned in mylar or jars, something I haven’t done - just stuck it all in mylar bags and left for ageing.

 

[JohnMosesBrowning]

Pound for Pound Capstan Blue is pretty pricey...certainly the most expensive tobacco I buy, I know that. And by a long shot. I'm looking online at smokingpipes.com and a 1.75oz tin that's going for $16.85. By my math, that's $154/lb.

 

[karam]

MacBaren tends to be pretty expensive overall, including in Europe.

 

[cigrmaster]

Lol this is a pretty heavy handed suggestion for someone you know nothing about. I smoke plenty of Capstan. It’s a daily for me. But I also enjoy OGS. I guess our tastes just differ. Just because something is different doesn’t make it inferior. I have quite a bit of tobacco cellared, some of it I like a little, some of it I like a lot, and some of it I love, and these things can change based on the day. I didn’t buy OGS to save money from buying buying Capstan, and tbh I cost analysis when purchasing tobacco doesn’t exist for me, so I have no idea where all this is coming from.

I didn't mean for it to come out as strong as it did. I am sorry for the heavy hand.

 

[Johnny_Pipecleaner]

Pound for Pound Capstan Blue is pretty pricey...certainly the most expensive tobacco I buy, I know that. And by a long shot. I'm looking online at smokingpipes.com and a 1.75oz tin that's going for $16.85. By my math, that's $154/lb.

I ordered some a couple weeks ago from Estervals on sale for just 6.60 euro per tin, but I just checked their site and they’re sold out completely.
Shipping was 34 euro but I ordered 10 tins, so I still came out way ahead. $113 for 10 tins (500g) shipped to my door. Not bad.


*12 tins pictured, because the tins from Estervals have that ugly warning label, so I set two proper tins on top

 

[Cicerolepipero]

I didn't mean for it to come out as strong as it did. I am sorry for the heavy hand.

Thank you

 

[Chasing Embers]

How do you - and others with good cellars - manage smoking variety without compromising your blends?

Blend and genre dedicated pipes.

 

[londonbriar]

Interestingly a receipt has been saved from 1972 showing he bought 22 tins, 1lb, so he wasn’t joking around either.

View attachment 96709

Nice receipt!

I think it says 2oz tins @ 82p each. That would mean that 1lb = 8 tins = £6.56.

Fair play, JRR. Fair play.

I wish I could buy ONE tin for £6.56 nowadays!!!

 

[John C.]

Fyi, tobaccopipes.com has a special on 4 Aged tins of Capstan. 2 Blue & 2 Gold. Got one coming in the mail.

Aged Capstan Navy Cut 4-Pack Pipe Tobacco

Get your Aged Capstan Navy Cut 4-Pack Pipe Tobacco from the #1 in customer service and fast affordable shipping (and a small business) TobaccoPipes.com!

www.tobaccopipes.com

 

[AlanH]

I guess as one newish to the pipe I have landed firmly as a Virginia lover also vapors. The Gold and Blue are two I want to try!!

 

[cigrmaster]

I guess as one newish to the pipe I have landed firmly as a Virginia lover also vapors. The Gold and Blue are two I want to try!!

I do love the Blue Flake and went really deep in the cellar on that. I have no Gold Flake but I do have 20 plus tins of the 2013 Gold Ready Rubbed. It is the only RR in my cellar. It makes for a nice morning smoke in the right pipe.

 

[karam]

Nice receipt!

I think it says 2oz tins @ 82p each. That would mean that 1lb = 8 tins = £6.56.

Fair play, JRR. Fair play.

I wish I could buy ONE tin for £6.56 nowadays!!!

I read 22 tins, adjusting for inflation that receipt is for £93 and change. Still a lot cheaper than today.

 

[londonbriar]

I read 22 tins, adjusting for inflation that receipt is for £93 and change. Still a lot cheaper than today.

£93 as adjusted for inflation - that's interesting. £93 for a pound of tobacco means roughly £10/ 50g.

...which is about the price we'd be at here in the UK if the price increase was only limited to inflation. However, the powers that be have decided to turn up the volume on excise duty which means prices rise more and more each year.

Ah well, the reason we all cellar is the stuff is not getting any cheaper!!

 

[eljimmy]

I have not had Capstan. Is it really that good? Don't feel like I need to buy any more tobacco but I will damn it. lol. I've been stuck on Newminster 400 so I'll hold off (maybe)

 

[Strandsbeachlocal]

Unfortunately my first adventure with blue was lackluster, and I even faintly experienced what I can best describe as an artificial taste. Desperately wanting to enjoy it as a avid lotr fan and Va fan, so I will be trying the second half of the tin after a year of age.

Anyone else think Tom Bombadil’s color scheme came from this tin? Bright blue his jacket was, and his boots are yellow.

 

[workman]

I have not had Capstan. Is it really that good? Don't feel like I need to buy any more tobacco but I will damn it. lol. I've been stuck on Newminster 400 so I'll hold off (maybe)

I'll chime in and say that Capstan Blue is my favorite blend. I smoke several other, but Capstan is the best. I've sampled numerous virginias and va/pers and Capstan Blue stands out. It's a topping or a casing that's different from everyone else's. Less fruity, less hay and citrus and more savory sweet, almost tonquin, almost vanilla, but not quite.
It's special.

 

[Johnny_Pipecleaner]

It's a topping or a casing that's different from everyone else's. Less fruity, less hay and citrus and more savory sweet, almost tonquin, almost vanilla, but not quite.
It's special.

I’m probably wrong but for now, in my mind it’s malted barley ?

 

[eljimmy]

I'll chime in and say that Capstan Blue is my favorite blend. I smoke several other, but Capstan is the best. I've sampled numerous virginias and va/pers and Capstan Blue stands out. It's a topping or a casing that's different from everyone else's. Less fruity, less hay and citrus and more savory sweet, almost tonquin, almost vanilla, but not quite.
It's special.

Thank you for the info. I'll get a couple of tins.