CBW, Not That Bad

[tinsel]

About a year ago when I gave up cigs and switched to full time pipe smoking, I picked up a pouch of Capt Black (white).
At the time, it simply didn't have enough nicotine to satiate my addiction, and other blends which I enjoyed more also carried more of the drug my body craved, causing me to toss the pouch aside when it was still half full and forget about it for a year.
Today, I was staring at my tobacco trying to decide what to smoke before dinner. I just couldn't decide what I wanted, but was desperate for something different than my normal rotation. I noticed the pouch of CBW peeking out from behind a stack of jars.
I opened it up and took a deep sniff of the contents. Yuck. Smells like a candy store. I'm not a big fan of aromatics in general. I checked the contents, expecting them to be dry and crumbly from sitting in the open pouch for so long. Not the case at all, moisture level seems pretty good. "Why not?" I thought as I grabbed an old basket pipe and settled in to my recliner.
I sat for a while puffing away. Burns pretty good, if a little bit faster than I like, and not a lot of relights. Very sweet, nice room note (not that it matters since I live alone and the dogs don't complain). Other than the lack of Vitamin N, there's not really much to complain about here. There's also not much to rave about, but I can see how "codgers" and people who don't get into the boutique blends and high quality tinned tobaccos can like smoking it.
All in all, I have to say that CBW is "Not That Bad". I'm not going to reach for it often, but it's not repulsive by any means...

 

[aldecaker]

I'd say "not that bad" is a fair assessment. It's not as gag-worthy as some make out, but it does smoke wet, wet, wet, IMHO. A year seems about right for drying time, actually.

 

[jefff]

I'm sorry... But it's bad, it's really, really bad.
I know its popular. I know millions smoke it. But it's bad.

 

[tmb152]

AS Jeff said, just because it's popular does not make it good. The broadest part of the bell curve is at the BOTTOM, not the top. And are we taking this acronym thing a bit too far? Pretty soon we will need to release a dictionary of pipe terms.

 

[aldecaker]

@tmb- Ummmm, yeah, about that. If you look on the upper right side of the Forums page, above "Hot Tags" you'll see we already have one. We're worse than the government with the damned acronyms around here.

 

[pagan]

Captain Black has been around for a long time, for good reason, I will admit there is nothing extraordinary about it but it dose provide a good smoke when you want, its been my go to for many years.

 

[philobeddoe]

I keep a pouch around for nostalgia. I smoke it two or three times a year, when I'm in the mood to reminisce. It's not a bad or unpleasant tobacco at all....it just lacks any real flavor or depth, if smoked slowly it is a fairly decent, if bland smoke.

 

[ravkesef]

If you're enjoying it, it's certainly not that bad. God has gifted us all with a different set of taste buds, and the best thing to do is to use yours to best advantage. As they say, "one man's dream smoke is another man's dottle. If a pouch of CBW came my way, I'd toss it in your direction

 

[mso489]

"It's not that bad" isn't much of an accolade, but okay.

 

[puffy]

I don't smoke a lot of it these days,but I've smoked a good bit of it over the years

 

[Chasing Embers]

Pretty soon we will need to release a dictionary of pipe terms.

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/terminology

 

[jpmcwjr]

They mostly are not acronyms, and there is a directory. However, I sure appreciate the OP spelling out the name in the first sentence!

 

[dottiewarden]

Here's my review from tobaccoreviews.com

As this is one of the most reviewed and renowned pipe tobaccos on the market, the best review would be your own. IMHO, everything that can be said about this product has a ring of truth to it. It's the best at what it is and the worst at what it isn't. Fact: This is one of, if not the most, popular pipe tobaccos available. Fiction: If it's so popular, it must be good. If you are a discerning pipe smoker in search of a quality tobacco product, I wouldn't waste my time on this one. Conversely, if you want a tasty, ready to go, widely available, consistently reliabale, affordable smoke you can light up and enjoy this might be just the ticket. A burger at Mickey D's can't be compared to a backyard burger off the BBQ: and it was never meant to. On the go, a fast food burger can really hit the spot, but if you're willing to fetch the coal, load up the BBQ and take the time required to get the temperature just right and mix some groung steak with all your favorite spices you'll be well rewarded for your efforts. Captain Black Regular is what it is, love it or hate it. Yeah I'll put some in my pipe from time to time, but I certainly wouldn't compare it to the wonderful array of exotic blends on the market today. If you are in the mood for some no fuss, no muss American aromatic OTC, this will do the trick, otherwise look elsewhere.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Could never smoke this one. In the Captain Black selection, "Royal" was the one I gravitated to, but haven't smoked it for years now.

 

[igloo]

If you find yourself in Big Smokey Valley without any tobacco it makes for a tasty treat . It reminds me of a pre packed version of Lane's 1Q only wetter .

 

[jndyer]

CBW is not a bad smoke at all. I do purchase a pouch now and again and usually keep it unopened for at least a year which usually means that by the time that I do get to it is just about dry enough to really burn properly.

 

[michiganlover]

I smoke a fair amount of Captain Black. It's not the best blend ever, but far from the worse. As long as Lane keeps sending me coupons, I'll keep buying it. Lol.
At full retail price there a lot of other options superior to it.