Crown pipe from pipes and cigars. Smokes very well. Dedicated to straight VAs.
Focusing On Straight VAs
- Thread starter dcicero
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Been smoking some Capstan Blue Flake that I aged for a few years and it's a damn tasty Virginia. They don't sell the flake over here in the UK anymore but they do sell the ready rubbed version in little 25g pouches. I need to start cellaring some.
It is tasty fresh as well. I also want to put a couple away.
IIRC, @JimInks notices no appreciable taste difference between the flake and the ready rubbed. So, you're not missing out.
How about St Bruno RR vs flake version? or either Erinmore RR vs flake , as for the latter, I have noticed they do seem to differ from each other and quite significantly so
I think it was discontinued in 2016. A lot more fruit going on than the flake though.
I'm afraid that I've had neither St. Bruno nor Erinmore, so I can't speak to that.
And my palate is nothing special, anyway -- I was referring to JimInks' impressions, per his review.
Been appreciating VA, Va/Per a lot more lately. More things are jumping out. But I do not have very sensitive palate. I know what I like and that's about it. Tried gold/yellow flake, but haven't tried blue yet. Should give it a shot soon.
Your title led me to believe that we were going to be talking about the huge differences between Virginias. But, if we are just tipping our hats to Capstan, without even giving a review, I can acknowledge that it is a good smoke. Not really my favorite, but it’s ok. I tend to grab the yellow more often.
I haven't had Yellow.
Blue, to my taste, probably falls within my top 5 VAs and top 10 tobaccos, although it may not be a contender for my absolute favorite.
It seems to me to pluck a fewer number of strings than some VAs do, but the strings that it plucks are a bit different than I've tasted elsewhere. Tangy, but not in that BBQ way, and not quite in that vinegar way, either (although maybe closer to that) -- more like the "tang" that begins to show up if you leave a pitcher of sweet tea out at room temperature for a couple of days.
I think that description works partly because there's a hint of "sweet tea" flavor to this leaf in the first place.
It's the sweet tea flavor more than the associated tang which I like so much about this tobacco.
Not long ago I had a bowl of the Blue after several weeks of no smoking, and it was outlandishly delicious and satisfying. There were rich, bread and toasted-caramel flavors that I hadn't tasted in it before. But I think this was due to my hiatus from smoking -- any quality leaf might have seemed transcendent, then.
Blue, to my taste, probably falls within my top 5 VAs and top 10 tobaccos, although it may not be a contender for my absolute favorite.
It seems to me to pluck a fewer number of strings than some VAs do, but the strings that it plucks are a bit different than I've tasted elsewhere. Tangy, but not in that BBQ way, and not quite in that vinegar way, either (although maybe closer to that) -- more like the "tang" that begins to show up if you leave a pitcher of sweet tea out at room temperature for a couple of days.
I think that description works partly because there's a hint of "sweet tea" flavor to this leaf in the first place.
It's the sweet tea flavor more than the associated tang which I like so much about this tobacco.
Not long ago I had a bowl of the Blue after several weeks of no smoking, and it was outlandishly delicious and satisfying. There were rich, bread and toasted-caramel flavors that I hadn't tasted in it before. But I think this was due to my hiatus from smoking -- any quality leaf might have seemed transcendent, then.
It's the same stuff, but with St Bruno I feel like the topping comes through more with the ready rubbed than the flake. As good as the MacBaren version is, and as much as I like it, it doesn't have the richness that the Ogden's product had. Denmark is where British blends go to die.
Can anyone say, how does Capstan Blue compare to Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster?
I’ve certainly not smoked every straight VA out there, but Hamborger Veermaster seems like a very fine VA.
I’ve certainly not smoked every straight VA out there, but Hamborger Veermaster seems like a very fine VA.
Update, pipe smokes well. Capstan and Mac Baren No 1, so far. Perfect smokes.
They are different because they use different Virginias. CB has dark fruit and some citrus with earth wood, and mild grass. HV is all citrus with plenty of grass and hay, and has a much higher PH content.
You guys that smoke nothing but straight Virginias must have a much tougher tongue than I do. But hey, more power to ya. 
For me, Capstan was a much richer and far more enjoyable experience. HV was definitely on the lighter side. According to my notes—I should point out that I last smoked it in 2014, just in case the blend has changed since then—I found little sweetness or richness of flavor, even when smoked with great care. “It seems to be an ’acceptable’ light flake, but it’s not something I’m likely to cellar,” I wrote.
Capstan, OTOH, was a pleasure to smoke. It earned a place with Full Virginia Flake, Dunhill/Peterson Flake, and Marlin Flake as some of my favorite Virginia flakes.
But your tastes will be different. And, of course, it’s not a contest: I’m sure many people enjoy both blends.
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