Supercilious connoisseurs cringe, beginners beam, and old-school puffers keep coming back. Whatever their preference, every pipe smoker finds himself back at the drugstore for another pouch. Grocers' tobacco selections aren't what they used to be, but there are still some diamonds in the rough. In some circles, drugstore tobaccos are reputed to be the drive-thru fare of pipe smoking. This bias is only partially deserved. As with any group of tobaccos, some shine while others suck.
Maybe I should pay my respects to the revered Captain Black, but I won't. I've never been compelled to buy a pouch, which costs nearly double that of other drugstore blends. Reviewers have given Captain Black White fairly high marks, but take care to mention its heavenly room note. The Captain does smell great, but I've never judged a tobacco on its merits as an air freshener.
I once knew a pipe smoker of some 30 years who puffed nothing but Captain Black White all day long. A hint of propylene glycol and a somewhat substandard leaf quality are the primary complaints, while many reviewers call White a good, well rounded aromatic. I gather this one's worth a try, but I've had my fill of sweet casing and black Cavendish.
Dream Castle Super Value Black Cavendish was my first tobacco, purchased by the 12-ounce bag from Albertson's. As a beginner, Super Value delighted me. Now, I'm repulsed by the memories of this syrupy blend. The taste of additives is accompanied by a muddy heel with tongue bite as afterplay. The Super Value line includes cherry and vanilla blends, which simply taste cheap. Top Value Whiskey is a horrid 12-ounce failure with all the appeal of burning garbage.
Half & Half is a unique blend, featuring a recently improved cut. The thicker ribbon cut of this old-school burley and bright mixture makes packing significantly easier. The rich flavor is nutty, tangy, sharp and medium-bodied. The bright half really makes this a distinctive smoke. For those misguided souls who smoke to please, the repugnance of its room note rivals that of a supermarket cigar. Every smoker should try Half & Half — in a corncob, as the bright leaves a strong flavor in a pipe for several smokes to come.
Sir Walter Raleigh: a fairly decent burley that doesn't quite live up to its name. Although it needs more re-lights than I care to bother with, there's nothing wrong with Raleigh other than a dash of mediocrity. Truly, this is a smooth, solid smoke. Rewarding flavor notwithstanding, I find it a bit too smooth, verging on blandness. The Aromatic version is simply fast-burning boredom.
Article comments
1 - Roddy
If you got tongue bite from Super Value Black Cavendish you must huff and puff away like a freight train. I've been smoking it for some time and haven't had a problem.
The good Prince Albert does tend to be on the bland side but it tends to grow on you.
Everything is a matter of taste. What you like I may hate. Putting down any brand of tobacco is just wrong for that reason.
2 - Brad
I really enjoy Prince Albert for it's clean burn and nice flavor. I tend to agree that price isn't the reason to shop for drugstore blends, but Carter Hall never seems to wake up for me but I have gone through many pouches and will go through many more because of it's beauty as a burley. I agree that Captian Black (though nice) is hardly worth twice the price of a pouch of C.H. or P.A.. It must be noted that I bought a pouch of Captain Black recently (it was the only pipe tobacco on the shelf) and must say that I was not at all disappointed, it does satisfy.