Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Captain Bob's Blend

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain bob (38)	2009-06-22		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Thank you for taking the time to post your reviews of CBB. Craig Tarler (C&D) and I experimented over a period of three years to create the blend that I always wanted but could never find.

The result is a light English aromatic with unique character, taste and aroma. I used a very small amount of Latakia in this blend. Kind of like I use pepper on eggs. Just enough to know that it's there.

I am truly honored that Cornell & Diehl offers "Captain Bob's Blend" as one of their World-Renowned tobacco blends.

Enjoy a variety of tobacco blends. You will be rewarded and not tire out your taste buds!

41 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2014-09-08		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I'm confused. The smell I get from the tin is of a Grape Nehi, not even so much as a hint of tobacco. My college roommate, upon smelling it, described it with a confused look on his face. "What the hell? That smells like grape cough syrup!". Initially that smell set off all sorts of warning bells in my head, telling me to stop before I even got to the smoke. Then I smoked it.

That is where my confusion comes from. The flavor of the tobacco is so different that if there were no grape smell I might assume I was smoking a lovely English blend. Very sweet Virginia dominant English but there is definitely some savory stuff coming from the Latakia and Perique. The grape soda smell is all that the room note consists of and only ever lets itself be known in the first few minutes of smoking and very rarely from then on. Cornell & Diehl has done very well in this blend, or at least for me they have.

I can totally understand why this would put some people off. The flavors and smells are so disparate that purists could write it off completely. I like it, and will be buying more when the tin is emptied.

Side note: Would be aptly called "The Indecisive Englishman".

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Legend

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-03-22		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

An everything but the kitchen sink blend. Actually, I think they threw in the kitchen sink too. Just look at that list of ingredients and imagine what it must taste like. I couldn't so I ordered some.

It's quite good. The underlying blend is very, very tasty. A good quality English. Most of the added flavors are too weak for me to pick up on though. I get the grape and the vanilla which combine to create a delicious creamy grape flavor. I never thought I'd smoke a grape flavored English, but here I am. I also would never have thought that this combo would work, but it does. It's a pleasant, enjoyable smoke. A solid 3.

Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2020-04-14		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

The Virginias provide some tart and tangy citrus, plenty of grass and hay, light tangy dark fruit, earth, floralnessm and wood as the lead components. The nutty, woody, earthy, lightly molasses sweet burleys are supporting players. The smoky, woody, earthy, musty, floral, sweet Cyprian Latakia is not quite a condiment. The spicy, raisiny, plumy, earthy perique is barely noticeable. The tart and tangy, mildly sour grape topping sublimates the tobaccos and the other additives to a medium extent. I notice the very light caramel, vanilla, orange, and maple far in the background. The walnut is a tad more obvious than they are. I’m not certain what topping relays a light floral essence, but it’s there. The strength is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste is medium. The nic-hit is a slot behind the strength level. Won’t bite, but fast puffing may result in a harsh note or two. Has a few small rough edges. Burns a tad warm with a very consistent, complex, sweet, lightly floral and mildly sour, savory flavor that translates to the lingering after taste, and pleasant room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. Not really an all day smoke.

-JimInks

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-03-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Somebody sure dumped a lot of different aromatic flavors in this one. A little bit on the overpowering side as far as an aromatic smoke goes, but with the base being misted rather than dunked, I did get a good, solid tobacco taste with Captain Bob along with the flavorings. Not really to my personal liking overall, and would have to demote Bob to a Corporal for coming up with this one.

Pipestud

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-04-17		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

Cap, I just tried this blend of yours and I have to say, it is the most interesting blend I have ever tried in 39 years. It smelled like grape Koolaide when I opened it and at first this really concerned me. I like some aromatics but I have never smelled grape scented tobacco like this. So, I loaded up my pipe to see what I was in for. The room note literally bloomed grape around me, not unpleasant but seemed so strange. I could taste more than grape though, I picked up other fruit flavors as well and as it burned down, I could pick up some of the tobacco tastes. I found that after smoking a whole bowl, it has to be the most gentle aromatic, and the flavor stayed with it all the way down. It was also the driest aromatic I've ever smoked, not a bit of gunk in my pipe and burned to a dark grey ash as the dottle, not a bit unburned. I found myself wanting to smoke another bowl very soon and as I am trying it I am finding I am enjoying this blend very much. My pipe does smell like grape Koolaide but what the heck, one bowl of Five Brothers burned that right out.

I have to recommend trying this blend! It is like none other you will try.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Armeniandude (13)	2016-05-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Has a grape/grape soda smell and aroma. Nothing terribly extraordinary. I ordered this because of curiosity from all the reviews I've read. I actually really enjoyed this. It's exactly as it's described, nothing fancy to it, and like others have said, either you like it or you don't. If you're very picky, move on, if you're looking for something new and interesting to try, go for it.

the smell from the tobacco does permeate so I suggest storing it in a jar, even though it is an enjoyable smell. And to also use it with a cob or pipe you don't mind if there's ghosting.

Like I said, either you like it or you don't. I enjoyed it because I like grape soda which is what you'll get with this. It's a blend all its own.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	clanobucklin (105)	2015-09-24		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wonderful, Bizarre, Unique, Flavorful, nothing and I mean nothing quite like this blend.

Yes, you'll either Love it or Hate it. This Aromatic English Hybrid is predominately Grape Flavored. There is a bunch of other flavors too that make an appearance during a smoke. I taste caramel, Walnut, vanilla and citrus.

Weird huh? But throughout the smoke there is a tasty English that just does it right for me.

Can't say this every day smoke - but I Love to have a bowl now and then.

The tobacco will ghost your pipe but burns off after a pipe or two.

If you want to try something unique - then give it a whirl. I am glad I did.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog Lumberjack

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: C&D

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2014-11-01		Mild	Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Whew GRAPE!! I knew what I was getting into when I purchased this tin, I like aromatics, I like the tobacco's used but the grape is very overpowering. I will continue to smoke my tin and see if this is an acquired taste or if me and grape just do not get along. I truly applaud Capt. Bob for blending some fine stuff and C&D for letting him do his thing. This blend has top quality tobacco's present and you can tell the topping is not some chemical kool aid goop. The family absolutely loved the aroma and I hope that I acquire this taste because to be able to smoke a medium English in mixed company would be ideal!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puss n' pipes (27)	2017-03-01		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This blend is in my personal list of the few English Aromatics excellently crafted and conceived, truly for coinosseurs and adventurers. The advertising is correct so you should not claim misleading afterall. This is an English AROMATIC, caps rightfully included. I bought it because intuition told me that if Cornell & Diehl made it a product it must be good or at least something interesting. It is both. Besides, according to my taste this has all the characteristics necessary to fulfull a great English aromatic.

Now when we deal with this kind of aromatic you will prefer to reserve a pipe for it, use a corncob or a Meerschaum as this blend will easily ghost your pipe, it has a potent aroma and will spice anything else you add into it. With that in mind, let´s proceed.

This is a vanguard blend in which all the ingredients used are expected but the rule for aromatization is not, it is rather radical and to some degree extreme. The aroma of grape cola, sweet orange peel and citrics is rather evident, so this sends this aromatic into the league of the Heavy ones, rather ubiquitous taste with varying degrees of intensity with a partial smokiness from the latakia and other half of burley dryness-nutyness. Not sweet but rather sour-sweet and astringent on the palate, i think this balance is what made it really interesting for me. Virginias add the sour-sweet touch, burley and latakia add the balance and the pinch of perique push just a tad of intensity.

Now it is for granted that the grape-cola with citrics will not be for everyone, some people will find it overhelming, but as i said before, this is an AROMATIC, full time. An exotic English Aromatic in the quality or similar league of Sillem's Black, a masterful made blend only for coinosseurs and daring people. An English with a sour-sweet character and lots of aromatic confidence.

Pipe Used: Principe Albert

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Coyote (7)	2011-02-21		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The Grape aroma is very strong in this one (as Yoda says). Here's the rub (Shakespeare). The smell is strong…the flavor…'not so much' as Jerry Seinfeld would say. This is another quality tobacco. Mild but with a definite push to ‘spicy-hot.' As many others have noted the Grape aroma is strong, but the smoking quality is very mild. I did not get the ‘citrus' that many others have noted, nor did I detect the maple and vanilla. The Latakia and Perique give it that nice ‘quality salsa' spiciness. It's not tongue bit or tongue burn but just a nice tongue-sting. I puffed a bunch, left the room, inhaled from my nose several times, walked back into my ‘shop' where I smoke my pipes and did Not smell any grape, honest swear to the Buddha. Here's where it gets interesting. Puffed up a ‘storm' went into the kitchen, washed some grapes, yep grapes, ate a few, went back and WOW! Nice flavor to this pipe tobacco. I have absolutely no idea why this did what it did with the grape fest. This is a mild pipe tobacco, BUT, it has some ‘spicy-hot' and some very subtle sweet, probably the VA. I love Burley and smoke a lot of it, quality burley usually like C&D Crooner but honestly I did Not taste the Burley in this one. I got the VA, most certainly got the Perique (spicy-hot), the Latakia is subdued and the ‘sauces' are so subtle to me to be way in the background. This is a wonderful blend. When I was smoking it I thought, “Ya know what? Someone (Captain Bob and Craig Tarler et al) really put a lot of thought into this, I can taste it.” This is a really good change of pace pipe tobacco.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Elwin (14)	2012-06-07		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Years ago I thought I had given up on aromatics. Like others, I found that either they never tasted as good as they smelled, or were mainly hot, sweet steam with little to no nicotine. Finally, I'm happy to say that I stand corrected. Captain Bob has managed to blend up a tobacco that has both a flavor to match the smell, and still has room to provide a decent tobacco satisfaction. While I would never have thought that grape would be anything I was interested in, I was gladly proven wrong. There is so much more here than a simple, flavored cavendish. This is a top shelf blend that I plan on stocking up on. Thanks, Cap!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-23		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

I am very surprised at how well this blend turned out for me. I knew that coming from C&D, this blend would contain quality tobaccos, but I wasn't sure how I would respond to the particular flavorings, especially grape. This has to be the most unique tobacco I have tried, so far; and I view this particular uniqueness as a good thing.

The presentation of the tobaccos in the tin is very impressive; it contains quite a colorful array of tobaccos. The moisture level is just right, and the cut of the ribbons was a good choice. When I first opened the tin and smelled the unique smell of good tobacco and grape, I knew I was in for an interesting experience.

Part of what makes this blend so appealing is that it is such a full-bodied, complex blend of tobaccos, yet it seems to take the flavorings in a very "natural" way. Obviously, with the inclusion of Virginia, Burley, Oriental, Latakia, and Perique, this is a full-flavored, English-style blend, but I don't think I've tried such a heavy blend with flavorings like this. The description on the tin states that this blend is "finished with a refreshing flavor." I have to agree with this; for some strange reason, there is something refreshing about this blend, especially the added flavorings.

Throughout most of the smoke, the only topping I detect is the grape flavoring, although I'm sure that the other topping flavors contribute to the overall taste as well. Despite the unmistakable presence of grape, the wonderful tobacco flavors are not drowned out by the flavorings--this is clearly an English-style blend with flavors added to enhance the overall taste. Again, I think that this is what is so remarkable about this blend; the natural tobacco flavors are present throughout the smoke.

As with some aromatic blends, the flavoring slowly fades into the background throughout the bowl, while the natural tobacco flavors become even more prominent. This blend definitely changes characters as the smoke progresses. One thing that is particularly interesting to me is how the other flavorings (other than the grape) become noticeable later on during the smoke, albeit in a very gentle, subtle way. When the bowl is about 3/4 of the way smoked, I notice a bit more of a creamier flavoring. I suspect that this is some of the vanilla, maple, and walnut making themselves known.

In regards to room note, I don't know what to say about this. Although many pipe smokers can't easily smell the room note of their own smoke, I do find that certain aromatics do lend themselves to being noticed even by the smoker. With this blend, the aroma of creamy grape is evident immediately upon lighting the bowl. However, I'm not sure how this blend would smell to a person passing by. It seems as though the blend has a pleasant scent like most aromatics, but I would think that the presence of Latakia would make the room-note a bit less sweet than a typical aromatic.

After some contemplation, I decided that this blend would probably be better smoked in a pipe dedicated to aromatics. While it has the component tobaccos of a full, English-style blend, the added flavorings make this blend more suitable for a pipe used solely for aromatics. This blend truly defies typical classification of pipe tobaccos. It is, of course, an aromatic, but I think this is the only aromatic I've had that contains Latakia and Perique.

Well, I think that about sums up my impression of this blend. C&D has really given me a greater appreciation for the art of quality aromatics. This is a very smooth smoke, and unlike some aromatics, it smokes dry and does not leave a goopy mess in the pipe. I can certainly see Captain Bob's Blend as being a blend that I would want to keep in stock.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-14		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

Captain Bob's Blend

Just a little background on myself first. Maybe it'll make this review make more sense. I grew up in a Baptist tea totaler family. My grandfather smoked and drank himself out of a liver and bladder among other things. So, these types of libations were rather frowned upon. That being said, we never seemed to much mind a pipe smoker although there never were many of them around. I don't think my family did me a disservice, on the contrary I think it gave me a healthy respect for moderation. As I got older, I started to get a little suspicious of the anti-smoking movement for various reasons. A couple years ago I got very interested in pipes (one of my favorite bands in High School - a Christian band called The Newsboys has a guitar player named Jody Davis, the one who lives in AZ and makes REALLY beautiful pipes) and started doing some research. Long story short, I dived headlong into pipes and pipe tobacco.

I joined an online smoking community called My Pipes Community and met a lot of really great people there. One fellow in particular, Bob Coffey. Somewhat of an informal mentor, and a really great guy who also happens to have developed several blends of his own pipe tobacco. Shortly after I started smoking a pipe I received a sample of Captain Bob's Blend. Being a noob, the stuff was WAY out of my league but I could tell it was a high quality tobacco.

Over the course of the next year and a half I tried all kinds of pipe tobacco. My sense of smell and sense of taste are very acute and I tend to gravitate towards fuller flavors (very dark red wine, Guinness, well seasoned steak, maduro wrap cigars, English type tobaccos, etc…) and I gained an appreciation for very high quality, mostly non-aromatic pipe tobacco.

When the opportunity to really sit down and write a review on a bowl of Captain Bob's Blend, well, I jumped as quick as I could. I remember gaining a deep appreciation for it but beyond a few memories couldn't really tell you all that much. So here is my in depth review on Captain Bob's Blend, by Cornell & Diehl.

In preparation, I sat down with the list of ingredients. Tobacco: Red Virginia, Flu cured Kentucky Green River Burley, Carolina Virginia Brights, Ismir Turkish, Perique and Latakia. The topping (sauce) consists of grape, vanilla, orange, caramel, black walnut and maple. The pipe I chose to use was my Peterson Silver Cap straight billiard.

The first thing I did was take a whif of the jar, since smell and taste are so closely related. A lot of the reviews I have read on this blend concentrate on the grape scent/flavor. That is the predominant smell, but the first thing that hit me was the citrus. A nice little tang. The citrus and grape were tempered very well by vanilla. The blend is great to look at, it is very colorful. Each type of tobacco has its own shade and in some ways reminded me a little bit of a Picasso cubist-style painting. Unlike most topped tobaccos, this blend was not in the least goopy. It packed very easily.

The beginning of the bowl brought about some typical Virginia characteristics. Light, sweet but no tongue bite. It had another dimension, enhanced no doubt by the Turkish tobaccos. A very well rounded smoke for a light flavor, and the topping in no way overwhelmed the taste of the tobacco. I appreciated this aspect very much. As far as the aromatic properties are concerned, the grape and vanilla really complimented each other. Vanilla can be very bland by itself and grape can be just a bit “vertical” (for lack of a better description) in flavor. The orange seemed to stand alone while the other three combined to fill out the blend. The result is a very round scent - ball shaped if you will.

Room note is predominantly grape, enhanced of course by vanilla and maple.

I didn't have to re-light until I was well into the mid bowl. That was kind of nice as seeing the humidity level was about 2000% here in Southern Indiana. The burley starts to make itself known in the taste and nicotine content. Burley can be a bit thick for me sometimes but this was just enough to give the Virginia some balls, for lack of a better term. The English character started to make itself known but not in a typical, tangy Latakia sort of way. It gradually came into the room, unobtrusive and unannounced and very sophisticated. It started to make me wonder what the unsauced blend tastes like!

At this point it was apparent, this tobacco would most certainly be a crowd pleaser when walking on the river front. At the same time it will satisfy a pallet that needs a fuller, more complex flavor. I would also compare some of the flavor and aromatic properties to Autumn Evening (also by C&D) but not overwhelming in the maple and burley department. AE was a bit much for me.

Later in the bowl, the English tobaccos had made themselves very well known but again not in a moldy socks sort of way. The taste broadened in a way I've not experienced with pipe tobacco (some fine cigars perhaps) and at this point my analytical efforts took a hike. I sat back with my pipe and my beer and thought to myself “now THAT is what a well rounded, multi-faceted pipe tobacco SHOULD taste like!” Every puff made me forget what I was out there to do.

I should add at this point that cleanup is a breeze. No gooey dottle left to scrape out as with many aromatics.

Conclusion, this is a MAN'S aromatic tobacco. A lot of effort and a lot of thought went in to creating this blend. It is almost four dimensional.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-06-14		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

I have had the fortune of trying some of the quickly becoming legendary Captain Bob's Blend from Cornell and Diehl who put this blend together after working with Captain Bob - one of their loyal customers - for years until it ended up just right.

Now I am not normally much of an English blend kind of guy, but with the reviews of the crew, I just had to try it.

When I opened the bag, the grape aroma definitely hit me along with a chemical type smell that was no doubt the mixture with the latakia in it. The blend lit very well and stays lit after the charring light.

As with a lot of blends, I did not expect to taste the grape nuance as much as smell it prior to light, but this blend was different. The slightest taste of grape really melded these tobacco's together and provided and extremely enjoyable and tasty smoke.

I find myself reaching for this when I need a break from my all day smoke. It delivers a consistent smoke that I find myself yearning for more than most fill in blends.

I can see this blend as easily being an all day smoke.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-28		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I had read about this blend coming and was excited to try it out.

I got a small sample of it and here is my take: First impressions are very nice. I love the smell of the tobacco, you can smell its english just underneath the sweet smell of a fruit tree field. It makes me thinks of a Grape Nehi soda mixed with apricots.

It packed well in my pipe and lit just as easy. The smoking was very very pleasant. Smoke was abundant and thick, and hints of a fruity flavor mixed with a fine leather were clear.It was refreshing to smoke. The room note made my wife want to try it as well. She said that this blend was her favorite since it made the room smell so good. I had no tounge bite and I have been known to be a super puffer. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be buying more.

EDIT*

I smoked about 1.5 ounces of this blend. I have come to the realization that I just dont get along well with the heavy flavor casing on it. The three pipes i smoked it out of have such a ghosted flavor to them that I canot smoke anything else without tasting Grape. Each to their own. I will go somewhere else.

EDIT** 12/30/2011 I found my old stash of this. Man what a goober I was. This stuff is actually a great smoke. I am not real sure what i had going on when I made the previous edit. I think I was smoking way to many blends and just got "burned out" I would recommend this tobacco to almost anyone wanting a great smoke.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cajomu (80)	2018-02-02		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

C&D Captain Bob's Blend is a good tobacco but not my cup of tea. The tin aroma is invitingly fruity and sweet, but it tastes entirely different than it smells. It is more of a rough cut than a broken flake, so it packs and lights easily. The moisture content is perfect. However, it does need a few relights to keep it burning.

So how does it taste? Well, that depends. To start, the flavoring is overwhelming and, IMO, not good. It reminded me of Dove soap. Fortunately, the top dressing quickly fades and the perique comes to the fore -- raisin and figs -- quite nice. By mid bowl, the Virginias make their presence known and predominate through most of the rest of the smoke -- nicely sweet. At the very end, one can taste the molasses of the burleys. I never tasted any latakia.

I give CBB credit for being an interesting tobacco. Few tobaccos that I have smoked have the range of flavors of CBB. I'm glad I tried it, but I don't intend to purchase again. It you are into non-traditional aromatics, you may like it more than I did.

UPDATE: The unlit tobacco smells strongly of grape soda. I've smoked this a few more times in a large Stanwell and, in the larger pipe, the Latakia is noticeable. Flavor-wise, CBB reminds me of Mac Baren Plum Cake. I like it much more in the larger pipe, so I've raised by rating to Recommended.

ANOTHER UPDATE: The more I smoke CBB, the more I like it. The secret is to retrohale frequently. This unlocks the full range of flavors and aromas of the tobacco, from the top dressing (which now reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum) for the first half of the smoke to the rich burley at mid-smoke to the Latakia at the end. Three-and-a-half stars.

Pipe Used: Luciano briar, large Stanwell briar

Age When Smoked: Recently purchased.

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Mac Baren Plum Cake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2017-03-17		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Captain Bob's Blend.

Rather than Broken Flake, the label of Ribbon would do, it looks like any other blend under that title. The smell? Heavily aromatic. It looks a bit on the dry side, but to be fair I've had it in the loose pouch for a few months waiting to be smoked.

The first aromatic I taste I notice is the vanilla, and to be fair this stays very present throughout. This is shortly followed by some grapes. These two flavours seem to domineer the profile for the whole bowl; there may be some caramel, nuts, maple etc, but these are nowhere near as potent. The topping hides a lot of the tobaccos' traits, and gives me a firm bite. Captain Bob's blend burns steady, but can become quite hot. But, being fair, that could partly down to my storage not being adequate, and it becoming dry!

The nicotine's medium, maybe a little above, and the room-note's pleasant enough.

Captain Bob's Blend? I don't like it. The taste is messy, it bites, burns hot, and I won't buy any again.

Pipe Used: Friday Altinok Lee Van Cleef

Age When Smoked: Two months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HillbillyBriar (3)	2012-11-09		Mild	Extra Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Extra Strong

The tin aroma is so strong it will permeate your tobacco cabinet and, quite frankly, a whole room with the strong smell of sweet grape. It completely overpowers everything around it.

After lighting, all I got is über grape with no tobacco flavor at all. Just hot, hollow grape and no support underneath it. The perfect stereotype of a bad aromatic. For the sake of full disclosure, I am reviewing this after only one bowl, but there is no way I would smoke a second. Just an unpleasant experience all around.

On a positive note, it was not a wet, goopy mess like other over-flavored aromatics (e.g., C&D Green River Vanilla). It actually came out of the tin at a reasonable moisture level. Too bad it does not have a reasonable flavor to go along with it.

I smoked this in a cob and the ghosting was so bad that I ended up throwing it out. Thanks for taking one for the team, Little Cob. RIP.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-08-31		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

As I write this review, please take into consideration that I am a new pipe smoker (of about only three months) and have transitioned over from cigarettes. Because of this, I have to be quite careful when smoking a pipe, as it is a habit for me to burn my tongue if I'm not paying attention.

Also, as my senses of taste and smell aren't as sensitive as most pipe smokers out there, I have had to smoke the more potent brands to get a "true" experience. I also prefer blends with a high nicotine content.

With all of this having been said, I have found CBB to be quite a wonderful and aromatic experience.

When I first opened up the package, the strong scent of grape assaulted my nostrils. It reminded me of either grape bubble gum or grape cool-aid. As I actually enjoy grape, this was not a big concern for me. I was somewhat concerned though that the grape flavoring would overpower the tobacco. This is not the case.

It lights well, and the aroma of grape is most assuredly there, yet it does not overpower the taste. There is also a strong underlining aroma of hay which I find compliments the fruitiness of this blend.

I have not had much tongue burn with this blend, and found that I can smoke it faster then most others. For me, this is a wonderful experience as the surrounding air soon fills with the sweet aroma of grape.

Personally, I have had trouble keeping it lit, though I contribute this to my own inexperience. Also, it is a wetter tobacco then I am used to, and must keep a pipe cleaner handy while smoking. I do plan on letting it air out for a few hours and will update my findings after that.

The smoke is full bodied, yet not overwhelming. I have found that I instinctively inhale through my nose quite often with this blend. It enhances the experience for me.

The nicotine content isn't as high as I prefer in my normal rotation, yet I find that this blend is a perfect nightcap for me, as I settle down into my favorite easy chair and delve into a good book.

In the end, I am forced to rate this as a three on the scale here, though it rates an 8.5 on my personal scale. The reasons being are that I do not normally smoke aromatics and the nicotine content is a bit less then I prefer. However, I do plan on keeping a constant stock of Captain Bob's Blend on hand as it always fills the spot when I simply need to relax.

I do indeed recommend it!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-06-26		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

What a wonderful blend. Captain Bob, has put together a blend, I have been seeking for thirty five years. Top quality virginia, burley, and a whiff of perique and yes latakia. The blend has a wonderful aroma of grape and some other fruit topping, all held together by the perique and latakia. It burns cool and dry, and not a hint of tongue bite. I love this blend, and you should try it.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2019-09-12		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Oh my is this bad. I see a lot of things listed under flavorings in the description above. What is not listed, but consistently referenced in the reviews, is grape soda. I would agree with this and the fact that it is the dominant topping. If it was the sole topping that could be detected, I may like this blend. The problem is that all of those other flavors listed in the descriptions kind of combine together to form an aroma best described as the smell of stinky feet.

This is similar to my experience with Mixture 79 which I described as someone spraying cologne over bad BO, but with M79, the topping slides back and a lovely nutty sweet burley base unravels for a fabulous finish. That does not happen with CBB. The topping is relentless, the tobacco underneath is indistinguishable relevant to its components. This one just never got better for me.

I ran this through my normal litany of testing of different pipes in hopes it may shine in a meer or cob as C&D Brigadier proved to do, but alas, no luck there either. The best thing I could say about the cob was the bowl was smaller than the meer or the briar, so the agony did not last as long.

I had thought of blending this with some of my blending tobacco, but decided it would be an unwise waste of blending tobacco, so I just mailed off the rest of it to some Forum mates; hopefully, there experience is better than mine.

Age When Smoked: 2 yrs 5 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2009-09-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this one -- a lot of people clearly like it, but I seriously disliked this blend. It burned hot, tasted a little too much like grape candy and bit way too hard. I appreciate the occasional aromatic and have a serious affection for good American-English blends, but this one fell far short in both categories. Try C&D's Epiphany if you want a 4-star blend of this type (IMO, of course).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleSquinty (27)	2018-04-06		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I can smell the fruity aroma from six feet away as I walk toward my desk in The Dank Basement (TM). Yes... Grape soda. I put on one of my youtube videos about nasal snuff and zip the baggie open. It's moist, and it's damn well fruity-licious. But I also catch a whiff of Meyer's, or maybe Habana Club. Not much; sober Aunt Tillie wouldn't even disapprove. The form is nice...nice meaty chunks and smaller riboon-like pieces. I'm blind, don't ask me about colors. But it smells....well....like....grape soda. Folks, this tobacco is the equivalent of Purple Drank. Then I char it (3 tries after 10 minutes drying). It smolders, so I just let the third time on a match ride. I gently tamp. Fruity-licious. Look, it's rare for any fruit flavor to pop out at you, unless that topping offers more chemicals than Monsanto. Captain Bob's blend avoids this completely, while still stuffing your face with chewy smoke, good nicotine and may I repeat....fruity-licious flavor. BTW, this is the type of tobacco that the anti-smoking type might worry about exposing to kids... 4 stars, because sometimes grownups need a fruity-licious treat.

Pipe Used: Cobbs...this weed will ghost a pipe on first smoke

Age When Smoked: Fresh and damp from bulk

Purchased From: P&C... I think

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2017-03-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a good quality aromatic. A very nice English tobacco base that does come through. It smokes clean and dry and overall it is a pleasant experience. The grape flavor, however, is really all that I can pick up from the various aromatic essences that have been added. It is a little much for me personally and not something that I would have thought to add to a tobacco. So a somewhat recommended rating from me as grape is not really a flavor that works alongside tobacco for me personally. If Welsh's grape juice (or grape Koolaide with a little Ever Clear mix) is your drink of choice with your pipe this might be a home run for you.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jwillis172 (6)	2016-03-06		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Wow! What’s that smell? Opening the pouch brings forth a large bubble of grape flavored bubble gum, mixed with Nehi grape drink and maybe some Welch’s Grape Juice. I continue to sample the aroma, hoping for the grape to subside.

Visual inspection reveals some light colored ribbons, some darker cube cuts and a random cut of a black leaf. The darker brown tobacco appears to have been pressed. The other two components, light and black, appear as single leaf. There are a few clumps of bright, brown and black leaf. The pouch note is still grape. The moisture level is just about perfect. The tobacco is well separated by touch. After running my fingers through the pouch they come up clean, smelling of grape.

I chose a medium Nording bent billiard and use gravity feed followed by a light Frank tamp. I chose a light Pinot Noir pairing. The charring light brings forth a cloud of grape and raises a crown on packing. Lightly packed, the charring light goes out. A second charring light brings the same result. Tamp and light brings a small crown and finally some tobacco flavor mixed with grape. I take a sip of Pinot… Not bad. Two puffs later and the grape is back.

The pouch note, room note and taste are consistent, grape. The pinot removes the sweetness of the Nehi which returns after a puff or two. At this point I cannot understand the “point” of this blend. I do not want to smoke flavored tobaccos, at least not flavors that are better represented by the original constituent.

Overall the blend is mild, easy on the tongue and mild in strength. It burns with minimal relights to a grey ash with little dottle and pairs well with a Pinot Noir.

With all due respect to Captain Bob and the folks at C & D, I give this blend two stars.

Pipe Used: Nording Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: None that I know of..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	allmighty114 (1)	2015-07-22		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

WARNING THIS STUFF STINKS BEFORE YOU SMOKE IT. After mostly smoking non aromatics I have decided to try some. I usually smoke Sam Gawith's tobaccos. I have started to appreciate some of the flavors of the aromatics. I saw the reviews here and decided to purchase several single once blends from Smoking Pipes. This smoke was kinda bland not much flavoring. What I couldn't stand was the smell in the raw form. This stuff stinks up a whole room just sitting in a bag in my tobacco cellar. ( Cellar is just a hutch ). It smells exactly like an adult book store. That sweet musty nasty smell that you don't want to know what it is. I moved the tobacco to the garage. The next morning the inside of my car smelled like it. It actually got into the car. I had to throw this stuff out. If I ever own acreage and have a small building out on the corner I will try this again and try to keep it 500 feet away from the house. I am just hoping the smell disappears or I am going to have to move.

Pipe Used: Viprati

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

Similar Blends: Adult Book Store.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipercavse (5)	2015-04-16		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Overwhelming

First of all, let me say, this is the single worst pipe tobacco experience I've ever had! I should have gotten a clue with the pouch smell. I've heard others say they get a grape smell and I do too. However, there is more going on than just that... and... it isn't friendly smells (some of it smelled like my cats litter box). I was in hopes this would not translate into the taste, but it did and just went downhill from there. I can't even really explain the taste only to say it is terrible, does not even taste like pipe tobacco. More like shredded up tires. Then it went from bad to worse, the smell of the smoke just about made me vomit. I can't even begin to explain that and suffice it to say it was just plain rancid! Also, it will ghost your pipe like a mother in law coming back from the grave! This was just a total nightmare for me. If you are one that fared better, I'm happy for you. I usually like most all of C&D's offerings and feel they are one of the very finest pipe tobacco producers out there, but this one is a total nightmare as far as I'm concerned!

Pipe Used: Savinilli 316

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Nothing like it!.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	leacha (15)	2015-01-17		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

When placing a baccy order I always like to add a tin or two of something outside of my comfort zone (Burley & VaPer). On one of my orders I decided on CBB mainly due to the fact that its Latakia component has been noted as a condiment leaf in this blend, which is how I prefer that leaf.

Much of the other reviews have touched on what this blend has in aroma and flavor. I'd like to add that this blend is outside the normal realm and you will either like it or not. You will not know until you give it a try.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum Falcon

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Brigadier.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TorontoSmoker (19)	2014-10-04		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Overwhelming

I'm sure Capt Bob's a great guy, but this blend simply isn't! This is the WORST tobacco blend I have ever smoked. It's just awful! It tastes terrible, doesn't even smell like tobacco, and it will ghost your pipe something awful, so be warned.

I think the reviewer who described this as grape Kool-Aid had it about right. So if you've always wanted to smoke purple Kool-Aid, then you'll love this.

Pipe Used: small Peterson system (had to purge after)

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2014-09-12		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

Upgrading to 3 stars. This stuff is addictive.

OK. I'm upgrading this to 2 stars. It's not that bad, you just have to smoke a little more. The topping is unusual, and some may just love it.

I will have to say that I enjoy Captain Bob's posts and have taken some tobacco recommendations from him in the past and he has not led me astray. However, I found this tobacco to be awful. It smelled like bubble gum. It had some weird taste that I just could not take.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2013-06-22		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Captain Bob is a great guy. I've read quite a few of his postings on various forums and he's always been especially candid about his creation, while being helpful and supportive to members. The pipe world could use more Captain Bob's. But his blend, I'm not so sure.

This stuff reeks. I bought two ounces, bulk, stuck it in an old C&D tin and threw it in my cabinet. I could smell it through the glass doors, five feet away. It was so bad I had to stash it atop my bookshelf with a few unsavory blends that I can't bear to throw away. The smell is odd. I know people are saying grape, but I don't get that. It smells like the rubber from fresh sneakers. Not that that's a bad thing, I kind of like the smell, but the problem is, that odd scent carries directly to the smoke. To me, it's not grape, it's not vanilla, it's not orange or even liquor. It's unlike anything I would like to smoke and I can't get used to it, not enough to finish off these two ounces.

It's not all bad. The tobacco is excellent, flavorful and ever present, unlike many aromatics that use cheap leaf. I can taste the Latakia, the Burley is a wonderful base, and the bit of Perique adds some heft. It's not goopy but it will probably ghost your pipe something awful. Even without the topping, this is a decent blend. But you have to like the topping and I've tried. Sorry Bob, but I do like the tin art.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-06-29		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Very nice! The pouch smells AMAZING! If you like grape cigars you will really love this. I know, I know, grape tobacco sounds weird, but trust me on this, it's good. You can actually taste grape while smoking it.

This blend is an aeromatic, but it's really in a whole other class than your typical aeros. It actually tastes good and doesn't have that nasty off taste most aeros do. No goopyness or anything. It burns cool, but if you tempt it by smoking hot, the steam actually has a sweet grapeyness to it, which is quite enjoyable. It smells very strong in the pouch, but is just right while smoking.

I am not counting off for this, but personally, I would prefer this without burley, although this is a personal preference and does not detract at all from the blend. I am just not a burley fan. Even so, this will become a regular smoke, the description is correct, this is very refreshing!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2010-12-05		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

A nice change of pace, this weed is unique and very good, its nothing like those bland aromatics that tastes like hot air, this stuff is flavorfull , Burley, Virginias with some Latakia and Perique cased with a delicious flavor that dont mask the tobacco. Well done guys.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mouse (7)	2010-02-17		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

This is a light English topped with several essences, most notable of which is grape. Nothing like it. I'm glad I found it and added it to my rotation. I found the topping a bit strong at first, but after a few weeks and a bit of airing it settled down to be a welcome alternative to the vapers and va's I normally smoke. I've noticed that most C&D blends benefit from a little aging and this blend is no exception.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2009-12-09		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Totally unique in the annals of aromatic pipe tobacco! This is one that will disgust the grandiose pipe snob, but will delight most of the rest of us. The Grape Nehi scent is bold and obvious, but does not overpower the taste of the base english blend. It is everthing an aromatic pipe tobacco should be. No PG or chemical taste at all. Just a smooth english/aromatic blend, mild in Latakia and Perique, yet delightfully evident. I admit the grape scent is a little shocking and most unusual, but the sum of the smoking experience is indeed, greater than its parts.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-09-29		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Love the aroma in the tin, in the pouch, and in the pipe. Grapey, yes, but with other components. Smells stronger than it tastes; does not mask the underlying quality tobacco.

VERY pleasant note - not offensive to passers-by; indeed, intriguing and inviting ("What IS that?"). Highly recommended if you tend to smoke in, say, public parks and the like.

Flavoring stays to the end (unlike many other aromatics). That said, one caveat: this seems to burn hot and has bitten once or twice or thrice when puffing too fast. I have taken to blending it with a little burley to try and cool things down a bit. Conversely--given that this blend lights easy and stays lit--I sometimes add it to other, finickier blends as an accelerant!

So: very pleasing--and I am very pleased. Recommended. Thanks Cap'n Bob!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2019-11-07		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A mild to medium strength mixture with a weird topping that just about stopped me in my tracks. Together the added flavor and choice of tobaccos create something that I found nearly unpalatable.

The blend is comprised of mottled reddish-brown ribbons, bits of broken flake, along with a smattering of latakia and perique. The tobacco has an average burn rate and the moisture content is about consisent with most C&D products. The flavor is slightly sweet with notes of woodsy latakia and spice from the perique coming through amidst a flavor that echoes the tin note’s Smucker’s on fresh horse manure aroma.

To my taste, a thoroughly corrupted version of an American style English blend and very much an aquired taste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-09-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I enjoyed everything about this blend. To me, it resembles London Dock, from the 1960s Kentucky Club selections. Very refreshing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grumpy (5)	2010-12-23		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is a somewhat sweet fruity blend that has a pleasant flavor and room note. My other blends are tolerated by the wife, this is one she likes.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Probably the most unique tasting pipe tobacco I have ever smoked. That is mostly a good thing. I like grape. It has a great grape aroma and a very unique taste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-03		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Even after reading about this blend I was caught off guard by the grape aroma from this tobacco. Surprising and unique, it adds a wonderful flavor to a tobacco that tastes like it has tobacco flavor. The grape seems to give way to the Latakia and Perique for the last quarter of the bowl. There are other flavors in there, but that's what I notice. A nice grey ash that is never goopy and drops cleanly from the bowl. The aroma is pleasant and non-offensive. The moisture from the tin was darn near perfect for lighting with only minor breakup before stuffing. I can see how some would allot this a position in their daily rotation, I will definitely put it in my 3-4 times weekly. Uniquely flavored with real tobacco taste, it's a fresh light-up that doesn't require alot of focus to enjoy. I'd call it well-rounded and friendly. 3 1/2 stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BurghBelly (6)	2009-08-29		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

Got a couple of tins of this today, and after a long day of smoking, it was a refreshing taste of what tobacco is supposed to be, right out of the can. Broken flake may need a little rubbing, but even in a relatively new pipe it smoked very well. Kudos!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-04		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I believe that C & D may have another hit on their hands. Captain Bob's Blend is a very pleasing combination of at least 5 or 6 different types of tobaccos with a very very small amount of Perique and Latakia.

In the bag it has a light grape aroma which is very nice but more complex than just grape flavoring, I also smell a touch of orange. The combinations of the different tobaccos and the light topping are very complementary making it a very pleasing enjoyable smoke.

If I had 1 complaint , I just wish the topping carried over to the pipe just a bit more. The full taste of all the different tobaccos truly comes through without any heavy topping or goopy mess

I am currently on my second pound of Captain Bob's Blend and have been enjoying it as my all day, everyday staple. I truly believe this is a very light aromatic that almost all smokers would enjoy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2022-08-09		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one is bizarre, and being that it was custom blended for a single customer, I suppose that shouldn’t come as a shock. While some custom blends such as Presbyterian and 965 have gained mass appeal like popular recipes that get shared by friends, this one is a different animal.

The extensive and mildly disparate list of additives suggests this blend is more akin to your weird uncle’s favorite recipe for tuna salad with lime jello and Limburger cheese sandwiches. It may seem repugnant to the masses, but I suppose every third or fourth person may take a bite and nod semi-approvingly.

This blend is not a broken flake as indicated above. It is a unusual mixture of large torn black leaf, 7-8mm square cut black leaf, drab brown leaf that was wrapped/curled tightly upon itself, flake remnants, and ribbon ranging from gold/orange to tan and olive. There were a few strange pieces that resembled cardboard more than tobacco leaf. The grape and caramel are the main pouch notes. Light up gives the taste of a grape jolly rancher. There are some sour and tangy variations of this before the grape topping takes on more of a scented quality like overchewed grape gum. The grape taste is gone in the tobacco, which becomes surprisingly natural tasting after the first 10 min, but the grape essence clings to one’s beard. The Latakia is not identifiable in the taste as an independent actor. I presume this is burley based given the earthiness, nuttiness, and pleasant bitterness of the smoke. There are some sweet orange notes mid bowl.

Despite the toppings, this leaf is never sticky and arrived at usual C&D dryness. It burns dry and required few relights. This is clearly not for the masses, but if you like aromatics and don’t mind wandering way off the beaten path, this blend may be worth a try.

Pipe Used: Jobey Stromboli Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk

Purchased From: SP

Similar Blends: This is the durian fruit carpaccio ice cream of the pipe tobacco world..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Potwell (10)	2019-04-10		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Last week I received several ounces of CBB in bulk and was eager to give it a try, given what I had seen from the reviews below. I thought, why not try something a little different.

The appearance definitely has the character of say a 20% latakia English, although the dark seas are from not only Latakia (broad cut) but also the Cavendish and Perique leaf combined. There are burley ribbons and either bright VA ribbon or possibly orientals (can’t quite tell and descriptions vary as to whether orientals are featured), but I can confirm there are definitely VA broken flakes, at least in the sample I have received. Overall a rough and chunky cut here, but so far easy to pack and no real issues. While others have referenced a strong grape note from the bag, my experience is a bit different because overall the moisture was a little on the dry side upon receipt, which tempered things considerably. I am convinced that this may be a good thing. The note does have the unmistakeable grape soda, but it is significantly softened by the vanilla and of course by the slightly dry moisture level, so in my case it was not in-your-face.

The same is true upon true light - again, because it was on the dry side, it lit wonderfully straight away. I could immediately detect the grape flavor done lightly, but I was also getting a bit of latakia flavor in what seemed to be a core of C&D burley. Occasional sweet notes of the VA, but more nutty burley. Nothing at all disconcerting, I found myself intrigued to explore the grape as a point of interest. In the end, I decided it was closest to a grape lollipop – like a grape Charms blow-pop, if anyone has ever had that as a kid (thanks to the lady at the bank drive-thru in the early 1980's in my home town, I had manyP-) Surprisingly nice! I was getting a pleasing melange as the bowl developed. At mid-bowl, the perique could be detected which gave the bowl a bit of a red wine flavor. Medium N, and of course the bowl grew in strength towards the bottom. For the next 10 or so smokes of my order, I will be dedicating it to this older rainy day Savinelli, given someone below warned about the potential to ghost. I can’t yet comment on whether I have found the same but I think the risk is worth the experience of the blend.

What I find particularly pleasing is the novel note, but this blend still exhibits all of the components we have grown to love in an English. I have been smoking it on the 15 block walk from the train to my office building each morning. Air quality in New York City is temporarily improved from one smokestack - pleasing emissions from periodic wafts escaping my coveted Italian briar chimney… A nice change of pace and would like to try the same from the tin for slightly more intensity in contrast to the bulk order I received.

Pipe Used: savinelli

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk purchase

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2019-02-14		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

I received a sample of CBB in my tin society box and looked forward to giving it a try.

The bag note reminded me of Capt Black Grape aka the Purple Monster.

It was easily packed and fairly easy to get lit.

The initial taste was the grape front and center. However as I smoked the bowl I definitely can taste perique and the Burley base. It tended to smoke a little hot but with a slow pace was fine. I was worrying about tongue bite but no problems there.

Retrohale brought out some subtle notes of cream or vanilla. I never picked out much of the Latakia.

All in all I think it is a good smoke and quite different than most blends. It won't make my rotation.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: fresh from bag

Purchased From: tinsociety.com

Similar Blends: Lane Limited - Captain Black Grape.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (153)	2022-04-29		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

From the blending hangar of the great Cornell & Diehl comes the irreverent and brash aromatic mixture Captain Bob’s Blend. Calling this enlivened combination an “original” would a most critical understatement. A proper endeavor of skilled carpet-bombing, more aptly, unfolds from within the burning bowl that keeps one guessing as to what in “h…” is going on! Unruly and decidedly eccentric to be spot on, so lower the googles and grab on to that control stick.

Soaring upward with magnum thrust, this bizarre specimen contrives to keep you barrel-rolling in glazed stupor with just a plethora of compounded ingredients. Featuring a base mix of stark Burley, strong Virginia, and modest amounts of Latakia and Acadian Perique, the toothy disjointed tobacco throws an awe-inspiring display of disheveled broken flake, ribbon, and rough-cut chunks.

In dire need of a buzz and shave, Captain Bob presents a shaggy mug of dense tan-brown tones, reddish-gold and racy ebon delight. The interminable list of additive flavorings for this hairy recipe includes a lively swirl of caramel, maple, grape, orange/citrus, passive vanilla, walnut, miscellaneous other unmentionables clustered in shameless abandon.

Frankly, the pouch nose on Captain Bob was more than a little off-putting with the initial encounter. More specifically a boisterous acrid aroma emanating from the unopened bag zapped my olfactory mellow unmercifully. Upon it’s unsealing, a wave of dungy bitterness churned with the overtly sweet influence of candied grape, sugary citrus, buttery caramel, as they flushed preeminently over some definitive pungent funk, resolute woodiness, and tart grass. Effectually repelling, yet I felt compelled to see what’s up despite this one’s apparent peculiarity.

Onward to the taste profile, where should I start? Complex and elusive, Captain Bob’s standard character, if you want to call it that, starts with individualizing the featured flavorings with impressive clarity, a virtual buffet of moving tastefully sweet seasonings. At the same time the blend extends ample notability to the base native varietals, giving the overall flavor a balanced and rounded complexion, which is no small feat considering the intricacy of the challenge presented with this curious recipe.

Initially the grape and orange additives fight for controlling dominance bringing a meld that was quite pleasing. Hm? Ultimately the grape pulls forward as the prominent lead component for most of the session. Mid-range accents come in the form of light caramel and buttery maple as they cavort randomly in the distant finishing note, double yum! Some misty vanilla and bright lemon tones pop in occasionally to add some additional colorization to the registration. Finally witness of sugary walnut highlights advances along with an unusual seltzer-carbonated soda type affluence; quite strange. And so is this random pattern unfolds making Captain Bob somewhat baffling but fun aromatic excursion.

As I alluded to the native tobaccos are given proper equity lending the mixture vital depth in lieu of the rancorous commotion happening with the aforenoted additive. Essentially the Virginias and Burley confluence provides a base line flavor that is characteristically heady and woody in temperament.

Mainly a band of zesty wood and tart grassy hay emerge from the Virginia as the principal bottom spirit. This was steadily embellished by a gingerly sweet, dense Burley toasted nut-wood earthiness reminiscent of the horse-kicking gentility of a Five Brothers. Fleeting smoked leathery undertones projected by the passive Latakia intertwine gracefully with restrained Perique tinges of dark musty fruit and piquant spice. Whew that was a mouthful! And yes, my friends, so was the smoking believe me.

Captain Bob imparts a sweetly brooding mood within the immediate room of consumption, well at least for some. As expected, the vivid sour-sweet essence of concord grapes/citrusy fruit enfolding native earthen pungency infiltrates the room’s perimeter leaving a thick cloud marked with permanence and savory entertaining vapor. Sugary roughness at its finest. Personally, I appreciated the blend’s pretentiously bold and crass fragrance, the wife unmistakably did not, however.

Never thought I’d find favor in a heavily grape-infused wonder, but this blend is so sophisticatedly left of center and abnormal, one must appreciate its unique novelty. Again, for aromatic it brings consider weight to the natural tobacco experience, I can’t poo-poo that at all. Burns cool and evenly with absolutely no disrespect to the palate. So, climb aboard and buckle in if you dare to take a flight with Captain Bob. A truly unusual yet enjoyable pipe smoking adventure to say the least. 2.9 pipes.

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