Best Brown Flake #2

[tschiraldi]

Well, I just tried my 1st ever Lakeland blend, G&H Best Brown Flake #2, in an old Jelling Dublin pipe. I've read so much about the Lakeland essence. It seems very polarizing. People seem to either love it or hate it. I've got to say, I just don't get it. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. It was pretty good, you know? It was okay. I'll keep smoking it this week to see if it grows on me. It certainly won't dethrone my regular blends and my heart won't be broken if I miss a drop, but it wouldn't be bad as an occasional change up.

 

[ashdigger]

Is today your first day on the internet? Polarization is in. Lakelands are fine. I have a few and while not my favorite, they are not that sewage pulp Haddos Delight.

 

[timt]

It’s good but not much Lakeland essence.

 

[tschiraldi]

It’s good but not much Lakeland essence.

Does Broken Flake have more? That's next to try.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Not all Lakeland essences are created equal. Some I can handle, some gag me. Best Brown #2 is an alright one, but not my favorite smoke. But, any hint of that rose geranium and the tin goes into the garbage.

 

[timt]

Does Broken Flake have more? That's next to try.

Are you talking #7 broken? Never had it but it’s supposed to.

 

[tschiraldi]

Are you talking #7 broken? Never had it but it’s supposed to.

That's the one. I'll let you know.

 

[kurtbob]

I don’t know if I would put Best Brown #2 in the Lakeland category. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got something applied to it but not the old lady perfume rose/geranium thing. Just my humble opinion ?

 

[anotherbob]

The lake Land Essence is pretty up front in their snuffs. Where the polarization makes more sense. Since basically it will ghost your nose. As in three days later unless you use a neti pot you'll keep smelling it.

 

[BROBS]

That's the one. I'll let you know.

Yes #7 is usually quite floral

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I think if I smoked a bowl of Best Brown#2 blind I could tell it was from Kendal. But...

Why not just ignore any preconceived notions of what a blend “ought” to taste like and just enjoy it on its own merits, or move on to something else f you don’t like it? Gawith Hoggarth makes lots of different styles of tobacco.

Do the flavors come from the Commonwealth leaf? Casings? Toppings? Stoving? Fermentation? What you just ate or drank? The shape and size of the bowl you smoked it in? How slow or fast you smoked it? Some of the above? Preconceptions based on others opinions?

 

[danimalia]

I haven't had Kendal #7, but I suspect that will be a good intro to more pronounced Lakeland style flavorings. I tend to prefer the unscented versions of most GH&C tobaccos, which still tend to have a touch of something unique, though as Geezer points out, it really could be from any number of things. But I dont have any hard and fast rules, as it depends on the blend. Best Brown #2 is good, but I prefer Brown Flake Unscented. Mostly the same stuff, in different proportions. Occasionally, I want some Conniston Cut Plug which is pretty dang floral to my tastes, but a good change of pace from my usual fare.

All of the different classifications can be helpful, but they can also tie people into knots and take on an almost dogmatic aspect, which is some pretty weird shit at times.

 

[Sonorisis]

To my tastes, Best Brown #2 is not a Lakeland. What it is is a wonderful Virginia. Well aged, sweet, smooth. I have it stocked pretty deep, as I think it is one of the very best Virginia varieties available. I don't taste any soap, or perfume, or geranium in it. So, the OP kind of has me baffled.

Now, I DO have some Lakelands so I have a good idea of what is meant when someone calls a tobacco by that name. BB isn't one of them.

 

[tschiraldi]

To my tastes, Best Brown #2 is not a Lakeland. What it is is a wonderful Virginia. Well aged, sweet, smooth. I have it stocked pretty deep, as I think it is one of the very best Virginia varieties available. I don't taste any soap, or perfume, or geranium in it. So, the OP kind of has me baffled.

Now, I DO have some Lakelands so I have a good idea of what is meant when someone calls a tobacco by that name. BB isn't one of them.

As I said, this is my first foray into Lakelands, so I'm a complete rookie. I thought all GH blends that didn't say Unscented had the Lakeland essence. Guess not. I did buy Broken Flake #7 and will try it tonight. I did get a faint floral taste from Best Brown Flake, but that could have been from being packed tight with #7, who knows? It was certainly faint. Definitely quality leaf in there, though, which I would expect.

 

[danimalia]

I did get a faint floral taste from Best Brown Flake, but that could have been from being packed tight with #7, who knows?

In my experience they all usually have at least little taste of something "lakelandy" but it could be a lot of different things from shared equipment and manufacturing space, to casings (I think they use maple sugars on a lot of tobaccos), to leaf origins to, yeah, psychological effects/ power of suggestion... But the scented versions are definitely way more intense and, I guess, purposeful, with those flavorings.

Curious to know what you think of the #7.

 

[tschiraldi]

I think if I smoked a bowl of Best Brown#2 blind I could tell it was from Kendal. But...

Why not just ignore any preconceived notions of what a blend “ought” to taste like and just enjoy it on its own merits, or move on to something else f you don’t like it? Gawith Hoggarth makes lots of different styles of tobacco.

Do the flavors come from the Commonwealth leaf? Casings? Toppings? Stoving? Fermentation? What you just ate or drank? The shape and size of the bowl you smoked it in? How slow or fast you smoked it? Some of the above? Preconceptions based on others opinions?

Huh. I thought that's what I was doing. I didn't have any preconceived notions of what it would taste like. After reading and hearing about Lakelands all these years, I figured it was time to try a couple for myself. I guess I missed the mark with Best Brown Flake 2. I guess it's not a true Lakeland? All I said was Lakelands seem to be very polarizing. Every time someone posts about Lakelands, the responses seem to fall into the Love or Hate category with a small middle ground. Much like Peterson pipes. Most seem to either love them or hate them. So I DID expect to either love them or hate them, and maybe I will. Who knows? I still have a lot of tasting left to do. I guess Broken Flake #7 had more of that Lakeland essence? I'll be smoking that the next couple of days, so we'll see. Next will be my first foray into Tabac Manil Samois, which I've never smoked either.

 

[tschiraldi]

I haven't had Kendal #7, but I suspect that will be a good intro to more pronounced Lakeland style flavorings. I tend to prefer the unscented versions of most GH&C tobaccos, which still tend to have a touch of something unique, though as Geezer points out, it really could be from any number of things. But I dont have any hard and fast rules, as it depends on the blend. Best Brown #2 is good, but I prefer Brown Flake Unscented. Mostly the same stuff, in different proportions. Occasionally, I want some Conniston Cut Plug which is pretty dang floral to my tastes, but a good change of pace from my usual fare.

All of the different classifications can be helpful, but they can also tie people into knots and take on an almost dogmatic aspect, which is some pretty weird shit at times.

I did grab some Brown Flake Unscented as well. I'm saving that until I try the others for a while.

 

[tschiraldi]

In my experience they all usually have at least little taste of something "lakelandy" but it could be a lot of different things from shared equipment and manufacturing space, to casings (I think they use maple sugars on a lot of tobaccos), to leaf origins to, yeah, psychological effects/ power of suggestion... But the scented versions are definitely way more intense and, I guess, purposeful, with those flavorings.

Curious to know what you think of the #7.

Smoking my fist bowl of it now. Initial impression was "Wow! That flavor is STRONG!" and I didn't think I would be able to finish the bowl. That flavor quickly lessened, though, and as I am halfway through the bowl, it has actually become very pleasant! I may actually love this blend, but I am not committing to that opinion yet. I would certainly recommend trying it, just be prepared to survive the first 30 seconds or so.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

So, is #7 the tobacco with the classic rose/geranium lakeland essence?

 

[tschiraldi]

So, is #7 the tobacco with the classic rose/geranium lakeland essence?

It definitely has a unique taste! I don't get rose or geranium, but its definitely... something. I find it very pleasant! Kind of old timey?