Inconsistency is part of the charm of hand made British made blends. And in today's world where sourcing is more complicated, consistency is not going to improve.
Frankly, I like the variations. They may be a bit more pronounced than some of their American counterparts, but I find them more interesting and richer in flavors than the majority of current US product.
A couple of years back I picked up a few pounds of Brown Flake unscented as well as Aromatic and the difference between the to is not subtle. BTW, the Brown Flake Unscented I bought at that time didn't have any noticeable "Lakeland" scent. It also seems really inaccurate to use that term in respect to G&H product in general. The scented products I like, such as Glengarry Flake, don't taste like Grannie Pants. They taste of spices, like licorice and tonquin. With other blends I get rose geranium and other flavors.
This Lakeland thing is interesting. Years ago I got samples from a blender who used only selected Virginias, without flavorings, to get that floral balance. Part of my education in tobacco blending. Some Virginias can be quite floral, though I usually relate that to them being quite old. So I guess it's not necessary to use a Lakeland "essence" to get that result.
I enjoy G&H's responses, even when she's disagreeing with something I said. I'm happy she's here, willing to participate. She's direct. And unlike anyone here, she's actually in the factory.
In my work, everybody's output gets reviewed, and sometimes that review can be expressed in very unflattering (though often hilarious) ways. People with thin skins are going to have a very hard time of it. Standards are very high and you're expected to be expert in what you do.
These days it's popular for everyone to act like they're an expert, without having really done the work. You're an expert just because you say you are. Sorry, I'm not buying it.
Real skills are hard earned, and part of that is not failing to make mistakes but knowing how to rectify them. I guess I must have done that well enough, since Warner Animation continues to pay me a retainer between assignments. They only do that with a literal handful of people that they find to be essential and don't want to risk being poached by another studio.
If some of you want to block her because you don't like what she has to say, that's your privilege. Bubbles are a popular thing these days. Just keep in mind what always happens to bubbles.
