First Impressions of Samuel Gawith Grousemoor

[mtwaller]

I haven’t smoked enough of this to give it a real review, so I’ll call this first impressions. Grousemoor is not at all like what I expected. The lemongrass is there, especially in the aroma, but not prominently. Its a straight Virginia and it looks super bright. It smells very mild and muted, but there’s there’s this fascinating scent that, once you smell it, whatever else is in the blend doesn’t really matter. It smells like the incense at a head shop.. my brain wants me to say sandlewood maybe? I have no idea what sandlewood even smells like, but that’s what I’ll call it.

I dried it for 15 minutes. It smoked fine, but I’d like to try 30 next time. Still, not much drying time needed. I did the old palmful of tobacco and swirled the bowl around to load it, then gently compressed. It smoked great and had a very fine white ash, although it did take a couple more tries than usual to get going.

The incense-like taste definitely carries over into the flavor. I get some natural Virginia flavors on lighting and barely into the bowl, but once it takes off you can really taste the topping/flavoring. It’s punctuated by a delicate floral sweetness, like if you got a nose full of a naturally fragrant flower out in the woods. I find it quite pleasant. It smoked surprisingly cool for me, although it burned really fast, which I actually like. Bowl was bone dry after smoking, but there was a surprising amount of goop in the shank. Also surprisingly, I felt a decent buzz after smoking it, so +1 there.

I don’t know why this one gets such a bad reputation, I think it’s fascinating. After smoking a bowl I keep inhaling deeply trying to chase that elusive scent. It’s definitely worth a try if you’ve never had it, apparently it’s the last Sam Gawith to sell out when they have drops, and that suits me just fine.

If anyone has cellared it in error and decided you hate it, let me know and I’d buy some tins of it. Not like I’m desperate or anything. But, uh...

Got any more of that Grousemoor?

 

[anotherbob]

this makes me wonder if it's got Indian tobacco in it, as in leaf grown in India. That leave always has a hint of sandalwood no matter if in pipes or snuff.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

It's for sure not sandalwood to me (which is a world away from the grousemoor scent), but I agree, grousemoor is intoxicating.

Sandalwood, the real stuff anyway, is quite a nice scent in moderation. Pick up some quality sandalwood some time and you will probably be impressed.

Grousemoor is more floral to me than woody and it has a sweetness about it that is interesting with the fruit flavour. I think it is a fantastic summer time smoke.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I find this Lakeland Renaissance amazing. Not even five years ago, smokers would turn their noses up at these blends condemning them as tasting like urinal cakes and poke fun at those that liked them. They would sit on websites for weeks and months at a time before selling out, and during this period I cellared all of the heavily floral blends like crazy and will never need to chase them as unicorns.

As a side note, those finding they enjoy Lakelands should give Mixture 79 a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

There will always be a few loud objectors. I've never cared what someone on the interwebs thought of a blend I like to smoke.

I do think that the lakeland scent is unusual, which means it's not going to fit some tastes. Coming from such a small market might amplify that.

Comparing it to a urinal cake is odd to me. I don't get any floral/ammonia scent at all and most urinal cakes I've ever happened across seem very chemically scented to me. People have really strange associations sometimes.

One comparison, which I can't get out of my head, was somebody comparing it to their grandmother's underwear drawer. I realize this is the internet, and you're going to find all sorts of weird and kinky shit even by accident, but I shuddered. Who would actually write that down in a public place? Seriously? You snuff out your grandmother's underwear drawer? What the fuck man? That's a therapists sweet dream.

 

[cshubhra]

I am intrigued by the Lakeland genre. Unfortunately after I got interested in Lakeland Samuel Gawith and Gawith Hoggerth became unobtainium. I am waiting patiently for a drop when I will have some time to purchase some.

There are some Indian aromatic smoking tobacco which I have heard of in old stories, but have never seen any or have read about in any authoritative sources. There are some perfumed Indian chewing tobacco which forum members like @danmalia think is like Lakelands. After I taste the Lakelands, I can form my own opinion whether they have any historical similarities to old Indian smoking tobaccos perfumed with saffron, and other floral extracts and spices.

 

[Chasing Embers]

You snuff out your grandmother's underwear drawer?

?

I think that comes from an old practice of leaving floral sachets in clothing drawers to scent the fabric. The comparison is nonetheless hilarious.

 

[mso489]

I think blends get mocked just for sport, to liven up the discussion and prevent every commentary on a blend from being a love letter. chasing embers brought us back around on Mixture No. 79, a licorice aromatic, such that I tried it and enjoy it as a change of pace. It's a burley base pouch blend, tobacco forward, pleasing in a low-key way. I've had only non-aromatic Lakelands, specifically the black rope and a elegant tin of Brown Sugar Flake a member sent me that I smoked up before it ever got jarred, hard to get in the U.S. but a superb flake. The rope is full-strength, less nic than brown rope, but thoroughly enjoyable when treated with respect. In my case, it doesn't hurt that I have most vibrant memories of the actual Lakelands area, some of the best days of my life. The grandma's bathmat line is funny, but I wouldn't let it put me off the blends. You'll like what you like.

 

[aquadoc]

Grousemoor is a favorite of mine. I like it as a singular smoke and also combined with Rattray's Exotic Orange (eh, Passion). The 2 together make for a sublime smoke.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I like it as a singular smoke and also combined with Rattray's Exotic Orange

EO mixed with Ennerdale is great too!

 

[unadoptedlamp]

I'd like to stroll some lakelands hikes while puffing a lakeland. Looks like a beautiful place. For me, my first tin of grousemoor was in Northern Argentina. It is a very dry climate and I ran out of my entire travel stash too quick. I popped a tin of grousemoor and wondered why it took me so long. Now, it seems like every time I revisit it, I also revisit the place I was in. It's a nice touch, and I wonder how much it colours my impression of the blend. Memory and scent is a weird thing.

 

[drrock]

As a side note, those finding they enjoy Lakelands should give Mixture 79 a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

After reading many scathing comments about Mixture No. 79 I gave it a try. It was one of my Grandfather’s regular smokes & he was the one that started my piping journey. I’ve enjoyed all the Lakeland blends I’ve tried & found No. 79 to be in a similar vein. I personally consider it an American Lakeland blend.

I’ve read many similar negative comments about Grousemoor so my curiosity led me to pick up a couple tins that I haven’t had a chance to try yet. I’ll bet I’ll like it once I get around to it.

I still haven’t worked up the nerve to open that pouch of Clan though...

 

[mtwaller]

I enjoy hearing everyone’s thoughts on these Lakeland’s. I’ve only tried a few so far, but I absolutely love them. Particularly Dark Flake Scented and Dark Plug. The rich, heady aroma and taste combined with the overall strength and nicotine content is enough to make me cross-eyed. In the very best sort of way. I haven’t cracked Ennerdale yet... I’m waiting to buy another pipe for that one. I think I’ll check out Mixture 79 if everyone else likes it, thanks for the heads up.

 

[aquadoc]

I have yet to try Ennerdale. Will buy a tin the next time it is available.

 

[lawdawg]

As I once saw another member post not all too long ago, when I first joined here several years ago all the connoisseurs smoked latakia, nobody cared much about Virginias, and everyone hated Lakelands. How things change! I guess I better cellar more cobs and burley blends before ya'll catch on to the sweet and earthy cob / burley combo and Russ's modern codger burleys become the next Esoterica puf

 

[SpookedPiper]

I also enjoy Grousemoor, didn't at first but something in it made me keep coming back to it. I was able to find an aged tin from 2010 a while back just waiting for a good opportunity to open her up. I don't have many aged tins of stuff in my cellar as I have only been collecting for the past 3 years but I was looking for this one and was lucky to enjoy and find that tabacco that no one ever wants, as it's always the last tin to sell out when the drop.