Let me say right from the beginning that I like Grousemoor. I've been smoking this blend off and on for many years. It is often called a "love it or hate it" mixture so I am in the "love it" camp with no apologies.
It claims to contain only Zimbabwe Virginia that is flue cured; a claim of which I am convinced.
Upon opening the tin you are greeted by the intense aroma of the fabled lemon grass and other botanicals that remain the secret of only one person at Samuel Gawith. This, to me, is the quintessential Lakeland essense that is often discussed on this forum.
Looking at the tobacco in the tin it is almost uniformly a golden yellow with some light to medium brown strands. The ribbon cut is moist, as most SG blends are, but I find that it is fine for me right from the tin. It couls benefit from some brief drying but I don't have the patience for that.
On the charring light the lemon grass flavor and aroma is immediately present and then settles down somewhat. Make no mistake here, the lemon grass is always present throughout the entire smoke.
This is a light blend with little Lady N. It is for this reason that I think this is a wonderful hot weather smoke.
To my taste Grousemoor reminds me of Earl Grey tea. Light, botanically infused, sweet without being cloying. Once lit it doesn't really require any further attention.
Will it ghost a pipe? Probably, but a couple of bowls of my usual latakia blends usually takes care of that and I find that it isn't nearly as bad as blends with deer tongue; which I also enjoy on occasion.
In short, I think of Grousemoor as my iced tea in a bowl. While maybe not an all day blend it's a fine hot weather companion albeit a bit of a strange one.
I did notice that the tin art has changed over the past few years. The colors are more muted than the older tins but the picture still evokes a pastoral feeling that I get while smoking it.
If you are curious and even daring you may find this to be a warm weather alternative to the usual blends.
It claims to contain only Zimbabwe Virginia that is flue cured; a claim of which I am convinced.
Upon opening the tin you are greeted by the intense aroma of the fabled lemon grass and other botanicals that remain the secret of only one person at Samuel Gawith. This, to me, is the quintessential Lakeland essense that is often discussed on this forum.
Looking at the tobacco in the tin it is almost uniformly a golden yellow with some light to medium brown strands. The ribbon cut is moist, as most SG blends are, but I find that it is fine for me right from the tin. It couls benefit from some brief drying but I don't have the patience for that.
On the charring light the lemon grass flavor and aroma is immediately present and then settles down somewhat. Make no mistake here, the lemon grass is always present throughout the entire smoke.
This is a light blend with little Lady N. It is for this reason that I think this is a wonderful hot weather smoke.
To my taste Grousemoor reminds me of Earl Grey tea. Light, botanically infused, sweet without being cloying. Once lit it doesn't really require any further attention.
Will it ghost a pipe? Probably, but a couple of bowls of my usual latakia blends usually takes care of that and I find that it isn't nearly as bad as blends with deer tongue; which I also enjoy on occasion.
In short, I think of Grousemoor as my iced tea in a bowl. While maybe not an all day blend it's a fine hot weather companion albeit a bit of a strange one.
I did notice that the tin art has changed over the past few years. The colors are more muted than the older tins but the picture still evokes a pastoral feeling that I get while smoking it.
If you are curious and even daring you may find this to be a warm weather alternative to the usual blends.
