Amazing reading...I love going back and reading where people are at different points in there piping. New guys like me should read.
Lakelands - An Attempt To Understand The Famous Gawith Scents
- Thread starter misterlowercase
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Hmmm.... First off, I'm a huge fan of the scented Lakeland blends. I smoke Ennerdale and Kendal flakes regularly, and never grow tired of them.
Some guys love the flavors, some don't. And it's not necessarily that it's because one prefers natural flavors or not -- most of us don't some one blend or type of blend.mmost of what I smoke are burlies and Balkans, but I love a good Lakeland in there, as well.
I doubt seriously that the tobacco catalogue referenced above is a compete listing of everything the company made at the time. I could be wrong, of course, but I'd much prefer to see an internal document from the company before drawing any kind of conclusion about what it's full inventory was. At least one Classic Lakeland blend is supposed to have been manufactured using the same basic recipe for more than two centuries (1792).
I think the snuff theory is interesting. I also think GL Pease's observations about how the English purity laws restricted the available flavorings is also pertinent.
To me, the. Lakelands are a holdover from a time when peoples tastes were very, very different from today. Our palates are very different from our ancestors' -- we eat huge amounts of sugar and salt, and it's very rare in the US to come across anyone born from the 50s or later who remembers a time when floral flavorings were commonly used in candies and deserts. In Britain and much of Europe, desserts and sweets flavored with roses and other floral components are nowhere near as popular a so they once were but are still manufactured. Here in the states, we tend to think of vanilla, chocolate, maple, etc. as "dessert" or treat flavors, so it shouldn't be surprising that our aromatics reflect that. But there was a time when rose, lavender, bergamot, etc were extremely common flavors in food and were not necessarily associated with cheap hookers.
Rather, I imagine the companies that developed the floral Lakelands did so at a time when your average guy did NOT associate these types of scents with "grannies panties" or even soap. There might have been a lot of crossover with sniff, but I don't know that one needs to have been derived from the other -- they both probably reflected what men enjoyed eating at the time.
Some guys love the flavors, some don't. And it's not necessarily that it's because one prefers natural flavors or not -- most of us don't some one blend or type of blend.mmost of what I smoke are burlies and Balkans, but I love a good Lakeland in there, as well.
I doubt seriously that the tobacco catalogue referenced above is a compete listing of everything the company made at the time. I could be wrong, of course, but I'd much prefer to see an internal document from the company before drawing any kind of conclusion about what it's full inventory was. At least one Classic Lakeland blend is supposed to have been manufactured using the same basic recipe for more than two centuries (1792).
I think the snuff theory is interesting. I also think GL Pease's observations about how the English purity laws restricted the available flavorings is also pertinent.
To me, the. Lakelands are a holdover from a time when peoples tastes were very, very different from today. Our palates are very different from our ancestors' -- we eat huge amounts of sugar and salt, and it's very rare in the US to come across anyone born from the 50s or later who remembers a time when floral flavorings were commonly used in candies and deserts. In Britain and much of Europe, desserts and sweets flavored with roses and other floral components are nowhere near as popular a so they once were but are still manufactured. Here in the states, we tend to think of vanilla, chocolate, maple, etc. as "dessert" or treat flavors, so it shouldn't be surprising that our aromatics reflect that. But there was a time when rose, lavender, bergamot, etc were extremely common flavors in food and were not necessarily associated with cheap hookers.
Rather, I imagine the companies that developed the floral Lakelands did so at a time when your average guy did NOT associate these types of scents with "grannies panties" or even soap. There might have been a lot of crossover with sniff, but I don't know that one needs to have been derived from the other -- they both probably reflected what men enjoyed eating at the time.
This is such an excellent post that I just had to bump it. Anything posted by Troy (misterlowercase) is worth bumping.
These blends truly are unique and when I find myself tiring of VA's & VaPers nothing else quite hits the spot. I find myself wishing that more American, modern blends had florals in them and I've only found two in existence today both by Lj Peretti. I know Hearth & Home had one they called Lakeland Brickle but it's no longer in production. The Peretti's are okay but I like my scented tobacco to be bit more refined rather than just perfumed I enjoy a strong floral note in my blends. The War Horse Green came up short in my opinion and I had such high hopes for it. Maybe Americans don't make blends like this because it's too much of a niche market and their afraid it wouldn't sell? I would love to hear Russ' opinion on the matter.
These blends truly are unique and when I find myself tiring of VA's & VaPers nothing else quite hits the spot. I find myself wishing that more American, modern blends had florals in them and I've only found two in existence today both by Lj Peretti. I know Hearth & Home had one they called Lakeland Brickle but it's no longer in production. The Peretti's are okay but I like my scented tobacco to be bit more refined rather than just perfumed I enjoy a strong floral note in my blends. The War Horse Green came up short in my opinion and I had such high hopes for it. Maybe Americans don't make blends like this because it's too much of a niche market and their afraid it wouldn't sell? I would love to hear Russ' opinion on the matter.
I was under the impression that it was going to be more of a Lakeland as well but I think that came from expectations on the forum. I recall something about it was not supposed to be at all, I may be mistaken though. It certainly is a strong distinct taste for sure but I get an overpowering taste of Play Dough.
People seem to love or hate the Lakelands. Then again, a lot of aromatic smokers don't like english and vise versa. I'm weird in that I don't think I've tried a Lakeland I haven't enjoyed, but at the same time I love the english and balkan types too. I've never gotten that "soap"impression that a lot of people complain about.
Yup, me too. I can't seem to get passed that flavor either.It certainly is a strong distinct taste for sure but I get an overpowering taste of Play Dough.
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