My Month spent with Lakelands

[barleynbaccy]

Back in August Smokeybear and I traded tobacco samples. I sent him some OGS, FVF, and Hal O' Wynd for Rum Flake, Ennerdale Flake, and Kendal Cream Flake.
I decided to go in on the PandC brused black Stanwell deal and get and bent Acorn. This would be my Lakeland ghost pipe if this experience went well. I also threw in a tin of Fire Dance Flake for the hell of it.
Like all tobaccos from either Gawith these flakes all needed some drying, but not as much as FVF does. I would leave them out while I went for my daily run (30-45mins) and they would be perfect by the time I got back. I tried all three folded, rubbed out, and cube cut. Finally these flakes are not forgiving to rushed prep., though I haven't found a flake that is.
G.H. Ennerdale Flake: I tasted more of the toquin bean and vanilla flavorings than the citrus flavorings. The Lakeland essence in this favored rose water to me. As weird of a flavor combination as that would sound it really worked for me. I found that this flake did best rubbed out, but I would let flake dry before rubbing it out. This was my favorite of the samples.
G.H. Rum Flake: Really sweet, and has a good rum flavor. That is to say when the flavoring decides to appear. This flake kind of had two faces. There was the straight Lakeland flake, and the rum flake, all in the same bowl. I found that I couldn't get the flavors to merge no matter how I packed/prepped, the flake. This made for an underwhelming smoke. It was best cube cut. I wish I could find a rum flake that has a really strong maple sugar/rum flavor. Most seem to be let downs not just this one.
S.G. Kendal Cream: This flake is Lakeland flake. Straight brown flake topped with the Lakeland essence. This is perfume flake. I can't really add any more to that description. It smokes well but has a little too much essence for my tastes. It was best rubbed out.
S.G. Firedance Flake: I get more of a cherry note than the blackberry listed on the tin. Hints of vanilla come through every so often. This is a Lakeland flake but I can't seem to pinpoint the essence flavor smoking the bowl. This flake is best rubbed out.
Overall I had an enjoyable month. I found that I like the Lakeland essence when mixed with other flavors. I can see myself buying a tin of Ennerdale, and Firedace flake from time to time. Chocolate flake will still remain my favorite S.G./G.H. tobacco though.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Cool, I'm glad that you liked the lakeland essence. Someone has to smoke it, and if that someone is not me, even better, ha ha.

But, I might suggest something to help you with the rum flavor. I found that a pipe with a wide chamber, with cherry started in the center (don't try to ignite the entire cross section, just light the center), smoked slowly forces the aromatics to give up the rum flavor better. Rum will just burn off and evaporate very quickly, so it is the leaves warming next to the ignited flames that gives off this aromatic flavor. So, by trying to keep the cherry in the center, you will have more flavors being emitted. The opposite, igniting the entire top, just burns off the flavors. This is true of any tobaccos, but rums tend to be the most finicky.
It's like a cigar, the flavor comes from the warming tobaccos behind the cherry, not the actual burning tobaccos.

I hope that helps.

 

[cortezattic]

...the lakeland essence. Someone has to smoke it

:rofl:
Great idea about keeping only the center of the tobacco burning. :wink:

 

[barleynbaccy]

Thanks for the idea. I have been thinking about purchasing another Sav. 320 and this may give me a reason.

 

[sallow]

Rum flake is one of my favorites. It can be inconsistent.
I can't taste the tobacco in firedance.
A shout out to glengarry flake and grasemere.

 

[pitchfork]

Ditto on Glengarry and Grasmere. Glengarry is a lightly scented mostly bright and light brown VA flake. Grasmere appears to be the same light, sweet tobaccos, but with rose scent primarily.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

After a bit of reading I'm definitely going to have to try some Ennerdale and Grousemoor. I would go straight for Kendal Cream but I already know that regular brown flake just doesn't cut it for me.

 

[barleynbaccy]

Sallow, is it inconsistent by the tin, or from flake to flake? If it's the latter then I may be persuaded to buy a full tin of it.
I thought all of the Lakland arros are based in a mild brown flake. I always assumed that this is why Firedance tastes so heavily topped. The cherry, black berry, raspberry flavors always take away from the tobbaco to me.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

How good is the room note with a strong Lakeland? Is it something that people might actually confuse for something else, say, if I had a truck that smelled like mouse poop, would it smell like an air freshener?
(Please note, farm vehicles almost always get infested with mice, and it smells absolutely horrible, you literally have to wipe the droppings off the seat when you get in, sometimes after the vehicle sits for less than a week. There's been times when it was falling out of the ceiling liner too.)

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Well now I've had Ennerdale and Grousemoor.
Ennerdale could even be enjoyable, had it not been my third tobacco sample of that particular night (I was on the edge of my tobacco limit). Not overwhelming, tastes a bit fruity, definitely unlike anything I've had before.
Grousemoor, didn't take more than ten minutes to figure out that one. You may as well rinse your mouth with perfume.
After a bowl of Ennerdale my pipe definitely reminded me of old people, or maybe more specifically old places, but still had some of the "burnt" smell to it. If Grousemoor can hide other smells better then I may have to nominate it as a good candidate for use in a Rendering Truck.

 

[barleynbaccy]

I definitely liked the blends with the essence mixed in with something else better than the straightforward Lakeland only blends.

 

[darwin]

Time for some Condor.

 

[sallow]

Sallow, is it inconsistent by the tin, or from flake to flake?

I have found that the topping seems to be stronger in some tins than in others. The base tobacco is top notch in every tin, so I'll roll the dice.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Wow, Grousemoor actually did cover up a lot of the ash smell in my pipe, I will definitely try a few bowls in my truck.

 

[dochudson]

GH - Bosun Cut Plug is worth a try... also, SG - 1792.

 

[billypm]

DEFINITELY time for some Condor...

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I would love to try some Condor, but you just can't get any around here.
I bought some Bulk Ennerdale, that should do well enough for now.

 

[saltedplug]

I love 1792, which I would call cased with tonquin. This is a very complex flavoring. I can find something new to taste in most bowls, and I don't tire of it.

 

[brewshooter]

Ah, I still need to try more of these. I've only had the 1792, Condor, Bob's Chocolate Flake and the Lakeland Brickle from H&H. I am a particular fan of Condor. I have a tin of Ennerdale and Grousemoor. Perhaps it's time to open them.

 

[titus]

Agreed, time for Condor!