True Lakeland and Nice Pipes

[mariorossi]

Dear pipe fellows,
I'm currently smoking and loving these two tobaccos: G&H Dark Flake (unscented) and G&H Balkan Mixture.

My only problem with those is that I'm afraid that they will ghost my best pipes, even though the infamous "Lakeland Essence" (which i like) is not strong in these blends.

I would not dedicate pipe to lakelands because I usually smoke my best pipes (Dunhill, Comoy's) and I will probably change tobacco one day or another, so I'm not looking for a permanent ghost.
Whats your opinions on these tobaccos? Are they "True Lakelands"?. Do you smoke them with your best pipes?
As always thank you for your time and advices.
Grazie
Mario

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title

 

[npod]

It’s probably best to smoke Lakeland’s in a dedicated pipe. That said one of my all time favorite tobaccos is GH Bob’s Chocolate flake. It is very lite on the “essence” and I smome it in my high end pipes often and there is no ghost. So it’s reallly up to you. If you plan on selling the Pipes then avoid, if you plan to keep them forever then go at it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I’ve smoked a lot of DF unscented, and it has never ghosted a pipe. You might get a whisper of the strong tobaccos, but not a lakeland ghost. And, the other is a Balkan? I cant imagine, besides a latakia aftertaste that it would leave any lingering aromas. DFu, I smoke in some very nice pipes that I use for semois and strong VaPers like Picayune and Freight Train and sometimes Cotton Boll Twist. Maybe just forgo using a favorite Virginia pipe.

 

[eggrollpiper]

So unscented has Lakeland essence? I don't think I'm familiar with the flavor but very curious.

 

[techie]

I haven't tried the ones you mention, but I do have the SG Grousemoor and Scotch Mixture. I don't think I'd want to smoke them in a pipe used for other blends, so I have a dedicated pipe.
I was just reading earlier today about the Chocolate Flake. I'd like to try that one.

 

[erhardt85]

I've never had a non-aromatic GH blend ghost my pipe. At least with a Lakeland flavor. Smoking dark flake gave my pipe the normal dark fired taste and likewise with the Latakia, but as of yet no ghost. Same even with Glengarry flake. But I admit I've only smoked a few bowls of that. However... One pipe of Ennerdale or Grasmere ghosted my meet for a week or two. The heavily scented ones are the ones to watch out for in my experience, not the natural ones. Honestly I've never noticed the Lakeland flavor in those blends anyways (dark flake), just that unique flavor from the Indian tobacco and African tobacco.

 

[Chasing Embers]

If a pipe is not my "best" pipe, it goes in the trash or becomes a garden tool. I have five pipes dedicated to lakelands.

 

[brian64]

or becomes a garden tool

:rofl:
Do you by any chance have any Dunhills currently serving as garden tools? (other than the one with the plant growing in it)

 

[wyfbane]

There is definitely a flowery note in the Dark Flake I have smoked. At times it reminds me ever-so-slightly of being in the back blast of my mom's aqua net spraying back in the early 70's. It is still a delicious tobacco. But with the uniqueness of the flavor, I have only smoked it in cobs. I have many cobs.

 

[erhardt85]

I agree with the flowery note on dark flake. Or something akin to it. I always attributed that to the Indian dark air cured, kinda like how the Zimbabwe Virginia has a unique flavor. Someone at my main local b&m swears up and down that the Lakeland topping is on every single GH tobacco, but a. That makes no sense to me, and b. I've yet to detect the flavor in several of their blends. Could be my taste isn't good enough to notice. I accept that I'm not a "taster" for an ice cream company or something.

 

[hugodrax]

I must be unusual. I like the interplay of the ghosts with my next tobacco. But then again, scented Virginia's really punch my ticket. I wouldnt hesitate for a minute to but Dark Flake in a dunhill.

 

[saltedplug]

Dark Flake ghosts, has essence? It was the blend I smoked the most, maybe 50 lbs over the years of my smoking. I would say emphatically no to scenting, but there's no shortage of guys who say that it does. You decide and be careful what pipe you smoke it in until you decide for yourself.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Do you by any chance have any Dunhills currently serving as garden tools? (other than the one with the plant growing in it)

That's the only Dunhill serving that purpose but I had an Ascorti poker that I was using as a root pick until the stem broke off.

 

[seanv]

The Lakeland flavour isn’t on every tobacco. The machinery they use blends all of their blends so you may get a hint if the mystical flavour but it isn’t full force on everything

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Funny, Salted... Maybe if you used a more narrow pipe, you would pick up on the subtle nuances of the Lakeland casing used. ::
I do get a scent of something in the blend, mingling around with those darker strong Empire Virginias. It is much stronger in the scented version, but I pick it up. But, it is definitely not strong enough to ghost a pipe... in the true sense of ghosting. You may taste it a little in the next smoke using the same pipe, but it vanishes quickly... and kind of makes for a pleasant addition to some blends. No, a true ghost is a lingering but strong odor that cannot be smoked away. So... No, definitely no Lakeland ghost from DFu.
It's funny how that equipment story hangs around. They keep that old Lakeland equipment in the Gawith Museum there, and they actually use much newer high tech stuff nowadays. Ghosted equipment might be possible, or all of those tobaccos being piled into boxes separated by only bags, or lazy sloppy tobacconist at the retail stores, or something, we just don't know 100% what it is. Maybe they purposefully put a tad in every batch. But, I do always wonder... since Lakeland can be any flavor from banana, to rose geranium, to tonkin beans, to apple... what exactly is meant by just "Lakeland"? They make a Vanilla flake that merely tastes like vanilla, no roses or grandma panties. Also a banana, cherry, etc... Do you mean just the grandma's rose soaps she kept in the guess bathroom? That is a weird aroma, but there are so many other aromas associated with Lakeland.

 

[J.Henry845]

I have 2 briars and about 5 larger model cobs for my Lakelands. I find that some of the darker Lakeland flakes smoke awesome in the larger cobs.

I prefer the MM Diplomat 5th Ave. and Country Gentleman shapes. Give them a shot if you are hesitant on sacrificing briars to the Lakeland gods.