Kent (@Kentos ) has been very kind and generous and sent me quite a few samples of various Lakeland Blends. I told him I would share my experiences here.
But before I do, I would like to take a moment and thank everyone here of the Brown Leaf. I have been a moderate cigar smoker for quite awhile but never a pipe smoker until recently.
From the very first moment I asked a question here, the members in this sub forum have been extremely willing and very helpful in my education and journey into Pipe smoking. I have went from a cob, 2 OTC's and no knowledge of pipes, tobacco blends and the techniques and knowledge that goes along with them, to a place of being, maybe not a veteran yet but at least a well informed enthusiast in a very short amount of time.
Being the natural pessimist that I am, I just figured everyone here was so laid back and cool, was because you all had extra nicotine in your bloodstreams. But I have come to terms that it's just who you all really are.
Doing what I do for a living, I have to be out when the boogeyman is out. That means, nights, weekends and holidays, which isn't very conducive to joining or being apart of a pipe club and trying to meet people in person of like mind, because they actually sleep at night. But then it dawned on me. I am already apart of a great pipe club.
The Brown Leaf, where I have learned all that I know today and where it's generous members have actually, reached out to me with advice and even samples, letting me try and experience and teaching me first hand, "what an aged pipe tobacco is like?" And the "differences between an English blend and a Balkan blend?" And so many other things. I have even got to try every GL Pease blend before actually purchasing any myself. I am very humbled by this generosity and friendship and I have everyone here to thank for it. And I am very proud that you let me be apart.
Anyhoo, back to the Lakeland. I picked up a MM cob so I can dedicate it to these samples because from what I hear, I don't want to ghost the few other pipes that I do have.
Gawith Hoggarth & Co's Kendal Flake was the first up. I actually purchased and smoked a whole tin of GLP's Stonehaven which some have said has a lakeland essence, but at the time my newbie status and inexperience wouldn't have noticed if there was notes of a Hostess ding dong and a glass of milk. The minute I lit the pipe, I first, immediately, got slapped in the face with just the sheer complexity of the blend. So many different things going on at once it's quite fascinating. I then forced myself to try to dissect the individual nuances.
I finally got the faint soapy thing people say and definitely the floral. Like a rose floral. Also recognized vanilla and almonds. But all these different notes seemed very tamed and mild, nothing overwhelming other than again, the sheer overall complexity and nothing like a perfume sticking to my tongue. About halfway thru the bowl, I got hit with this spicy, peppery note, very reminiscent to what I get when smoking a VaPer like PS's Luxury Bullseye or something. If I hadn't already read that it doesn't have Perique in the blend, I would have thought it had Perique. It had that much spiciness to it and it came out of nowhere. Very interesting blend and very enjoyable.
I don't even think I know if the reason I enjoyed it was because of the different flavors of the blend or if it was because it was just a completely different change to anything I have ever tried before. The closest description to anything similar in my mind would be a floral infused cigar, but not as strong as an infused cigar.
It's one of those blends you would reach for, You know, like when you're hungry, but you don't know what you are hungry for? And anything you have ever tried just doesn't sound appetizing? But you definitely know you still want to eat something. when that happens in the pipe tobacco realm? You want to smoke, but you don't want to smoke anything you have already smoked? But you definitely want to smoke something different?
Has this ever described you? Then reach for Kendal Flake.
But before I do, I would like to take a moment and thank everyone here of the Brown Leaf. I have been a moderate cigar smoker for quite awhile but never a pipe smoker until recently.
From the very first moment I asked a question here, the members in this sub forum have been extremely willing and very helpful in my education and journey into Pipe smoking. I have went from a cob, 2 OTC's and no knowledge of pipes, tobacco blends and the techniques and knowledge that goes along with them, to a place of being, maybe not a veteran yet but at least a well informed enthusiast in a very short amount of time.
Being the natural pessimist that I am, I just figured everyone here was so laid back and cool, was because you all had extra nicotine in your bloodstreams. But I have come to terms that it's just who you all really are.
Doing what I do for a living, I have to be out when the boogeyman is out. That means, nights, weekends and holidays, which isn't very conducive to joining or being apart of a pipe club and trying to meet people in person of like mind, because they actually sleep at night. But then it dawned on me. I am already apart of a great pipe club.
The Brown Leaf, where I have learned all that I know today and where it's generous members have actually, reached out to me with advice and even samples, letting me try and experience and teaching me first hand, "what an aged pipe tobacco is like?" And the "differences between an English blend and a Balkan blend?" And so many other things. I have even got to try every GL Pease blend before actually purchasing any myself. I am very humbled by this generosity and friendship and I have everyone here to thank for it. And I am very proud that you let me be apart.
Anyhoo, back to the Lakeland. I picked up a MM cob so I can dedicate it to these samples because from what I hear, I don't want to ghost the few other pipes that I do have.
Gawith Hoggarth & Co's Kendal Flake was the first up. I actually purchased and smoked a whole tin of GLP's Stonehaven which some have said has a lakeland essence, but at the time my newbie status and inexperience wouldn't have noticed if there was notes of a Hostess ding dong and a glass of milk. The minute I lit the pipe, I first, immediately, got slapped in the face with just the sheer complexity of the blend. So many different things going on at once it's quite fascinating. I then forced myself to try to dissect the individual nuances.
I finally got the faint soapy thing people say and definitely the floral. Like a rose floral. Also recognized vanilla and almonds. But all these different notes seemed very tamed and mild, nothing overwhelming other than again, the sheer overall complexity and nothing like a perfume sticking to my tongue. About halfway thru the bowl, I got hit with this spicy, peppery note, very reminiscent to what I get when smoking a VaPer like PS's Luxury Bullseye or something. If I hadn't already read that it doesn't have Perique in the blend, I would have thought it had Perique. It had that much spiciness to it and it came out of nowhere. Very interesting blend and very enjoyable.
I don't even think I know if the reason I enjoyed it was because of the different flavors of the blend or if it was because it was just a completely different change to anything I have ever tried before. The closest description to anything similar in my mind would be a floral infused cigar, but not as strong as an infused cigar.
It's one of those blends you would reach for, You know, like when you're hungry, but you don't know what you are hungry for? And anything you have ever tried just doesn't sound appetizing? But you definitely know you still want to eat something. when that happens in the pipe tobacco realm? You want to smoke, but you don't want to smoke anything you have already smoked? But you definitely want to smoke something different?
Has this ever described you? Then reach for Kendal Flake.
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