Gawith Hoggarth: ENNERDALE FLAKE 50g

I came in with the understanding that Lakeland blends are a polarizing thing, people seem to either love them or hate them. This being my first, I was led to believe I was in for a mouthful of soap and old lady perfume. Maybe (ie. almost certainly) my palate is unrefined, but I got none of that with Ennerdale. Just a nice mild hint of vanilla and anise. Like the other guy said, it tastes pretty much like it smells. Room note is nice, the flavor is not super strong (in the ballpark of a VaPer), and nicotine level seems mild to medium. Smokes great, nice and dry unlike many aromatics. But like most aros, you get the most flavor out of it when smoking slow and cool, so it's less forgiving than unflavored blends.

Maybe the other Lakeland blends are soapy and gross, I'll still try them to find out. But Ennerdale is a winner, going to be a permanent part of my aromatic rotation.

This tobacco has a very delicious smell and taste. When you open the tin, it smells exactly like Old Spice aftershave! It's a beautiful broken flake that is very soft and easy to fold. The taste is very similar to the smell, but unfortunately not as strong. I can taste a little Virginia, and it has this nice sweetness of Old Spice. At the beginning, I can get some minty flavour, which goes excellent with this perfume kind of taste. However, you should dedicate a pipe just for this kind of tobacco, since the flavour will never EVER go out of it again. Personally, I don't like those corn cob pipes because of their appearance and overall feel, but I would recommend one if you just want to try this tobacco. Luckily, I like it so much that I might even dedicate a second pipe to it.

I've been a non-aromatic English variety pipe smoker all my life. So why am I buying and smoking Ennerdale like a maniac? Well, actually, there are two types of Irish-English blends: the latakia-virginia-oriental type and the more "Irish" variety which is primarily virginia, merged with burley and heavily laden with concotion of scents which some describe as "soapy". This is the latter. Its base is the highest quality virginias and burleys available in the world. The scenting process is unique and has nothing in common with the yucky black cavendish with which most American aromatics are laden. When you open the tin, the floral bouquet almost bowls you over. But the taste is balanced, smooth (zer bite !) and balanced. You can smoke the stuff for hours. The room note is very pleasing, much lighter than one would expect, and smells something like Earl Gray tea. It verily brings you back to the narrow, twisting streets of an Irish village. I love this tobacco so much, and recommend it highly to any pipeman, regardless of past preferences. For an occasional revisitation to the non-aromatic "English" smoke, you can't do better than "Owl's Head" created by the master, Rich Gottlieb of, guess where?, 4 Noggins.