Hearth & Home Lakeland Brickle

(3.23)
Over the past decade, the popularity of the Lakeland tobaccos, with their stout body and unusual flavors, has exploded. In fact, they’ve grown to such a point that availability is now a big issue. What differentiates these blends from everything else are their strength and the old-fashioned “scents” they use. They also make quite a few of their tobaccos in the form of flakes, cakes and ropes. Due to numerous requests, we have developed a new tobacco called Lakeland Brickle. We start with a combination of Virginias (mostly red), along with dark, tangy Burleys (which add depth, spice and strength) and infuse them with traditional Lakeland-style flavors such as Rose and Tonquin Beans (among others), but with a light hand to avoid the “soapiness” that some people dislike. We then heat-treat it and put it under pressure to further develop the flavor and body, and finish by vacuum-sealing it in 8 oz. bags. Since we don’t use humectants in the making of the blend, the tobacco should be transferred to an airtight resealable container upon opening the vacuum bag. When you remove it from the bag, it will be in the form of a thin, squarish crumble cake which can easily be cut into strips or cubes for easy packing. The mildly sweet but robust flavor is intriguing, and seems to get better with each successive bowl.

Details

Brand Hearth & Home
Series Marquee Series
Blended By Russ Ouellette
Manufactured By pipesandcigars.com
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Burley, Virginia
Flavoring Floral Essences, Other / Misc, Tonquin Bean
Cut Krumble Kake
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.23 / 4
6

5

1

1

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 13 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 25, 2011 Mild Strong Medium Tolerable
I love G&H's "Lakeland" blends. I could smoke Ennerdale and Kendal flakes all day long. I love the flavors, love the aromas, and love the "mouthfeel" that is the polar opposite of tongue bite. Call me a freak if you want to -- this style has caused me to completely re-evaluate how I look at virginias and aromatics.

That being said ... this stuff really turned me off. The texture is off-putting (particle board, anyone?), the smell is cloying and the flavor is, well, disgusting. I don't know what the floral additives are here, but they don't smell or taste like any Lakeland I've ever tried. Worse, they don't seem to go well with the tobacco itself -- the components don't "synch" with one another. I had hoped for a burley-based version of, say, Kendal Flake, but this is a far cry from that! The fact that I had to buy a half-pound just to sample it hasn't exactly endeared me to this stuff, either....

I respect Russ Outlette as a blender, and I really appreciate what he was trying to do here. The concept is good, and I hope he continues to experiment with different base tobaccos, processing methods and flavoring agents. I would love to have anAmericanized version of the Lakeland style that was cheaper and more available than those produced across the pond ... but this isn't it. I don't think that I've ever given one of Oulette's blends a "one star" rating before, but I feel that's all this one deserves.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 10, 2016 Mild to Medium Medium Medium Pleasant
The red Virginia has some earth and a very tangy sweet dark fruitiness. The lighter Virginia has a little grass and citrus as a minor player. The burleys have a bit of earthy nuttiness and a little molasses and spice, and well compliment the Virginias. They are sublimated some by the toppings. The rose and tonquin bean are mild, but obvious in every puff. They are almost medium level floral with a little perfume, but no soap, so don’t figure to wash your hands with it. It’s in the Lakeland genre, but doesn’t really have the “Lakeland” scent or taste one expects from more infused products, so Lakeland aficionados won't likely consider this to be part of the family. The toppings are sweet and rich, and though they lose just a little of their impact after the half way point when the tobaccos assert themselves to some extent, they stay with you to the finish. The nic-hit is mild to medium. The taste is medium. The tobacco easily breaks apart to suit your preference. Burns cool, clean, very smooth and creamy at a moderate pace with no dull or harsh spots. You can puff as fast as you want and it won’t bite, though I recommend a slow cadence for full enjoyment. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl. The after taste lingers a little, and the room note is sweetly pleasant. Experienced hardcore Lakeland smokers may find this a little tame in strength and taste, but they may also find it to be a nice change of pace. It’s not an all day smoke, but it’s easily repeatable if you wish.

-JimInks
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 02, 2016 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant
This is no longer in production, and that is a pity. I struggled with the rating, because my 4's are something I think everyone owes it to him/herself to try. It is a little unfair to do that to something that is unavailable, but I am going to do it anyway. I was really impressed with this smoke.

The Virginias are a mix of red and yellow. The red provides a tart, heavier fruit, and the yellow gives it a bright citrus edge. The burley is earthy and mellow with no bitterness. The Lakeland essence is done very well for my palate. It is mellow and smooth. The effect is a mild floral, sweet with some perfume. The topping fades in the last half of the bowl, but it is never gone. The VaBur seems to pick up strength perhaps. I was startled by how much I liked this.

Russ hit the nail on the head with this blend, and I am sorry to see it is NLA. If you get an opportunity to try it, do so.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
MDP
Jan 06, 2014 Medium Mild Medium Pleasant
I received an 8 oz. bag from the first batch of Lakeland Brickle pipesandcigars put up for sale in early 2011. The presentation and cut are exactly as described by the manufacturer. It is rather easy to prepare to one's desired state.

I smoked two ounces initially and aged the rest in a sealed jar until this past weekend. After two bowls of three years-aged LB, my initial opinion remains consistent. This is a grand, heady tobacco.

There is subtle sweetness from the Virginia leaf and creaminess with toasted spices from the burley. It has a medium punch from the nicotine and is at the same time smooth. The botanicals are noticeable and not overwhelming, providing interest to the palate and pleasantness to the room note. This could very easily satisfy even if the only tobacco in one's desert island survival kit.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 26, 2012 Mild to Medium Medium to Strong Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
In my review of LB Fortissimo, my one complaint was that while it was a fine tobacco, I thought that the Lakeland flavor and aroma was lacking. When I received a sample of this, I was afraid that it also was too weak in essence for my tastes. I was wrong. While the scent was all but unnoticeable, the flavor is definitely in full force. The rose, tonquin, and gardenia make themselves known from first light. And while the Virginia's could use some aging, this is a worthy Lakeland blend, albeit American in origin.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
LV9
Feb 26, 2012 Mild Strong Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
A good introduction to Lakeland blends, the sample that I got was dry which is pretty good in my opinion for this blend; easy to light, I mostly get burley, vanilla and something floral, my wife says the room note is interesting and does not bother her at all, it leaves a funny taste on my mouth and a little bit of dottle in the bottom of the pipe. The longer you smoked it the more pronounce the rose essence comes to the front. I read there is a perique version of this but I don't think I'm interested in trying it.

Would I buy this again? maybe... I really wish the nicotine was higher on this one.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 23, 2011 Mild to Medium Strong Mild to Medium Pleasant
I followed the suggestion on the “tin” description (this comes vacuum packed in plastic) and cut the cake on a paper cutter into 2 inch strips, which I placed in a quart mason jar. A wide mouth jar makes it easier to pinch off tobacco and rub it out prior to loading the pipe. On opening the bag/jar one is hit with a strong aroma of Tonquin Bean and floral notes, perhaps Rose. It is unusual, not an aroma I would seek out. However, it works when smoked, at least for me. I would not label this crumble cake as sticky to the touch, but it has an unusual feel. A little moist – yes, but this works too. On lighting the taste of Tonquin and Rose is strong, but as the smoke settles in this lightens to a background note while the sweetness/spice of the VA/Burley blend carries the day. It has a complexity I liked. The blend burns cleanly and cool to a grey/white ash, and does not grow bitter in the bottom of the bowl. Nor did it bite me in spite of some hard puffing. I'm a lover of flakes and crumble cakes.

I like VA/Per and Burley blends, but I'm not a big fan of aromatics, especially tobacco flavored with Tonquin Bean and other floral notes. If I hadn't tried Lakeland flakes and Russ Ouellette's other crumble cakes, I would have never tried this tobac. But it works, at least for me. This was a good, cool, and enjoyable smoke and I give it 4 stars.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 06, 2011 Mild to Medium Medium Medium Pleasant
I got this as a sample from a pipesmoking buddy. It came still packed in its cake form and was easily broken off and rubbed out for the pipe. Light in color, this loaded and packed well, and burned perfectly.

The flavoring was very close to my experience with lakeland blends. The flavor/scent was perfumy and flowery but not soapy... fairly heavy but not overpowering. It acted like a velvety smooth layering of flavor that softened as the bowl progressed. It never dissipated; it just sort of "melted". That's the best way I can describe it. It was sort of ice cream-like in that sense, with a flavor burst at the onset and a slow lingering finish. My taste buds were bathed in the flavoring, and it was quite a uniqe experience. Towards the bottom of the bowl, the flavoring had melted away and the natural sweetness and robustness of the VA and burley took over. And not a moment too soon! As the flavoring took over center stage in my brain and just before it wore me out, it ended and I found myself with a natural smoke. Nice! And it refused to bite or become bitter, no matter how much I purposefully provoked it on a couple of occasions.

If you enjoy Lakeland flavorings, you MUST try this! It's ridiculously cheap (for now!) and it has the essence of the Lake District offerings, although it isn't the same. I view it as an American's take on the venerable Brit recipe. And I find it to be very well done indeed! I can't smoke this all day, just as I can't spend all day with any type of flavoring - sometimes "au natural" must take over. But this is something I don't intend to have very far from my tobacco jars.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 18, 2016 Medium to Strong Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
Although flavored with essence of the Tonquin bean, this one no way resembles Gawth's 1792 Flake which is loaded with the stuff. It is a stout blend with the strange but wonderful Lakeland flavor of the Virginias, but there was just too much stuff in here for a true appreciation of the overall presentation. I would smoke it again but the Burley was really bitter toward the end of the smoke and that has me hesitant about doing so.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 09, 2016 Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant
A gift from a fellow smoker who knows I like many 'Lakelands' -- well, this was different! Where others get the Virginias or the flavors foremost, I got the burleys, which seemed to fight the toppings (and the burley won). The tonquin was there, hiding under the taste of burley, along with the VA. Every once in a while in the first half of the bowl, some indistinct floral would pass by. However the flavors were imparted into the blend, they just didn't come through for me. Not a bad blend by any means and I'm very glad to have finally tried it, but I won't mourn its passing.
Pipe Used: briars and meers
PurchasedFrom: gift
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