Would I buy this again? maybe... I really wish the nicotine was higher on this one.

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.

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.

(I wish all blends would be listed by the blend name only, not by the name of the "series." This makes it really hard to look up tobaccos sometimes.)

The flavors are very much like a GH Lakeland Flake, but the presentation is much different. Lakeland Brickle is like a crumble cake, but really sort of more like a "crumble mat" of tobacco pressed into that vacuum bag. As to the tobacco itself, it's pretty mild. No nicotine spins here, but still the tobacco is there through all that rose and tonquin. It's really cheap right now, and was fun to play with as I cut it into chunks and put it in a mason jar. I have had maybe 5-6 bowls by now, and have enjoyed this blend so far. I said the flavors are very much like those GH flakes, but still this is not an exact match. It is an American imitation, but good in its own right. If you like the Lakeland flavors, you won't go wrong here, but there is one thing that stands out for me: with those GH flakes, the flavors can be strong, but they seem to be "married" to the tobaccos. This blend is more like tobacco with Lakeland flavors poured on top. I wouldn't really call it a quality issue-flake takes a lot of time to make properly, and I think this blend was more of a quickie. Since most of the blends we most associate with the Lakeland style are presented as flake, and since I suspect Pipesandcigars didn't have time to mess with a flake, they pressed this one into a vacuum-sealed bag for a rough-and-ready crumble cake presentation, and voila! American Fakeland Crumble Cake! Now that I've had my fun, I don't mean to deride this blend. It's really quite nice, and a great value. The flavors remind me more of Samuel Gawith Cannon Plug (yeah, that's a rare one, but the topping is redolent of Patchouli!) than the GH flakes such as Kendal and Ennerdale that I've tried. This stuff is kind of chunky, like fish food, when rubbed out. It burns a little fast, but that is ok by me, since this one seems to be more suitable than the GH flakes for heavier puffing, and does not seem to have much bite potential. I know tastes (and smoking rate preferences) can be highly subjective, but I have to say again that this is one more element this blend shares aside from its topping with SG Cannon Plug. (Again, I realize not too many folks have tried that one!) All in all, I think this is really good for a "house blend," and though there is bound to be some disagreement as to how close it comes to traditional British Lakelands, it can still be enjoyed for its own merits. I'm leaving the rating at three stars for now, but really every bowl is growing on me, so you never know.

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.