Flavor-wise, this one was also richer. The flavoring lasted throughout the bowl but never became tiresome, although unlike the G&H lakeland blends, I could only do one bowl of this at a time before I had to switch to something else. This also DGT'd very nicely overnight. On first blush, this seemed to be an upgrade of the original Brickle. And yet, something pulled me back to the original. In this one, I preferred the flavoring but this doesn't have that gentle bathing of the flavor over the tastebuds. The original sort of melted on the tongue and the flavoring seemed more a part of the leaf than an additive. With this one, it was clearer that regular tobacco leaf was used and the flavoring added afterwards... which sounds silly, because that's the case with both! But with the original, it just seemed to me like the flavoring and the leaf were more "one". Hard to describe.

At any rate, I enjoyed them both immensely. There is room in my rotation for both, and I strongly suggest that anyone interested in one or the other should experience the two of them.

To me this is a distinctly Western USA blend. California. Beverly Hills. Done up by Jethro after Grannie run out of Glengary while boiling up a nice Possum...so she grabs the first thing at hand (a bottle of cloves off the rack) and wings it at Jethro...and he takes off out the kitchen door and commences to grabbin' plants and such on the run (Juniper and Lavender) and adds a handfull of each plus a pinch of the Clove to a gunny sack of Kentucky Brown...and the blend was born. It was Ellie May what put the fancy name on it just to impress Grannie...and she did. Once when Russ was visiting the Clampetts he noticed Grannie's stash...and run off with it. Just cain't trust a tobacco man I always say. But then, I always say way too much!

I remember smoking Hookah in my younger days and a flavor selection I made once had this same type of essence, instead labeled Jasmine. It gave off a delicious, refreshing floral note so novel and intense that it left a distinct impression in my mind. Even years later I can still recall the taste, and the entire experience couldn't have lasted more than a half hour. I know it was a composite of many essences, but the similarities are there, the technique, however similar. To me, it's odd that the hookah industry is so good at infusing flavor into tobacco, whilst we Americans rely on goopy casings and inferior leaf. But I think Russ has changed that. He's opened a door to a different kind of smoke, one that also showcases a rare attribute in an aromatic--strength, as this brittle is a solid medium in body, enough to pacify the nicotine hound in search of a decent fix, so hesitant to flirt with aromatics. And the flavoring here is remarkable in its ability to stay through the entire bowl, never burning off. This really is an American aromatic achievement that we can finally stick to those stuffy British and their soap sauces.

I admit, I was excited about this purchase. I recall reading about the original, watching an interview in which Russ discussed the development of his flavoring technique, and seeing the blend on the shop site for the first time. I was taken aback, however, of the 8oz size, which was simply too much for me, having about thirty open aromatic tins of poor choice selection left about, each with an ounce or so more that will never finish. They sit in a box, hidden from my view, which I guess you can call my half assed attempt at a cellar. But this variation is a little different, a product of experience, the flavor modified, stronger and available in 4 ounces. The packaging itself is also a thrill, crammed tightly in a vacuum seal and hard as a rock, in its brittle form.

When you open the package, the contents are caked together, slightly sticky, the smell of fragrant flowers wafting through the air. I cut it up using actual scissors into small, squarish pieces and threw it in an old 2 oz container, in which it fit perfectly, so dense in its constitution. I can't wait to make my way through this sample, and I know further exploration will yield an even greater variety of flavors. Russ, if you're reading this, thank you for taking the time to experiment with radically different ideas and the determination to see them through. Don't stop, I demand more and different flavor sensations! How about a citrus variety?

Albany NY is the new Lakeland district, and it's American.