This is by no means a bad thing as what you get is a true smoking experience of what a good pipe tobacco is. Word of caution, treat it with respect and smoke it lightly as this tobacco packs a punch.

I would RECOMMEND this.

I have smoked DBE in cobs, clays, Falcons, briars and even a meer, and it performs well in all. I really can't think of any real negative I've encountered with it. I suppose if you dislike packing shag cuts, or despise their burn characteristics, you may dislike this one. Same if you're nicotine sensitive or annoyed by Lakelands in general. But for me, this one here is a keeper.

Four enthusiastic stars.

The weed was very moist on arrival and needed a couple of hours of airing to reach what I consider an appropriate level of hydration for a pleasant smoke. When it was ready, in homage to Jeremy Brett's seminal portrayal of Holmes, I loaded up my recently cleaned churchwarden and settled down on a comfortable perch.

Thanks to its shag cut the tobacco took a flame easily, with absolutely no fuss and surprisingly little 'crowning', and I was engulfed in thick clouds of pungent and potent smoke. To my tastes, this one displays slightly more usual VA characteristics than the blends mentioned earlier. I imagine you would actually get a similar taste combo if you loaded your bowl with a 50:50 mix of the Brown Irish and Dark Flake, except that Dark Birdseye has a touch more natural sweetness, and the different elements seem more 'melded' than they would be if you filled up with the two distinct blends.

This tobacco burns fast, but not hot. The speed of combustion is possibly one reason why it delivers such a serious nicotine punch. Seriously folks, even with my proclivity for the strong stuff, it really gave me a wallop. Lovely!

To my mind this is classic stuff and I recommend it wholeheartedly to those that enjoy strong, flavoursome British tobaccos. It ain't complex, but it is tasty, satisfying and thoroughly deserving of a place in my cellar alongside the aforementioned GH&Co blends.

PS. And for those who are bothered by such things, I detect no trace of the 'lakeland essence' in this one.

I couldn't smoke this stuff in a pipe, so I put it aside (I don't know where I put it, and frankly I'd rather not find it). A few months later, someone rolled me a cigarette with, I think it was 'Drum' tobacco, and that was it— Dark Birdseye for a fraction of the price. I can't say that it's cigaretteish, because Drum tobacco tastes nothing like the pre-packaged cigarettes, but it is certainly very similar to Drum. This tobacco would probably be better off in small quantities, in cigarettes or in a filtered pipe (I don't own any), because in a regular pipe this will knock you out.

Nicotine is strong, an even higher dose than in their Kendal Kentucky.

Like KK, it must be sipped very slowly to get the flavor, otherwise it is harsh and hot.

Note on room note: This tobacco gets a strong thumbs down from the wife, who says it smells like cigarettes. I can smoke this one only when the house is deserted or everyone is asleep.

Its place in the rotation: Dark Birdseye is the only Lakeland I keep around. Better flavor than Kendal Kentucky, and it is one of the strongest nicotine doses you will find. With its ease of packing and smoking, it gets a place in the regular rotation. For those who enjoy the Lakeland blends and don't mind its light perfume, it's the pick of its class.

I tend to review only blends I really like, this one is among them.

PS: Another reviewer made a comment about the "gingery" scent of the tobacco in the jar. I could never put my finger on it before, but that's a very accurate description.

It is full, earthy, dry and smoky. Will smoke a whole bowl without relighting, and only the odd tamp. There is a fulfilling mouth feel, huge volumes of smoke and gradual, but very evident nicotine satisfaction. This is downright addictive to this pipeman, and I'm sure not complaining when I say that.

Frankly, it is so plain, with little more than an earthy, dry burley (I'm not convinced this is VA) flavour that promises nothing more than honesty and genuine tobacco character. It is thus an archetypal tobacco, meant for the enjoyment only by the initiated. It is so clean that cake may never form in your briar, and it will always leave your senses feeling freshened, rather than dulled as some blends do. It smells great in the traditional masculine tobacco sense.

To smoke it and to love it, is surely akin to sharing a sensory and transcendental experience with our venerable pipe smoking brothers from the centuries past, long since dead and gone.

Smoke it only if you're in love with tobacco.