Surprisingly for a flake, both packing and lighting were easy, all the quicker to get into that flavour and check it out. Pleasantly surprised, suffice to say, would be putting it mildly. The cherry, not too sweet, but not too light, comes through nicely and fades through the smoke to be replaced by something akin to a light Glengarry flake, light, leafy and oaky flavours come through nicely. The room note isn't half bad either. Even the gurgling from the bowl towards the end of the smoke is strangely satisfying, like having the builders in - you know that all that hammering, sawing and drilling is no symphony, yet you know their doing their thing, that everything is good and proper and being done.

So, very reminiscent of the good old Glengarry, but not quite as heavy. Less a full Lord of the Rings style hike in the woods and more polishing off that gorgeous cherry pudding after a fantastic pub lunch (one of those fantastic free houses in the country with a thatched roof), a light walk in the nearby woods and then back home for a cup of tea and the Sunday papers.

Years of smoking aromatics will jade an experienced pipe smoker. The majority of the aromatic pilgrimage is full of pitfalls and downright disappointment. How many times have we opened that bag of ooey gooey toffee bar crunch tobacco to be greeted by the most heavenly smell the human senses can detect. How many times have we lit said tobacco up to find tongue bite and tasteless steam? Not Ennerdale, whoa boy not Ennerdale. For once the old tobacco proverb "it tastes like it smells" is an accurate description. This phenomenon is as rare as finding an albino sasquach but it is genuine here.

This tobacco comes in a super compressed chunk O' flake, which makes the flakes almost impossible to get appart in one piece, so the fold and stuff method is hard. It seem to be a little wet, as with most G & H blends, but it still smokes just fine. This blend may taste like Lakeland floral but it is still mainly Virginia's and if your not careful it can bite a little. The room note is very different than most. Some people might even not be able to identify it as pipe smoke. It also seems to linger a while longer. This will put a ghost in your pipe that the pope himself could never exorcise so be aware.

I love it, and you can buy it in bulk too. Just awesome stuff. Highly recommended.

When I opened the bag of Ennerdale, I was nearly knocked off my feet by the overpowering floral/spice aroma. It was just too much. The bag was going to be tossed in the basement on the 'yuk' tobacco shelf, but I felt I should at least try one bowl. I was almost afraid to puff this stuff. I thought I might turn into a bowl of potpourri.

Here' the crazy thing. Ya' know how cherry blends tend to smell super cherry yummy when you stick your nose in the bag, and then you light up and barely can detect cherry through the burnt surgar yukkiness? Ennerdale smokes with a much more subtle flavor than the smell of the unburnt tobacco would suggest. No sugary slimy yukkiness. Smooth and tasty. Burns well. Little to no tongue bite. Wife says it smells nice (first time ever). I was shocked, so I lit up another bowl. And another. Good stuff this. Might have to dedicate a pipe to it though.

Word of warning: this tobacco ghosts heavily. The scent won't leave your pipe in a hurry.

The tin note? Handsoap.

It took some getting used to. And once I got used to it, I sort of liked it. And those weird, off-putting essences sort of grew on me.

Once it has dried a little the essences aren't as overpowering, and a pleasant tobacco taste reveals itself. Despite its being nominally an aromatic--others find the aroma pleasing--nevertheless it burns cool, it burns dry, and it tastes good. It is different, and it's a very pleasant change-up.

That soapiness permeates the entire experience, and after a few bowls I found it increasingly pleasant. A sort of flowery essence, cool and refreshing, fills the nose when smoking this. Give it a chance and it might grow on you.

Easily one of the best tasting aromatics I've ever tried, even if the flavor/aroma is a completely foreign experience to we Americans who normally associate aromatics with food-flavored tobaccos (vanilla, peach, chocolate, whatever). The term "floral" is definitely appropriate here, as is "soapy." There is also some citrus in the background (grapefruit, mango) as well as almond .... The strength of the flavoring agents is intense, but as the bowl progresses I can definitely detect the top-notch VAs that form this flake's spine. I am in love with both the flavor and aroma, but I can definitely see how many smokers would despise it.

This stuff requires a little drying time, but once the moisture has been reduced to an optimal level (a little crunchy) it burns like a dream with few relights. It also has little capacity for tongue bite, which is a trait I can't praise enough. On the other hand, it will ghost a pipe like nobody's business ... either use a cob or dedicate a briar, as even one or two bowls might forever taint your pipe.

I normally prefer more "natural" tobaccos but can also appreciate a good aromatic every now and then. Even so, I am surprised by how much I'm loving these "Lakeland" blends. It just goes to show that "aromatic" or "scented" doesn't necessarily mean "low quality" .... I wish more American blenders would learn a thing or two from the Brits.

For me, the trick to fully enjoying Ennerdale Flake is to smoke as slowly as I possibly can. This seems to increase the contribution of the great base tobaccos and minimize the delicious Lakeland flavoring to a more enjoyable level. Once you get the perfect pace, smoking Ennerdale Flake can be a wonderful experience. Careless puffing or constant relighting will ruin the smoke in my opinion.

That is not to say that DGT does not work well with Ennerdale; it does. Ennerdale does require a little drying time and it will surely ghost a pipe.

Nice moist flake - rubs out beautifully.

Rose / soap flavor follows through on light up, joined momentarily by a much lighter version of the licorice. I get the impression that all those old American Burley Blends, were trying to create something like this. But here I taste no chemical flavors, as strong as the flavoring is, It tastes like real anise and rose petals. Sweet dry oatmeal of the Virginia increases as the bowl burns down. Hints of molasses drift in and out turning the background from oatmeal to ginger snaps and graham flour. All behind the rose petal fragrance, with the anise growing in prominence later down the bowl. Damn cool smoke too.

Smoking Lakeland tobaccos makes me feel as if I’m experiencing something old. Like some timeworn tradition, (perhaps from a galaxy far, far away). Every pipe smoker should try Lakeland blends (Scented & Unscented). They are in a class by themselves. The way these flakes are blended and the traditional way they steamed and pressed, make them unique. A tradition maintained by a few tobacco blenders around the town of Kendall in the Lakelands (County of Lake) in England Love ‘em or leave ‘em they are a piece of pipe history. They aren’t like the over flavored chemical laced American blends, the flavors (as strong or odd as they are) aren’t there to cover up crappy tobacco and factory handling. Try the style even if it’s not this blend.

Like everyone here says, with this flowery version, you are likely to either love it - or hate it. It’s still an excellent example of the Scented Lakeland style. Although the floral-anise flavor may not be a flavor I would choose to smoke regularly, it was a surprisingly pleasant change-up in the batting order. And who doesn’t like to be pleasantly surprised.

One downside is the lingering rose fragrance. My office still smelled like Grandma’s perfume for days after smoking. Also continued to taste rose and anise the next day. In fact, after a few bowls, I realized that smoking this stuff indoors is not a good idea. Not only does the scent take hold and hang on, but breathing my own “second hand” smoke from this blend started to irritate my sinuses and throat. Finished the tin outdoors, no more worries. Have to knock it down a star for that. 2 ½ Stars

If you want to try the scented Lakeland style without all the flowers, try Bob’s Chocolate Flake or Rum Flake, both also from Gawith Hoggarth & Co.

The bag aroma of this one is over the top in its sweetness and "floral-ness". I immediately thought of strong licorice which immediately made me think of Mixture #79. I had a strong bias against this one. However, it surprised me. The flavoring is fairly strong but interesting. It doesn't cover up the tobacco underneath but offers an enhancement to it. It's a little stronger than I usually like and that makes this a wonderful "sometime" tobacco for me... a dessert blend, if you will. Yes, it's soapy, floral, Lakeland - whatever adjective you prefer. Yes, it's heavy in that regard. But don't let that scare you. Try a couple of bowls before you decide, as it really lifted some of my personal biases, which surprised me. Do dedicate a pipe to this if you find it's something you enjoy. This leaves THE most persistent ghost I've ever encountered that two bowls of C&D's Kelly's Coin could not exorcise. And this was a meerschaum pipe! The taste remained on the stem and on my teeth, gums and tongue for a long time. Yet, I found it pleasant.

Highly recommended for the adventurous. Certainly not for everyone but if I am any indication, it's for more people than they believe! This is a great blend - not as much to my taste as other G&H blends, but worthy of an occasional bowl.

Well, it smells and tastes like "soap" before lit! But the flavor when it matters, lit is great. Tobacco is the main flavor, Virginias mostly to me, with some burley strength noted. The soap turns into a nice floral and, another often used adjective, perfume background. I don't notice the vanilla, but the floral scent is quite strong, and the Virginias are sweet and a smokey background from burley peeks in and out when I smoke it. Floral, soapy and perfume...yes. Real, quality tobacco...also yes.

This is NOT for everyone. I always believed flavored tobaccos are better for experienced pipers and I feel it's a disservice to tell new smokers to start there. But, if you were ever thinking of trying it, go for it. Just don't blame me if it disagrees with you and you hate it.