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
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 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.
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.
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