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Deleted member 2386
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Like many a puffer, my initial experiences with the Lakelands, especially G&H's offerings, were not exactly satisfying. I could recognize the quality of the leaf and the skill in the blending, but that infernal essence sizzled my nosehairs, made me speak in tongues, posioned my piperack, caused prehistoric brassieres and knickers to materialize in my tobacco drawer, etc, etc. All the usual symptoms, in other words. Thanks to the generosity of some fine brothers on here I was able to sample a wide swath of blends, too, and subjected myself to a bowl of each before finally writing off the soapy school altogether...but flash forward a few years, to a tin of G&H Rum Flake that mysteriously called to me from the shelves of Iwan Ries, and lo, brothers and sisters, I have seen the light! Or if not the light at least a light...
Of note: sometime ago I completely lost my sense of smell, which has greatly diminished my ability to appreciate most of my old favorite blends, and which led me to give Old Lady Lakeland another chance--if the rich flavors of straight tobacco now seemed faint or even entirely absent to my compromised palate and defective snout perhaps her pungent kiss could provide me with something more tangible. Now, I gather Rum Flake is fairly mild compared to many if not most of G&H's offerings, but it was the first blend in a very long time that I was able to really get a lot of nuance from. I couldn't smell a thing, of course, but the flavors, while not quite as strong as I might have hoped, were both present and pleasant. I am thus eager to further broaden my horizons to encompass that vast and verdant countyside. To that end I did some homework on other threads around here and narrowed down my next-up list to include Bob's Chocolate Flake, Ennerdale Flake, Glengarry Flake, and Top Black Cherry. This last is especially daunting, as I never cared for aromatics at all in my past life, but the reviews sound promising...
So my question for the many mistresses and gentlemen callers of the Merry Widow of Lakeland is where do you suggest I go from here, assuming these blends don't melt my face, ruin my pipes, bring about the end of days, etc. etc? The obvious caveat being that while I may be able taste them I won't be able to stop and smell a single funky flower...but for some blends might this be a blessing in disguise?
TL;DR: is the secret to enjoying Lakelands not being able to actually smell them?
Of note: sometime ago I completely lost my sense of smell, which has greatly diminished my ability to appreciate most of my old favorite blends, and which led me to give Old Lady Lakeland another chance--if the rich flavors of straight tobacco now seemed faint or even entirely absent to my compromised palate and defective snout perhaps her pungent kiss could provide me with something more tangible. Now, I gather Rum Flake is fairly mild compared to many if not most of G&H's offerings, but it was the first blend in a very long time that I was able to really get a lot of nuance from. I couldn't smell a thing, of course, but the flavors, while not quite as strong as I might have hoped, were both present and pleasant. I am thus eager to further broaden my horizons to encompass that vast and verdant countyside. To that end I did some homework on other threads around here and narrowed down my next-up list to include Bob's Chocolate Flake, Ennerdale Flake, Glengarry Flake, and Top Black Cherry. This last is especially daunting, as I never cared for aromatics at all in my past life, but the reviews sound promising...
So my question for the many mistresses and gentlemen callers of the Merry Widow of Lakeland is where do you suggest I go from here, assuming these blends don't melt my face, ruin my pipes, bring about the end of days, etc. etc? The obvious caveat being that while I may be able taste them I won't be able to stop and smell a single funky flower...but for some blends might this be a blessing in disguise?
TL;DR: is the secret to enjoying Lakelands not being able to actually smell them?