Quote Originally Posted by mooster View Post
Key point: not sealed! I opened a jar of Bright CR Flake that had been sealed for three years, and the essence was much stronger than when it was fresh. Completely unsmokable for me.
@mooster makes a good point.

Sensitivity to the lakeland essence appears to be individual and changes with blend and even which Gawith made it. Some smokers say that they detect the 'essence' in anything that the Gawiths (Samuel and Hoggarth) make at all.

I don't detect the 'essence' in Bright CR Flake (but I heed Mark's warning that it may intensify) or Louisiana Flake, just little in Glengarry and Scotch Flake Aro but as soon as it passes a threshold of intensity I find it almost overwhelming as in Ennerdale, SG 1792 Flake or #7 Broken Flake.

I smell the essence more in Gawith Hoggarth but taste it more in Samuel Gawith. What they all have in common is that they're well made tobaccos and I find the essence to be less intense with a more loose pack.