The King Street Emporium

Grouse-Moor

Lakeland Aromatic

Grousemoor takes its name from the British field sport of grouse hunting, and the blend has been in production in Kendal for over two centuries, making it one of the oldest continuously produced pipe tobaccos on record. It is a pure Virginia ribbon, but the production process is more involved than most Virginia blends. The flue cured leaf is hand stripped, steamed before cutting, stoved a second time to develop the tobacco's characteristic golden color, then rested before the final stage, which is the addition of a melange of natural essences that places it firmly in the Lakeland aromatic tradition. The topping is floral and seasonal in character, the kind of essences associated with the Lake District landscape rather than the fruit and vanilla toppings more common to American style aromatics. Reviewers have described notes ranging from lemongrass to wildflowers to orange blossom depending on the tin and how long it has been aged, which points to how well the blend develops over time. It is a tobacco that divides opinion in the pipe community, not because it is poorly made but because the Lakeland style itself is polarizing. Those who find it, tend to keep finding it.