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jsiddle

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 24, 2012
536
0
Ok i have heard a few things to help get the most flavor out of a blend..
One was retrohaling...
The other was small puffs rather than drags...
Are there anymore? Are the Ones above incorrect or need fine tuning?

 

schmitzbitz

Lifer
Jan 13, 2011
1,165
2
Port Coquitlam, B.C.
That is really just the tip of the iceburg in my opinion. I feel that every step you take from how long you dry your leaf, to how you pack, light, sip and tamp will affect the amount of flavour you experience. On top of this, there are intangibles over which we have no control - relative humidity and ambient tempurature (and even altitude), flavour of the pipe (both cleanliness and the natural flavour of the material), mindset (if your pissed off, you'll smoke fast) which also come into play.

Finally, you get the biologicals, namely you. What you have eaten (and smoked) over the course of the day will impact your ability to pick up on flavours. Try smoking a Lat bomb followed by a mild Virginia for an extreme example of what I mean. This too is true for any snacks and or libations that you may partake in during the course of a bowl.

 

jsiddle

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 24, 2012
536
0
That's why I don't shave.
Was thinking about letting it grow out a bit...
still gotta keep it managed though, i work in a corporate world

 

kris

Can't Leave
Sep 16, 2012
433
1
Just remember, you will basically not be able to discern flavoours in your new pipe until you have smoked it at least 20+ times...
Now is not the time to be running out and buying a load of different blends. Now is the time to stick with one you like (preferably cheap) and get your pipe good & whipped!

 

jgriff

Can't Leave
Feb 20, 2013
425
3
Good news and bad news for me..
Good news - I finally figured out retrohaling. I had some trouble for a while since I never smoked cigarettes and never inhaled as a reflex. For anyone else working on it, you almost need to inhale (but not quite) and then exhale through your nose. It might be simple once you figure it out but it's not natural for us newbies.
Bad news is that I did it with Penzance and so now I have a positive connection to a hard to find tobacco. Why couldn't I do it with a OTC...

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
Bad news is that I did it with Penzance
That's the only tobacco I smoke that is transformed by this technique. :) Welcome to the fold!
As for other tips. . .
Sweetness is perceived on the tip of the tongue. So I always try to get smoke there to judge a blend's overall sweetness level. (For me, Hal o' the Wynd is a great training tool. Unless you smoke it very slowly -- and take the time to test it for sweetness -- you're missing out on almost everything this great blend has to offer.)
I've also discovered -- and this may just be the way I'm built -- that I can discern cavendish in a blend by getting smoke between my lower lip and my gums. (Sorry. I know that probably sounds crazy. But it's true.) Try it with a non-aromatic blend that you know contains unsweetened cavendish -- Dunhill 965, And So to Bed, Jocks Mixture, etc.
There are also some qualities to some blends that best show themselves when you blow out smoke slowly from both sides of your mouth at once. (Again, this may just be the way I'm built.)

 

jgriff

Can't Leave
Feb 20, 2013
425
3
I have a couple open jars of VaPers that on deck to play with first. I am curious how McC St James Woods, SG St James Flake, C&D Three Friars play out first. If it doesn't kill me, then I am going to try Cool Hand Fluke this way. I suspect it may fry out head out with that much Perique but then I have tins of Hal o' the Wynd, Old Gowrie, & Orlik Golden Slices on deck. I was saving them for warmer weather though.
Suffice to say I was pretty impressed with the difference in flavors with the Penzance. It was truly impressive. I have some open Nightcap to compare with it. I always thought Nightcap was a pretty full & balanced blend that synergized well before so I am interested if it improves or not.

 

smokeybear

Lifer
Dec 21, 2012
2,202
23
Brampton,Ontario,Canada
I don't know if this was mentioned but what I do it try all my blends in all my pipes because some pipes bring out the flavor of specific blends better then others
For example
Evening stroll smokes best in my peterson
And
Killington is best in my caminetto

 
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