Aromatic Flavor

bfisher · Oct 9, 2013

Hello Everyone,
I've just recently (within the past two weeks) begun smoking a pipe. I've always been attracted to them, but somehow ended up smoking cigarettes instead.
In any event, I'm liking the room note of some of the aromatics I try but for the life of me can't figure out how to taste the tobacco. For the most part, the tobacco doesn't really seem to taste like anything. If and when I ever do get a bit of a taste in my mouth, it usually doesn't match with what I've heard about the taste.
For instance, I've been smoking what my local tobacconist claims is Lane Limited 1-Q (by a store name). Now I've read that this should have a fairly sweet vanilla or caramel flavor, but generally I either taste nothing or possibly a flavor which I can only describe as somewhat salty. Definitely not vanilla or caramel.
Any ideas what I could do in order to better taste the tobacco? And how much flavor should I eventually be tasting?

kris · Oct 9, 2013

A lot of people say they don't get much flavour out of aro's & only smoke them for the aroma.
I, myself have not had this problem with the aro's I smoke so ymmv.
If you've only been smoking for 2 weeks there is a very good chance that your pipe(s) are not yet broken in & what you're tasting is the pipe rather than the tobacco. In time this will rectify itself...
Also, welcome to the forum. Have fun! :D

judcole · Oct 9, 2013

Welcome to the forum, and to pipe smoking.
I will point out, first, that I am not an aro smoker - I moved past those long ago. I will add, however, that Kris is correct in that many aros are blended to smell good, with taste being secondary. They frequently do not taste like they smell.
He's also correct that your pipe probably isn't broken in yet. Patience, patience, patience.

gtclark · Oct 9, 2013

I have smoked other tobaccos, such as SG 1792 flake, that have distinct flavorings added you can taste

A word of advice to a new pipe smoker: Don't smoke 1792 for the room note. That stuff about got me kicked out of the house forever :lol:

lordofthepiperings · Oct 9, 2013

Another thing to mention is that the flavor comes out more pronounced if your palate is moist. It's good to sip on a water while smoking the pipe. You could sip anything really, but I say water because there's no taste to it so it won't mislead your impression of the blend and it's not loaded with sugars that can set your tongue on fire if you start to get tongue bite/burn.
Also, you might want to do what some have called chewing on the smoke. Basically take a puff and swish the smoke around your mouth for a second or two before exhaling. This helps the flavors cover more of the palate and helps you identify them better.

wnghanglow · Oct 9, 2013

A bit of a science lesson for you. When you burn something the fire changes the chemical make up more than evaporating does, that's why hookahs have so much taste the flavor is being evaporated in the PG and the tobacco shouldn't be burnt at all. The sensory in your nose can pick up bigger particles than the ones in your mouth. That's why it's easier to smell a rose that open your mouth and hope to taste it in the air. So aromatics by nature will smell much more potent than they taste. This doesn't mean they won't taste at all. To help with this problem smoke slower, avoid damaging your taste buds by eating harsh foods or over smoking. If flavor is all your looking for it would be easier to find in English or burley blends.

bfisher · Oct 9, 2013

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the warm welcome. I've given the moist palate a try. I was actually actively trying to keep my mouth dry earlier, because I thought that it would help me to better taste the smoke. To the contrary, I did have a much sweeter smoke when drinking slightly flavored coffee with the pipe this morning. Now whether I was just reheating the sugars in the coffee or actually tasting sweetness in the tobacco, I'm not sure (I'll try with water later). Either way, it was a much more enjoyable smoke. Still less flavorful than expected, but much better than before.
Now, as to the issue of Aromatics vs. English, I think I would like to stick with the aromatics (at least for the time being). I really enjoy the smell of aromatic tobaccos. I just think it would make the experience that much better to be able to really taste the sweet tobacco as well.
I'm actively trying to smoke slowly, but am not sure what a reasonable pace would be. I'll try going even slower and see what happens.
As for the taste buds, I've heard that smoking lessens one's palate. Any ideas if my taste would come back more pronounced if I quit for a while and then came back to it? Or would the loss of taste be forever?
Thanks for all of the feedback!

wnghanglow · Oct 9, 2013

It takes anywhere from 7-10 days to renew your taste buds, although you should notice a difference much quicker.

As far as pace it should take no less than 50 minutes for a bowl and can take upwards of 2 hours. Again try to pace yourself with 3-5 seconds between sips to learn a rhythm.

pylorns · Oct 9, 2013

There are some great blends out there that taste more like they smell - Sutliff's Molto Dulce for instance tastes great and smells amazing. 1Q is very faint, when it comes to taste for me. I think why so many people like it here is because its a lighter aromatic - and a lot of people here are not aro-smokers.

auslander · Oct 9, 2013

As a newcomer I can say that Mac Baren 7 seas royal blend smell great and is sweet on the palate. I'm sure there is a term for it but breathing the smoke out and inhaling it a little through the nose adds to the enjoyment as well.

tarak · Oct 9, 2013

I'll echo the experience of many- I just kept buying aromatic, mostly bulk blends, and I just didn't enjoy them. I found that they mostly smelled amazing, but were fairly tasteless for me. I kept thinking, "there has to be more to this".
Fast forward, I discovered English blends, and then Virginias, which I really enjoy- Virginia flakes are mostly what I'm smoking now, with a latakia blend hither & thither.
I still have friends that torture me with aros- they smell so stinkin' good, but then I smoke them and- hot air. I guess they just don't work for me,
To those that smoke and enjoy aros- smoke on my friends, and thanks for the delicious room note

mso489 · Oct 9, 2013

Welcome to Forums. Interesting group this. It's difficult to sort out someone else's taste experience. I think you

might well want to try some non-aromatic tobaccos, though not necessarily an English blend with Latakia, at least

not right off. Try some bulk, like McClellands red Virginia cake, or Lane's Burley Without Bite, for example, in 2 oz

quantities to see if you like it. I think you might eventually find an aromatic you like. Despite aromatics reputation

as a beginner's tobacco, the number of blends in aromatics, tins and bulk, is impressive. There are many more of these

as a category than any other. I don't think the consumers of this vast array is just pretending to like it. That doesn't

mean you have to like it, but aromatic pipe tobaccos have a huge following. I rotate aromatics with English, Balkan,

Virginia, and other non-aro blends. I also enjoy mixing some of the over-the-counter brands with Virginia, Burley,

Cavendish, or a combinatiion; but I suggest not too many tobaccos at once. You will likely find something you

like, and perhaps some aromatics you like as well.

bfisher · Oct 10, 2013

Hey Guys,
Thanks again for the feedback. I'm pretty pleased to say that I've really started tasting the aromatics. I think the key for me was to keep a wet palate. But something else my local tobacconist recommended was to just try a bunch of different flavors. So I spent about half the day yesterday at the smoke shop smoking just about everything I could get my hands on (even an English, which I've decided is not for me at the moment). Well, by the time I left, I was starting to pick up on the peachy flavor in the "Peach Note" and the cherry flavor in "Sea Breeze".
Interestingly, I was burning the tobacco up faster than usual during this experiment. I'll have to slow way down and see what happens.
In any event, thanks for the help everyone!

kcpoe · Oct 10, 2013

You sampled everything while you were at the shop? Like 1/4 bowls? I'm in the same bout about taste. I'm just going to keep sampling....as of yet I've tried only mcclellan. Wanna try frog Morton cellar....and some peach / cherry types. Sampling done best bt trying then in small doses or going whole bowl?

homeatsea · Oct 10, 2013

As Roth said, Trout Stream is a very good aromatic that I found translates it's smell to it's taste. Mac Baren's 7 Seas Regular is also one of the few aromatics I smoke.

boudreaux · Oct 10, 2013

As I have often in the past, my recommendation for what you want is:
Rumcake

Mettowee
Both available here: Pipeworks & Wilke
Speak to master blender Carole Burns. She's one of the best aro blenders out there that I've used, and yeah, I look for taste to go with the aroma like you are. IMO, her blends deliver that. Don't buy cheap tobacco.
+1 on Sutliff Molto Dulce and McClelland blends. My next venture is to investigate all of the hype about #5100 Virginia and aged it for a while before I smoke it.
As a new smoker, smoke what you like, but always be open to try new things. That's what makes this enjoyable, and you've already received plenty of sage advice from other members who stand ready to help you to get the best out of pipe smoking. Welcome!

bfisher · Oct 10, 2013

Hey kcpoe,
I didn't sample everything at the shop. More like maybe 4 different types. Each of which I smoked nearly an entire bowl (thus the faster pace), though I did spend nearly four hours there relaxing with my brother. The first bowl I smoked I wasn't really tasting much. But by the last two, my palate had finally adjusted to to nuances of the tobaccos and I was definitely tasting a cherry flavor and a peach flavor. If it helps, I was sipping on some Dr. Pepper over the course of the four hours. Still have yet to try with plain water, but maybe tonight.
I might suggest that smoking smaller quantities of a bunch of different flavors would lead to a muddling of them all. Rather, give a few different flavors a try, but smoke whole bowls.
The non-aromatic tried was 1792 and it both tasted and smelled kind of like beef jerky. Not really what I was in the mood for, but a much stronger taste. Maybe smoking a little of that before the aromatics would wake up the palate. It being so strong, I might suggest a corn cob if you plan to smoke the aros more regularly fro. Your main pipe.
Good luck. It's worth it when you arrive!

boudreaux · Oct 10, 2013

@bfisher - Another thought, if you want to sample a lot without heavy cost - Check out one of our sponsors - Pipes & Cigars Int'l.
I think they have a lot of 1 oz. sampler sizes, and currently McClelland blends are 15% off if you want to go with a name brand.

pylorns · Oct 10, 2013

I just ordered some rookwood from Straus tobacco - they do mail order, nothing online- apparently as reviewed this has an excellent taste and aroma. http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?TID=2769

tpollock · Oct 10, 2013

If you are looking for an aromatic blend that the tin note translates to the taste I would recommend these from Sutliff Private Stock who I believe is a site sponsor as well. The Molto Dolce has already been mentioned, but their Maple Street is also a very nice smelling aro that tastes sweet as well. Also their Top Shelf blend is to me a very sweet and mellow tasting aromatic. Be careful of the Top Shelf tin note though, It smells of Bourbon so strong it will give you a head rush from smelling it! Lol. Thankfully the strong aroma isn't tasted in the smoke, just a mild, sweet and pleasant smoke!

Aromatic Flavor

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