Avoiding the Nicotine Hit while not Compromising Flavour

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fmgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2014
922
4
I am new to pipe smoking and have not smoked anything before I picked up a pipe about 6 months ago. I have evolved from an in house “mild” aromatic, through a “medium” sweet and savoury blend (aromatic with a bit of latika) through to picking up a tin of Peterson's Old Dublin. I have loved it all but the “English” style is where I want to be. I have smoked about 15 pipe fulls of Old Dublin. Once I got a slight nicotine hit when I smoked it just before dinner but that seemed pretty mild compared to what I got last night. Last night I got a huge nicotine hit complete with the cold sweats... terrible stuff. Now I am sure I am a nicotine wimp and I am happy to stay that way. Why would I get a hit once or twice and not at other times on the same tobacco in the same pipe? I want to continue too enjoy this tobacco (and try others) but I really want to avoid any more cold sweats! I found this blog post (here)that suggests chocolate before smoking helps. Anyone experienced this or have other tricks?
It makes intuitive sense to me to smoke smaller amounts, slower and after eating instead of before for a tobacco that might have these affects but like I said I don't know much about nicotine so would love to hear peoples thoughts and experiences.
I have noticed some English blends to avoid because of the high nicotine content. Tobacco Reviews list “strength” but that seems to be a combination of nicotine and flavour. Can they be separated as I want flavour without nicotine?. (Maybe it is like asking for a good beer without gluten? The stuff my wife drinks is aweful!) I understand different tobacco types have different levels of nicotine and different techniques can alter that so apparently low nicotine tobaccos can be higher than expected so I expect there to be variation and plan on trying plenty more as time goes by.
While we are at it if anyone has English style blends they recommend trying that are thought low in nicotine I would love to hear about them.
Many thanks!

 

mikestanley

Lifer
May 10, 2009
1,698
1,126
Akron area of Ohio
McClelland blends are, IMHO, flavorful yet lower in nicotine. I would think about Bombay Court, Legends, Wilderness, Scottish Woods, Three Oaks and Oriental #14.
Mike S.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
You have to pick your blends. I enjoy both some of the high nic English blends, like Nightcap, and some of the

high nic burley blends like Billy Budd, but also some of the fairly low nic English blends, which would include

Altadis Fox and Hound, Sutliff Westminster, and Nat Sherman 536. I think you'll be fine with any of those as long

as you smoke slow and eat first. If you're not good with nicotine, you're right to just avoid it. Susceptibility to it

is built into your genes, so don't fight it. You might build up tolerance with time, but cold sweats are never an

enjoyable adjunct to anything. Welcome to Forums.

 

curl

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 29, 2014
722
461
Strong tobacco pairs up well with a small pipe.

 

brudnod

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 26, 2013
938
6
Great Falls, VA
Welcome fellow nicotine wimp! I pay particular attention to the "strength" notation on Pipes and Cigars web site and Quick Specs View on the Iwan Ries site (the two I buy from most). Inhaling the smoke will certainly increase the nicotine intake compared to just taking the smoke in to the top of the respiratory tract. The absorptive surface of the lungs (air sacks) is about the size of a football field! Good luck with you search.

 

nachman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 27, 2013
228
3
One way to cut the nicotine and not affect the flavor is to take a 6mm filter pipe, like Savanelli or Missouri Mearschaum, and instead of using a filter, take a pipe cleaner, cut it in half and fold the half in half. Insert the cleaner into the filter chamber with the point of the V toward the bowl. It tastes the same, but catches a lot of tar and nicotine. It also gives a dryer smoke.

 

clarkj734

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 2, 2014
112
1
+1 on the idea of using a filter. I find that the Savinelli balsa filters do lower the vitamin N effect somewhat. Also, IMO Meerschaum pipes also seem to deliver a slightly lower nicotine punch presumably due to the porous nature absorbing some of the Nicotine.
Finally, pay close attention tot he chamber specs when purchasing a new pipe. I tend to smoke flakes primarily and therefore gravitate towards smaller chambers.

 

fmgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2014
922
4
Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I am using a filtered pipe (9mm charcoal) so I will make sure to keep the filter in for now!
A quick look at reviews of some McClelland tobaccos led to me finding this statement
I have problems with McClelland English blends. They are simply too light for my tastes and I find myself puffing at a ridiculous pace in an effort to absorb enough nicotine
Sounds like what I might be looking for.

 

sallow

Lifer
Jun 30, 2013
1,531
3,771
Smoke after dinner, on a full stomach. The Fribourg and Treyer Virginias are mild but are very good. So is Peterson Sherlock holmes. I would not suggest passing up any tobacco because of the nicotine (or expected) nicotine level.

 

troutface

Lifer
Oct 26, 2012
2,328
11,362
Colorado
McClelland blends are, IMHO, flavorful yet lower in nicotine. I would think about Bombay Court, Legends, Wilderness, Scottish Woods, Three Oaks and Oriental #14.

I'm a nic wimp too and I completely agree with Mike. Great recommendations.

 

fmgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2014
922
4
Sallow: You make a good point. I won't avoid certain tobaccos but I will make sure to be careful when I smoke them. Interestingly it is not even clear how to get a good read on strength (apart from recommendations here which I really appreciate).
I checked several tobacco websites to look at "strength". Some list strength and taste. Oddly they often do not agree.
The offending yet tasty Old Dublin was mostly medium with one exception.
Pipes and Cigars Mild (1 out of 5)

4noggins (medium) taste (medium)

Iwanries (medium)

Smokingpipes stregth 3 out of 5; taste 3

Tobacco Reviews (medium) taste (medium)
Rattray's Red Rapparee was all over the place (mild to strong)
Rattray Red Rapparee

Pipes and Cigars medium (3 out of 5)

4 noggings (medium to strong) Taste full

Iwanries (mild)

Smokingpipes strength 3 out of 5; taste 4

Tobacco Reviews (medium) taste (medium to full)
McClelland's Wilderness and Samovar seem consistently milder (medium) but flavourful

McClelland Wilderness

Pipes and Cigars mild to medium (2 out of 5)

4noggins (Mild to Medium) taste Medium

Iwanries (medium)

Smokingpipes strength 3 out of 5; taste 3

Tobacco Reviews (medium) taste (medium)
McClellands Samovar

Pipes and Cigars (mild to medium) (2 out of 5)

4noggings (Medium) taste medium to full

Iwanries (Mild)

Smokingpipes strength 3 out of 5; taste 4

Tobacco Reviews (medium) taste (medium to full, full)
I know it is all an experiment anyhow. But as a scientist I know nicotoine about has to be measurable. Shame it is not printed on the tin like alcohol is on the side of wine/ beer etc. Now I know you can drink you beer/wine fast or slow, in small or large quantities and the same is true of how you smoke your tobacoo.
I now have a long list of Tobaccos I want to try so I am a happy smoker... but first dinner!

 

tallguy

Lurker
Sep 2, 2014
43
0
I am also a nicotine wimp. About 20 years ago, I got hit pretty hard just trying cigars with some friends in a bar. Got me sick. That's pretty much why I have stayed away from tobacco since then.
I decided to retry tobacco about 2 months ago by smoking the pipe (my brother introduced me to that). Since then everything went fine. Maybe because I am better at not inhaling the smoke. I have only tried 5 blends so far. BUT... yesterday I got a nicotine hit with McClelland Beacon Extra (felt dizzy and little nauseous); it was the second time I've tried this blend. I will put it away for a while and maybe come back to it in a few months.
I tend to agree with "fmgee" about the fact that the level of nicotine should be printed on the side of the tin like the level of alcool. Nicotine is a drug after all (I am not passing jugement here :) ). I want the taste of tobacco but not the nicotine hit. With the level of nicotine printed, people wanting a high nicotine contents and the winps would be happy.
Just my two cents! :puffpipe:

 

rigmedic1

Lifer
May 29, 2011
3,896
75
Might I suggest trying Dunhill's 965? I have smoked the bulk 965 for years, and find it to have a pleasant Latakia taste without the heavier nicotine lashing I get from C&D sourced blends. As much as I enjoy them, I cannot smoke GL Pease or other C&D offerings on an empty stomach. As an aside, I would mention Frog Morton's Cellar in a Peterson system pipe to be a favorite after dinner smoke.

 

ericthered

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 29, 2014
511
2
Suffolk, VA
If my recollection serves, both Russ Ouellette and G.L. Pease have written articles on this site about the variability of nicotine. ("Put That In Your Pipe" & "Out Of The Ashes" on the lefthand sidebar... both very good reads.) How nic content can vary based upon variety (burley, VA, etc.), how the tobacco is cured, even what part of the plant the leaves come from. Then, absorption of nicotine is affected by the PH of the smoke: higher acidity will cause more nicotine to be absorbed by the body.
The amount of nicotine in the smoke of our favorite tobaccos may be measurable, but my impression is that the man hours and lab equipment necessary to break it down to a "proof" system (like alcohol) would cause a noticable cost increase per tin/ounce. In order to keep costs down I am more than willing to rely on tobacco review websites' general strength scales and be sure to take the appropriate precautionary measures.
The only time nicotine has adversely affected me (sweats, nausea, dizziness) was from a cigar, and a few swigs of Pepsi brought me back to level in no time.

 

tallguy

Lurker
Sep 2, 2014
43
0
I thought it was the Perique... it was the 1st time I was smoking something with this type of tobacco in it. I need to read more on the different types of tobacco (I need to find I good site for that). I am going to receive a new tobacco blend shortly from 4noggins (Essence of Vermont, a 4noggins blend). I'll see how it goes.
Eric, thank you for pointing me toward those articles... I will certainly read them!!

 

ericthered

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 29, 2014
511
2
Suffolk, VA
No problem, Tallguy! I guess I do need to clarify, what I referenced were the headings for the monthly articles that Russ & Greg write, unfortunately not direct links to the nicotine related essays. Some searching will be required for that. I suggest, if you have the time available, that you navigate back to the first article and read forward. Lots of good info from both those gentlemen.

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,150
32,928
Detroit
Nicotine content and flavor are not necessarily related. There is a difference between a blend being "strong" (high nic) and "full" (favored), although new smokers aren't always clear on that.

I am not fond of nic, and smoke a lot of Old Dublin; I have rarely had an issue. I would humbly suggest that since the OP had smoked several bowls without a problem, and then had a problem with one bowl, it's related to something other than the blend - probably smoking too fast, and/or on a empty stomach. Slow down! It's not a race. :puffy:

 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
There are a lot of variables to Nicotine hit. I barely register Nicotine usually, and I smoke for flavor rather than a "Nic hit". I rarely get a bad Nic Hit and usually its something weird. I can smoke the heaviest VaPer and be fine for several bowls, but if I smoke a any English with anything more than a whisper of Perique in it, I will be sick my the end of the bowl.
Most English blends are naturally lower in nicotine, and then if you smoke McClellands you are better off still. Try Samovar and Scottish Woods, they have better flavor than most of the other McClellands Englishes.

 
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