New Smoker, No Taste

Hi there Andrew!

Judging from the information you have given, it sounds like you may not have applied flame to the tobacco. I made a similar mistake when I was new. I would personally recommend some sort of flame making device such as a lighter. Traditionalists may prefer matches.

On a serious note, let your palate develop over time. Patience is needed. It isn't like eating food where flavour comes through really strong, it takes time to pick up on the nuances. I am still learning too.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum andrew. I don't think the 'no-taste' phenomenon is all that rare actually. My oldest

son had the same experience. He just experimented with different tobacco's until he found the right chemistry.

Keep kickin' around until you hit it. Don't give up....

Yeah its fairly normal. Where you are smoking could be a factor too. If you are outside it doesn't help just to start with if there is a breeze etc. But its not a major problem, just doesn't help. Its hard to explain but after a few months or a year it all starts to really come together, trying different things etc. To me, a cake in your pipe definitely helps a little bit too, so don't be too tempted to go daft buying too many just yet. Get that one nicely broke in, with perhaps a MM cob on the side to help you alternate and give it a wee rest when too moist.

Aromatic tobaccos never taste the same as they smell, which can be a let down. I would personally recommend something like Dunhills EMP (Early Morning Pipe) which has plenty of flavour once your palate is accustomed. But others will doubtless tell you different. for every 100 pipers there are 101 opinions!

Oh and when searching for flavour don't be tempted to puff too fast! It will only frustrate you. Nicely, slowly...

Try as many as you can (within reason of course), and store them as properly as you can and just keep trying you will get there. You sound like you definitely have good knowledge and that is a great start.

Hey Andrew,
I'm also pretty new to this (going on 3 months now) and I too had/have some problems with taste. I can say that retrohaling seems to work best for me, but I fear that I am inevitably inhaling to do this. Slowing down was my first huge step in finally finding the tobacco's flavor. You think you're going slow enough, until that one magical smoke when you finally get it. And you'll know, trust me. I'm still working on getting as much flavor out of the tobaccos as some of the other guys/girls on this forum describe, but I'm definitely on the right track. Sampling many different tobaccos is key to understanding the differences in flavors you're tasting.
Basically what I'm saying is, 3 months in and I'm just starting to grasp the flavor aspect of this art. Keep with it, sample, and slow down. Enjoy! :puffpipe:

One of the issues I had starting out was letting the tobacco breathe a bit; that seemed to help. Hard to think you've had that problem if you've been smoking so much, but it seemed to go better for me after it dried out a little more; also for keeping my pipe lit. Happy hunting and welcome.

I don't think English blends smell bad at all. Try some and if your roommates disapprove then you know not to smoke that blend around them. I've had plenty of English blends that leave behind a nice aroma.

Try University Flake before you bother with any of the other Petersons...
Your pipe needs to be broken in before you begin to sense much flavour at all. Petersons take a notoriously long time to break in, by most accounts. Keep that in mind. You can buy Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes online for an economical price - give that a try and see if it gives you any instant gratification. Then return to your Peterson and smoke that pipe until it becomes to come around, taste wise.
Keep in mind that moisture management is crucial for successful pipe smoking.

- In my experience, each and every pipe tobacco needs some drying time straight out of the tin. It could be five minutes or a full hour, experiment and you will discover the optimal balance of moisture/dryness for each blend.

- Smoke slow and in an intuitive fashion. By this, do not smoke at a set cadence like a metronome but in response to the flavour/burning rate/bowl temperature et cetera. It is not "ten puffs per minute" but as many as it takes to keep the fire burning without scorching the tobacco and/or your mouth... You should be able to gently sip the smoke from the pipe and the tobacco should keep itself burning for the most part, with minor maintenance such as tamping and relights along the way.
Patience, lad! Patience!
I do advise, though, that you get an authentic MM cob to give you a glimpse into the pleasure of pipe smoking. (I recommend the Country Gentleman) I think briar is an unforgiving mistress for beginners...

A Peterson salesman recommended you a Peterson pipe? Isn't that strange?
I'm not sure if you are aware of the difference or not, but the Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes are not to be confused with actual meerschaum pipes carved from a white mineral known as meerschaum or sepiolite.
MM cobs are, despite their rustic appearance and cheap stems, very capable pipes that deliver a wonderfully sweet and dry smoke after a couple of bowls. At $5-10 a pipe (plus shipping) you will hopefully agree that they are one of the greatest bargains in the pipe smoking world. Even if you prefer briar, every pipe smoker should try a cob.

I think a good VaPer might jump-start the taste buds if of course

you can't smoke a good 'Ol Lat-slap'in who's your daddy blend ;-)
English blends when/if you can smoke them;

C&D's Star of the East

Dunhill's EMP and perhaps London Mixture (two I started with)

SG's SL
VaPer's

SG's St James Flake

Escudo

MC's St. James Woods

@ andrew369,

definately get yourself a few Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob or Hardwood pipes, they both break in super fast and are the most reasonably priced pipe out there. I started with a briar pipe and had the same "no flavor" problem, then picked up a few cobs and started trying several different blends and I love the pipe.

below is a link to their website.
MM Pipes

With regards to cost, preaching to the converted here Pal, Im only from just over in England! Its not quite as expensive as Ireland, But still way more than the States. These Yanks don't know they are born! ( no offence inteded to the "Yanks", At heat Im half English country Gent and Half free spirited American!)

Don't feel done over with that Pete, they are great pipes and enough bowls to get it warmed up will fly by! Then you will have a great quality broken in pipe, just timed right for when you start getting the swing yourself. Lear together with the pipe!

Keep filling er up and puffing away mate, it will come in time. Light up, sit back, close your eyes and relax. Most of all, enjoy.