Subtleties Evade Me

psychpipes · Feb 4, 2015

Hey Gents,
I decided to write this post to get some tips from more experienced pipe smokers on picking out the different flavors present in tobacco. The reason being is my recent delving into new blends beyond my aromatics and Virginias laced with cavendish. I ordered some H&H Black House, Seattle Pipe Club's Mississippi River, and Seattle Pipe Club's Plumb Pudding recently to try blends. I picked them because of the reviews that I have read. I opened my plunder on Monday, and took a whiff of each. To me, they smell VERY similar with Black House being the most different. I say similar, but really I mean pretty much identical. I decided to start with the Black House, and have smoked four bowls since Monday. I have to admit that I am disappointed. Not by the taste, but by my seeming inability to pick out the flavors that others have mentioned in reviews.
If you were to ask me what it tasted like, I'd say spicy leather. Don't get me wrong though, it was damn good. That's why I've been devouring it. My inability to taste all of these wonderful things people describe leave me frustrated. It's similar in a way to how I couldn't tell you the difference in taste between a high class cup of coffee and a gas station community coffee blend. All I could tell you is which one I preferred. I suppose some people have the gift and I don't, unless people are just talking out of their respective rear ends to sound more elegant (a thought that has crossed my mind).
In the long run, I guess it doesn't matter. I'll continue on smoking what I like. If you fine gentlemen happen to hold some secrets though, my ears are open.
Regards,

Randy

lordofthepiperings · Feb 4, 2015

When I'm having a blend for the first time and trying to really taste it I usually sip on water and swish the smoke around in my mouth for a second or two. Sipping on the water keeps the palate moist and more receptive to the flavors and it doesn't impart any other flavors. The swishing the smoke around like tasting a wine helps more taste buds to be... used or activated I guess.
Can't forget that taste is different for everyone. Some people pick up on some things and others other things.

daimyo · Feb 4, 2015

Subtlety in flavors are not going to come across to everyone. As someone who worked professionally in a kitchen and then made his money off selling high end teas I have learned to trust my taste buds. That said though, not everyone is going to pick up the same things in a tobacco. I don't know if it's the combustion, pipe, pack or smoking method but there seems to be a greater disparity between what people perceive in tobacco and say, food. Given a wine, 10 experienced tasters might generally agree with one another on what they are perceiving with small variances but tobacco seems to push that further. As for the superlatives, don't get too caught up in them. First they are just descriptors, you are unlikely to really get a full on chocolate flavor from tobacco without flavorings but some Burley's certainly have that nuance. Second, poetry is great and all but it can seriously overhype a tobacco. Plus there will always be some reviewers who are truly talking out their ass. As long as the flavors are good to you, only worry about what you perceive. If you honestly want to try to fine tune your palate there are kits for wine, beer and scotch that isolate specific compounds to help you zero in on what the pro's are commenting on. I have heard good things about these. For smoking I would just say keep at it and over time, subtle differences between blends and constituents should become more obvious. Keep puffing, keep enjoying.

cortezattic · Feb 4, 2015

Maybe G.L. Pease's article, Don't Think Of A Purple Giraffe, will be of some help. Be sure to check out the comments too.
A frequent forum participant, pruss, wrote a wonderful post, "A Matter Of Taste -- Part 1 What Is Taste?"

daimyo · Feb 4, 2015

Good point lord and I would add, chew that smoke and make sure to get some under your tongue. Someone else here (sorry for forgetting who) suggested I smile with the middle of my lips held together and blow smoke out the two sides of my mouth to zero in on Cavendish, it has worked well.

iamn8 · Feb 4, 2015

Agreed. I'm new to this as well. I've found it most helpful to do as you have. Everybody's tastes are varied widely. All you can do is pick a few based on descrptions. Keep going till you find a match between your opinion and someone else's. Then walk the patch that they have until you find your own way. I've begun by sampling along the top ten lists that are posted. Recently ive found a love for Escudo and Master Penman. I then post asking for others along the lines of these two which has led me along quite nicely. It's a lot like movies. I discovered I have a lot in common with Richard Roeper, movie reviewer of the Chicago SunTimes. When he recommends a movie I almost always do to.

Of course I've purchased some I do not like, but 100% of the time I've been able to trade for ones I do, here through the forum. That's why I buy the top ten lists, because if I don't like it there are obviously those who do who are then willing to trade.

stvalentine · Feb 4, 2015

I have the feeling that a lot of pipe beginners tend to take it all way too serious. I am a cigar smoker for many years now with an average of about one to three cigars a day. With all that experience I now taste - well, smoke - and I have smoked a LOT of different brands and sizes. I have read reviews of people stating that they detect berries, wet forrest ground, damp leather and horse stables in a certain cigar aroma. Well, I often asked myself how do they know how damp leathers tastes? Have they munched on grandpas old Klepper coat? :roll:
What I tasted was mainly cigar smoke but did that bother me? Hell no, I enjoyed the heck out of every single cigar I smoked! Guess it´s the same now for pipe smoking now. There are tobaccos I like and there are ones I don´t like that much. Do I detect cedar wood or autumn mornings, feathers of fallen angels or colibri poop? Well, I don´t think so but does it bother me? Nope, again I enjoy the heck out of every pipe I smoke! : puffy

:
Take it easy and carry on smoking! :D
p.s.: YMMV :wink:

daimyo · Feb 4, 2015

I think we end up with descriptors like wet leather due to smell. Smoke mixed with the right scent can definitely bring things to mid that I have no idea the taste of. I think the problem then becomes two fold, the first part being that scent is strongly tied to memory and the second that people reading take the description to mean you will literally taste leather. One might be able to pick up the oak in a wine but I doubt it relates to chewing on a piece of wood. Great post though Saint.

phred · Feb 4, 2015

It all comes down to time and training. If you want to develop your palate, the aforementioned article(s) by pruss (I believe he did 3 total) are a great place to start. There are "taste wheels" freely available on the Web as graphics files that were developed by various groups who take flavors seriously - beer snobs, coffee aficionados, sommeliers, etc. - that may be helpful in figuring out some of the subtle gradients between, say, moldy leather and leathery mold... :D
I gave some consideration to taking some classes on beer judging back when I was homebrewing on a regular basis, but never quite got around to it. I suspect that the information might be useful in educating my palate now that I'm smoking about as much as I'm drinking (that is to say, not all that much actually), although some of the flavor specifics would be wildly different (hops vs. Latakia, for instance). Check with the American Homebrewers Association to see if there's anything happening in your area.
Beyond that, though, smoke what you like and enjoy the experience. Don't sweat the details overmuch - just as it can take a while to learn the differences between Islay, Lowland, and Highland Scotch, and then the subtler differences between Laphroaig and Lagavulin (for example), tobacco has a lot of subtle flavor to learn and it just takes time.

pitchfork · Feb 4, 2015

Spiced leather sounds about right to me. Latakia blends are their own niche, just like Virginias or anything else. When I first started smoking, I literally could not tell the difference between Early Morning Pipe and My Blend 965 -- both tasted like wood, if they tasted like anything at all. Mostly they tasted like hot air.
I wouldn't chalk it up to anything innate, yet. It's mostly about experience.

sablebrush52 · Feb 4, 2015

If you want to become more adept at recognizing the flavors of different blends, don't repeatedly smoke the same blend. Have a bowl of one blend, then try a bowl of something different. This helps put the characteristics of each blend's flavor into sharper relief. You will become aware of the flavor of the blend in a general way and then become better able to appreciate the elements that produce that flavor as time goes on.

Chasing Embers · Feb 5, 2015

Retrohaling makes a big difference in picking up flavors.

bigpond · Feb 5, 2015

There was a thread 3 days ago about the same subject. I'd wager there are many folks in the same boat.
Take a peek here, the same applies:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/smokers-palate
A flavor/aroma wheel is what professional tasters use to learn to identify distinctions.
Here's another one that is for coffee, but has been used here for pipe tobacco

http://s931.photobucket.com/user/cortezattic/media/Decorated%20images/coffee_tasting_flavor_wheel-1.jpg.html
Pull up that link when you have your next smoke.
Knowing what you are tasting won't get you too far if your pipe and technique aren't cooperating. My advice is to pick one tobacco and work with it until you're able to distinguish it's flavors/aromas and feel comfortable with it.

jkrug · Feb 7, 2015

I find the more I smoke the more I am beginning to sense different flavours and aromas. I can't really say that I can put an identity to these flavours but I am noticing that the differences are there. Not sure if that makes sense but that's what I got going on. : puffy

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seadogontheland · Feb 8, 2015

Try to keep your smoke cool.

Keep palate clear and wet with water.

Remember some of the flavors may only present themselves fleetingly.

Try different sized bowls.

Remember body chemistry, PH of your mouth/saliva will vary and influence flavor experience, this includes smoking after eating versus not having eaten and the different time of day at which you smoke.

Occasionally, engage in some vigorous puffing to alter flavor dimensions.

Don't get frustrated, relax and enjoy.

jkrug · Feb 8, 2015

Great tips seadog. Thank you. :D

seadogontheland · Feb 10, 2015

My pleasure, friend.

Subtleties Evade Me

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