The End of a Bowl Being Better

jndyer · Jun 30, 2016

One of the pure joys in my life is when I get to the last 25 or so percent of a bowl of tobacco and suddenly the flavor really comes alive. Don't get me wrong, there has been a great flavor for the entirety of the smoke; however, for some reason that last bit is just heavenly.
The question I have is why? Some possibilities I have pondered: 1)I am a huge fan of LL RLP-6 and smoke it almost exclusively so it could be that I have concentrated the additives that give the tobacco its RLP flavor, 2)I have smoked/evaporated most of the additives and am getting a purer tobacco note, 3) I am being visited and blessed by a very magical pipe elf, 4) I am being visited by some evil time wasting ogre who only desire is for me to smoke a bit longer and put off the rest of this thing called life/work/family.
Thoughts?

drwatson · Jun 30, 2016

RLP is one of the blends that I love, it does come alive half way through. Why I don't know, it many blends for me do this. I think it has something to do with about half way down, the tobacco may achieve the right temperature .

anarchisthermit · Jun 30, 2016

Chatham Manor does the same thing.

cosmicfolklore · Jun 30, 2016

With a few Virginias, the reason is because the tobacco has a chance to stove in the heat of the burning tobacco, getting sweeter in the process. As for an aromatic... I have no idea why it would get better. Maybe you're right about the concentration of the topping at the bottom. Or, maybe you are finally tasting the tobacco.

sailortodd · Jul 4, 2016

I've had the opposite experience, the flavor of many of the tobaccos I've smoked falling apart toward the end. In my case, I think there is a reason to that, namely that the moisture over the course of the smoke has built up, making it difficult to keep lit, and then smoking hot when it stays lit. Slowing down for the entirety of the smoke would resolve some of that, but I smoke in a windy environment where it is difficult not to smoke it too hot for the first several puffs before I can cover the bowl with my thumb without burning myself.

jackswilling · Jul 4, 2016

Generally, not my experience.

pipesmokingtom · Jul 4, 2016

Generally, not my experience.

Same. Last quarter is a sacrifice every time, and I smoke slow.

grue · Jul 4, 2016

I agree with the OP, the last third for me is exquisite. And keeps lit easier allowing me to savour it.

jackswilling · Jul 4, 2016

Generally, I see the sweet spot hitting around 75% and going to around 25%. After that it is a crap-shoot. I just can't get to the notion of a universal "end of the bowl is better."

pipesmokingtom · Jul 4, 2016

Something like a full-flavored English or a heavy Burley blend, I can power through to the end, but aromatics get horrible and Virginias don't taste anything like themselves (to me) once you get down that far. Too hot, too ashy - not pleasant.

jmill208 · Jul 4, 2016

My only friend, the end....

mso489 · Jul 4, 2016

The dead end of the bowl is infrequently the very best part, but it does happen. Usually mid-bowl seems best. You get the ember going. There's a longer stretch between relights, if any. You get things tamped into place gently. Your pacing hits its stride. Usually at the bottom of the bowl, there's less to burn and I'm puffing on some ash, and the smoke is not quite so voluminous. Then there are those times when the whole bowl is good.

Chasing Embers · Jul 4, 2016

Never experienced great taste in the last 25% of the bowl with aros until I started using the air pocket method for them. Always had a wet, bitter mess. Using the air pocket packing, I get to burn all of the tobacco with nearly the same taste top to bottom.

shutterbugg · Jul 4, 2016

Never experienced anything but crap taste in the last 1/3 of a bowl in 4 decades. All the tars and junk from the 1st 2/3 gets trapped and filtered by the last 1/3. Unless you like smoking the filter off a cigarette, I can't see how anyone would like the last 1/3 of a pipe. I'm not so cheap I'm willing to gag myself just to smoke it to the heel.

tinsel · Jul 4, 2016

Depends on the blend for me. Some of them truly are magical in the last 25% or so. Others turn awful and wind up getting dumped. Not sure why it happens, but what cosmic said about stoving occurring with virginias makes sense to me since I think that most of the blends that I enjoy to the last drop are all Va or VaPer blends.

jndyer · Jul 5, 2016

Thank you all for your insights and thoughts. It could be my taste as I also love the end bit of a cigar.

The End of a Bowl Being Better

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