I’ve Been Flaking Out, Now English Tastes Funny

[Ryan]

I have been smoking various Virginia flakes for the last several days, and I have been loving it. However, the last few bowls of English blends I smoked tasted funny. The flavors tasted different than they had, almost seemed like it was an artificially flavored concoction. I thought it might be because I have been having some kind of Virginia flake for the first bowl of the day every day, but today the English was my first bowl. It tasted more like it usually does today, but still different. Three different English blends I am familiar with because I smoke them regularly, and each tastes a little funny. They don’t seem as strong either.

I don’t feel like my palate is off in any other way (like food and drink), it is just with the tobacco. I don’t feel tongue bite or anything, so I am just at a loss to explain.

Has the Virginia flake ruined me for English? Is this just temporary? Anyone else ever experience this? Will the English blends ever taste the same again? Like sands through the hourglass…

 

[karam]

They don’t seem as strong either.

I don’t feel like my palate is off in any other way (like food and drink), it is just with the tobacco. I don’t feel tongue bite or anything, so I am just at a loss to explain.

Has the Virginia flake ruined me for English? Is this just temporary? Anyone else ever experience this? Will the English blends ever taste the same again? Like sands through the hourglass…

Strange, I've been going through Virginia recently and a lot of the more modern Latakia blends feel pretty overwhelmingly strong tasting for me, not bad, just too strong.

 

[bullet08]

Latakia gets "weaker"as time goes by. I noticed longer you leave it around less intense they become. Some blend becomes mellow and gentle. Others just aren't all that good.

 

[Ryan]

All the tobacco I have here has been purchased (and kept in jars) in the last two months, I wouldn’t think it would get weak that fast. Last week before I was smoking the Virginias all the English blends tasted “normal” and now all three that I have tried have been a little off. . You may be right about the tobacco, but I really think it is something about me.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

All the tobacco I have here has been purchased (and kept in jars) in the last two months, I wouldn’t think it would get weak that fast. Last week before I was smoking the Virginias all the English blends tasted “normal” and now all three that I have tried have been a little off. . You may be right about the tobacco, but I really think it is something about me.

2 months in a jar is long enough for a lot of tobaccos to lose their "strange" edge.
It is my preferred method when trying a new blend.

As for the English blends seeming a bit strange, I think you're just going off latakia.
The same thing happened to me a while ago. Now I don't smoke latakia at all.

 

[Grangerous]

Back around 1994 when I first experienced Latakia by way of MM965 I was enamored by it. The tin note alone was magical and I remember the creamy smoke and most importantly, as a neophyte, the fact that I could actually taste something, anything.

Up until that point I’d been enjoying the side stream of whatever I loaded up with but never experienced any flavor. I enjoyed the side stream of whatever I’d try but wished that a tobacco would offer up something in the way of flavor. The numerous aromatics from the tobacconist’s jars smelled heavenly but always fell flat in the taste department.

Carter Hall was the blend that offered me a little of what I sought. I don’t reach for CH any longer; It’s artificial tasting to me these days and I’m very sensitive to toppings.

Latakia falls flat for me too. It’s not what I was searching for even though does taste like it smells. — I believe many new smoker’s eyes open wide for Latakia for that very reason. But after a while tire of it. Kind of all tastes the same.

Now, laugh if you want… it was Granger that hit home for me. It offers me a consistent flavor “Cool, Fragrant and Mild” — just as advertised. I never have to search for it.

Now @jiminks gives my beloved can of burley scraps a mere 2 stars and to paraphrase his review, in part, from memory, opines that Granger meets the “minimum requirements of pipe smoking and nothing more.”

I always chuckle at the cruel description. Fact is, I don’t expect anything more of it or from it. I never tire of this blend. Hope you find yours.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Anyone else ever experience this?

Yep

Will the English blends ever taste the same again?

Nope

 

[Ryan]

Now, laugh if you want… it was Granger that hit home for me. It offers me a consistent flavor “Cool, Fragrant and Mild” — just as advertised. I never have to search for it.

I’m not sure if it is similar to Granger, but I enjoy an occasional Sir Walter Raleigh bowl. It is very mild, and the flavor seems consistent every time. I find it to be sort of a palate cleanser as well. It doesn’t have a whole lot of flavors going on (to me), and that’s why I occasionally like it.

Side note: The local brick and mortar has a tub of Granger that has been there for at least a decade. It’s aged for sure.

 

[troutface]

I wouldn't pitch the English blends. Odds are decent that you'll get back to them after a while. Maybe not, but more than likely. Your palate is going through a learning curve I think.

 

[Grangerous]

SWR I’ve long suspected to share the same base blend with Granger but it’s topped differently and sweeter. They smoke eerily similar but I find Granger far more flavorful.

If that tub is as old as you say then it’s Pinkerton. STG took over Granger around 2014 and I feel did a great job with the blend.

Or my avatar might say,
SWR-erous

 

[JimInks]

Back around 1994 when I first experienced Latakia by way of MM965 I was enamored by it. The tin note alone was magical and I remember the creamy smoke and most importantly, as a neophyte, the fact that I could actually taste something, anything.

Up until that point I’d been enjoying the side stream of whatever I loaded up with but never experienced any flavor. I enjoyed the side stream of whatever I’d try but wished that a tobacco would offer up something in the way of flavor. The numerous aromatics from the tobacconist’s jars smelled heavenly but always fell flat in the taste department.

Carter Hall was the blend that offered me a little of what I sought. I don’t reach for CH any longer; It’s artificial tasting to me these days and I’m very sensitive to toppings.

Latakia falls flat for me too. It’s not what I was searching for even though does taste like it smells. — I believe many new smoker’s eyes open wide for Latakia for that very reason. But after a while tire of it. Kind of all tastes the same.

Now, laugh if you want… it was Granger that hit home for me. It offers me a consistent flavor “Cool, Fragrant and Mild” — just as advertised. I never have to search for it.

Now @jiminks gives my beloved can of burley scraps a mere 2 stars and to paraphrase his review, in part, from memory, opines that Granger meets the “minimum requirements of pipe smoking and nothing more.”

I always chuckle at the cruel description. Fact is, I don’t expect anything more of it or from it. I never tire of this blend. Hope you find yours.

You should have noticed that I wrote that about the earlier version of Granger, and not the current version. I'll post the entire review for those who haven't seen it.

The one dimensional, no-nonsense burley is lightly molasses sweet and woody, toasty, earthy, and fairly nutty. I would not recommend smoking it dry; moisten it lightly to help avoid tongue bite, which you'll could experience if you puff it too fast. Has very little PG, which is a plus. Burns kinda of cool, very clean with few relights, makes lots of smoke, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Has a very consistent flavor that lacks depth and body. It's low on nicotine. A very mild, all day mellow smoke that performs the basics of what pipe smoking is about, but does no more than that. Two stars.

Update: 9-10-2016. STG has improved the blend. Many of the aspects of the Pinkerton version I reviewed in the previous paragraph still hold, though this production seems to have a little more depth of taste, is slightly less nuttier, and the molasses is a little more obvious. It still has a deep nuttiness and is smoother. I detect an undercurrent of anise, which I had not noticed in the earlier version, which helps smooth out this product. There's no chance of bite present, though you’re chancing a mild hint of tongue warmth if you puff like a winded Superman. I rated the strength of the original as very mild, and would rate this as mild. The taste level of the original was rated by me as mild, and this is a half step more than that. The nic-hit is very mild. The flavor is very consistent from top to bottom. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a few more than an average number of relights. Has a very pleasant room note, and short lived after taste. This version gets three stars.

 

[Dudditz]

I have been smoking various Virginia flakes for the last several days, and I have been loving it. However, the last few bowls of English blends I smoked tasted funny. The flavors tasted different than they had, almost seemed like it was an artificially flavored concoction. I thought it might be because I have been having some kind of Virginia flake for the first bowl of the day every day, but today the English was my first bowl. It tasted more like it usually does today, but still different. Three different English blends I am familiar with because I smoke them regularly, and each tastes a little funny. They don’t seem as strong either.

I don’t feel like my palate is off in any other way (like food and drink), it is just with the tobacco. I don’t feel tongue bite or anything, so I am just at a loss to explain.

Has the Virginia flake ruined me for English? Is this just temporary? Anyone else ever experience this? Will the English blends ever taste the same again? Like sands through the hourglass…

I am wondering if you are dealing with palette fatigue. I had the same thing you describe happen as a result of smoking the same or very similar blends repeatedly. I simply got used to them and when they tasted different, I compounded the matter by changing my smoking style to try and recapture the lost/missing/changed flavors. I smoked faster, I smoked slower, I smoked hotter, wetter, drier...tried everything to get back to the original flavor I loved. Nothing...

Then I simply switched to something else. I gave my palette a change. A cleanse if you will. When I came back to the blend I loved, almost like magic, the flavor was back. Not sure if this will work for you or if it is of any help. I just wanted to share a similar experience and a possible solution.

I hope you find the answer!

 

[Grangerous]

You should have noticed that I wrote that about the earlier version of Granger, and not the current version. I'll post the entire review for those who haven't seen it.

This version gets three stars.

Thanks, @jiminks — ??

 

[JimInks]

I am wondering if you are dealing with palette fatigue. I had the same thing you describe happen as a result of smoking the same or very similar blends repeatedly. I simply got used to them and when they tasted different, I compounded the matter by changing my smoking style to try and recapture the lost/missing/changed flavors. I smoked faster, I smoked slower, I smoked hotter, wetter, drier...tried everything to get back to the original flavor I loved. Nothing...

Then I simply switched to something else. I gave my palette a change. A cleanse if you will. When I came back to the blend I loved, almost like magic, the flavor was back. Not sure if this will work for you or if it is of any help. I just wanted to share a similar experience and a possible solution.

I hope you find the answer!

I agree with your palette fatigue comments. That's one reason why I seldom smoke the same blend twice in a row, and bounce from one genre to another constantly throughout the day. That, and the fact that I like variety helps me avoid palette fatigue.

 

[kcghost]

A number of us here smoked Englishes for years and then woke one day with a craving for Virginias and a decreased desire for Englishes.

 

[PipeIT]

If all factors have been taken into consideration and good, the only thing I believe, is letting a briar pipe dry out, until it starts smelling nice inside the chamber.

Smell the chamber after you just smoked an entire bowl.
Smell the chamber a day later.
Smell the chamber two days later.
Smell the chamber 3-4 days later.

Every briar pipe I’ve smoked, the chambers all start to smell really nice around 3 days, of course ambient weather conditions for everyone is different.

Sure briar is fire resistant and very tough, it’s still wood, and it needs time to let the chamber dry and cure. I know we read about those that don’t follow this, of course that just depends on personal preferences and blends, each to his own.

Next time blends don’t seem the same, dry out your pipe until the chambers start smelling nice, I’ve always noticed a difference doing this.

Oh, and when I’ve gone this usual route, but still finding any pipes not delivering when they have been dried for 2-3 days, I’ll let them sit for around 4-7 days to really make sure the chambers have seriously dried. Afterwards, I’ll only smoke a simple straight blend, like straight VAs, to ensure when I start back up using the pipe again, nothing in these blends should bother the chambers.

I look at it like, this is not a Aromatic Ghost, but strong blends that simply put their own stench in the chambers that need to be dealt with, and the above mentioned is my idea of dealing with it.

 

[mso489]

People smoke too much English blend, and the blends are too much the same, so a Va/Per tastes like nirvana arriving. I like many English blends, including a few that are too similar. My problem is solved by smoking some English blends with burley, that immediately changes the game, in a good way, if you like burley.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If you were fed dog turds your entire life and told it was delicious steak, you might come to like it. Then one day you go to Mortons, have a Porterhouse and the truth is revealed.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

If you were fed dog turds your entire life and told it was delicious steak, you might come to like it. Then one day you go to Mortons, have a Porterhouse and the truth is revealed.

My luck I’d discover I preferred the poop - with Heinz 57.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

My luck I’d discover I preferred the poop - with Heinz 57.

There's no explaining taste.