Analogy?

[arvetus]

If you would, please humor me help me put this into an analogy if you would. My journey with pipe smoking is very short thus far, so I'm still trying to learn not only the mechanics, but what I like and don't like. With the exception of Latakia, which I am finding that I like in my blends, most of what I've tried all tastes the same to me. Not bad, just the same. Will this change over time as my palette develops?
Allow me to draw somewhat of an analogy:
I like coffee. I also like beer. To my wife, who doesn't like coffee or beer, it all tastes the same to her. From Corona to Mike's Hard Lemonade (which I can't stand - toooooo sweet). Me, however, I can taste the difference between an Ethiopian bean, a Columbian bean, a Hawaiian bean, a Brazilian bean, South Asia, etc. I like my coffee black and prefer non flavored coffees, but around Thanksgiving/Christmas time, I enjoy a pumpkin spice flavored coffee or a berry flavored coffee (this is not to be confused with adding flavored creams).

With beer, from about March through August, I like lagers and pale ales such as Stella, Heineken, Corona, Staycation (not necessarily IPA) and about August/September, I change to a darker lager (i.e. SA Boston Lager) or more or a porter or stout beer like Guinness or a BB Oatmeal Stout, etc., or even some of the Founders brews. I can taste differences in all of it and the differences in hops from German hops to Cascade Hops, etc. to using a wheat base vs. a barley base to how much the grains are roasted, etc.
Now, back to tobacco.

So far, most of what I taste tastes the same to me, with the exception of Latakia, which I really, really like so far. So far, aromatics don't do anything for me. I don't taste anything other than the burning tobacco and it all tastes the same...which like I said, isn't bad, I do enjoy it, but it's all I taste. I'm not picking out any specific notes of molasses or vanilla or anything. But I'm really liking the blends such as Dunhill Early Morning and PS17 English Lux. The Latakia is just something I am really liking and it puts a little something extra there that intrigues me.
Will that also come with time as my palette develops just as it has with coffees and beers? Are some of y'all in the same boat as me with aromatics? Like I said, I haven't been at this for very long at all, so I probably have had no time to make any sort of decision, but I was just sitting out with my dogs this Saturday morning drinking my coffee and this analogy hit me and got me to thinking...which can be dangerous at times.

 

[sasquatch]

Your palate will develop over time for sure, and that will also correspond with your smoking technique being refined.
I used to hear about the Mac Baren "honey on toast" flavor, and I never really got it. I could suck and suck on a pipe and never get that flavor. Then one day, with a pipe just about going out (I was not concentrating on it), that flavor did in fact hit me. So I grabbed the lighter, fired the pipe back up.... and got hot air again.
So "smoking" a pipe, getting the most out of it, has nothing to do with smoke. "Nursing" a pipe would maybe be a better term for it if you are seeking those interesting flavors and trying to get the most out of each tobacco. Think about it - if it's real hot, absolutely everything gets burned, and you taste CO2 and H2O. Nothing but steam! But if you can keep those big "flavor" molecules in one piece - sugars, oils, esters... stuff we taste, and get THAT stuff in the smoke - wow! And the way to do that is to burn at super low temperatures.
My guess is that you are tasting latakia well because a) it has lots of flavor and b) it tends to burn fairly cool, having less sugar than virginias, for example.
Continue to explore, take your time with your smokes, and try not to judge and tobacco too early. Things I didn't like or "get" early on, they now make up most of my cellar.

 

[warren]

First, use your palate and not a palette. That will help. It will take time to find the different flavors, especially the subtle ones. As everyone's palate is different and morphs continuously I wouldn't be too concerned. I suggest trying a blend that, to most, is overloaded with, say vanilla. See if you can pick up the bean there before trying more subtly flavored blends.

 

[mso489]

As long as you are focused on having an experience, the taste dimensions will probably be undifferentiated and tame. You may be puffing away instead of sipping, and getting your mind wrapped around it as if you are solving an algebra problem. My analogy would be peripheral vision. If you get weary of waiting for the train to come and direct your attention elsewhere and get thoroughly engaged with something else, flavors will sneak in the side door. Sip more, expect nothing, and engage with something else. This shouldn't work ... but it seems to work.

 

[sablebrush52]

It you want to be come familiar with what flavors different component tobaccos bring, you need to smoke them. Latakia's distinctive smokiness can sublimate the flavors of other tobaccos. Try smoking some straight Virginias, Va/Pers, Virginia/Orientals, and burley. Try buying some blending tobaccos and smoke them separately.
Just as you can taste the differences in various kinds of coffees, I can taste the differences in various types of Virginias, bright, lemon, orange, red, golden, and brown. Same with other blends.
If you're into heavy Latakia blends you may find the flavors of other tobaccos, with the exception of Orientals, to be elusive at first. Your palate has become used to that smoky power that Latakia brings. This is analogous to having a palate used to salt because you've always salted everything. Remove the salt and everything seems to lack flavor. Stay off the salt for a while and you'll be surprised how your palate becomes more sensitive to flavors, and you discover how much flavor there is in unsalted, or minimally salted food.
I used to love Latakia, then I burned out on it and turned to Virginias and their variants. In the past year I've reintroduced some English/Oriental blends back into rotation, but I prefer those with a lesser Latakia presence where I can taste the other components more.

 

[arvetus]

First, use your palate and not a palette. That will help.

BAHAHAHA...I am 40 years old and never realized there were two different spellings depending on the usage. And I'm an English and punctuation stickler. But then again, I'm not an artist...at least not when it comes to painting or drawing. Musician, maybe, but I cannot draw or paint to save my life...even just painting walls or trim. Nope. Can't do it. HAHAHAHA Thanks for the correction and education.
I do have some Mac Baren Vanilla Cream flake. I know that flake packs differently than the ribbon cut I'm just barely starting to get, but I bought a tin of it because everyone says its very vanilla-ie compared to many other vanilla blends.

 

[cigrmaster]

My palate is so sophisticated that I can tell what farm a particular Virginia is grown on. '
Well maybe that is an exaggeration, I can tell a Virginia from an English.
If you want big cherry flavor, Cult Blood Red Moon is the one to try. If you want to taste Vanilla and Caramel then Sutliff Molto Dolce is another with big flavor.

 

[workman]

Dry your tobacco. Moist tobacco is flavourless to me. And give it time. You obviously have an acute palate, so you'll get there before you know it.

 

[olkofri]

Try buying some blending tobaccos and smoke them separately.

Straight perique??? 8O
I also think it takes time. I started with aromatics, and all I could taste was burnt stuff. Then one day I finally got a nutty flavour. Latakia doesn't do much for me; the only latakia blend I love is Sillem's Schwarz, one of those rare blends that tastes as it smells—another one being Vauen's Auenland. Last Wednesday I packed my pipe with some MB 7 Seas Royal, upon lighting I could get the flavours, but since my pipes still go out practically right away, I had to relight and relight and relight: so much relighting ruined the flavour: all I could taste thereupon was ash. So that's another factor that comes into play.
I've tried VAs recently: Anniversary Kake, MB Navy Flake, and Escudo: I couldn't taste anything. At some point, I think I got a wee bit of citrus taste as I sipped my Escudo-filled pipe, but that was it. I'll just keep trying. I've some Wessex straight virgina that I tried once and got no taste and a burnt tongue: I'll be revisiting it till I find out how VA is s'posed to taste.

 

[bnichols23]

Warren the comedian.
Harris is right about Blood Red Moon. That stuff is killer cherry right out of the tin. I've tried Cherrybomb (a CAO blend) & to me it's too sour, dried or not. Any of the good vanillas out there are good choices.

 

[arvetus]

So basically, it’s like learning to please a woman. Slow down, don’t worry about my own experience, learn to smoke the pipe properly, and I will get maximum enjoyment.

 

[workman]

@Olkofri: I wonder what it is that you do wrong, since your pipes won't stay lit. I'm no way near Sable or Cosmic or Chasing, who seem to smoke effortless bowls most of the time. I am trying to work stuff out for myself, but I can always keep a pipe lit for at least 10-15 minutes, more if it's a ribbon cut. You should start a "What am I doing wrong?" - thread. Bet you'll get proper advice and be a breathsmoking Superman in no time.

 

[jpmcwjr]

So basically, it’s like learning to please a woman

You mean, you've learned how?? Do tell!
I get your analogy, and it's well done, but in my experience, limited to a few arenas only.

 

[arvetus]

You mean, you've learned how?? Do tell!

Well...I'm sure, much like different tobaccos, it seems to be different with every one! Been with my wife for 13 years, married for 11...now that I am just starting to get the hang of it, don't have an intentions of changing it up again. Too old for that! :lol: But still have much to learn!

 

[olkofri]

You never stop learning. In order to be a master at something, you have to do it for at least 10,000 hours.

 

[npod]

Interesting topic arvetus. I like where this is going.
Another analogy that is kind of related, and one I often use is: cigar smoking is like bass fishing vs pipe smoking is like fly fishing. I grew up fishing, my brother is a competitive bass tournament fisherman. But I am a fly fisherman and tie my own flies. Neither type of fishing is better than the other, and both catch fish. Fly fishing is analogous to pipe smoking because it is very much just as much about the fly rod and casting technique as it is about the flies (lures per se) and catching fish. Fly fishing is grounded in the rod itself, it involves technique and cadence to do it correctly. Sure, some guys love rods but can't cast well or catch fish, some guys have expensive bamboo rods, some have cheap factory rods, some can cast well with any rod, some say the rod material matters, most say it doesn't. The debates are very similar to that of the pipe community.
Then one day you realize you love the hobby because it involves many variables, and once you get good at all of them, it is a part of you. Sure, you can still fish with your brother on his fancy bass boat with electronics and hydraulics, but you miss the fly rod, the actual act of the thing.
It took me years to truly feel (in my muscle memory) what is meant by loading a rode. Once learned and felt, I can now pick up a rod and now immediately how to compensate to make it load correctly. And I know what I like. And I know when to use different rods based on the type of fishing I want to do. It's like the tobacco you mentioned above. You will eventually be able to taste the flavors people talk about, you will know how to smoke them to get those flavors, then your preferences will likely change over time because you know what you like.

 

[wyfbane]

I am still a novice in the palate department, but luckily, this novice has enjoyed 99% of what he's smoked, despite not being able to articulate why.
Just go with it. If you like it, you will most likely have years to figure out why. Try everything and cellar what ya love.