Did You Lose Your Taste for Aromatics Over Time?
- Thread starter Skippy B. Coyote
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I was trained to not smoke aromatics, a term I use to describe tobaccos strongly flavored. . .well, except 1792. I continue in that vein, and it is unusual that I think of buying any, and don't.
I did really like the 'Mc Baren Aromatic Choice' tobacco before. But that is not available anymore. I have recently enjoyed the last bits of it which I had jarred... Since 1997.
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I think my tastes may never stop evolving & revolving............At this point I'm about 6 months into my second year of daily pipe smoking and have noticed an odd thing, that aromatics just don't hit my palate quite like they used to anymore. It's not that they taste any different than they ever have, they're still the same blends and taste just the same, but I have noticed that they just don't seem quite as satisfying or enjoyable to smoke as they used to.
Over the last couple seasons my weekly rotation has gone from being Cult Blood Red Moon, Mac Baren Vanilla Cream, C&D Autumn Evening, and various Lakelands to being Orlik Golden Sliced, Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia, Carter Hall, Haunted Bookshop, and Early Morning Pipe. Some of them like EMP I liked from the moment I first tried them, and Haunted Bookshop is an old favorite too, but the rest are relatively recent additions since I remember really disliking the flavors of Virginias when I first started my pipe smoking journey. Now they account for about half my smokes, and I'm enjoying them greatly.
So, I was just wondering if anyone else has had this experience over the course of their time as a pipe smoker? It seems odd to have had my tastes change so dramatically over the course of a couple years, but maybe that's just how it goes.
Why, there was even a day earlier this week that I didn't like the idea of ANY tobacco - and had none.
Ok, I sort of lied. I did light a bowl but felt disgusted with it and put it right down.
I was better the next day though
Like many I started with aromatics but I discovered I greatly preferred non-aros. I wouldn’t call it losing the taste for aromatics, just finding things I preferred more.
I still smoke the occasional aromatic like MacBaren Vanilla Flake.
I still smoke the occasional aromatic like MacBaren Vanilla Flake.
More than a couple of those here.Just that Appalachian witchcraft.
I started with Latakia blends and straight Virginia because I thought that was what cool guys smoked. Then I found this forum and the polite people here showed me the way.
I started with capn black and a cob then i found nightcap and country squire aros.. a few months of that and i thought PS blend by the squire was the ultimate! Then I found other English blends and vaper… gave my CS aros away and then I discovered Gawith Hoggarth and found what I was looking for. The end of the line in my search for pipe tobacco is dark plug. Bosun cut plug and st james . All the lakelands really except cannon plug which I put away for another day. So I guess I do love aromatic tobacco’s but only the GH aro’s.
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No I still enjoy a bowl or two from time to time but my preference is Virginia's, deep red, rich, bready, dark fruited Virginia's
In my second year (back before 2003. feeling old) I did. I went into an English and VaPer kick. But now, I find aros are about 1/3 of what I smoke. I'm just far more discerning and don't much branch out without a lot of recommendations.
Simply put, yes. However, it came back with time. Though I found when it came back I was more particular in the aromatics I enjoy. I'll never enjoy a goopy blend. I like some of the KBV light aros, Lakeland blends, and the McC aros.
I go between all blend types depending on mood. Each one enjoyed for what they are.
I have not.
I enjoy all types of blends and am fortunate to have a very large selection to chose from. What I smoke is most often whatever I am in the mood for or happen to have at hand at the time.
I enjoy all types of blends and am fortunate to have a very large selection to chose from. What I smoke is most often whatever I am in the mood for or happen to have at hand at the time.
No, in fact, just the opposite has happened; my taste for latakia-based English mixtures has diminished.
Whelp, the many folks who said I'd eventually return to aromatics and like them again were right! After smoking nothing but Virginia flakes and VaPers every day for the past couple weeks I decided to mix things up a bit tonight and try some Sutliff Pumpkin Spice for the first time since last fall.
To make a long story short, it was great and I'm just now finishing my second large bowl of it in a Country Gentleman! I seem to be able to pick out the flavors of all the toppings (pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and allspice) much more keenly now than I ever could in the past and I've been enjoying Pumpkin Spice quite a bit. I might give a pipeful of Autumn Evening a try next to stick with the fall theme tonight.
In any case, while I'm guessing I'll probably continue smoking non-aromatics most of the time this is turning out to be a very pleasant change of pace and I'll look forward to revisiting some of my other favorite aros whenever the mood strikes.
To make a long story short, it was great and I'm just now finishing my second large bowl of it in a Country Gentleman! I seem to be able to pick out the flavors of all the toppings (pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and allspice) much more keenly now than I ever could in the past and I've been enjoying Pumpkin Spice quite a bit. I might give a pipeful of Autumn Evening a try next to stick with the fall theme tonight.
In any case, while I'm guessing I'll probably continue smoking non-aromatics most of the time this is turning out to be a very pleasant change of pace and I'll look forward to revisiting some of my other favorite aros whenever the mood strikes.
I wouldn't say I lost my taste for aromatics. I have become WAY more selective about which ones I will smoke. Over the years certain ones do what I like and those have become reliable performers. My willingness to try new aromatics has waned and I tend to stay with my tried and true ones and not explore.
Our palates and craving for satisfaction changes from time to time. I tend to smoke aromatics and Virginia blends in the late spring, summer and then as the cooler weather comes I move to English/Balkan blends predominantly. It's not etched in stone.
In the past, when I felt that the aromatics weren't hitting the ol' satisfaction scale, I decided to smoke nothing but Half and Half for about a month. This 'reset' my palate and the aromatics were tasty again.
This trick may not work for some, but it did for me, so I thought it worth mentioning.
In the past, when I felt that the aromatics weren't hitting the ol' satisfaction scale, I decided to smoke nothing but Half and Half for about a month. This 'reset' my palate and the aromatics were tasty again.
This trick may not work for some, but it did for me, so I thought it worth mentioning.
I smoke a lot of cigars as well and smoke medium fill to full cigars. I actually started pipe smoking to enjoy inside during the winter. 20 years ago bought an old Victorian House on the edge of a small little town and it had a study with a smoking room attached so now I smoke whatever, whenever. I still find I enjoy milder blends with pipes and strong cigars. My English blends are mild to medium and of course my aromatics are non existent with strength. I'm finding that Boswell's Countryside is a go to blend as a nice crossover but wish I could find a blend close in bulk as 5.50+ per ounce is a little painful. For me I don't like mild cigars at but like mild to medium pipe tobacco.