Do I Need a Little Break?

[JSPiper71]

Title Edited to add upper case. Rule 9

I’m wondering if you old timers ever find yourselves taking a little break from the pipe? I‘m no @JimInks, but I’ve been smoking at least one, sometimes two bowls a day lately and finding that the last several bowls I’ve smoked have been rather uneventful for me. I’m noticing that the flavours aren’t jumping out and exciting me. I’m tasting more earthy notes than the lively fruits and citrus that I’m used to tasting. Same with the next day, I’m no longer experiencing that yummy mouth feel the day after. Maybe I should take a couple days off to reset? Does this just come with the territory of getting more experienced??? Any feedback is welcome.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

A few questions come to mind. Are you mixing up the genres of tobacco that you’re smoking? Or are you only smoking one kind? Have you cleaned your pipes thoroughly?

 

[seanv]

I guess it really depends on why you are smoking. If you are smoking strictly for nicotine then whatever, keep going. If you are smoking for enjoyment, take a rest for a few days and see if that helps.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I’m wondering if you old timers ever find yourselves taking a little break from the pipe?

Thirty-three years in with several smokes daily. No intention of stopping here.

 

[JSPiper71]

A few questions come to mind. Are you mixing up the genres of tobacco that you’re smoking? Or are you only smoking one kind? Have you cleaned your pipes thoroughly?

Yes, I’m all over the map, smoking VaPers, straight VA, burley and Balkans. I keep my pipes meticulous. I’m going to take a couple days off and see. Thank you.

 

[JSPiper71]

I guess it really depends on why you are smoking. If you are smoking strictly for nicotine then whatever, keep going. If you are smoking for enjoyment, take a rest for a few days and see if that helps.

Don’t really care about the nicotine. I love the flavour of the tobaccos. Will do, thanks Sean.

 

[Piping Abe]

You could be sick and have no other symptoms. It may be allergies.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Perhaps your pipes need a thorough cleaning.

 

[minerLuke]

I find sometimes I have off days, or a few days, when some or all the bowls don't taste quite as good as they normally do. Sometimes switching it up, trying something completely different from what I'm smoking helps. Sometimes nothing helps. But I also don't worry about it much anymore either, I know in a day or two it will be back to normal.

 

[woodsroad]

Are you standing on one leg? A lot of pipe smokers forget to stand on one leg.

Seriously, if you aren't enjoying the pipe, why continue?

 

[MidTNPiper]

Just my personal experience, but you know how everyone says a healthy rested pipe is “best”? I actually find if I smoke a pipe that has been sitting for many weeks / months it falls flat on that first bowl back, like it needs a wake up to get the oils and juices flowing.

All that to say: agree with a good cleaning and study your rotation.

Or could just be the weather / humidity / sinus conditions…

 

[OzPiper]

Quite a few factors could be involved -
Palate fatigue
Loading too tight
Tamping too hard
Not drying the tobacco sufficiently
Puffing too hard/smoking hot
Too many relights

I dedicate pipes to different genres, but have not dedicated a pipe to a specific blend previously.
Sometime back I stopped enjoying Penzance. In fact I found myself dumping a bowl or two before finishing because it was "boring".

A few weeks back I decided to see if the flavour improved with certain pipes
And YES, it does.

In general, pipes with narrower, more restrictive draws accentuated the Latakia flavour. Open draws muted/dulled it down
And the flavour was more pronounced in a morta compared to a briar.

It's worthwhile trying the same tobacco in a different pipe to see if the flavour improves

Try different things to see if you can work it out

 

[OverMountain]

I’m wondering if you old timers ever find yourselves taking a little break from the pipe? I‘m no @JimInks, but I’ve been smoking at least one, sometimes two bowls a day lately and finding that the last several bowls I’ve smoked have been rather uneventful for me. I’m noticing that the flavours aren’t jumping out and exciting me. I’m tasting more earthy notes than the lively fruits and citrus that I’m used to tasting. Same with the next day, I’m no longer experiencing that yummy mouth feel the day after. Maybe I should take a couple days off to reset? Does this just come with the territory of getting more experienced??? Any feedback is welcome.

Olfactory receptors and taste buds are harmed by smoke, and should
improve in sensitivity after a break.

No need to burn good tobacco if you can’t enjoy it.

 

[didimauw]

Just run warm water through the bowl, out the stem for 10 seconds. Dry for 20 min. Good to go! Always freshens my pipes doing this.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Palate fatigue is a real thing. If I smoke too much I can tell, for the reasons you described. A little break will help.

But by little (at least for me) overnight will usually suffice.

 

[JSPiper71]

Palate fatigue is a real thing. If I smoke too much I can tell, for the reasons you described. A little break will help.

But by little (at least for me) overnight will usually suffice.

Ok, so there’s a name for it and others experience it. This was what I was hoping to find out. I took yesterday off and may do so today too to see if it helps. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Ok, so there’s a name for it and others experience it. This was what I was hoping to find out. I took yesterday off and may do so today too to see if it helps. Thanks for the suggestions.

I suspect you will notice a difference. Everyone’s body is different, so while there are some good suggestions in this thread to eliminate extraneous variable, it’s certainly possible you just to give your mouth a rest. You are not crazy.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I've been there before. I've had a few times over the years where the pipe tobacco has just lost it's flavor to me, so I put the pipes down and just smoke my cigars for a while or smoke nothing. After a break it seems the flavors come back, and it's enjoyable again. I find that mixing up my tobacco's helps me avoid those issues.

Nothing wrong with taking a break from time to time. For me there is no point in smoking my pipes if the experience isn't enjoyable and the flavor isn't there.

 

[King Bulldog]

If you aren't enjoying it then take a break. I've not had any issues and I'm an 8-10 bowl a day guy. Everyone's different.

 

[jpmcwjr]

How now?