I love the first pipe of the day but my taster is not fully awake at that time which is why I always choose a very stout blend. As the day goes on my palate starts to wake up and I’m able to taste much more of the subtleties and nuances in blends than I am not able to in my first pipe of the day. So personally, I much prefer my pipes as the day progresses, my smokes being near transcendental during the evening hours.