Gets Better Toward Bottom of Bowl

[rich93]

I find that Virginia tobacco seems to become more flavorful toward the bottom of the bowl, after some relights. Is this a common perception? I've been smoking tobacco that's been aged in the tin for many years - right now a McClelland's New Millenium packed in 2000 - so there's nothing wrong with the tobacco. Still, I don't seem to get much flavor out of it until the last half of the bowl. What am I doing wrong with the first half? The tobacco smells nice but I don't get much flavor on my tongue until the pipe has gone out and relighted a few times and half of the tobacco has been consumed. This has happened with other Virginias also, not just the New Millenium - in fact, all of the Virginias that I've smoked. I'm a relatively new pipe smoker - about 5 months now. Thanks!

 

[sallow]

I think it is more of a function of the burn. A cigar too, seems to reach its stride about midway through. It takes about 15 minutes to get everything properly set and in the zone for me, pipewise.

 

[billbearcat]

I think that it has to do with the tobacco acting as a filter and collecting flavor from the first part of the bowl. I am smoking Beacon right now and the second half is always better in my opinion.

 

[cortezattic]

billbearcat's assessment is spot-on, in my book. If most folks are like me, they forget that the tobacco at the bottom

of the bowl is getting cooked (& "smoked") by hot gases from above.

 

[zekest]

I also have to agree. The first two thirds of the bowl of Virginia flake is fairly hot burning and tasteless, requiring many relights. The last third gets some flavor from the accumulated tars and burnt casing. This is the reason most prefer to smoke Virginia flake in a small pipe.

 

[sallow]

It appears that as usual, I am in the minority opinion.
So, if it is not a function of the burn, then try an experiment. Smoke half of the bowl. Now let it go out and sit for an hour and relight it. This tobacco should now be 'toasted' and have more flavor. When you relight it, does it taste better? For me I can't seem to get it going like it was before.
I'm not a chemist. I think we can agree that after a certain point, the smoke gets in the groove, which is nice. That is not to say that I don't enjoy getting it there.

 

[petes03]

For me anyway, the middle third of the bowl is always the best. Regardless of the blend.

 

[loneredtree]

I usually have very dry VA. It does, as you said, not have much flavor until the last 2/3 of the bowl. It may be due to moisture collecting in the bottom tobac as product of combustion. The last VA I smoked had a bit more moisture and had great flavor from the get go. YMMV
:D

 

[rich93]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm glad that others have experienced this phenom and that I'm not imagining things. I got into pipe smoking for about a year in the late 90's and I've had quite a bit of non-aromatic tobacco, mostly Virginias, aging in the tins since then. But then I went back to cigarettes and gave up the pipe. Now, having given up cigarettes again 9 months ago, I'm back with the pipe. I usually have one bowl per day and really look forward to it. I need to learn to smoke more slowly though. I'm getting there.

 

[mrjerke]

Welcome Rich! I agree that pipe smoking is like a cigar, it gets better as it goes along.
Have you tried giving the bowl a light the day before and letting it sit overnight? May bring out the flavors for you.

 

[nsfisher]

Love em, but can't smoke em. Smaller the bowl though, better they are.

 

[cigrmaster]

It sounds like you are packing too loosely. I get great flavors from the start of the bowl and pack my Va flakes pretty tight. Try it and see if this helps.

 

[mso489]

Yes, I have noticed that improvement with Virginias and some other tobaccos. Occasionally, with English blends,

the last third of the bowl is the best, and even some aros. Things get packed down but there's still enough

draw and space between the leaf. The fire is especially even. The bowl is evenly heated. Sometimes that last

third is biting, harsh, and damp, and other times it's perfect. On the size bowl question, small bowls are definitely

the way to learn to enjoy Virginias, though once you know the tobacco, you can probably do the Group 4 and 5.
I don't fight it. If the bowl gets harsh, I just dump it and start over. If it's good, I ride it home.

 

[pipebow88]

I tend to like the first half the best on virginia, middle third on vaper, and final half on english. Now I love the bowl from start to finish or I don't smoke the tobacco anymore, but those are the high points to me.

B