Getting back into Pipes - my "Newbie Trial Selection"

[Anchovies]

For those that have not read my other thread on Alcohol & Tongue Bite, a teeny bit of background: I have smoked quite a lot of pipes before, but always end up quitting because I really struggle to avoid tongue-bite. Anyway, I'm going to give it another crack. Bought a pipe with a 9mm filter (never used one before) and will slow down even more and hopefully with a little more patience and a filter I might be able to manage.

So with that in mind, I bought a variety of tobaccos that (I hope) give a good & broad exposure so I can figure out again what I like. I remember last time I tried (almost ten years ago), I had quite a varied taste although I can't quite remember what they were except for Captain Earl's Ten Russians, which I bought again. That wasn't a go-to everyday smoke, but I remember I really liked it when I was in the mood for it and loved the tin aroma. Reminds me of a metal-working factory or something.

My thinking was that I wanted one Perique-forward, one-Burley, one Virginia, one Kentucky, one English, (at-least) one Latakia-forward, one American-style Aromatic (i.e very heavy), 1-Q because it's so popular, HG-2000 because it's super mild and will be good to break-in my new pipe, at-least one super-strong (Kentucky Hot Pressed) and one very weak (HG-2000), and most in-betweens. So I think I covered all bases.

So for no other reason but fluff-discussion with pipe enthusiasts, this is what I went for, hoping for a "well rounded" selection:

Cornell & Diehl Mississippi Mud Pipe Tobacco
Captain Earle's Ten Russians Pipe Tobacco
Lane Limited 1-Q Pipe Tobacco
Orlik Golden Sliced Pipe Tobacco Tins
Mac Baren HH Bold Kentucky Hot Pressed Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake Pipe Tobacco
Lane Limited HG-2000 Pipe Tobacco
Cobblestone Outdoors Hiking Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren Cherry Ambrosia Aromatic Pipe Tobacco Mixture

(and I already have Mac Baren General Choice which I guess covers "Danish mild aromatics".


And if anyone cares, my new pipe is this one (I can use my old pipes and some corn cobs for those ghosty-tobbies I bought). Very nice, straight-forward and masculine looking pipe IMO. Hope it smokes as bad-ass as it looks.

Vauen Olaf 1811 Matte Finish Tobacco Pipe

 

[jdb67]

Reading the start of your post sounds like my own experience. I want to enjoy pipe smoking, but seem to run into bite and at times worse (feels like my soft pallet has been torched) and I tend to stop for a while (maybe even a year or more) and then I come back. I have also been down the road of thinking I can "try" out a bunch of pipe tobacco's. The reality for me is that the process of trying out different tobacco lands me in the same bad spot every time, so this time I'm doing something different. Right or wrong I believe I need to condition my mouth on a single tobacco for quite a while and not try anything else until I can smoke regularly and not fight the pipe (packing, lighting, tamping, relights, etc). So...for me it is Peterson Old Dublin or GL Pease Westminster. For whatever reason no matter how I screw up, these don't bite me. I am in the camp that multiple things cause bite...technique (including moisture of the tobacco) and chemistry. Choosing a single tobacco that works well at least makes me feel the chemistry side is under control while I work on the technique. Just my 2 cents...pick one tobacco that does not bite from day one and focus on that for several months.

 

[mso489]

Mac Baren is called by some Mac Bite, though I enjoy various of their blends. They may not be the best choice if you are having trouble with bite.

I found that non-aromatics bite less than aromatics, in general. Drying your tobacco helps reduce moisture and bite, as does slowing down your cadence, sipping instead of puffing. You've likely heard all that, but it can be helpful.

 

[Anchovies]

Reading the start of your post sounds like my own experience. I want to enjoy pipe smoking, but seem to run into bite and at times worse (feels like my soft pallet has been torched) and I tend to stop for a while (maybe even a year or more) and then I come back. I have also been down the road of thinking I can "try" out a bunch of pipe tobacco's. The reality for me is that the process of trying out different tobacco lands me in the same bad spot every time, so this time I'm doing something different. Right or wrong I believe I need to condition my mouth on a single tobacco for quite a while and not try anything else until I can smoke regularly and not fight the pipe (packing, lighting, tamping, relights, etc). So...for me it is Peterson Old Dublin or GL Pease Westminster. For whatever reason no matter how I screw up, these don't bite me. I am in the camp that multiple things cause bite...technique (including moisture of the tobacco) and chemistry. Choosing a single tobacco that works well at least makes me feel the chemistry side is under control while I work on the technique. Just my 2 cents...pick one tobacco that does not bite from day one and focus on that for several months.

Yes, as I said in the other thread, the more I read about it and learn, the more I'm convinced it's a chemical thing. I mean the smoke feels cool in my mouth, the bowl feels cool(ish) ... okay it feels "warm", but not "hot" in my hand, and my tongue doesn't feel "heat-scorched", it feels like I've been soaking it in vinegar. Exactly the same feeling, just amplified a lot, as when I eat too many salt-and-vinegar potato chips (yes, I've actually done that many times, lols).

So everything points to a chemical reaction in my mind. However, with all that said, I must also humbly accept I'm still an amateur at this, and just keep trying, even when I'm going so slowly that multiple re-lights are required. Sure, I can keep it alight with consistent gentle puffing, but even that leads to bite. All I can try is just go even slower, be even more gentle, experiment with the packing technique, etc.

Well, we'll see. Wish me luck and glad to hear I'm not the only one nor some "freak" that just can't smoke a pipe, because I really like the whole culture and community and hobby and hope I can in the future properly enjoy it.

 

[Anchovies]

Mac Baren is called by some Mac Bite, though I enjoy various of their blends. They may not be the best choice if you are having trouble with bite.

I found that non-aromatics bite less than aromatics, in general. Drying your tobacco helps reduce moisture and bite, as does slowing down your cadence, sipping instead of puffing. You've likely heard all that, but it can be helpful.

I wish I knew that before I bought a selection heavy on "Mac Bite". Haha. I just figured they were reputable so, meh. Can't be horrible.

 

[TheWhale13]

Mac Baren doesn't bite me very much if at all. But since you have a "chemical" predicament, you might try to be careful and smoke very slowly. But as I said, me and a lot of people have no trouble with Mac Baren, they make really great stuff.

 

[FLDRD]

For those that have not read my other thread on Alcohol & Tongue Bite, a teeny bit of background: I have smoked quite a lot of pipes before, but always end up quitting because I really struggle to avoid tongue-bite. Anyway, I'm going to give it another crack. Bought a pipe with a 9mm filter (never used one before) and will slow down even more and hopefully with a little more patience and a filter I might be able to manage.

So with that in mind, I bought a variety of tobaccos that (I hope) give a good & broad exposure so I can figure out again what I like. I remember last time I tried (almost ten years ago), I had quite a varied taste although I can't quite remember what they were except for Captain Earl's Ten Russians, which I bought again. That wasn't a go-to everyday smoke, but I remember I really liked it when I was in the mood for it and loved the tin aroma. Reminds me of a metal-working factory or something.

My thinking was that I wanted one Perique-forward, one-Burley, one Virginia, one Kentucky, one English, (at-least) one Latakia-forward, one American-style Aromatic (i.e very heavy), 1-Q because it's so popular, HG-2000 because it's super mild and will be good to break-in my new pipe, at-least one super-strong (Kentucky Hot Pressed) and one very weak (HG-2000), and most in-betweens. So I think I covered all bases.

So for no other reason but fluff-discussion with pipe enthusiasts, this is what I went for, hoping for a "well rounded" selection:

Cornell & Diehl Mississippi Mud Pipe Tobacco
Captain Earle's Ten Russians Pipe Tobacco
Lane Limited 1-Q Pipe Tobacco
Orlik Golden Sliced Pipe Tobacco Tins
Mac Baren HH Bold Kentucky Hot Pressed Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake Pipe Tobacco
Lane Limited HG-2000 Pipe Tobacco
Cobblestone Outdoors Hiking Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren Cherry Ambrosia Aromatic Pipe Tobacco Mixture

(and I already have Mac Baren General Choice which I guess covers "Danish mild aromatics".


And if anyone cares, my new pipe is this one (I can use my old pipes and some corn cobs for those ghosty-tobbies I bought). Very nice, straight-forward and masculine looking pipe IMO. Hope it smokes as bad-ass as it looks.

Vauen Olaf 1811 Matte Finish Tobacco Pipe

I've been impressed with the HH line all the way around.

 

[FLDRD]

Reading the start of your post sounds like my own experience. I want to enjoy pipe smoking, but seem to run into bite and at times worse (feels like my soft pallet has been torched) and I tend to stop for a while (maybe even a year or more) and then I come back. I have also been down the road of thinking I can "try" out a bunch of pipe tobacco's. The reality for me is that the process of trying out different tobacco lands me in the same bad spot every time, so this time I'm doing something different. Right or wrong I believe I need to condition my mouth on a single tobacco for quite a while and not try anything else until I can smoke regularly and not fight the pipe (packing, lighting, tamping, relights, etc). So...for me it is Peterson Old Dublin or GL Pease Westminster. For whatever reason no matter how I screw up, these don't bite me. I am in the camp that multiple things cause bite...technique (including moisture of the tobacco) and chemistry. Choosing a single tobacco that works well at least makes me feel the chemistry side is under control while I work on the technique. Just my 2 cents...pick one tobacco that does not bite from day one and focus on that for several months.

Totally get you on the Old Dublin.

It's one that the last month or more, I just can't let go, and have opened more than one in succession; unusual for me.

Perfect smoking characteristics every-single-time.

 

[anotherbob]

For those that have not read my other thread on Alcohol & Tongue Bite, a teeny bit of background: I have smoked quite a lot of pipes before, but always end up quitting because I really struggle to avoid tongue-bite. Anyway, I'm going to give it another crack. Bought a pipe with a 9mm filter (never used one before) and will slow down even more and hopefully with a little more patience and a filter I might be able to manage.

So with that in mind, I bought a variety of tobaccos that (I hope) give a good & broad exposure so I can figure out again what I like. I remember last time I tried (almost ten years ago), I had quite a varied taste although I can't quite remember what they were except for Captain Earl's Ten Russians, which I bought again. That wasn't a go-to everyday smoke, but I remember I really liked it when I was in the mood for it and loved the tin aroma. Reminds me of a metal-working factory or something.

My thinking was that I wanted one Perique-forward, one-Burley, one Virginia, one Kentucky, one English, (at-least) one Latakia-forward, one American-style Aromatic (i.e very heavy), 1-Q because it's so popular, HG-2000 because it's super mild and will be good to break-in my new pipe, at-least one super-strong (Kentucky Hot Pressed) and one very weak (HG-2000), and most in-betweens. So I think I covered all bases.

So for no other reason but fluff-discussion with pipe enthusiasts, this is what I went for, hoping for a "well rounded" selection:

Cornell & Diehl Mississippi Mud Pipe Tobacco
Captain Earle's Ten Russians Pipe Tobacco
Lane Limited 1-Q Pipe Tobacco
Orlik Golden Sliced Pipe Tobacco Tins
Mac Baren HH Bold Kentucky Hot Pressed Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake Pipe Tobacco
Lane Limited HG-2000 Pipe Tobacco
Cobblestone Outdoors Hiking Pipe Tobacco
Mac Baren Cherry Ambrosia Aromatic Pipe Tobacco Mixture

(and I already have Mac Baren General Choice which I guess covers "Danish mild aromatics".


And if anyone cares, my new pipe is this one (I can use my old pipes and some corn cobs for those ghosty-tobbies I bought). Very nice, straight-forward and masculine looking pipe IMO. Hope it smokes as bad-ass as it looks.

Vauen Olaf 1811 Matte Finish Tobacco Pipe

vauens are great

 

[Ahi Ka]

Well Godspeed I guess. Enjoy bro!

 

[kcghost]

It should be a pleasant journey for you!!

 

[Hovannes]

Maybe add a no-bite Burley?

 

[dunnyboy]

I agree it's a chemical thing. Aromatics, even top drawer ones without heavy topping, tend to bite me, whereas virginias—despite the reputation for biting—no longer do. On top of that there are good days and bad days. Some days everything is a bit irritating.

Packing and drying makes a big difference. You want the tobacco to stay lit with gentle puffing/sipping so you aren't having to relight too frequently. If the pipe gets hot let it cool down before resuming. You might find that if you let the pipe sit for an hour or so after you've got the thing going it will smoke better and cooler when you resume.

You might want to sip some cooling beverage or tea while smoking. Apples are soothing too. (I believe apples are what Jim Inks eats between smokes to cleanse his extraordinary palate.)

 

[clynch]

I am kinda in the same boat. I get a tongue burn or just a bad taste in my mouth. I get this from mild aromatics (mb vanilla roll cake, dublone d oro, Lane RLP, EGR). Doesn't make sense. I can handle an english ok and a filter helps. I'm thinking I should stay on one tobacco for a weeks worth of pipe rotations. Try different drying. Try with and without a filter. English, capstan blue (virginia), maltese falcon, plum pudding aren't as bad as aromatics. I'm getting a bit lost. I only do one bowl a day. Three 20 minute intervals. Absolutely love any tim aroma.

 

[Anchovies]

Maybe add a no-bite Burley?

Can you recommend one?

 

[ofafeather]

You might want to sip some cooling beverage or tea while smoking. Apples are soothing too. (I believe apples are what Jim Inks eats between smokes to cleanse his extraordinary palate.)

I think pairing with an acidic food or beverage is a good choice. Chemical irritation bite tends to be from the alkalinity of the smoke. Some people also use Biotine but I have never tried that.

 

[Grangerous]

I’ve never experienced tongue bite but I have scorched the roof of my mouth drawing hard on a pipe too tightly packed. Steam or flame did that and I never did that again.

I am convinced that what people describe as “tongue bite” is chemical—either a reaction to an additive or personal response to a balance of PH or Acidity.

I say this because I’d recently found an old pouch of Half n Half and I decided to smoke a bowl. When I did it stung my mouth. A few more puffs and that was that. —if this is what others call “bite” I feel badly for them. Because it would ruin pipesmoking for me. Oh and so much for “dry your tobacco” — believe me, it was dry.

Further convincing me of tongue bite’s chemical nature are the many who say that Granger “bites” them. Of all the blends I’ve ever enjoyed, Granger is as mild as a kitten.

Not that heat isn’t a culprit. People smoke hot and burn their tongue. I just believe folks are talking about two separate things and calling “both” — tongue bite.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

Can you recommend one?

C&D Eight State Burley
C&D Kelly's Coin
C&D Old Joe Krantz (Regular or Blue)

 

[FLDRD]

Can you recommend one?

Mac Baren HH Burley Flake

 

[ofafeather]

If you haven’t tried it, I like Royal Yacht. This stuff smokes amazingly well and I love the flavor. Another foolproof blend for me is Edward G Robinson.