I guess I don’t subscribe to the “refined palate” dogma to the extent that some do. While I find that knowing the blend composition, flavorings and casings to be broadly useful, beyond that is personal and individual for me.
Again, I’m just trying to use words people understand is all, call it what you will.
So I’m not prescribing to refined palates as your describing it, but rather, having developed one’s sense of tastes. I never prescribe to any particular wording, formulas, styles, dogma, etc., I thought maybe you understood this about me. I look at things as simplistic as possible is all, I put no labels or system on anything. After all, we’re just smoking a pipe, I keep it simple, and simply say to people, experiment, read around, and do things however you like, that is, until someone starts having problems, then I only suggest simple solutions, like, lighting, drying, packing sipping and going slowly…
But, I think we can all agree, that for some, especially when starting out, it can take time to develop the tastebuds, sense of tastes, that’s all.
So then when I said refined, I should of also mentioned this too…
I’m not sure I follow the Personal and Individual, you are referring to? Unless you are saying, you’re just into smoking whatever you prefer, of course we all smoke what we prefer.
But, Virginia, Burley, Latakia, Kentucky, Perique, have common flavor profiles, that’s my point, I guess, just being able to distinguish these. But amongst these leaf varieties they can also have various other flavors as you know, so then it’s nice to see what someone is picking out, who’s sense of taste might be more highly developed.
You as an example might be shopping around for a grass/hay citrus like VA, so you read until find this, or you take a chance, if no one else has sampled this. Because maybe the blend you buy is more bread, dough, graham and tangy.
I just simply use Jim as a good reference point to see what flavors he’s detecting that’s all, and for the personal and individual, amongst what flavors he’s mentions in blends, then I simply look for those that sound like something I’d like.
I hope I’ve explained myself a bit better this time
@woodsroad 
Also
@filmguerilla I don’t know how long you’ve been smoking a pipe, but to recap a little, it’s not about trust, but knowing if you‘ve developed your sense of taste as good as him, and just simply using the information he shares is all. Jim isn’t giving biased opinions on what he prefers, he’s simply only reviewing the blends and explaining what he perceives is all. So the rhetorical question is, understanding how he is reviewing, why wouldn’t pipe smokers want to read this information, and use it to their advantage. Rather then look at a label on a blend, it says Virginia Perique, it’s a VaPer and simply buy it, without knowing what experienced pipe smokers predominantly notice, to then say, ok this is my type of blend, rather then buy blindly.
I don’t blindly buy blends, I read, to simply see what the majority are perceiving, and knowing Jim as something of an authority on blends, I certainly read what his perceptions are too. I thought we’d all call this smart shopping, knowing before hand, what you’re getting into.
Also Jim has worked/helped tobacco businesses on various things, so he is a professional of sorts, I’m not sure if you are aware of this. He’s not simply the average Joe by any stretch, just hanging around here smoking a pipe. He happens to be one of the most experienced, if not the #1 experienced in the world. So I would seriously read what his thoughts are on blends, unless you buy blindly.
Jim is well known and respected in the pipe world.
Learn more about Artist, Cartoonist, and Pipe Smoker: Jim Amash.
www.smokingpipes.com
