I’ve Been Flaking Out, Now English Tastes Funny

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jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,708
27,308
Carmel Valley, CA
If all factors have been taken into consideration and good, the only thing I believe, is letting a briar pipe dry out, until it starts smelling nice inside the chamber.

Smell the chamber after you just smoked an entire bowl.
Smell the chamber a day later.
Smell the chamber two days later.
Smell the chamber 3-4 days later.

Every briar pipe I’ve smoked, the chambers all start to smell really nice around 3 days, of course ambient weather conditions for everyone is different.

<< Snipped bits out >>
No need to be a chamber sniffer!

Just flush the pipe out with piping hot water, dry with paper towel, and smoke the next day. Easy. Brilliant.
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Back around 2008 I took a break from my pipes and went all cigars for a bit. When I came back to my pipes the taste of Latakia was so foul I stopped smoking my favorite English blends and haven't looked back. I don't miss them as I have 41 different flakes...plugs and a rope that for my tastes blow away anything with Latakia or Orientals. It has been well over a decade since I smoked an English.

I got lucky that my stash of English consisted of Murrey made 2002 Dunhills, 2002 GL Pease English, and some 2001 and 2002 Penzance. I sold every tin for at least 60.00 and that was back in 2012.
 
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SoulStation

Lurker
Oct 2, 2021
46
97
Eastern KS
I smoked English blends almost exclusively for years. After trying va's I found English blends bland. Lately I have been enjoying the English blends more, but they don't satisfy like they used to.
 
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hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,221
Austin, TX
I enjoy it all. I like VA’s Burley’s, English, Balkan, Aromatics (though I don’t like that label, makes me think of weak American aromatics) and I tend to enjoy most variations of those base tobaccos. I think having variety helps me enjoy each genre even more. When I smoke Skiff then switch over to Dunhill flake I very much enjoy the different qualities that each genre provides. Your taste for Lat can very much come back, just cause it hasn’t for a few of these old farts on here doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy English blends ever again. Smoking nothing but VA blends doesn’t mean you have a refined palate or anything. Just smoke what ever you enjoy. I’ve gone through many phases over the years. For a long time (early on) all tobacco tasted like ammonia for some reason, it was really odd but it only lasted about a month and it hasn’t happened since. If you never like Latakia again, that’s cool too. Just enjoy whatever you decide to stuff in your pipe.
 

Ryan

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 30, 2021
583
4,494
Noblesville Indiana USA
I smoked some Old Joe Krantz a little while ago, burley still tastes the same to me! Haha. It is funny how this all works. I have been smoking a number of different blends trying to get my feet wet and find what I like. At first I went for the English blends and was loving them, now I’m liking this Virginia based flake stuff quite a bit. Every time I try burley I like it a little more also. I thought burley tasted like a bunch of nothing at first, but I’m getting a little more out of it each smoke.

I hope to eventually just keep a handful (or a few, possibly just a couple three) of my favorite blends on hand, but it is fun trying to figure out what I like (and I’m finding even that is subject to change). I’ve appreciated all the feedback I have received here for this and several other questions I have posted. Thanks!
 
Jun 18, 2020
3,848
13,659
Wilmington, NC
I smoked some Old Joe Krantz a little while ago, burley still tastes the same to me! Haha. It is funny how this all works. I have been smoking a number of different blends trying to get my feet wet and find what I like. At first I went for the English blends and was loving them, now I’m liking this Virginia based flake stuff quite a bit. Every time I try burley I like it a little more also. I thought burley tasted like a bunch of nothing at first, but I’m getting a little more out of it each smoke.

I hope to eventually just keep a handful (or a few, possibly just a couple three) of my favorite blends on hand, but it is fun trying to figure out what I like (and I’m finding even that is subject to change). I’ve appreciated all the feedback I have received here for this and several other questions I have posted. Thanks!
Same here
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,435
26,714
Hawaii
No need to be a chamber sniffer!

Just flush the pipe out with piping hot water, dry with paper towel, and smoke the next day. Easy. Brilliant.

The idea of water and wood just doesn’t sit right with me, so I don’t do it.

Flushing a chamber with water, depending on ambient conditions, could make a difference on how long is needed to dry. Possibly in very humid environments one day would not necessarily be sufficient.

The density and thickness of the briar and chambers from one pipe to another, might also be another worthwhile consideration for drying times. To err on the side of caution, if concerned, 2-3 days could be something to consider.
 
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jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,708
27,308
Carmel Valley, CA
Briar won't absorb hot water worth a damn. It gets much more water "pressure" from smoking, pressure being temperature and length of time the steam is generated in the chamber and presses on the walls and airway, not psi's in this case.

You live in one of the toughest drying areas of the US.
 
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tzinc

Can't Leave
Mar 24, 2021
346
1,388
Toronto
I had the opposite experience I went from English which I love to try Virginia VaPrs VaBurs and they seemed simpler to me less tastey less filling I went back to my English blends with no problem.
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,407
109,186
I had the opposite experience I went from English which I love to try Virginia VaPrs VaBurs and they seemed simpler to me less tastey less filling I went back to my English blends with no problem.
English and Burley blends help prime taste buds for picking up the flavor of smoke for beginners. Appreciation of more subtle Virginias, Orientals, and aromatics can take a bit of time, even years to hone smoking technique to enjoy them. Still in your first couple of years?
 
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elvishrunes

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 19, 2017
274
495
As a ten year English smoker, the last year has slowly tamped down my enthusiasm for them, I do believe now they are a tad overrated. I still like them, but could live without them. They are really all about that nice Smokey smell…
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,455
I think it's like moving between genres of music, going from a classical string quartet to salsa to country and western, to progressive jazz, to forties hits. They're different sounds, and it takes time to adjust to each change.
 

tzinc

Can't Leave
Mar 24, 2021
346
1,388
Toronto
I am a new
English and Burley blends help prime taste buds for picking up the flavor of smoke for beginners. Appreciation of more subtle Virginias, Orientals, and aromatics can take a bit of time, even years to hone smoking technique to enjoy them. Still in your first couple of years?
Yeah I am a new smoker. I tried a couple aromatics to start off didn't really like them. Tried some English and really liked it. Expanded to Balkans and Orientals liked those as well. I do like to try new blends so I gave Escudo and Golden Slice a go they were okay but nothing great imo. I recently tried 3 Nuns which has a lot of thickness to it it is filling almost like an English lol.