Is Tongue Bite Over Hyped?

[HopHand]

How much of a reality for most is tongue bite? Is this something limited in some way to new or light smokers? Are some people immune? It seems to be mentioned in almost every tobacco conversation like a villain one must conquer if they wish to enjoy a pipe.
So I fully entered the hobby prepared to wrangle this demon. Yet after months of heavy puffing on more than a few tobacco blends. I'm left confused as to what others are experiencing. So far my only negative oral sensations have been a bad taste from blend's I didn't care for. An occasional wet Tar requiring me to use a pipe cleaner and if I clench or go hands free. I start drooling like an Old hound which so far is my least favorite pipe smoking experience. I'm confused and a little concerned. Is it possible I fried my pallet on cigarettes? If so does that mean it's likely one day I'll light up a favorite blend only to be greeted by this dreaded devil.

 

[cigrmaster]

Most new smokers get some sort of tongue bite. Some like myself get an acid burn from red Virginia tobacco, different than tongue bite. I had a good mentor when I first began on the pipe so I avoided a few of the worst things newbies do like packing too tight or too loose. I learned how to sip a pipe early on and also learned to put the pipe down if it began to get too hot. I also smoked mostly English blends and Escudo. That was over 2 decades ago, I can't believe it has been this long.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have no idea what tobaccos you are smoking, but if you want to know what tongue bite is, go get you some MacBarens Virginia #1, and pack it up and puff just like normal from start to finish. Then grab an ice cold soda and take a big swig and slosh it around some. If you're eyes don't water and your brain feel like it is squeezing on your brain, then you will never have to worry about tongue bite.

 

[HopHand]

I have no idea what tobaccos you are smoking, but if you want to know what tongue bite is, go get you some MacBarens Virginia #1, and pack it up and puff just like normal from start to finish. Then grab an ice cold soda and take a big swig and slosh it around some. If you're eyes don't water and your brain feel like it is squeezing on your brain, then you will never have to worry about tongue bite.

Does Mac Barens H.H. pure Virginia or Virginia Flake count? How about my daily Whipped Strawberry Rockstar or Orange Fanta? Cause if so that's a weekly or at least bimonthly combo as well as Virginia and Virginia heavy blends from Orliks, Cobblestone, C&D, John Cottons and a few others I'd have to dig out to name. I kinda like the Virginias and drink an unhealthy amount of Soda. Wasn't aware I should expect a reaction between the two.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Does Mac Barens H.H. pure Virginia or Virginia Flake count?

Nope, those are totally smokable, ha ha. But, MacBarens has designed Virginia #1 exclusively as a CIA anti-terrorist enhanced interrogation blend.
I mean, yeh, some may get tongue bite from Pure Virginia or the Virginia Flake, but Virginia #1 seals the deal... unless you have a tongue of steel. If that doesn't bite you,. then you may rest assured that nothing will.

 

[kcghost]

We puffers have a problem with tongue bite particularly with Virginias. It's why we are constantly saying "smoke slowly".

 

[HopHand]

Nope, those are totally smokable, ha ha. But, MacBarens has designed Virginia #1 exclusively as a CIA anti-terrorist enhanced interrogation blend.
I mean, yeh, some may get tongue bite from Pure Virginia or the Virginia Flake, but Virginia #1 seals the deal... unless you have a tongue of steel. If that doesn't bite you,. then you may rest assured that nothing will.

Interesting. I guess I'll have to give it a try not that I'm particularly looking for tongue bite. It's just reading tobacco reviews has become almost a new hobby in it's self and the number of reviews especially negative reviews that mention this experience is overwhelming.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Interesting. I guess I'll have to give it a try not that I'm particularly looking for tongue bite. It's just reading tobacco reviews has become almost a new hobby in it's self and the number of reviews especially negative reviews that mention this experience is overwhelming.

And hey, you may love Virginia #1... someone has to. It may be just one of those blends designed for people who just have no sense of tongue bite. Good luck.

 

[F4RM3R]

Depends on how much you smoke too. One bowl a day and there shouldn’t be much issues, but if you smoke several bowls a day of “bitey” or moist tobacco and a little bit of scorching here and there might catch up with you. I know this is the case for me, but I didn’t have many issues for months when I started, no matter how I puffed. I now stick to the “cool” burning blends (a lot of burley/perique/Kentucky/Latakia, ropes and flake and stoved tobaccos) and get much more enjoyment. Everyone is different though, I am more sensitive, but maybe you have the fabled “tongue of steel”

 

[Briar Lee]

My native America usually doesn’t make the finest luxury goods on earth, that honor going in most cases to London, England. But Americans can manufacture and sell more luxury goods than all other nations, combined.

Every single old American tobacco brand, and all old brands of American production pipes I’m aware of (except Lee) made a huge selling point their blend or pipe didn’t bite your tongue.

They were marketing pipe smoking to beginners or people switching from cigarettes.

The hot tars of a inexpertly smoked pipe concentrated on the tongue will bite it, hard. It’s been almost fifty years, but I remember.

Would Babe Ruth lie to us?

Heavens no.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Count yourself fortunate if you haven't experienced tongue bite. What's the most bowls you've smoked in a day? How much Virginia or Virginia Oriental have you smoked? Those blend types and quantity exacerbate tongue bite. I could smoke one or two bowls per day and never feel the nip. Get up to 6 or 7 bowls of those two blends in a day and I can often feel the effects.

 

[bullet08]

You probably have very insensitive palate. But if it doesn't get the sensation like eating very black pepper heavy dish, it's good.

 

[spicy_boiii]

At my current ability, with the "bite-ist" of blends, and worst of circumstances, it'll take a couple bowls to experience any real tongue bite. I don't smoke those blends often, and certainly not successively, so it's not an issue.

My favorite blend that I have cellared, that can bite me, is Sam Gawith Sam's Flake.

 

[didimauw]

No tongue bite here. Just roof rash sometimes.


I can honestly say "I don't remember" ever getting tongue bite.

 

[That Guy]

I used to get tongue by really bad from just about everything. Combination of bad smoking habits and also I think your tongue kind of has to build up a tolerance for smoking. I used to teach guitar lessons and the biggest complaint was people saying their fingers hurt and they couldn't practice as much as they wanted to. When playing guitar most the time you're using the very tips of your finger which a lot of people don't already have calluses in that area which makes them very sensitive and aware of the pressure being applied. For the most part once you get your "tongue callus" built up unless you're doing something extreme or you're just naturally sensitive to certain things you shouldn't really be experiencing tongue bite in my opinion.

 

[Briar Lee]

Fifty years ago a lot of old codgers smoked pipes, and I’d try and my pipes bit my tongue, they gurgled, would get soggy and smell rank, and now that I’m an old codger, none of that unpleasantness happens to me.

Pipe smoking is an acquired skill.

It also helps to have gray hair, and the patience and slower pace that brings.

 

[That Guy]

Fifty years ago a lot of old codgers smoked pipes, and I’d try and my pipes bit my tongue, they gurgled, would get soggy and smell rank, and now that I’m an old codger, none of that unpleasantness happens to me.

Pipe smoking is an acquired skill.

It also helps to have gray hair, and the patience and slower pace that brings.

And tobacco dried to the right moisture content lol years ago I would just crack open the pouch/tin and start packing and torching the hell out of it right away and wonder why it wouldn't stay lit why my tongue was on fire and why there was so much gurgling in my pipe LOL

 

[Grangerous]

No tongue bite here. Just roof rash sometimes.


I can honestly say "I don't remember" ever getting tongue bite.

I could’ve written this! — Never tongue-bite, not even with Virginia #1, Cosmic. I have VA #1 mixed 50/50 with Carter Hall somewhere and it’s a great combination! It used to be the sweetener to my morning black coffee.

But I have scorched the roof of my mouth once with a tightly packed pipe, while stubbornly trying to draw flame to keep it lit. Salivary gland irritation to the roof of the mouth. Never again!

 

[didimauw]

I could’ve written this! — Never tongue-bite, not even with Virginia #1, Cosmic. I have VA #1 mixed 50/50 with Carter Hall somewhere and it’s a great combination! It used to be the sweetener to my morning black coffee.

But I have scorched the roof of my mouth once with a tightly packed pipe, while stubbornly trying to draw flame to keep it lit. Salivary gland irritation to the roof of the mouth. Never again!

I have to smoke burleys blends, all the rest smoke too hot and irritate the roof of my mouth. I can handle a little Virginia mixed with Burley, but anything more is too much.

 

[olkofri]

Given that tongue bite/burn is one of the main reasons many newcomers to the pipe quit it altogether, it can hardly be said that it's hyped, let alone over-hyped.