Keeping track of them all

[kiltedpiper]

So I've been smoking pipes for years now but only in the last six months did I come to the conclusion that I prefer the pipe to cigars really and started to collect in earnest. I've done the normal run of aromatics and moved into exploring english blends and others, but I keep coming up against a problem that I am currently chewing over as I am plotting my first batch to cellar.
Now I'm not sure if anyone else comes against this, but sometimes I have the hardest time remembering the name of the blend that I smoked and what it tasted/smelt like if its been more than a week since I had some. I've been kicking around getting a little notebook to keep them all in, but I worry that I'd just be rifling through pages rather than empty tins.
So the long story shortened, how do you all keep track of what blends you've tried and liked/hated? Do you have a blacklist of ones never to get? Spreadsheet them? Tack the tin lids to the wall like a collection? Or do you just have teetering stacks of tins with scraps of paper in them like I do right now, that don't do me a damn bit of good when I am staring at the variety at my local B&M?

 

[timt]

Good question. Personally, up til now I've settled on genres more than anything. There are so many blends that I like within the Va/VaPer category that all I probably have to do is grab one, any one, and be content.
A notebook would be smart and I may just start doing that. Welcome to the forum!

 

[pylorns]

Ah you sir should try thepipetool.com keep track of your cellar aaaand keep track of your blends you smoked and what you thought about them.

 

[kiltedpiper]

I worry about blacklisting stuff too early too by passing that initial judgement. The first time I cracked a Dunhill 965, it was hard to get through. I chucked it into a jar and forgot about it for six months figuring i'd foist it off on a friend eventually. Gave it a sniff to figure out what it was about two weeks ago and the jar time has made all the difference and I'm plotting to put more down in longer term for cellaring.

 

[ashdigger]

I use a simple, very simple spreadsheet. I tried paper, but paper doesn't have a search function.
I also use an app on my Galaxy Note 8 that is built in for quick written notes. It has a search feature.
Keeping it simple is the key, for me at least.

 

[kiltedpiper]

Ah you sir should try thepipetool.com keep track of your cellar aaaand keep track of your blends you smoked and what you thought about them.

That might work. I wasn't looking forward to chasing around a notebook and then frantically searching through my pages to find out if I tried XYZ yet.

 

[milehighpiper]

Good Morning,

First off welcome you to the forum, glad to have you here! As far as keeping track of the blends and which ones I like... I keep a Google “word” document on my phone which I constantly update as I smoke and try new blends. I have a like/dislike list, a “want to try” list, a “buy when it becomes available” list and a “never again” list! The beauty of the Google version of the list is that it syncs on my phone, ipad, laptop and I can pretty much open it in any computer with an internet connection. If that doesn’t work for you I would try one of those nice moleskin journals that therapists want you to write your feelings in (from what I’ve heard). Only problem is that you have to keep it on you at all times. Hope it helps!

 

[mso489]

I admire those who keep log books, but I am much too low tech to think about spreadsheets. Finally, I don't want to organize my pipe smoking experience much. I remember a good many of the blends I've tried, especially those I've enjoyed, even though I can't keep many of the favored ones on hand, simply because I have many others I enjoy or have yet to try. I enjoy a big range of burley blends, many English and Balkan, a number of Virginia and Va/Per, and some exotics like the burley variant Tabac-Manil Semois. Pipe smoking for me is very much in the moment, so I must give up the enjoyment of going back and reviewing my experiences as documented with date, time and detail. For those who can do that, I think it is a good expansion of the experience.

 

[cortezattic]

TobaccoReviews.com allows you to tag a blend as one of your favorites, and a list of them is stored in your user profile.
I believe you can also tag your favorite reviewer, although I've never tried it.

 

[kiltedpiper]

I admire those who keep log books, but I am much too low tech to think about spreadsheets. Finally, I don't want to organize my pipe smoking experience much. I remember a good many of the blends I've tried, especially those I've enjoyed, even though I can't keep many of the favored ones on hand, simply because I have many others I enjoy or have yet to try. I enjoy a big range of burley blends, many English and Balkan, a number of Virginia and Va/Per, and some exotics like the burley variant Tabac-Manil Semois. Pipe smoking for me is very much in the moment, so I must give up the enjoyment of going back and reviewing my experiences as documented with date, time and detail. For those who can do that, I think it is a good expansion of the experience.

I can definitely understand that as well. Overdocumenting it all is something i'm worried about robbing the experience of the smoke. The appeal of a written log is that I have the tactile joy of the writing to pair with the pipe, but at the same time it is kind of fun to just embrace the moment and let it be as ephemeral as the smoke.

 

[pianopuffer]

Welcome! You'll find lots of useful info (and people) here. Personally, I use Evernote for all my note-taking tasks. I find it incredibly easy and adaptive to use. Plus, since it's a cloud-based free service, i can access and use it on my home computer or my mobile devices when i'm out and about. Evernote allows you to create spreadsheets that you can track any amount of info you want. It also allows pics so I have a visual reference to the tin/blend when I'm away from home and don't have it physically in hand.
If you take some time to set up your notebook the way you want, it's the best.

 

[techie]

I'm a big fan of spreadsheets and use them for my whiskeys, teas, and tobaccos. Easy to enter, edit, delete, order, and move items around.

 

[npod]

I have spread sheets for my pipes and pipe tobacco (and also cigars). I type notes in the spread sheet and also on my iphone "Notes" app. After a few years it is less important, once you settle in to a common rotation with a more developed palate.

 

[workman]

So far I just use a notebook app on my phone. I write the name of the blend and rate it on a scale from 0-6. I might eventually take notes on each blend, but I haven't so far.