Mouth Feel

[gamzultovah]

Mouth feel has always been integral to my enjoyment of pipe smoking. Now that I can’t taste or smell anything because of a recent bout with COVID, I’m more aware of just how much mouth feel affects my tobacco decisions. How much does mouth feel play into your enjoyment of pipe smoking? For me, I would have to say that mouth feel is 60% of the enjoyment while taste is 40%. Of course we all enjoy vitamin N to one degree or another, so I didn’t think baking it into the equation was necessary.

Any thoughts on this? I’d like to hear your opinion.

 

[yanoJL]

Mouth feel has always been integral to my enjoyment of pipe smoking. Now that I can’t taste or smell anything because of a recent bout with COVID, I’m more aware of just how much mouth feel affects my tobacco decisions. How much does mouth feel play into your enjoyment of pipe smoking? For me, I would have to say that mouth feel is 60% of the enjoyment while taste is 40%. Of course we all enjoy vitamin N to one degree or another, so I didn’t think baking it into the equation was necessary.

Any thoughts on this? I’d like to hear your opinion.

I'm Sorry to hear about your recent COVID experience. I'm wishing you a speedy recovery.
For me, mouth feel is a less significant part of pipe/tobacco enjoyment. I would estimate that 80% of the enjoyment for me comes from "taste" on retrohale.
The other 20% is from mouth feel, mouth taste, nic, and the contemplative ritual.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I can't notice a difference between smoke in my mouth or air nor can I taste it without retrohaling so I'd say it has zero effect for me.

 

[verporchting]

Unless there is a chemical reaction that causes soreness or irritation to the tongue or palate basically zero difference for me. Flavor and the relaxing aspects are the most important part of pipe smoking to me.

 

[gamzultovah]

I can't notice a difference between smoke in my mouth or air nor can I taste it without retrohaling so I'd say it has zero effect for me.

Neither Latakia nor Burley give you a different mouth feel than say, straight Virginia?

 

[sardonicus87]

I also don't get a different "mouth feel" between any of them, unless something is irritating me.

Smoke is smoke, I don't see how it could feel different in the mouth unless something in it is irritating you in some way. Even when people talk about balkan English tingling the tongue, even if it's pleasant and not hurting, it still to me sounds like being irritated, it's just lightly instead of heavily. I also btw, don't get tingle tongue from orientals.

It's not like say, coffee which could come off as thicker or thinner, chalky or smooth, etc.

I'm not writing off entirely that different blends could have a different mouth feel, but I am skeptical of such a thing being a thing, beyond maybe like how mentholated tobacco can have a cooling sensation in the mouth, or how spicy food can have a burning sensation, but I wouldn't call any of that mouth feel either. Mouth feel to me means physical touch sensation, and is something different than taste, whereas say menthol cooling and capsaicin burning are chemical reactions.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Neither Latakia nor Burley give you a different mouth feel than say, straight Virginia?

Not at all.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I've been getting more into Lakelands recently, and I wonder if the mouthfeel of the smoke is an underacknowledged cause of the "soapy" complaints.

 

[bullet08]

Blonde or redhead? To me they are about the same. Mouth feel that is.

 

[LeafErikson]

Blonde or redhead? To me they are about the same. Mouth feel that is.

Always coming through with the bangers bullet

 

[Michigan_Bill]

Sorry about your Covid experience. My sense of taste is still on the fritz. Mouth feel is therefore more important than it was, though hard to quantify. Recently I smoked some Edward G. Robinson and the thing which was most notable was the mouth feel. It’s a real thing.

 

[LeafErikson]

I am certainly sensitive to quite a few straight virginias and orientals. I tend to smoke va/pers and va/burs since I enjoy the taste and they’re very easy in the ‘mouth feel’ department. I have been considering some Land Ltd. aromatics to smoke in the house in the evening and I’m curious about the mouth feel on them. I’ve been smoking Windjammer the past few nights and my wife does NOT dig the smell of perique in that blend.

 

[gamzultovah]

I've been getting more into Lakelands recently, and I wonder if the mouthfeel of the smoke is an underacknowledged cause of the "soapy" complaints.

In my current condition I can tell just by mouth feel if I’m smoking bright Virginia, Virginia/Perique, Kentucky etc. I have always been sensitive to mouth feel when smoking a pipe, but now I know just how much.

 

[Coreios]

I lost my taste to Covid and got it back too. But, I don't see a difference either.

 

[kcghost]

Mouth feel is important to an extent. I wouldn't say 60% but rather 20% per cent for me. Covid is just a devilish disease.

 

[VDL_Piper]

When you get a blend that ticks this box it's a keeper. I love English blends and when I get that real creamy smoke that some deliver its very special and something I then hunt for.

 

[burleybreath]

Chaw feels different from Snus pouches. Does that count? (Joke. After having Covid, "mouth feel" was about all I had for a while, other than the nicotine rush.)

 

[Sigmund]

I really think most people wont have clear answers for this interesting question unless they go through something like you. In part because taste most often surpasses mouth feel. If I were in your shoes Id get some blending tobaccos...specifically Cavendish both sweetened and unsweetened. Try mixing some a bowl at a time. I wouldnt do it in bulk. Mainly because when your taste returns it may be terrible!

 

[gamzultovah]

I really think most people wont have clear answers for this interesting question unless they go through something like you. In part because taste most often surpasses mouth feel. If I were in your shoes Id get some blending tobaccos...specifically Cavendish both sweetened and unsweetened. Try mixing some a bowl at a time. I wouldnt do it in bulk. Mainly because when your taste returns it may be terrible!

The tobacco that I found has the best mouth feel for me is HH Pure Virginia. It just feels warm and bready. One of my favorite Virginia’s (when I have taste) is GH & Co. Scotch Flake which leaves my mouth feeling like it’s coated (that’s the best descriptor). Does it do this on a normal day, yes, but the flavor always overrides the coated feeling.
COVID has afforded me a unique experience one that will probably change my smoking habits long after it is gone. It’s making me pay attention to something I’ve always recognized about the pipe smoking experience, but one I’ve ignored in lieu of flavor. Thank you for the suggestion. I have not tried Cavendish yet and they are easy on the palate.

 

[Sigmund]

I was just thinking it smooth and might also thicken the mixture…so to speak