Newbie Questions.

[JTH1991]

Howdy everyone, newbie here from East Tennessee. Glad to join the community. I'm brand new to pipe smoking, by that I mean I've not even purchased a pipe yet. I grew up very sheltered and now in my 30s I'm getting around to experiencing things without a people pleasing mentality.. that being said I decided about a month ago I'd like to try both cigars and a tobacco pipe. I love the idea of being able to sit out on the porch every so often and enjoy a cigar or pipe and reflect on life/relax. I started with cigars as they were readily available at my local humidor.. I'm rather disappointed so far. Despite my best efforts to inform myself through research and talking with the gentleman at the humidor..cigars haven't been enjoyable. All I taste is an ashtray taste and at one point I was completely convinced I'd ruined my pallet and food was never going to taste the same again. This has brought me to wanting to rest a pipe.

I'd like to ask the more experienced folks on here a few questions to ease my mind and I humbly accept any advice I may receive. I'm here to learn..

1. (Experience ) Is a pipe going to have a similar experience as a cigar?

2. (Taste) I've heard everything from "it's an acquired taste" to "you have to get used to it".. is it a bit of both?
I can have patience and learn to adapt but I'm truly scared of completely altering my mouth in a way that food and drink won't taste the same. Is this a valid fear?
I'm definitely not a type of person who can lie to myself and say I like it if I don't.

3. There are a vast amount of blends from what I can tell..it's overwhelming. What's a good couple recommendations to try in the beginning of my journey.

If you've taken the time to read this, I truly appreciate your time. I look forward to your responses. -Justin

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

Hello JTH….

I am sure you will get many different perspectives to your questions. They may be similar to what I write or they may differ significantly because there are all manner of experiences folks will have had. That said, for me:

1. Indulging in tobacco, be it a cigar or a pipe can, will, and IMO should taste like tobacco.

2. The array of flavors folks talk about regarding especially pipe tobaccos, but also cigars…… these flavors are nuances that are within and perhaps atop of the tobacco flavor.

3. If you do not enjoy tobacco’s flavors, you are not likely going to find any tobacco enjoyable.

4. Many folks also tend to like the pleasurable effects of nicotine obtained from tobacco (although some differing opinions also exist from folks who dislike and avoid nicotine hearty tobaccos as much as possible and if they smoke, they do so in a more limited fashion or with lower (not absent) nicotine content pipe tobaccos).

5. If you persue smoking pipe tobacco (or if you try a cigar again too), one of the most reliable things you can do to potentially find aspects you enjoy in smoking…. is to smoke slowly and not rapidly as many first try.

 

[elvishrunes]

Try flavoured backwoods cigars, decent tobacco sugar cured sweet taste. Pipe tobacco is generally more complex, sweeter and varied than cigar leaf and you can certainly find something to fit your tastes. Try Captain Black White or Royal.

Unfortunately smoking pipes will destroy your food tastes buds for life tho,

 

[JTH1991]

Hello JTH….

I am sure you will get many different perspectives to your questions. They may be similar to what I write or they may differ significantly because there are all manner of experiences folks will have had. That said, for me:

1. Indulging in tobacco, be it a cigar or a pipe can, will, and IMO should taste like tobacco.

2. The array of flavors folks talk about regarding especially pipe tobaccos, but also cigars…… these flavors are nuances that are within and perhaps atop of the tobacco flavor.

3. If you do not enjoy tobacco’s flavors, you are not likely going to find any tobacco enjoyable.

4. Many folks also tend to like the pleasurable effects of nicotine obtained from tobacco (although some differing opinions also exist from folks who dislike and avoid nicotine hearty tobaccos as much as possible and if they smoke, they do so in a more limited fashion or with lower (not absent) nicotine content pipe tobaccos).

5. If you persue smoking pipe tobacco (or if you try a cigar again too), one of the most reliable things you can do to potentially find aspects you enjoy in smoking…. is to smoke slowly and not rapidly as many first try.

I appreciate the response, especially so quickly. I suppose the best thing to do and best teacher is to just try it. Having no prior experience with tobacco, I wasn't exactly sure what it was even supposed to taste like. I've smelled cigars and pipes others were smoking while out and about and they smell so good. The bitter/ashy taste was so off putting. Is the ashtray taste normal? Or was that a byproduct of smoking too hot /. improperly?

 

[Sigmund]

Generally speaking...and I do mean generally, I think it is more of a challenge and cost (for sure) to find cigars that are as enjoyable as pipe tobacco. If its something you are wanting to do then stick with it and explore.

You are in the US. Pipe tobacco is dirt cheap. Buy high quality blends and stay away from pouch crap that is wet, sticky and burns your mouth. If you are doing something on occasion for enjoyment....not just a hard nic hit then do it right and get the good stuff. Its still cheap.

Id explore a few genres first. Go to smoking pipes dot com and order some 2 oz samples of a number of blends. Put them in mason jars and spend some time with them. You will spend less than you did for a couple of decent cigars.

And welcome from France.

 

[JTH1991]

Generally speaking...and I do mean generally, I think it is more of a challenge and cost (for sure) to find cigars that are as enjoyable as pipe tobacco. If its something you are wanting to do then stick with it and explore.

You are in the US. Pipe tobacco is dirt cheap. Buy high quality blends and stay away from pouch crap that is wet, sticky and burns your mouth. If you are doing something on occasion for enjoyment....not just a hard nic hit then do it right and get the good stuff. Its still cheap.

Id explore a few genres first. Go to smoking pipes dot com and order some 2 oz samples of a number of blends. Put them in mason jars and spend some time with them. You will spend less than you did for a couple of decent cigars.

And welcome from France.

Whoa! France! That's awesome, I want to travel to France with my wife someday. Thanks for your input, it means a lot to have advice from knowledgeable folks

 

[JTH1991]

Try flavoured backwoods cigars, decent tobacco sugar cured sweet taste. Pipe tobacco is generally more complex, sweeter and varied than cigar leaf and you can certainly find something to fit your tastes. Try Captain Black White or Royal.

Unfortunately smoking pipes will destroy your food tastes buds for life tho,

Thanks for answering, do you mean destroy completely? As in can't taste at all or just altered taste?

 

[elvishrunes]

Thanks for answering, do you mean destroy completely? As in can't taste at all or just altered taste?

Destroy completely !!! I was joking, being facetious

 

[FLDRD]

Thanks for answering, do you mean destroy completely? As in can't taste at all or just altered taste?

I do not agree. I have not had any significant loss of taste. At most, I may have had some temporary muting of flavors.

 

[elvishrunes]

Generally speaking...and I do mean generally, I think it is more of a challenge and cost (for sure) to find cigars that are as enjoyable as pipe tobacco. If its something you are wanting to do then stick with it and explore.

You are in the US. Pipe tobacco is dirt cheap. Buy high quality blends and stay away from pouch crap that is wet, sticky and burns your mouth. If you are doing something on occasion for enjoyment....not just a hard nic hit then do it right and get the good stuff. Its still cheap.

Id explore a few genres first. Go to smoking pipes dot com and order some 2 oz samples of a number of blends. Put them in mason jars and spend some time with them. You will spend less than you did for a couple of decent cigars.

And welcome from France.

I disagree, I think it is a right of passage to start on pouches at the bottom and learn and they aren’t even that bad. You drink blended whisky first, not single malt and climb the latter, and I don’t mean for financial reasons, for learning. I did, most do, and I only smoke good stuff now, like Gawith, and others.

 

[Alejo R.]

Howdy everyone, newbie here from East Tennessee. Glad to join the community. I'm brand new to pipe smoking, by that I mean I've not even purchased a pipe yet. I grew up very sheltered and now in my 30s I'm getting around to experiencing things without a people pleasing mentality.. that being said I decided about a month ago I'd like to try both cigars and a tobacco pipe. I love the idea of being able to sit out on the porch every so often and enjoy a cigar or pipe and reflect on life/relax. I started with cigars as they were readily available at my local humidor.. I'm rather disappointed so far. Despite my best efforts to inform myself through research and talking with the gentleman at the humidor..cigars haven't been enjoyable. All I taste is an ashtray taste and at one point I was completely convinced I'd ruined my pallet and food was never going to taste the same again. This has brought me to wanting to rest a pipe.

I'd like to ask the more experienced folks on here a few questions to ease my mind and I humbly accept any advice I may receive. I'm here to learn..

1. (Experience ) Is a pipe going to have a similar experience as a cigar?

2. (Taste) I've heard everything from "it's an acquired taste" to "you have to get used to it".. is it a bit of both?
I can have patience and learn to adapt but I'm truly scared of completely altering my mouth in a way that food and drink won't taste the same. Is this a valid fear?
I'm definitely not a type of person who can lie to myself and say I like it if I don't.

3. There are a vast amount of blends from what I can tell..it's overwhelming. What's a good couple recommendations to try in the beginning of my journey.

If you've taken the time to read this, I truly appreciate your time. I look forward to your responses. -Justin

I can assure you that your mouth and palate will recover.

 

[bullet08]

Cigars are different animals. There's certain taste to cigar that will never go away. That taste is what makes cigar a cigar. There are other notes, but they can be harder to find.

Pipe tobacco is different. But to most people who never smoked before, pipe tobacco will taste like ashtray also, for awhile. Once you get used to it, you will start to nice things that wasn't there before. Unlike cigar, with pipe tobacco, you can start with aromatics. Certain aromatics like Captain Black Royal will be very mild and you might pick up some notes.

But, tobacco in general will taste like crap at first.

 

[JTH1991]

Destroy completely !!! I was joking, being facetious

Pfft I knew that ...

 

[The Libertine]

Tobacco should taste like tobacco. Each blend has its own profile. It's like drinking wine. Cigars are a bit more complicated with their flavor profiles as they are incredibly nuanced. Your basic taste won't be changed irrevocably. I suggest starting with drug store blends like Half & Half. Then move to the bulk blends were you can order by ounce. Try traditional tobaccos like English blends as well. For cigars you will want hand rolled instead of machine rolled. I will suggest Romeo y Julietta. It's not a bargin cigar but a very nice midline cigar. You can get a box of 24 for $240.

 

[JTH1991]

Cigars are different animals. There's certain taste to cigar that will never go away. That taste is what makes cigar a cigar. There are other notes, but they can be harder to find.

Pipe tobacco is different. But to most people who never smoked before, pipe tobacco will taste like ashtray also, for awhile. Once you get used to it, you will start to nice things that wasn't there before. Unlike cigar, with pipe tobacco, you can start with aromatics. Certain aromatics like Captain Black Royal will be very mild and you might pick up some notes.

But, tobacco in general will taste like crap at first.

So it's a patience thing. I can definitely give it some time to learn more and develop my palette.

 

[GardenStateoftheArtBriar]

If you are set on smoking a pipe and even cigars (again ) - there's most certainly a learning curve - that goes for everyone - even former cigarette users
when it comes to cigars - you need to find the types you like(and can afford) different milder types in your case
possibly Connecticut wrapper - or a deep sweet maduro

Pipes - different puffing cadence - not going to be the same as a cigar - and the flavor is whole lot different as well
there are cigar leaf pipe blends but even those aren't cigars

 

[JTH1991]

I'm blown away with how much feedback I received in just one day. Thanks a ton you guys, I'm grateful

 

[PA Piper Mike]

Welcome to the world of pipes and cigars. The thing with pipes is that they have a bit of a learning curve. There are numerous tips and tricks you could inundate yourself with, but your best bet is to just go to your local tobacconist (or closest 1) and talk with them. If that's not a possibility, then your next best bet to is to figure out what you like. Are you a carnivore that loves bbq? Then you might want to check out blends that have Dark Fired Kentucky or Latakia. Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you might want to check out some Virginias or possibly some "mild" aromatics. I emphasize mild because you don't really want to start with any heavy aros. You can, but you run the risk of getting tongue bite if you aren't careful. Many of the online shops allow you to buy bulk, so you could easily buy a bunch of different blends for $2-$7/ounce. For $20, you could easily grab 5-10 different blends to try. At least to get a gauge on where your tastes lie.

Once you figure out the blends you want to try, 3 bits of advice....let the tobacco you're going to smoke, sit out and dry some, then pack lightly and sip. You don't want to be going for big plumes of smoke. Those are fine on your initial light and relights, but if you are getting those while you are sitting back and puffing, then you are smoking too hard/fast and you'll run the risk of the blend going ashy on you or the dreaded tongue bite. Slow and steady wins this race. Ultimately you are looking for light wisps of smoke. And chances are your pipe will go out....a lot. Don't be concerned with relights. They are a part of it. Sometimes I need to relight ever few mins, other times, I can smoke the entire bowl on 1 light.

Keep in mind, that everyone is different and we all have different styles and tastes, the fun part is figuring out yours.

 

[JTH1991]

Welcome to the world of pipes and cigars. The thing with pipes is that they have a bit of a learning curve. There are numerous tips and tricks you could inundate yourself with, but your best bet is to just go to your local tobacconist (or closest 1) and talk with them. If that's not a possibility, then your next best bet to is to figure out what you like. Are you a carnivore that loves bbq? Then you might want to check out blends that have Dark Fired Kentucky or Latakia. Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you might want to check out some Virginias or possibly some "mild" aromatics. I emphasize mild because you don't really want to start with any heavy aros. You can, but you run the risk of getting tongue bite if you aren't careful. Many of the online shops allow you to buy bulk, so you could easily buy a bunch of different blends for $2-$7/ounce. For $20, you could easily grab 5-10 different blends to try. At least to get a gauge on where your tastes lie.

Once you figure out the blends you want to try, 3 bits of advice....let the tobacco you're going to smoke, sit out and dry some, then pack lightly and sip. You don't want to be going for big plumes of smoke. Those are fine on your initial light and relights, but if you are getting those while you are sitting back and puffing, then you are smoking too hard/fast and you'll run the risk of the blend going ashy on you or the dreaded tongue bite. Slow and steady wins this race. Ultimately you are looking for light wisps of smoke. And chances are your pipe will go out....a lot. Don't be concerned with relights. They are a part of it. Sometimes I need to relight ever few mins, other times, I can smoke the entire bowl on 1 light.

Keep in mind, that everyone is different and we all have different styles and tastes, the fun part is figuring out yours.

Thank you for your help

 

[mpjetset]

SNIP... Unfortunately smoking pipes will destroy your food tastes buds for life tho,

You are doing it wrong, then!