Hello and sorry for this lengthy post. I am certainly new to pipe smoking (only started around September of last year). For several months I bought a few blends (all aromatics) from a local store and have liked them all, and get different tastes from each. More recently a friend gave me ten brand name blends the first of which I tried was Early Morning pipe, which I greatly enjoyed, in my corncob I used many times before that. Then I tried Cades cove Cavendish, also in that corncob, and I enjoyed it. After that I tried Old Dark Fired in a pipe that I had only used once before and it was with a non aromatic, but I got not taste. So I tried Cult blood red moon in an unused corncob and also got no taste, and then I tried Wilke 191 in my used corncob and got very little taste. Then I tried Prince Albert in my non aromatic pipe and got zero taste as well. Then I tried Boswell's Northwoods in my non aromatic and it went pretty well, with good taste. But I just tried The Red Hunt Warped in my used corncob and once again am getting no taste. Is there some reason I am not getting taste in many of these? A couple are broken flake cut, would not packing them right effect the taste? Is it me? Is it the pipe? I know I'm new but I've been able to taste and even pick out the different notes with all the other blends I've smoked.
Not Tasting Anything
- Thread starter Nasty
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It could be any number of factors in technique not quite being down. "Smoking slower" helps, but I feel that's never explained well. The hotter the tobacco burns, the less the flavor comes out, so it's about keeping the temperature of the ember lower, so you could smoke "slow" and still get it too hot and blow out the flavor by simply drawing too hard.
It takes some time to learn how to regulate speed and how hard you draw on it. It shouldn't take effort to sip.
Beyond that, it could simply be that your palate isn't developed enough yet. Take a blend that you can't taste, maybe the old dark fired will be good for this. Try smoking just the same one for every smoke and see if you can start to taste it at some point. Knowing how they're generally supposed to taste also helps. ODF for example, often tastes a little like barbecue (by barbecue, I don't mean sauce or grilled food with barbecue sauce, I mean actual barbecue, which is just food that is cooked by slow smoking, sauce isn't even a necessity with barbecue), or possibly like how a campfire might smell. It should taste smoked in some way. So knowing the expected flavor can help.
It takes some time to learn how to regulate speed and how hard you draw on it. It shouldn't take effort to sip.
Beyond that, it could simply be that your palate isn't developed enough yet. Take a blend that you can't taste, maybe the old dark fired will be good for this. Try smoking just the same one for every smoke and see if you can start to taste it at some point. Knowing how they're generally supposed to taste also helps. ODF for example, often tastes a little like barbecue (by barbecue, I don't mean sauce or grilled food with barbecue sauce, I mean actual barbecue, which is just food that is cooked by slow smoking, sauce isn't even a necessity with barbecue), or possibly like how a campfire might smell. It should taste smoked in some way. So knowing the expected flavor can help.
What about the ones that were ribbon cut? Also Ill have to look up retroinhaling lol
I may try smoking the same one each time. What makes me think it's not a technique thing though is that it's right from the first draw. They aren't LOSING flavor, I'm simply not getting any at all from the very beginning. Also they'll stay lit and the bowl remains cool as well. Not that I am an expert at technique or something. I definitely appreciate the advice and will watch out for it!
In recent weeks I have posted in WAYS about smoking the same tobacco (Penzance and Erinmore Mixture) in various pipes
In general I found that the open draw of cobs result in less flavour than from pipes with more restrictive draws.
Try smoking the same tobacco out of a briar for comparison
In general I found that the open draw of cobs result in less flavour than from pipes with more restrictive draws.
Try smoking the same tobacco out of a briar for comparison
pipes are more subtle then people think they are and also smoking fast and packing tight can kill flavor too.
Definitely rub out flakes and let them dry some. When I have time I let it get dry to the touch. Sometimes I put it in the sun inside or under a lightbulb if Im in a hurry. As suggested a retro inhale is where many flavors come out. Take your time.
The tobacco didnt warp your cob, you did. It sounds like you are building a bon fire in your pipe. Dry it and pack it lightly.
The tobacco didnt warp your cob, you did. It sounds like you are building a bon fire in your pipe. Dry it and pack it lightly.
@Nasty
Just to rule out some variables:
Can you still taste food normally? Ruling out COVID is a thought.
Do you regularly clean your pipes? I know you mentioned smoking Cult Blood Red Moon in an unused cob; if you haven’t lost your sense of taste, this might suggest you’re smoking too fast/hot as Cult Blood Red Moon is not anemic in the flavour department.
How pliable, or moist were the samples that your friend gave you with regard to the ones you couldn’t taste? They may have been overly dry and lost some of the topping—combined with packing too tight and smoking too fast, this could result in minimal flavour.
Just to rule out some variables:
Can you still taste food normally? Ruling out COVID is a thought.
Do you regularly clean your pipes? I know you mentioned smoking Cult Blood Red Moon in an unused cob; if you haven’t lost your sense of taste, this might suggest you’re smoking too fast/hot as Cult Blood Red Moon is not anemic in the flavour department.
How pliable, or moist were the samples that your friend gave you with regard to the ones you couldn’t taste? They may have been overly dry and lost some of the topping—combined with packing too tight and smoking too fast, this could result in minimal flavour.
If I just sip and blow out, I hardly notice anything. Incorporating retrohaling is the only way for me.
To the op...imagine if you will, you ate some delicious BBQ, but you pinched your nose closed. You are barely going to taste those flavors. Same (at least for me) goes with smoking. After you sip some smoke into your mouth, keep your mouth closed and just exhale whatever air you have in your lungs at that time...the smoke in your mouth will blow out your nose. There are videos on YT explaining this more in-depth but once you get the hang of it, you can blow most of it out of your mouth with a little from your nose to get all the flavors of the tobacco.
I'd advice trying Five Brothers shag cut or G&H Co Dark BirdsEye
Give yourself at least a year to develop a beginning of a taste for it, really probably more like 2 years. Take it slow and easy, I’d suggest trying simple tobacco mixtures with less flavoring. Learn about the different varietals and smoke sparingly when/if able. Try filters if you haven’t, try everything that suits you but don’t over complicate it. I wish you the best. 
Maybe your palette is fatigued. I feel like this doesn’t get talked about much and it might be more prevalent than people might want to admit.
Try not smoking for a couple days then come back to the blends you tasted the least to see if time away helps the sensitivity return.
Try not smoking for a couple days then come back to the blends you tasted the least to see if time away helps the sensitivity return.
Wow sorry to hear this. All I could recommend would be to smoke cooler. Try to draw slower. A proper burning hot burn creates no smoke. You want an improper burn with less air toake things smoulder and smoke. Flavor is in the smoke and if you are not making enough smoke cool enough you won't get flavor.
How often do you smoke? If nothing changed, and you are not tasting anything, take a week off from smoking. You might be getting tongue fatigue.
I never understood this statement of “not tasting anything”. I see it quite a bit in various forums and facebook groups. You must taste something, smoke, ash, tobacco ?? Unless you have covid or some medical issues there is some flavor but being able to pick out subtle nuances of a blend is another story. I think as new smokers we read about these flavors and expect them to be direct and prominent and unmistakable when in fact they are barely notes in most instances except maybe American aromatic blends. Certainly exhaling smoke through your nose is where most of the flavor is coming from but ask yourself if you like smoking? Is whatever taste you get appealing to you or not? But I don’t believe anyone can “taste nothing “.
I doubt that will cause tongue fatigue. Just not overloading the system. Try cleaning the pipes. Make sure to take the stem off and clean the mortise. That's where all the stuff gets trapped. But also doubt that's the problem. But it's a good practice. Anything changed diet-wise?
I must say that I have always envied those who can pick out all of the subtle flavors. Not only in a pipe but also in cigars, which I have smoked for 30 years prior. Occasionally, I can get some of these flavors but not like others.
That said, I can still taste the tobaccos and the spices, etc. and enjoy what I can taste very much. My main enjoyment is the relaxing opportunity that it extends. My feeling is that the experience of the pipe (or cigar) is much, much more than just taste.
Can only imagine what it would be like to get the full bouquet.
That said, I can still taste the tobaccos and the spices, etc. and enjoy what I can taste very much. My main enjoyment is the relaxing opportunity that it extends. My feeling is that the experience of the pipe (or cigar) is much, much more than just taste.
Can only imagine what it would be like to get the full bouquet.
I don't know about these other people but in my case I couldn't put any description to it, certainly not ash or tobacco. I really don't think I could even describe it as smoke. I could call it nothing but tasteless. It was the same taste (or lack there of) even between ODF and Blood Red Moon. I was tasting a lot, even the couple non aromatic blends Id tried such as EMP, and I really liked them. But I have been sick a couple times in the recent months. Never got tested for the ro-ro so it couldve easily been that and I not knowing. Tonight I may try one of the blends I've smoked often and am familiar with to see if they taste the same. If not then it's probably something with me lol
No nothing changed diet wise, but I would certainly benefit in many other ways if did change my diet
#tbellforlife