Palate Crosstraining

[BriarsAndBottles]

I choose my tobacco largely based on weather and season and since it’s been quite a bit below average, smoking blends with Latakia. It warmed up today and I switched to VaKen blend and the flavors were more pronounced than usual. I’m postulating giving certain flavors a break and coming back to them gives you an enhanced perspective.

Thoughts?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I constantly mix it up, but not according to season. I don't want to get so used to a blend that I experience the equivalent of "nose blindness" with an odour.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I just smoke whatever I'm in the mood for regardless of season though it's often somewhere between Virginia blends, straight orientals, or aromatics.

 

[bullet08]

Work those plates. I suggest maraschino cherry with stem. After making few knots, they will able to do one tongue push ups.

 

[proteus]

Well since you asked here's my thing.

If I don't set a schedule I'll end up smoking Newminster 400 every single day. I'm a creature of habit. And that is my favorite. With about 15 lbs of tobacco spread over some 60 different blends I dont want to forget anyone. So it's a month by month thing for me. I may break my own rules from time to time but that just makes me feel like a rebel...

In my state of CT we get all four seasons so its indoors vs outdoors vs with my wife (cherry all day) so I dont stink up the place.

January - Vanilla, rums and sweet aro
February - Cherry and choco aro
March - Scottish and Balkans
April - American and English Latakia/Burley blends
May - Burley or Virginia
June - Orientals
July - Dirty virginias
August - Virginias
Sept - American and English Latakia/Burley blends
October - Scottish and Balkan
November - Burley or Dirty Virginias
December - Orientals

Helps me to avoid wasting time pondering over my collection a
or getting in a rut.

 

[yanoJL]

I open the cupboard, stare at the labeled jars and think... "hmmm, what am I in the mood for? "

But my moods go through involuntary seasonal changes too. I'll go a few weeks where I'm really enjoying Latakia, and I usually go for Lat-bombs (Nightcap, Gaslight, Ten Russians). And then it just stops, and I don't even want to be in the same room as Latakia.
And, to the OP's point, when I do come back to it, it is special again.

 

[Tbaggins]

Balkan/ English blends all the time supplementing Virginias when I’m in the mood. Weather doesn’t factor into it for me, but I can see how some folks prefer lat in cooler weather.

 

[kcghost]

Never paid much attention to the season as far as pipe smoking goes. If I want it I light it up.

 

[sablebrush52]

I choose my tobacco largely based on weather and season and since it’s been quite a bit below average, smoking blends with Latakia. It warmed up today and I switched to VaKen blend and the flavors were more pronounced than usual. I’m postulating giving certain flavors a break and coming back to them gives you an enhanced perspective.

Thoughts?

Season and weather never factors into my decision regarding which blend to smoke. A blend pops into my head as one I'd like to smoke and I smoke it. Simple as that.

 

[JimPM]

Not one to follow seasonal choices. I smoke all genres and whatever sounds good at the moment I smoke. The only exception is EVERY morning starts with three bowls of Latakia-based blends, that is my daily ritual that is not subject to change.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

I appreciate all the replies! Funny how more people latched on to the seasonal thing. I should make a separate post of my “rules” lol.

My main point for this point was whether or not smoking a variety of types, can help us appreciate specific tobaccos or styles that we may have taken a break from.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

Season and weather never factors into my decision regarding which blend to smoke. A blend pops into my head as one I'd like to smoke and I smoke it. Simple as that.

I’m jealous of your decision making. I have a few decision makers in my brain that have lost all their muscle mass due to analysis paralysis. It’s hard enough when I limit it to a half a dozen let alone all the potential blends I got.

 

[Chasing Embers]

It’s hard enough when I limit it to a half a dozen let alone all the potential blends I got.

At this point I primarily only smoke two.

 

[anotherbob]

I choose my tobacco largely based on weather and season and since it’s been quite a bit below average, smoking blends with Latakia. It warmed up today and I switched to VaKen blend and the flavors were more pronounced than usual. I’m postulating giving certain flavors a break and coming back to them gives you an enhanced perspective.

Thoughts?

palate fatigue. Which is one of the many phenomenon caused by the fundamental laziness of the brain. It's your brain saying why waste precious energy on tasting something I've already combed over and picked apart. It's similar to the way when you go to most East Coast beaches after an hour or so you stop smelling that fish guts smell.

 

[JRW11b]

I smoke Latakia when its 100 degrees outside, because I like it. I also drink heavy stouts and porters during the summer. Never got into the whole seasons affect my taste thing. I know what I like and smoke it when I want to.

Season and weather never factors into my decision regarding which blend to smoke. A blend pops into my head as one I'd like to smoke and I smoke it. Simple as that.

^^100% this..

 

[anotherbob]

I smoke Latakia when its 100 degrees outside, because I like it. I also drink heavy stouts and porters during the summer. Never got into the whole seasons affect my taste thing. I know what I like and smoke it when I want to.

^^100% this..

I worked next to an ice cream parlor and they seemed busiest in the winter. So clearly you're not the only one.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

I smoke Latakia when its 100 degrees outside, because I like it. I also drink heavy stouts and porters during the summer. Never got into the whole seasons affect my taste thing. I know what I like and smoke it when I want to.

^^100% this..

Problem for me is I like everything, so I like having rules to help drive a decision.