Palate fatigue? Or just proper rotation?

[alexnc]

In reading the recent post about good days and bad days with the same blends...
I wondered if I rotate like normal people? Not for the first time, I only know 2 people that pipe and they smoke the same blend eternally without exception. So I just don't know anyone that pipes like me.
If I stay on the same category (much much quicker if the same blend) for long it seems like I get to where I can't taste it - and I move to the next category. There's no way I could make my way straight through one tin. That's my rotation. If I start with English... one day, after a couple of days maybe, I seem insensitive to latakia - so it's time for dark fired... maybe VaPers or - whatever is next. Maintaining 5 or 6 categories personal to my own palette.
Is that how it goes? Or a little unusual?

 

[bigpond]

Palette fatigue is real. Certain varietals encourage a "dead" tongue faster than others, such as lat and DFK, however, I believe this does occur if you smoke more than a few times per week. Rotating through tobacco's means every bowl is a different style from the one before. English, Va, Aro, Vaper, etc...

 

[bigpond]

dp

 

[jpmcwjr]

Alex- What you're doing is just fine, all A-OK. Probably more folks on this forum use blends similarly to what you do.
Enjoy!

 

[didimauw]

I'm actually starting to feel outnumbered here. I still have probably 20 different blends, but I only smoke one tobacco all day every day. My tongue doesn't understand change. Like well worn shoes, you know what to expect when the time comes. And I am never disappointed.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I have nothing that resembles a rotation for either tobaccos or pipes. I smoke what I feel like when I feel like. That is often influenced by how fried my tongue is from all the cigarettes I smoke all day. I generally smoke lightly flavored early (Virginias/VaPers) and Englishes at night, though.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Diff folks, diff strokes! It's all good.

 

[oldreddog]

I smoke what I'm in the humour for. It's my nod to rotation.

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

I don't really do categories, but will fill you in my rotation. I'm only typing this out, rambling on like I'm about to, because my appointment did not show up as scheduled and I have some extra time on my hands at work right now. My rotation for both pipes and tobaccos has gotten smaller over time. I have 9 pipes in my rotation and I smoke each of them at least 2 or 3 times a week, most get smoked about every other day. I have narrowed down my regular tobacco rotation to 10 blends; Capstan Blue, Escudo, FVF, St. James, Wessex Campaign, Carter Hall, St. Bruno, Balkan Sobranie, Three Nuns, and BCAQ. I only smoke the BCAQ in the two cobs in my rotation and only if I have palate fatigue. I primarily smoke the Carter Hall in my cobs as well, but will load any pipe if I feel like it. I smoke Balkan Sobranie in a Kyriazanos bulldog, nothing else ever goes in that pipe and Sobranie never goes in any other pipe. That is the only true dedicated relationship with exception to all aromatics go in cobs. I plan to add a pipe sometime this year for all other latakia blends, but am in no hurry because I just don't smoke a lot of them. Otherwise, I may have my preferences here and there but tend to smoke the rest interchangeably as I feel like. I do dedicate a pipe to the Vapers, primarily Escudo, as I'm finding that St. James is a little much for me lately. I have been building a cellar the past couple years around this primary rotation and try new things here and there, but stick to this for the most part; only adding various straight Virginia's at times. Although, I do want to try Semios. I don't experience much palate fatigue, but don't smoke a lot; a half bowl in the morning and the DGT in the afternoon. I do this while driving to and from work. I then smoke 2 to 3 bowls after I get home usually while watching TV, reading, or listening to music. I smoke 3 to 5 bowls a day on the weekends. Aren't you glad you asked and that I had some down time at work today? But, yes... palate fatigue is real and I almost never smoke an entire tin of one specific blend or type of tobacco straight through.

 

[hakchuma]

I have to rotate often and I have tobacco coming out my ass with so many different blends. I use several of those really small 4 oz mason jars and lightly fill those with all sorts of different blends. This way I'm not constantly reopening large portions of baccy.
I have to jump off the heavy latakia blends often else everything starts to taste like dirty chocolate.

 

[deathmetal]

No one is equal.
That means no one is identical, too.
So what works for others... may not work for you (or me).
I recommend cleansing the palate with some Prince Albert or Carter Hall, and then experimenting to find what rotation works...
For you.
None of us can tell you what to do because this is a highly variable circumstance, dependent on climate, humidity, personal chemistry, flavor level, experience level, and most importantly, why you smoke and what your taste buds search for.
So, I give you a non-answer... but a legitimate one, I hope.

 

[alexnc]

| have to rotate often and I have tobacco coming out my ass with so many different blends |
yep, I know what you mean. I probably have 30 things open. Smoking whatever the mood strikes me to smoke, I do find some going without a visit for a while and store them for long term. I Guess they'll wait. So I've probably narrowed it down to half or less as "current" interests. And trying not to open new stuff until I've run the surplus down. Which is hurting a bit with so many new things waiting for me to try! (Firestorm, Black Frigate, yenidje highlander, half a dozen untried GLPs, 35 maybe?)

 

[deathmetal]

Put them in mason jars and worry not!

 

[akfilm]

Sometimes I get stuck on one blend, but always mix up, it's just that one will take 70% stardom for a brief time. One of my joys in smoking is standing in front of my cabinet and choosing my smoke, I don't know how many I have open right now. It all depends on my mood, the weather, what I'm doing, the pipe I intend on smoking...etc. I do have a little bit of a pipe rotation, but still not a hard and fast, it's all very very loose and relaxed.