Palate Refinement
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Great advice on this thread. It is a puzzle. Often we dont perceive things until we are ready. Different kinds of tasting as cosmic suggested will help. I still recall my first years with a pipe back in 2009ish. I had a lot of good tobaccos but I really was not ready to appreciate them. Years later (last year) I picked up the pipe and wow...so many flavors. I didnt do anything to change things on purpose but cooking, eating different foods from different cultures as well as wines made a big difference in my enjoyment factor. I have little doubt that it can be accomplished with intent. The two pipe method is a great idea as is other kinds of tasing....food, coffee, wine. Make sure when you are doing these things you are relaxed but focused. Clenching and doing other tasks while smoking isnt gonna do it. Sit back and attend to the moment. That isnt to say you cant enjoy smokig while other things...its just not likely to lead to any wow moments.
I think the only real secrets to refining your palate are time and experience. If you take the time to sit down and smoke many different blends in many different pipes you'll eventually start being able to pick out those subtle notes you never noticed when you were less experienced.
There are some good practices you can do like giving your pipe's stem a good pipe cleaner'ing and gently cleaning the chamber with a folded up pipe cleaner after every smoke then resting the pipe for a day between smokes to keep it smoking it's best, giving your tobacco the right amount of dry time before smoking, and letting your bulk blends or freshly opened tinned tobacco sit in a canning jar for a couple weeks to develop it's flavor and aroma before smoking it (unless the tin is already aged a couple years or more, then dive right in) but generally speaking there's just no substitute for time and experience when it comes to developing your palate.
You'll get there though. Just keep on smoking and enjoying the hobby and your palate will develop all on it's own.
There are some good practices you can do like giving your pipe's stem a good pipe cleaner'ing and gently cleaning the chamber with a folded up pipe cleaner after every smoke then resting the pipe for a day between smokes to keep it smoking it's best, giving your tobacco the right amount of dry time before smoking, and letting your bulk blends or freshly opened tinned tobacco sit in a canning jar for a couple weeks to develop it's flavor and aroma before smoking it (unless the tin is already aged a couple years or more, then dive right in) but generally speaking there's just no substitute for time and experience when it comes to developing your palate.
You'll get there though. Just keep on smoking and enjoying the hobby and your palate will develop all on it's own.
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Pick a blend that is well reviewed on Tobacco Reviews. Especially JimInks reviews. Pack and slowly slowly sip/savor the smoke and work hard trying to pick up what the reviewers got. If they talk about things you don't know the flavor of (I've never had rose hip tea or anise seed for instance) skip that and concentrate on the big picture.
But don't bounce around too much. Try to smoke many bowls of a particular blend until you think you really know it, morning noon or night. Then try a different blend and repeat.
Understand what a burley tastes like versus a pure virginia, perique versus latakia, etc. Everybody sells 2 ounce sample sizes - a great way to learn.
But don't bounce around too much. Try to smoke many bowls of a particular blend until you think you really know it, morning noon or night. Then try a different blend and repeat.
Understand what a burley tastes like versus a pure virginia, perique versus latakia, etc. Everybody sells 2 ounce sample sizes - a great way to learn.
The same techniques as developing your palate with any food or drink.
Smoke slowly and focus on the smoking experience. Swirl the smoke around your mouth. Retrohale from time to time. Keep your palate hydrated. Pause and think.
Start with a fresh palate. Think about the big obvious notes first. Then tease out the more subtle ones. Think about food flavors that the flavors may remind you of. Once you can put a tag on something, it’s easier to pick up again later.
Smoke slowly and focus on the smoking experience. Swirl the smoke around your mouth. Retrohale from time to time. Keep your palate hydrated. Pause and think.
Start with a fresh palate. Think about the big obvious notes first. Then tease out the more subtle ones. Think about food flavors that the flavors may remind you of. Once you can put a tag on something, it’s easier to pick up again later.
Great read!Tastes with pipes and cigars can certainly range, by the level at which you smoke them.
What I mean is, you will see people agreeing, especially when someone might refer to blends as bland, tasting like ash or a cigarette, especially with VAs, there’s agreement on smoking cadence, packing and dryness.
With complex blends, if the so called methods as mentioned above aren’t followed, the blend can still possibly deliver desirable results.
The amount of fire, cadence, packing and tobacco dryness, with which you smoke can bring about different flavor profiles.
There’s also moisture you have to consider. To much fire and heat will build moisture, and some blends also lend to creating more moisture inside the chamber. To much moisture can also lead to bad tastes.
SO…
I always stress, if you are smoking a complex blend, and want to experience it’s full range of flavors/nuances, barely light it and sip it just a little, let it go out, cool down and repeat.
Sure, people love to keep their pipes lit, and find enjoyment with the pipe always lit and yielding nice results.
We just have to remember not everyone’s senses, palate and genetic makeup is the same.
To much fire, heat, and a fast cadence will destroy complexity.
Also, not being able to experience all the flavors others talk about, can have a lot to do with a pipe. It’s true inexpensive pipes, and pipes of all various shapes and sizes, anything you smoke in some of these pipes can be good smokers. However, some pipes just do better with certain leaf/blends.
Determining what works best in a pipe, is only something you can figure out by comparing it to other pipes.
And when all of this is still falling short, sample blends in a pipe with a wider chamber. Wider chambers can allow blends to breathe better, yielding in more complexity.
If you research online specs, the sizes I am referring to for wider chambers are Outside Diameters at 40mm and upwards, and Inside Diameters 20-21mm.
An Outside Diameter of 39mm and a 19mm Inside Diameter is still nice, it’s not really wide, a little wider could yield nicer results, it really depends on the briar, and the construction.
Even though you may never buy a Castello look at them on SPC and Tabaccheria Corti. Because from what I’ve seen with Castello, they offer quite a range on these specs. And hopefully one day, give you a better understanding. Time and experience will help you better grasp Wider Chambers.
I’ve seen some Castellos with even 22-23mm Inside Diameters, can’t remember if I’ve seen one with 24mm before. Castello does make some of them pretty beefy.
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Have fun!
Today was the first day of cutting hay that I have been involved with since I went back to the pipe in a more serious fashion.
As I was mowing it, that beautiful smell of fresh cut hay wafted through my nostrils and the first thought I had was, "Hey, that smells just like Capstan Blue or Orlik Slices!" It was great to have my efforts to pick up tobacco flavors, tastes and smells work in reverse.
It really smells great.
As I was mowing it, that beautiful smell of fresh cut hay wafted through my nostrils and the first thought I had was, "Hey, that smells just like Capstan Blue or Orlik Slices!" It was great to have my efforts to pick up tobacco flavors, tastes and smells work in reverse.
It really smells great.
I believe time is the key to figuring out HOW to taste tobacco.
Don't worry about trying to taste "things" while smoking.
Burnt grass, old books, cilantro, fall leaves........that is all good but first learn what tobacco tastes like.
When people say they taste non tobacco flavors, its more of a feeling, or wisp of an aroma or flavor. I often get a sense of cinnamon in red Virginia blends, but I almost never hear that from anyone else. This is why, in my opinion, a tobacco review describing subtle flavors are almost meaningless. Harshness, bitterness, great Virginia flavor, ashy.....are all good, but coffee beans roasted on a full moon or my grandmas kitchen chairs are not going to help anyone learn about a blend. I have sat with several guys all smoking the same blend, and we ALL get different subjective flavors.
Depending on the time of day, what you have eaten, your pipe, tobacco moisture and other factors, you will get "ghosts" of flavors that are not tobacco. Part of the fun is tasting all the nuance in tobaccos that YOU find tasty.
But the best advice is to not worry about it and just enjoy. If you like the blend, keep smoking it.
Don't worry about trying to taste "things" while smoking.
Burnt grass, old books, cilantro, fall leaves........that is all good but first learn what tobacco tastes like.
When people say they taste non tobacco flavors, its more of a feeling, or wisp of an aroma or flavor. I often get a sense of cinnamon in red Virginia blends, but I almost never hear that from anyone else. This is why, in my opinion, a tobacco review describing subtle flavors are almost meaningless. Harshness, bitterness, great Virginia flavor, ashy.....are all good, but coffee beans roasted on a full moon or my grandmas kitchen chairs are not going to help anyone learn about a blend. I have sat with several guys all smoking the same blend, and we ALL get different subjective flavors.
Depending on the time of day, what you have eaten, your pipe, tobacco moisture and other factors, you will get "ghosts" of flavors that are not tobacco. Part of the fun is tasting all the nuance in tobaccos that YOU find tasty.
But the best advice is to not worry about it and just enjoy. If you like the blend, keep smoking it.
I must confess to buying some American Blend Kentucky Nougat pipe tobacco recently and not sure why, but after half a dozen smokes, I can`t taste a damn thing. Is this just a cheap blend, or is it just me ?