Question About Flavor

[GJMinVT]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Hello Friends! I know that this question has been addressed in various places on these forums, and I’ve read many of those posts, but I could still use some help.

Background:

• I’m a new pipe smoker (returning after many years ago when I first tried)
• While I have several pipes collected in the last 20 years (including inherited), I’m primarily smoking a Peterson system pipe (I’ve had for many years) and a new Peterson 9mm filtered pipe (only have 2 bowls through it)
• I have a couple of aromatics (3-Star Blue and another i picked up years ago in Jackson WY) and I just purchased a small quantity of Philosopher (Tinder Box, English), Peterson Irish Dew, Connoisseur’s Choice, and Sunset Breeze to try.

While the new blends that I picked up are mild... and I like the aroma... I cannot taste much, if anything. On occasion I’ll get a whiff of the vanilla, etc., in Connoisseur’s, for example, but nothing significant.

I think I’ve read that it could be because the pipe is new (9mm one), or the blends are too mile and subtle for me at this point, etc? Should I be trying something stronger? I don’t like heavy cigars (prefer natural wrapper and light flavors) so I’ve stayed clear of “heavy” pipe tobacco’s. I saw that some of you recommended picking up the Amphora sampler from Smoking Pipes.

I’m open to advice and thoughts. I’d like to see if I enjoy the taste as much as I enjoy the smell of the aromatics.


(I’m not a fan of nicotine and I’m guessing that there is no such thing as pipe tobacco without it.)

 

[mso489]

The only way to know what you will enjoy is sampling in small quantities, like one ounce in bulk, or one tin, or a pouch. Pay attention to the constituent tobaccos, and know if there is non-tobacco flavoring and what it is. Most blends have a base of Virginia or burley, and either of these tobaccos may also be present with the other as a condiment. Condiments are many -- Cavendish (which can also be a base, made of Virginia or burley), Oriental, cigar leaf, and many others. Know whether you are smoking non-aromatic with no non-tobacco flavorings, or aromatic with the non-tobacco flavorings. Then go forward and see what you enjoy. Don't buy a lot of anything for about two years, even if you like it a lot. Your tastes will change. Store anything you don't like in a jar and try it in a year, to see.

 

[hauntedmyst]

The only way to know what you will enjoy is sampling in small quantities, like one ounce in bulk, or one tin, or a pouch.

This is really the key. Also, nearly all of us start out with aromatics because of the flavors but for the most part they 1. mute the taste of the tobacco and 2. impart a mild harshness. Lots of us stuck with it and through time discovered more natural tobaccos. They may seem heavier but as you discovered with cigars, that isn't the case. For example, a nice Arturo Fuente or Ashton with a Connecticut wrapper will be more mellow than a flavor cheap cigar. I would highly recommend calling Smokingpipes.com and asking them for an ounce each of maybe 5 to 10 of their lighter more natural tobaccos or lightly flavored aromatics.

 

[Casual]

You got the best advice already. Here’s the second best: Amphora Sampler!

 

[chopper]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)


I’m open to advice and thoughts. I’d like to see if I enjoy the taste as much as I enjoy the smell of the aromatics.


(I’m not a fan of nicotine and I’m guessing that there is no such thing as pipe tobacco without it.)

As a new pipe smoker your palate will take a little time to adapt to smoking.
Most of us started off with aromatics and most of us didn't taste much in the beginning.

Personally I now like most genres except for heavily flavoured/topped aromatics and Lat-bombs.
When I bought an aro that was too moist and/or had too much topping, I simply blended in some straight Windsail Virginia.
At around $20usd a pound it's excellent value. Nice smoked straight, it's also a very good blending tobacco.

After 35 years and many failed quit attempts, I finally ditched the cigs for a pipe over ten years ago.
Although I like Lady N I hated being a slave to the addiction.

So I now only smoke blends with mild nicotine. Although that means that I miss out on trying quite a few blends that sound real tasty, there's a huge array of blends with mild nic from which to choose.

When looking for blends with mild nicotine, go to www.tobaccoreviews.com and read our esteemed member @jiminks reviews where he gives a very accurate assessment of the nicotine level. Jim has never led me astray in that regard.

Since I inhale I only smoke mild/mild-medium blends with mild Vit N. Here's just several blends that I smoke regularly;

- Scottys Butternut Burley [My favourite aro]
- MacBarens Virginia #1
- Newminster #17 English Luxus.
- Cornell & Diehl London Squire.
- Lane Limited 1Q.
- Sutliff Early Morning Pipe Match [Sunrise]
- Hearth & Home Chestnut.
- Sutliff Match Holiday Mixture.
- Sutliff Count Pulaski.
- Scottys Trout Stream.
These three have nicotine levels just a couple of steps past mild;
- Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.
- Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake.
- MacBaren Navy Flake

If I could order more tobacco from O/S I'd also be smoking;
- Formers Bulls Eye Flake.
- Orlik Golden Sliced.

 

[sablebrush52]

Do you dry your tobacco before packing and smoking it? Most blends have excess moisture which masks flavors. I'm mostly a Virginia and Va/Per smoker and those tobaccos reveal their flavors when smoked very dry. Aromatics also benefit from drying, though I tend to allow a little more moisture with aros so as not to diminish the topping. Also do you exhale through your nose? You have more flavor receptors in your nost than in your mouth. A very slow exhale through your schnoz may also help you capture the flavors in a blend.

 

[Papamique]

When I learned to slow down, I started tasting things that I previously thought people were making up.

 

[GJMinVT]

As a new pipe smoker your palate will take a little time to adapt to smoking.
Most of us started off with aromatics and most of us didn't taste much in the beginning.

Personally I now like most genres except for heavily flavoured/topped aromatics and Lat-bombs.
When I bought an aro that was too moist and/or had too much topping, I simply blended in some straight Windsail Virginia.
At around $20usd a pound it's excellent value. Nice smoked straight, it's also a very good blending tobacco.

After 35 years and many failed quit attempts, I finally ditched the cigs for a pipe over ten years ago.
Although I like Lady N I hated being a slave to the addiction.

So I now only smoke blends with mild nicotine. Although that means that I miss out on trying quite a few blends that sound real tasty, there's a huge array of blends with mild nic from which to choose.

When looking for blends with mild nicotine, go to www.tobaccoreviews.com and read our esteemed member @jiminks reviews where he gives a very accurate assessment of the nicotine level. Jim has never led me astray in that regard.

Since I inhale I only smoke mild/mild-medium blends with mild Vit N. Here's just several blends that I smoke regularly;

- Scottys Butternut Burley [My favourite aro]
- MacBarens Virginia #1
- Newminster #17 English Luxus.
- Cornell & Diehl London Squire.
- Lane Limited 1Q.
- Sutliff Early Morning Pipe Match [Sunrise]
- Hearth & Home Chestnut.
- Sutliff Match Holiday Mixture.
- Sutliff Count Pulaski.
- Scottys Trout Stream.
These three have nicotine levels just a couple of steps past mild;
- Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.
- Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake.
- MacBaren Navy Flake

If I could order more tobacco from O/S I'd also be smoking;
- Formers Bulls Eye Flake.
- Orlik Golden Sliced.

Brilliant advice! Thank you!!

 

[GJMinVT]

Do you dry your tobacco before packing and smoking it? Most blends have excess moisture which masks flavors. I'm mostly a Virginia and Va/Per smoker and those tobaccos reveal their flavors when smoked very dry. Aromatics also benefit from drying, though I tend to allow a little more moisture with aros so as not to diminish the topping. Also do you exhale through your nose? You have more flavor receptors in your nost than in your mouth. A very slow exhale through your schnoz may also help you capture the flavors in a blend.

Good call. I typically put the tobacco out on a leather pad and let it air dry (?) for 10 - 15 min before I pack and light it. I have not tried the nose route but that makes perfect sense. I am now trying to figure out the right moisture content as I know it varies from tobacco to tobacco and person to person... stay tuned.

 

[Worknman]

Good call. I typically put the tobacco out on a leather pad and let it air dry (?) for 10 - 15 min before I pack and light it. I have not tried the nose route but that makes perfect sense. I am now trying to figure out the right moisture content as I know it varies from tobacco to tobacco and person to person... stay tuned.

10-15 minutes might not be enough for most blends, at least in my experience but I live in the south where its humid. I often let it dry for an hour or two, sometimes longer. When it starts to feel a little crispy its ready.

 

[jvnshr]

As other members have already mentioned, it takes time. The only thing I would like to add is, body and flavor are different terms. A cigar can be light-bodied but full-flavored.

 

[anotherbob]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Hello Friends! I know that this question has been addressed in various places on these forums, and I’ve read many of those posts, but I could still use some help.



(I’m not a fan of nicotine and I’m guessing that there is no such thing as pipe tobacco without it.)

well from my experience filters mute flavors. Others disagree but many do agree.

 

[GJMinVT]

This has all been super helpful (thank you!) and per the advice above, I called Smokingpipes.com and Chris was knowledgeable and great to deal with. He emailed me a list of his recommendations and I just placed an order (bulk, 1 oz qty, very cost effective). Stay tuned!

(I don't know what the rules are on the forum else I'd post his recommendations below)

 

[cigrmaster]

The first thing I would do is go to smokingpipes.com and find aa nice Savinelli pipe that is around 100.00. I would buy one with no filter. I would grab a straight Billiard or Dublin. I would look for these dimensions

Bowl Length 5.5-6 inched long
Bowl Height around 2.0 inches
Inside bowl depth of 1.5-1.75inches
Inside bowl diameter .82-1.00 inch
The weight of the pipe should be around 45-55 grams as at that weight you can clench or hold it.
I would call smokingpipes if you find one you ,ike. I would askm them to give you all measurements. I would ask them to measure the inside shank numbers of the pipe as you want 4.2--4.5 This particular measurement sh ould give you a nice dry smoke no matter what tobacco you use.
You should then askis the pipe aligned properly so the stem and shank are fitted properly with no gaps. I would then ask them if the whole is is drilled into t the bottom of the pipe and is at the correct height. I would ask them to check the stem to make sure it does not whistle. Once you have those questions answered to your satisfaction talk about the thickness of the walls. You want a pipe that has nice walls. I don't have measurements for you but you can ask if the walls are too thin for the pipe. I would go with a straight pipe, I wouldn't care about looks too much. You are trying to get the best smoker you can and if you achieve it ans get a great smoking pipe, it will give you a baseline for all your future pipes. Later down the road you may forget the criteria that you should copy. You might buy a pipe on a whim. When you smoke it and it sucks, you can compare the things that suck with your good and trusty Savinelli.

My first pipe was a Savinelli and I am damn glad it was. It is a great pipe and gave me that baseline I was talking about. My second pipe was a Jensen. It burned hotter than the sun and gurgled non stop. A pipe that gurgles is something you always want to avoid.

It took me over a dozen years to figure out what I liked in a pipe and it taught me looks isn't every thing. Today I buy my pipes with the criteria I gave you because I know that criteria will make sure the pipe smokes my flakes and plugs like I expect them to.

You are too new to know what you like but having a really good pipe will help you. I would try a tin of Capstan Blue Flake. You will need to read up on ways to smoke a flake. I think you can easily learn how to cube cut your flake s and then learn to fill a pipe properly. Pipe smoking takes time and patience and it really is an art when you get it down right. You should ask questions, don't guess, you can get in trouble guessing. There is not a forum out there that has more knowledge than this place. I hope this helps. Here is a pic of my first pipe A Savinelli Linea Pu 5.

 

[stokesdale]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Hello Friends! I know that this question has been addressed in various places on these forums, and I’ve read many of those posts, but I could still use some help.

Background:

• I’m a new pipe smoker (returning after many years ago when I first tried)
• While I have several pipes collected in the last 20 years (including inherited), I’m primarily smoking a Peterson system pipe (I’ve had for many years) and a new Peterson 9mm filtered pipe (only have 2 bowls through it)
• I have a couple of aromatics (3-Star Blue and another i picked up years ago in Jackson WY) and I just purchased a small quantity of Philosopher (Tinder Box, English), Peterson Irish Dew, Connoisseur’s Choice, and Sunset Breeze to try.

While the new blends that I picked up are mild... and I like the aroma... I cannot taste much, if anything. On occasion I’ll get a whiff of the vanilla, etc., in Connoisseur’s, for example, but nothing significant.

I think I’ve read that it could be because the pipe is new (9mm one), or the blends are too mile and subtle for me at this point, etc? Should I be trying something stronger? I don’t like heavy cigars (prefer natural wrapper and light flavors) so I’ve stayed clear of “heavy” pipe tobacco’s. I saw that some of you recommended picking up the Amphora sampler from Smoking Pipes.

I’m open to advice and thoughts. I’d like to see if I enjoy the taste as much as I enjoy the smell of the aromatics.


(I’m not a fan of nicotine and I’m guessing that there is no such thing as pipe tobacco without it.)

You're complicating things too much. Topped aromatics are hard to taste unless they are dripping with topping which some people don't mind, others (like me) do. Try going off them for a while and find some good, uncased, untopped va or burley, smoke that for a while and then come back to them. You'll probably find the aromatics you were smoking just as nasty as a lot of people do and drop them altogether. Beside, who the hell knows what they are spraying on that stuff.

 

[workman]

Good call. I typically put the tobacco out on a leather pad and let it air dry (?) for 10 - 15 min before I pack and light it. I have not tried the nose route but that makes perfect sense. I am now trying to figure out the right moisture content as I know it varies from tobacco to tobacco and person to person... stay tuned.

After 10-15 minutes the tobacco hasn't even realized it's out of the tin.
Try 10-15 hours man.
If it turns out to be too much, at least you'll know that.
I'll add that picking up flavors is a slow process, but rewarding when they start to unfold.

 

[GJMinVT]

The first thing I would do is go to smokingpipes.com and find aa nice Savinelli pipe that is around 100.00. I would buy one with no filter. I would grab a straight Billiard or Dublin. I would look for these dimensions

Bowl Length 5.5-6 inched long
Bowl Height around 2.0 inches
Inside bowl depth of 1.5-1.75inches
Inside bowl diameter .82-1.00 inch
The weight of the pipe should be around 45-55 grams as at that weight you can clench or hold it.
I would call smokingpipes if you find one you ,ike. I would askm them to give you all measurements. I would ask them to measure the inside shank numbers of the pipe as you want 4.2--4.5 This particular measurement sh ould give you a nice dry smoke no matter what tobacco you use.
You should then askis the pipe aligned properly so the stem and shank are fitted properly with no gaps. I would then ask them if the whole is is drilled into t the bottom of the pipe and is at the correct height. I would ask them to check the stem to make sure it does not whistle. Once you have those questions answered to your satisfaction talk about the thickness of the walls. You want a pipe that has nice walls. I don't have measurements for you but you can ask if the walls are too thin for the pipe. I would go with a straight pipe, I wouldn't care about looks too much. You are trying to get the best smoker you can and if you achieve it ans get a great smoking pipe, it will give you a baseline for all your future pipes. Later down the road you may forget the criteria that you should copy. You might buy a pipe on a whim. When you smoke it and it sucks, you can compare the things that suck with your good and trusty Savinelli.

My first pipe was a Savinelli and I am damn glad it was. It is a great pipe and gave me that baseline I was talking about. My second pipe was a Jensen. It burned hotter than the sun and gurgled non stop. A pipe that gurgles is something you always want to avoid.

It took me over a dozen years to figure out what I liked in a pipe and it taught me looks isn't every thing. Today I buy my pipes with the criteria I gave you because I know that criteria will make sure the pipe smokes my flakes and plugs like I expect them to.

You are too new to know what you like but having a really good pipe will help you. I would try a tin of Capstan Blue Flake. You will need to read up on ways to smoke a flake. I think you can easily learn how to cube cut your flake s and then learn to fill a pipe properly. Pipe smoking takes time and patience and it really is an art when you get it down right. You should ask questions, don't guess, you can get in trouble guessing. There is not a forum out there that has more knowledge than this place. I hope this helps. Here is a pic of my first pipe A Savinelli Linea Pu 5.
View attachment 30480

This is brilliant and very helpful. Thank you! I'll do just as you suggest (just bought a Savinelli pipe with those dimensions, as it turns out!) and I appreciate the affirmation that this is an art that takes time. I appreciate even more my grandfather's commitment... he smoked a bowl every day from the time he was a teenager through the end of his life at 102, years many years ago now. I wish it was something that he and I could have done together but I have his pipes (haven't restemmed them yet) and his supplies, and I think I will enjoy the contemplative part of it all. (and I have a couple of pipes from way back when that gurgle and now, as you suggest, they just sit in the rack looking pretty)

 

[dcicero]

Read what others taste and see if you can detect it too. When I read that Presbyterian tastes like capers I was shocked at how I all of sudden agreed.