Question on Flavor

[Drew72]

I am very new to this... just 7 bowls in and no form of tobacco smoking prior. I really just got tobacco taste when I tried captain black gold and Lane 1q. So I bought some Sutliff vanilla custard, thinking that would be as sweet as they get... super strong and sweet tin note. But again, I got very little vanilla flavor and it tasted not much different than the others... just mostly straight tobacco for me.

I know tin note and taste often differ. But reviews of vanilla custard make it sound like it should taste like dessert... I did not get that. From what I could tell, it smelled great, though. I am trying Molto Dolce next. Will I ever get these wonderful flavors??

btw.., smoked in corn cob. My 2 pipes have only about 3-4 smokes in them, so maybe have not been properly broken in. I think my technique is good... bowl not over heating, reasonable number of relights, no tongue bite, etc.

I am hoping I get the great flavors I hear/read about. I enjoy the activity, but am hoping for better and different flavors.

Any thoughts/advice?

thanks
Drew

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Cobs don’t really require much, of any break in, so no worry there. A lot of us here don’t recommend aromatics (food flavors) for new pipers. A lot of aros have to be smoked very slowly in order to really tease out the fullest flavor. I’d recommend trying some of the common burley blends because they’re more forgiving of being smoked faster than are a lot of Virginias and aros.

”Drug store“ or “codger” blends like Carter Hall and Prince Albert are classics, though I also really liked (still do) Old Joe Krantz while I was learning to slow down. I’m sure you’ll get a variety of good recommendations here. It took me over a year to really start enjoying aromatics. I had no idea what slow meant until a couple old timers schooled me—and I’m still not ”there” yet.

 

[sasquatch]

Smoking and looking for the flavor is probably the single biggest mistake a guy can make (took me 10 years to figure this out so don't assume I'm being condescending, I'm really not). The flavor in pipe smoke (and anything) is big molecules, oils, esters, sugars, and if you puff like mad trying to get "more" you just burn them up, you get smoke that is ash and steam. Smoking super slow, right on the edge of going out, just a lukewarm burn - that's where these flavors will become overwhelming. Seek for less and you will truly find more.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Dont be scared to dry some out before packing it up.
Let a bowls worth sit out until it becomes stiff and breaks up easily between your fingers.

 

[danimalia]

A lot of people will suggest not starting with aromatics, and I think that's probably wise. Many of those blends are very mild and wet and frustrating for newer smokers. But here's the thing... You sound disappointed/disinterested in the idea of tobacco flavors. That makes it kind of hard to recommend non-aromatics for you as an alternative. So I guess I'd just second Squatch's advice.

 

[verporchting]

Retrohale. That's where you get the flavors.

 

[Casual]

Will I ever get these wonderful flavors??

I wasn’t able to get a nice aromatic smoke for the first two months or so, as my palate adjusted. Try an oriental or English blend, which are easier to taste with a new palate.

 

[cortezattic]

IMHO, one really should come to pipe smoking for the tobacco flavors and nicotine. Everything else is circus (not a bad thing in itself).

OTOH, you buy the pipe, so you get to decide what to do with it.

Cavendish-processed blends deliver deeper non-tobacco flavors than cased Burley type aromatics.

 

[tobefrank]

I find it hard to taste the flavours without including smell. In my case I waft/blow the smoke towards my nose the taste the tobacco better. I don’t think I would taste much otherwise.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I find it hard to taste the flavours without including smell. In my case I waft/blow the smoke towards my nose the taste the tobacco better. I don’t think I would taste much otherwise.

You'll get more flavor from a retrohale than a French inhale.

 

[tobefrank]

You'll get more flavor from a retrohale than a French inhale.

The retrohale is somewhat of a mystery to me. I can’t even imagine how it works.

I understand it is meant to pass smoke through your nose from the inside out, but I have no idea how one does this without inhaling.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The retrohale is somewhat of a mystery to me. I can’t even imagine how it works.

I understand it is meant to pass smoke through your nose from the inside out, but I have no idea how one does this without inhaling.

Hold the smoke in your mouth. When exhaling, force the air volume of your mouth back by raising your tongue to the roof of your mouth allowing the vacuum of the exhale to pull the smoke from your mouth and out of your nose.

 

[tobefrank]

Hold the smoke in your mouth. When exhaling, force the air volume of your mouth back by raising your tongue to the roof of your mouth allowing the vacuum of the exhale to pull the smoke from your mouth and out of your nose.

When you say exhaling, do you mean through your mouth or through your nose?

i‘ve been practising a bit and do seem to get some smoke into my nose cavity at times.

 

[Chasing Embers]

When you say exhaling, do you mean through your mouth or through your nose?

Nose

 

[Drew72]

I wasn’t able to get a nice aromatic smoke for the first two months or so, as my palate adjusted. Try an oriental or English blend, which are easier to taste with a new palate.

Any suggestions that are relatively low nicotine?

thanks

 

[tobefrank]

Nose

Thanks chasingembers, I’ll keep trying until I get it.

 

[Drew72]

Smoking and looking for the flavor is probably the single biggest mistake a guy can make (took me 10 years to figure this out so don't assume I'm being condescending, I'm really not). The flavor in pipe smoke (and anything) is big molecules, oils, esters, sugars, and if you puff like mad trying to get "more" you just burn them up, you get smoke that is ash and steam. Smoking super slow, right on the edge of going out, just a lukewarm burn - that's where these flavors will become overwhelming. Seek for less and you will truly find more.

I thought I was going slow, intentionally trying to draw slowly and deliberately. the bowl in the corn cob lasted almost an hour, so I don’t feel like I was racing through it. I’ve watched a ton of YouTube trying to learn cadence, etc. I will keep at it thanks

 

[Drew72]

A lot of people will suggest not starting with aromatics, and I think that's probably wise. Many of those blends are very mild and wet and frustrating for newer smokers. But here's the thing... You sound disappointed/disinterested in the idea of tobacco flavors. That makes it kind of hard to recommend non-aromatics for you as an alternative. So I guess I'd just second Squatch's advice.

I am learning to actually appreciate the taste of tobacco. I guess my expectations for flavor were just different/unrealistic. I am open to suggestions (low nicotine). Thanks

 

[Drew72]

Cobs don’t really require much, of any break in, so no worry there. A lot of us here don’t recommend aromatics (food flavors) for new pipers. A lot of aros have to be smoked very slowly in order to really tease out the fullest flavor. I’d recommend trying some of the common burley blends because they’re more forgiving of being smoked faster than are a lot of Virginias and aros.

”Drug store“ or “codger” blends like Carter Hall and Prince Albert are classics, though I also really liked (still do) Old Joe Krantz while I was learning to slow down. I’m sure you’ll get a variety of good recommendations here. It took me over a year to really start enjoying aromatics. I had no idea what slow meant until a couple old timers schooled me—and I’m still not ”there” yet.

I have some carter hall in the queue. Maybe I should try that instead of Molto dolce next? Thanks

 

[Chasing Embers]

Thanks chasingembers, I’ll keep trying until I get it.

Very welcome. I have a couple of visuals of retrohaling here.