Regarding an abrupt absence of taste + Getting the most out of aromatics

[mephistopheles]

Gentlemen,
Background:

I am relatively new to pipe smoking but have done an immense amount of research on the subject and have been experimenting with very positive results. Friends are very surprised that I've recently taken up the hobby as they've said I look very practiced and natural in my methods (keep up on tamping, limited relights, breath smoking method, etc.) - so I must be doing something right.
I own several pipes and aromatic tobaccos at the moment but have only experimented with two of each. I am partial to Missouri Meerschaum pipes (cheap I know) simply because I have a deep seated fear of breaking the pipe stem on a higher end pipe and having to toss it because replacement stems seem to be extremely difficult to find (especially for estate pipes). The MM stems are cheap and easily ordered from a variety of places so those are what I smoke. I use a hardwood Diplomat and an Ozark Mountain Mini. My pipes are smoked only a couple times a week with only one bowl a sitting so they are definitely being rested.
Problem:

I find it very frustrating that I can't replicate that first bowl of an unsmoked pipe. I notice that every bowl after the first has greatly diminished flavor. With the Sutliff Frosty Mint it was like a rush of delicious cold air (I'm a huge mint fan) and the taste of maybe a peppermint patty or Altoids. With the Russ Monthly Snowdrift the taste was very much like delicious hot cocoa. I've tried cleaning my pipes (whisky, pipe cleaners, reaming, etc.) and have experimented with clearing my palate (ice water + crackers, piece of chocolate, lemon water, garlic stuffed olives, etc.) but I just can't seem to get back the great flavors of that first unsmoked bowl in each pipe. Any suggestions?
Ponderings/Potential solutions?

*Ordered moisture buttons from 4noggins and an airtight glass jar. Maybe a little hydration will do the tobacco some good.

*Ordered a Dr. Tung tongue scraper and some TheraBreath oral rinse to hopefully aid in cleansing the palate. (Was referred to Biotene but the formula has changed and has a bad reputation now)

*Ordered a Zippo pipe lighter. Maybe more consistent heat, improved flame direction, etc. over a regular Bic or Clipper would help?

*Wondering how dryness affects aromatics. My tobacco is stored in the plastic baggies they came in.

*Wondering if I should be preparing the aromatic in some way? Mixing it before packing a bowl, etc.

*Wondering if there is a particular packing method to get the most out of an aromatic?

 

[dryseason91]

Welcome to the forum, Mephisopheles (great name and avatar, by the way.)
Yours is an unusual problem. Generally the issue is that the first few bowls of a new pipe taste bad, and the only solution for that is to keep smoking until the wood is seasoned. Admittedly, this doesn't apply so much to cobs.
I'd guess the issue is with the tobacco rather than the pipe. I'm not an expert on aromatics but the potential for flavour loss over time after opening is...well, potential. You certainly want to store your tobacco in jars (canning jars are the best) rather than leaving it in the pouch. Ironically, though, the typical counsel is to dry your out your bowlful of aromatic a bit before smoking it to cut down on things like tongue-burn and gurgling.
The advice that everyone with a bit of experience gives in this kind of situtation is to get some non-aromatic tobacco. There's nothing wrong with aromatics but they do tend toward the lower-quality end of the baccy spectrum. A crossover-English like Frog Morton's Cellar would be a great why to introduce yourself to latakia, while Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture or Deluxe Navy Rolls are fine entry-points to the wonderful world of virginia/perique blends. Whatever you do, don't give up yet.

 

[judcole]

Welcome to the forum and pipe smoking. ::

Store your tobacco in mason or ball jars,if you aren't going to smoke it within a couple of weeks.

As to stem breakage - it can happen, but it's not easy. If it does, you find a good pipe repair guy to make you a new one. Simple as that.

Other than that, I will repeat my standard advice to new pipe smokers: Smoke the best tobaccos, in thebest pipes, that you can afford. It will increase your enjoyment. :puffpipe:

 

[natibo]

Regarding an abrupt absence of taste

Thought this might be thread about bringing back the mullet.

 

[wilson]

Storing your tobacco in the plastic bags they came in is not usually a good idea. They will lose moisture and flavor over time. The plastic baggies that retailers use are generally much better than sandwich bags from the supermarket, but still not intended for long term storage. Use mason jars -- cheap and reliable -- for storing your tobacco.
Re-hydration might help a little if your tobacco has dried out. But, adding back moisture will not add back any volatile flavorings that have been lost. If they are gone, they are gone for good. You don't say how long you've had your tobacco, but since you are only smoking a couple of times a week, I'm guessing that they have been sitting around for a while. At the risk of being redundant, mason jars would preserve the quality of the tobacco. Depending on how long your tobacco has been sitting around, there may be no good alternative other than buying some new leaf.
MM pipes are great -- many who have very expensive pipes still have, and smoke, cobs. A good smoke is a good smoke and it doesn't matter how much (or little) was spent on the pipe. Stem breakage, I think, is pretty rare, so I'm not sure your fears are well-founded. But, there's nothing wrong with smoking cobs. I have a couple, smoke them regularly, and thoroughly enjoy them.

 

[mephistopheles]

Gentlemen,
Thank you for replying and for your words of welcome. You've given some great tips and I really appreciate it. :clap:
I wanted to point out that I'm actually using Missouri Meerschaum's hardwood pipes and not their famous cobs (it was another durability concern, haha). I started with a mini Ozark Mountain and I've since upgraded to a hardwood Diplomat which I prefer.
Thank you for the tobacco recommendations. :twisted: I've seen the names "Frog Morton" and "Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture" recommended before with good results. I chose aromatics because I was concerned about, well, the smell. I figured that English blends would be much smokier and in-turn less pleasant for those around me. I'm a discreet smoker and I like that people can't really smell the aromatics on me (or at least not very much). I've read that Lane 1Q is the most popular aromatic in the U.S. and so I've picked up an ounce of that as well as some Lane BCA for sampling. Maybe getting more of a rotation in tobaccos will be helpful.
I'm waiting on my shipment with the air tight jars and the moisture buttons (among other pipe related stuff) and I can only thank you gentlemen for confirming the necessity of my order. I thought it was interesting that the flavors added to the tobacco are simply gone once their gone. In any case, I certainly won't give up. ::

 

[wyfbane]

Welcome to the forum!
Gave me flashbacks though because I refered to my ex wife as Mephistopheles for several years so as to not upset my son when he was younger...
As to your concern, I think jarring the tobacco will fix the problem from one end.
From the other end, I think it is time to get a different pipe. Since durability is your chief concern I reccomend a meerschaum lined briar pipe. They are reasonably priced and will keep that 'first smoke' feel longer than any other pipe (save the full Meerschaum ones).
Just my 2 cents.

 

[mso489]

Over the short term, even bagged aromatics shouldn't lose their flavor. Smoking a pipe repeatedly should break it in and make

it render better flavor, not less. So I think this may be one of smoking technique and keeping the pipe clean and "rested," letting

it dry out between smokes. Sometimes wider bowls bring up aromatics and more complex blends; wider bowls typically are pots,

authors, diplomats and such, but measuring, or sizing it with your finger, may provide the best assessment. I think with more

experience, you will get more consistent flavor from your pipe and tobaccos.