I have smoked a pipe on and off for six years now, and for the longest time paid little attention to the finer nuances of the flavor, most specifically how the pace and power of my smoking affected the flavor. I'd note that the smoke would taste better at certain times than others throughout a bowl or depending on the day. Now I knew the pace affected the moisture content and the chance of tongue bite, and that the bowl would overheat if I smoked too fast, but the flavor was a different beast.
A few weeks ago I came across a blog post from Russ Ouellette from several years ago, "Slow Down for a Cooler Smoke". It discusses how the temperature at which the tobacco burns can affect flavor, as a cooler temperature vaporizes some of the VOCs that affect flavor, while hotter temperatures can change their chemical composition, creating a more acrid unpleasant flavor. The six years of variably satisfying pipe smoking all made sense finally.
This realization came to full fruition over the course of several days of smoking, during which time I experimented with the pace at which I smoked. I noticed that the first few puffs after lighting were acrid and unpleasant, but quickly transitioned to a deliciously sweet smoke as I sipped on the pipe. This indicates to me I may be overcharring my tobacco on lighting.
I also noticed that the wind had a great effect on the temperature at which the tobacco was burning. Being on the ship, I have to smoke outside on the smoke deck, and often have to deal with strong winds. I keep a thumb or two fingers, sometimes a palm over the bowl to keep wind off, but often can't do this for the first few minutes of the smoke due to the heat of the burning tobacco right at the top of the bowl. When it's windy and I can't keep the pipe covered, it burns hot and the smoke is less pleasant.
For those of you who also enjoy cigars, the same principle in smoking pace applies to cigars. Keep the puffs slow and steady (and keep the embers guarded from wind) for a more pleasant smoke.
A few weeks ago I came across a blog post from Russ Ouellette from several years ago, "Slow Down for a Cooler Smoke". It discusses how the temperature at which the tobacco burns can affect flavor, as a cooler temperature vaporizes some of the VOCs that affect flavor, while hotter temperatures can change their chemical composition, creating a more acrid unpleasant flavor. The six years of variably satisfying pipe smoking all made sense finally.
This realization came to full fruition over the course of several days of smoking, during which time I experimented with the pace at which I smoked. I noticed that the first few puffs after lighting were acrid and unpleasant, but quickly transitioned to a deliciously sweet smoke as I sipped on the pipe. This indicates to me I may be overcharring my tobacco on lighting.
I also noticed that the wind had a great effect on the temperature at which the tobacco was burning. Being on the ship, I have to smoke outside on the smoke deck, and often have to deal with strong winds. I keep a thumb or two fingers, sometimes a palm over the bowl to keep wind off, but often can't do this for the first few minutes of the smoke due to the heat of the burning tobacco right at the top of the bowl. When it's windy and I can't keep the pipe covered, it burns hot and the smoke is less pleasant.
For those of you who also enjoy cigars, the same principle in smoking pace applies to cigars. Keep the puffs slow and steady (and keep the embers guarded from wind) for a more pleasant smoke.
