Some thoughts on recent smoking experiences

[warren]

Sometimes I wonder if many of the “fancy” tobaccos are just the old drug store type blends with a different name and packaging.

Keep at it, your palate will develope so you can pick up on the differences. Or, save moneys and buy only "drug store" blends.

 

[Searock Fan]

Keep at it, your palate will develope so you can pick up on the differences. Or, save moneys and buy only "drug store" blends.

I wonder if you can really save money with "drug store" blends. I would consider SWR a major drug store blend, and yet, it recent years the price has gone up so much it costs about as much as the Peter Skokkebye bulk bends I buy. I've noticed that most places are no longer selling SWR in the 14oz. can, just the 7oz. and it cost almost as much as the 14oz. was a short time ago. Lately I've been considering looking for a SWR alternative as my secondary blend.

 

[didimauw]

Maybe a different point of view here.

I'm the kind of person that likes consistency. I only drink water, coffee, and Mt. Dew. I only smoke camel cigarettes, and 90 percent of my diet is cheeseburgers. I always get what I like and rarely stray from it. That way there is little chance of disappointment.

Same with pipe smoking. Spanning over 10 years now, I found only 5 or so blends that I actually like. I have a hard time ordering anything I haven't tried, for fear of the all too common disappointments. I like reaching into my leather pouch, or big glass humidor jar, and knowing exactly what it's going to taste like. If there is a blend I tried and after a bowl it smokes hot or tastes like ash, I know it's not for me. I get rid of it. I don't spend much time researching new blends. I buy what I know I like.

Simple.

 

[JackOrion]

I clearly recall similar issues. I even posted about it and received some very helpful advice from the folks here.

I seem to get the best results (flavorwise) when I hold the pipe in my mouth, my tongue below/under the bit, while shallow breathing; just relaxed and playing with wisps of flavor. Gentle, yet deliberate.

You are under no obligation to finish a bowl in one sitting. I often, especially with Virginias, smoke a portion of a full bowl and then take a break, returning to it later (see also "DGT" elsewhere on this forum). I find genuine enjoyment that way. And soon you will discover what works for you, and your palate will adapt.

One final thought. Retrohale. It's a thing. And it's worth mastering if you wish to tease suble notes and nuances from a blend. And there's often a physical sensation to this too; a tingling in the nose that adds the experience. You mentioned Windjammer. I love that blend, and the nose tingle I get from the retrohale of that tobacco is just one of the reasons why.

Windjammer is a favorite of mine. Somewhere along the line I packed a bowl too tightly and smoked it too hot. It was awful. I bailed out halfway through. When I returned to it I did everything the opposite and it was again a beautiful tobacco. Windjammer more than any other blend to date punctuated the importance of nuance.
I do believe it’s about time to open another vessel!!

 

[Lumbridge]

I agree with Grangerous - there is no "wrong" choice of pipe tobacco, so smoke what you enjoy. If the basic stuff is working for you more than boutique blends, great! I love the occasional English or VA, but smoke OTC burleys and light aromatics probably 95% of the time.

Some tobaccos produce more smoke than others, so maybe factor that into your decision when reading reviews and looking for new ones to try. Just don't puff hard and fast trying to make more smoke - you will lose most of the flavor and scorch your tongue. It's more of a learning curve than cigars, but many find pipes to be the pinnacle of tobacco enjoyment. If you stick with it and try modifying your techniques, you will get it eventually.

 

[ADKPiper]

The biggest mistake that I see is that people don't toast and tamp.
First light and usually first two lights should be just for tamping the tobacco.
Once it forms a nice flat surface then you are good to go for a proper light.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The OP appears to have left the building.