Keep at it, your palate will develope so you can pick up on the differences. Or, save moneys and buy only "drug store" blends.
Some thoughts on recent smoking experiences
- Thread starter hmmmmmm.......
- Start date
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.
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
