Taming a Bitey Beast?

[TheWhale13]

I recently bought a can of Marlin Flake, as it was supposed to be like Old Gowrie but "darker". I severely like Old Gowrie, but MF is horrible right now.

To quote Johnny Cash, "It kicked like a mule and bit me like a crocodile". For the first time in my limited pipe smoking life, I experienced true tongue bite instead of the usual tongue burn.

It feels like a thousand tiny little dwarves sit on the tip of my tongue, trying to chop into it with their tiny pickaxes.

I tried to dry it out, it made it a lot better but bite still remains a bit.

Do you have any wise words to help my tame this animal?

 

[That Guy]

Hmm I really like Marlin flake and haven't had any issues with it. Besides following the basics ( dry it out, pack it light, and smoke it slow) I guess you could just send the rest to me and will dispose of it for you ?

 

[TheWhale13]

Hmm I really like Marlin flake and haven't had any issues with it. Besides following the basics ( dry it out, pack it light, and smoke it slow) I guess you could just send the rest to me and will dispose of it for you ?

I haven't felt this with any other VaPers. Maybe it's the casing or I'm allergic to something in it? I mean the taste is alright, but it feels kinda wrong with the tongue thing.

 

[kurtbob]

I over the years have smoked everything to include aromatics that I would call less than stellar quality and NEVER experienced tongue bite. Then one day I tried Granger, the flavor was awesome but damn……it hurt so bad that I couldn’t even drink water without a great deal of pain. I’m 100% in the camp that is convinced of the body chemistry reaction to whatever it is in the blend.

 

[TheWhale13]

I over the years have smoked everything to include aromatics that I would call less than stellar quality and NEVER experienced tongue bite. Then one day I tried Granger, the flavor was awesome but damn……it hurt so bad that I couldn’t even drink water without a great deal of pain. I’m 100% in the camp that is convinced of the body chemistry reaction to whatever it is in the blend.

Yup I think so too. I haven't tried more than 5 blends but nothing has given me this sensation before.

 

[That Guy]

You can always jar it up and give it 6 months to a year then try it again. it only gets better with time

 

[TheWhale13]

Just a thought. While this haven't happened to me before, is it just the perique being peppery?

And the only thing I've got to do now is cellaring it. I just put down the jar in my cellar so I'll see how it is in a year or two.

 

[bullet08]

Try drying it more.

 

[TheWhale13]

Try drying it more.

I did. I really dried it for a whole night and more. Probably 20 hours or so. I don't really see how more would help it? It was dry as dust basically.

 

[bullet08]

I did. I really dried it for a whole night and more. Probably 20 hours or so. I don't really see how more would help it? It was dry as dust basically.

If you dried it that much, it's not the moisture causing the issue. Components in that blend isn't exactly known for causing any issues. Might be the nicotine strength? Perique in that shouldn't cause too much spiciness.

 

[kcghost]

Sometimes this just happens.

 

[TheWhale13]

If you dried it that much, it's not the moisture causing the issue. Components in that blend isn't exactly known for causing any issues. Might be the nicotine strength? Perique in that shouldn't cause too much spiciness.

Doubt it's the nicotine. Higher nic blends don't affect me like that at all.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It feels like a thousand tiny little dwarves sit on the tip of my tongue, trying to chop into it with their tiny pickaxes.

Why dwarves?

 

[TheWhale13]

Why dwarves?

I had a gut feeling about it

 

[Jaylotw]

Just a thought. While this haven't happened to me before, is it just the perique being peppery?

And the only thing I've got to do now is cellaring it. I just put down the jar in my cellar so I'll see how it is in a year or two.

There's not a ton of perique there, at least not Old Joe Krantz level, but since you've only tried a few blends maybe it's just more than you're used to. My suspicion is that it's the Cavendish in Marlin that's biting you.

In my experience, tongue bite usually comes from high-sugar blends smoked too hot and too fast. Try slowing waaaaay down, that might help. I used to think Yorktown was bitey until a member here just said, "you're smoking it too hot." Problem solved!

Also, a cup of black tea with a smoke is a great way to tame any discomfort. The tannins in the tea seem to soothe any bite.

 

[TheWhale13]

There's not a ton of perique there, at least not Old Joe Krantz level, but since you've only tried a few blends maybe it's just more than you're used to. My suspicion is that it's the Cavendish in Marlin that's biting you.

In my experience, tongue bite usually comes from high-sugar blends smoked too hot and too fast. Try slowing waaaaay down, that might help. I used to think Yorktown was bitey until a member here just said, "you're smoking it too hot." Problem solved!

Also, a cup of black tea with a smoke is a great way to tame any discomfort. The tannins in the tea seem to soothe any bite.

Thank you for the thoughtful advice. I do think that this is the best way to go about it. I almost didn't feel it when I slowed way down. And coffee helped too.