You've asked some good questions and received some good answers, especially from maduromadness and F4RM3R. Smoking a pipe isn't rocket science, but there is a learning curve and a technique to it. Think of it this way. Smoking a pipe is not like eating a meal. It's like cooking and eating the meal simultaneously.
As with fine dining there's a lot of prep that goes into the ingredients before they've combined into an entree, and the same is true with blending and with prepping the blend for smoking. Practice is required to become proficient with prep.
As for the foul act of smoking itself, there's a little bit of technique to be learned, and while the basics are pretty standard across the board there is some variation that works better on an individual basis.
Granted, I've only been smoking pipes for 48-49 years, so I'm only getting out of the apprentice stage. But I'll share some of what little I know on the topic.
Your prep is foundational. Moisture levels and packing are the foundation for an excellent smoking experience.
Too much moisture masks the flavors in a blend As a general rule, tobaccos deliver the most flavors at about 10% relative humidity. Some people use hydrometers to ascertain when their tobacco is at 10%. I do it by feel.
Since 95% of what I smoke are Virginias and their variants, Va/Per, Va/Bur, Va/Or, Va/Per/Bur, etc, I look for the tobacco to be just shy of bone dry before I pack it to smoke. I want the tobacco to be try to the touch when lightly squeezed while still pliant. If there's any physical sensation of moisture against my fingertips when squeezed, it's not ready.
Other types of blends are more forgiving when it comes to moisture, especially English/Balkan/Oriental blends because they are largely comprised of highly pungent aromatic leaves. You can have a rudimentary level of technique and still be rewarded with a highly flavorful smoke. You can also get more out of these blends if you find their optimal moisture levels.
Aromatics, which I define as blends noticeably topped with a flavoring such as vanilla, cherry, anise, maple, honey, or any of hundreds of different flavorings, are a little tricky to get right. Too much moisture and the blend can be difficult to keep lit, not develop the flavor that it has in the tin or bag, or burn you tongue. Too little moisture and much of the topping dissipates. You experiment to find the balance that works for you.
Experimentation is a large practice for successful smoking.
Packing is also fundamental. Too tight a pack will make smoking difficult, frustrating, and wreck flavors. There are a lot of ways to pack and I won't go into them here as you can find them by doing a Google search using "pipesmagazine packing" as the key words. Most of them revolve around different ways to get a pack that is firmer on the top than on the bottom. However you do your packing, drawing air through it needs to be effortless. If you can feel the pack restricting your draw, you've packed too tight.
Assuming that your tobacco is properly prepped, you're ready to enjoy a bowl. Puffing is reserved for lighting the tobacco. After you have an even light across the top, slowly sip the tobacco. The goal is to keep it barely simmering, just at the edge of going out. The flavors you're getting are from the moisture evaporating from the tobacco adjacent to the burning tobacco. To use a food analogy, you're tasting a reduction rather than a watery sauce.
A slow sipping cadence rewards you with the best flavors. It takes some practice to learn how to keep the tobacco simmering from beginning to end. For me it's effortless, but I've been at it for a while. If the tobacco goes out, just relight. Smoking isn't a stunt. There are no gold stars handed out for smoking a bowl without relights.
Regarding the snork, or retrohale, you have many more flavor receptors in you schnoz than in your mouth. Once you learn how to do this properly you will sense more nuances in what you are smoking. Indoor smokers are smelling their smoke, whether they realize it or not. But even under that condition, snorking will provide a much stronger interaction with the flavor in the smoke. I only smoke outdoors, so the benefit of snorking is quite obvious. Snorking is not blowing the smoke out of your nostrils. It's the very gentle, slow passing of the smoke through your schnoz. Close your eyes and focus on the flavors while easing the smoke out. You'll be surprised at what many blends deliver.
Neutralize your palate before lighting up. A slice of apple works well, as does water.
There's a lot more to this, such as smoking blending component tobaccos to become familiar with them, which helps you understand the alchemy that happens in a well made blend.
Patience and practice yield results. There is no shortcut.
