I smoked cigarettes for a long time and quit six years ago. I smoked cigars for the last 4 years and recently transitioned to pipes. I have a pretty refined palate as I have done tasting in other areas in the past (i.e. coffee tasting when I worked for a coffee company, wine tasting, whiskey tasting...etc). "Taste" as you are referring to it is multi-faceted. It is a lot more than what you taste in your mouth. Your taste buds actually only register sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory (think heavy cream here). Where you get the flavors from are your sinuses.
So, first, if you don't retrohale, you should learn. This is simply blowing some of the smoke out of your nose when exhaling. This should be second nature for you since you have smoked cigarettes for a long time. It may take a little practice since you are not actually inhaling the smoke.
Second, if you are/or have been recently ill, this will most certainly affect your ability to distinguish flavors. We are in the midst of allergy season right now, so congestion in ears, nose, throat will all hinder your ability to taste.
Third, taste is very subjective. What I recognize as sweet or earthy or chocolate or pepper, may not be what you interpret it as. That being said, when I read reviews from people who say they taste vanilla bean from Madagascar, I think they are full of it.
The point of all of this, I feel, is to find a flavor profile you enjoy. Then relax.
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