Tongue Sensation with Dark Fired Kentucky

[Hutch Piper]

I’ve been smoking a pipe consistently about 2 years. I really enjoy dark fired blends like HH Bold Kentucky and HH Old Dark Fired. I notice that after about 30 minutes into a bowl I get a tingling type feeling on my tongue. I do not believe it is tongue bite/burn as I know all too well what feels like (and I detest it). It does not prevent me from smoking - it just feels a little weird. Drinking a beverage like coffee, tea, and water does not help me with this sensation. The sensation will retreat after a couple of hours.

Any idea what I may be experiencing? Anyone else notice this sensation with Kentucky tobaccos?

 

[proteus]

Maybe an allergy? Could be what you ate. Or hydration levels. Could be tounge bite too.

 

[mortonbriar]

I have something like that. For me, perique is complete throat/tongue irritation, so I can't smoke it at all, but dark fired leaf is more like a very mild irritation, so I can still enjoy the smoke.

I have found that aged dark fired leaf seems to be fine. A very dried out 10 yr old tin of ODF was smoked up without irritation. I have a hunch it is to do with fermentation/process.

 

[bullet08]

Thought about using a small pipe and stopping around 30 min? Sometimes, I get some irritations with few blends. But mostly minor thing, usually goes away once they spent some time in a jar. Red Va that's not been out of tin for some time gives me nausea and headache. But not Kentucky.

 

[Hutch Piper]

Thought about using a small pipe and stopping around 30 min? Sometimes, I get some irritations with few blends. But mostly minor thing, usually goes away once they spent some time in a jar. Red Va that's not been out of tin for some time gives me nausea and headache. But not Kentucky.

Yes, that is typically what I do now. Smaller pipe for a shorter smoke.

My ODF RR has been jarred for over a year now and still the same affect. Hopefully more time will help with this.

 

[Hutch Piper]

I have something like that. For me, perique is complete throat/tongue irritation, so I can't smoke it at all, but dark fired leaf is more like a very mild irritation, so I can still enjoy the smoke.

I have found that aged dark fired leaf seems to be fine. A very dried out 10 yr old tin of ODF was smoked up without irritation. I have a hunch it is to do with fermentation/process.

Thank you! Maybe age will do the trick.

 

[Hutch Piper]

Maybe an allergy? Could be what you ate. Or hydration levels. Could be tounge bite too.

Could be a very minor allergy, but it goes away rather quickly after smoking. Don’t think it has anything to do with diet or drink as I have tried everything. Even tried on an empty stomach and the same affect. I really don’t think it is tongue bite. I have to be very careful in that department as I am prone to it with some Virginias. This is a totally different sensation and not at all painful. It’s almost as if the tissues in my tongue are being stimulated somehow after 30 mins or so of contact with dark fired Kentucky. Very odd but not painful.

 

[proteus]

Could be a very minor allergy, but it goes away rather quickly after smoking. Don’t think it has anything to do with diet or drink as I have tried everything. Even tried on an empty stomach and the same affect. I really don’t think it is tongue bite. I have to be very careful in that department as I am prone to it with some Virginias. This is a totally different sensation and not at all painful. It’s almost as if the tissues in my tongue are being stimulated somehow after 30 mins or so of contact with dark fired Kentucky. Very odd but not painful.

Wow that's a conundrum all right. I'd say continue to experiment and eliminate variables. Change one thing at a time and test.

 

[Hutch Piper]

Wow that's a conundrum all right. I'd say continue to experiment and eliminate variables. Change one thing at a time and test.

Indeed, it is!

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

I’ve been smoking a pipe consistently about 2 years. I really enjoy dark fired blends like HH Bold Kentucky and HH Old Dark Fired. I notice that after about 30 minutes into a bowl I get a tingling type feeling on my tongue. I do not believe it is tongue bite/burn as I know all too well what feels like (and I detest it). It does not prevent me from smoking - it just feels a little weird. Drinking a beverage like coffee, tea, and water does not help me with this sensation. The sensation will retreat after a couple of hours.

Any idea what I may be experiencing? Anyone else notice this sensation with Kentucky tobaccos?

Do other burley forward blends cause the same issue, like Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe Krantz, etc.? Burley can be on the harsh side

 

[Hutch Piper]

Do other burley forward blends cause the same issue, like Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe Krantz, etc.? Burley can be on the harsh side

No, I smoke A LOT of burley blends and no issue with them. It is definitely KY.

 

[tobakenist]

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[Hutch Piper]

Get a Peterson P-Lip, instant cure for tongue bite.

I have one. Same affect. Not tongue bite.

 

[tobakenist]

I'm sorry about that, try a less strong tobacco, that's all I can advise.

 

[Coreios]

Same, I don't know why. I just assume I'm slightly sensitive to it. I enjoy fire cured so much though I just smoke it anyways. Kind of like of spicy food give you heartburn but you eat it anyways. Like you said though, it's not tongue bite I can deal with it and still enjoy the smoke.

 

[Hutch Piper]

Same, I don't know why. I just assume I'm slightly sensitive to it. I enjoy fire cured so much though I just smoke it anyways. Kind of like of spicy food give you heartburn but you eat it anyways. Like you said though, it's not tongue bite I can deal with it and still enjoy the smoke.

Glad to know I am not alone. Great analogy, so true!

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I think I know the sensation you're describing, since I get it whenever I smoke Dark Fired Kentucky or any particularly strong Burley blend. It's a prickly kind of sensation that's not painful, just mildly prickly, all over my tongue, the inside of my cheeks, and the back of my throat. I get it right away whenever I smoke DFK but it doesn't set in until about halfway through the bowl when smoking a strong Burley blend like Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe Krantz. I don't get it at all with mellower Burley blends like Carter Hall, Granger, or Prince Albert; nor do I get it when smoking VaPers like Escudo or Elizabethan Mixture so I don't think it's the Perique in Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe causing it unless Cornell & Diehl's Perique is just particularly abrasive.

In any case, what helps prevent that prickly sensation for me is just sipping on a beverage that'll coat your mouth while smoking. It can be something as simple as a sugary soda like Pepsi or Coke, or a coffee with plenty of milk or creamer. Water, tea, or black coffee won't cut it, you really need something with a thick viscosity that's going to coat the inside of your mouth and provide a protective layer between the soft tissues of your mouth and the smoke. That seems to prevent 95% of the mouth irritation from DFK and strong Burley blends for me.

 

[Hutch Piper]

I think I know the sensation you're describing, since I get it whenever I smoke Dark Fired Kentucky or any particularly strong Burley blend. It's a prickly kind of sensation that's not painful, just mildly prickly, all over my tongue, the inside of my cheeks, and the back of my throat. I get it right away whenever I smoke DFK but it doesn't set in until about halfway through the bowl when smoking a strong Burley blend like Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe Krantz. I don't get it at all with mellower Burley blends like Carter Hall, Granger, or Prince Albert; nor do I get it when smoking VaPers like Escudo or Elizabethan Mixture so I don't think it's the Perique in Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe causing it unless Cornell & Diehl's Perique is just particularly abrasive.

In any case, what helps prevent that prickly sensation for me is just sipping on a beverage that'll coat your mouth while smoking. It can be something as simple as a sugary soda like Pepsi or Coke, or a coffee with plenty of milk or creamer. Water, tea, or black coffee won't cut it, you really need something with a thick viscosity that's going to coat the inside of your mouth and provide a protective layer between the soft tissues of your mouth and the smoke. That seems to prevent 95% of the mouth irritation from DFK and strong Burley blends for me.

Thanks so much for this reply. Yes, that’s exactly it, a prickly sensation. Except it is only on my tongue, and only from DFK as I smoke a lot of Burleys and VaPers with no issues). I typically do hydrate while I smoke but I will try to break this down further and try different beverages that will coat my mouth. I probably need to be drinking more than I am while smoking. Really appreciate the thoughtful reply.

 

[mateusbrown]

Thanks so much for this reply. Yes, that’s exactly it, a prickly sensation. Except it is only on my tongue, and only from DFK as I smoke a lot of Burleys and VaPers with no issues). I typically do hydrate while I smoke but I will try to break this down further and try different beverages that will coat my mouth. I probably need to be drinking more than I am while smoking. Really appreciate the thoughtful reply.

I get the exact same thing with dark Kentucky smoked alone or with my favorite Burley-Perique, to which I sometimes add some dark Kentucky. It is indeed prickly or a spicy sensation but not a burned or bitten tongue. I rather like it in any case, but it is allayed as mentioned by drinking something. I usually drink coffee with lots of milk in the morning with the pipe, and at night some milk before the pipe session. I love some cow juice. I haven't tried buttermilk or kefir before pipe smoking, but I imagine its viscosity would change the experience, too. I have been trying to find a source for raw milk since they say it is even better. There is a Dutchman and his family who run a dairy nearby, and I have been thinking I should ask if they would barter for some raw milk, unseparated with all the good cream still in it. Not really for anything to do with the pipe, but just because it would be awesome.