Trouble Distinguishing Between Tobacco's

[rybo]

Ok all, this is somewhat embarrassing for me to post, but it's something that has really mystified me over the past week or so, and I need advice. I have been a casual pipe smoker for around 2 years - though it has gone in and out depending on how busy life has been.
Anyway, I started off with a cheap estate pipe, then bought a Stanwell Legendary. Love the pipe, and I love 1Q. I have a few mason jars with other tobacco's - White Hall, Solani Blue Label, West Abbey and Mac Barren Plumcake. 95% of the time, i smoke my Stanwell. I smoke 1Q the most often, but I'll mix it up every few smokes.
Anyway, I'm worried because I am starting to have trouble distinguishing between the tobacco's I smoke as I am smoking them. I am having trouble tasting and enjoying them, as their tastes are all starting to run together. Even the plumcake, which is very pungent and different than the others, does not taste all that different when I smoke it. I'm worried that I've done something wrong that's messed up my pipe, or that I'm not tasting the smoke correctly or something. It's still very pleasant, and the taste is nice...it's just not very distinguished between different blends.
I know this is a complete noob question, but what are your thoughts? Is there something I am doing wrong? Is it an acquired skill, or have I ghosted my pipe beyond all hope?
Sincerely,

Blue in Columbia

 

[unclearthur]

by the mix and match you may have ghosted the pipe. However I think that with more frequent smoking and picking up a few inexpensive pipes so you can have a rotation that you will soon sort out the flavors.

 

[pstlpkr]

Arthur is right.

But, I might suggest sweetnin' your pipe and smoking only 1Q for a few days.

I have the same trouble from time to time... When I do, I will smoke only 1Q and "reset" my palate.

That's when the flavors come alive again... for me anyway.

::

 

[romeowood]

It also may help to get in a mood for one blend, whatever it is, and smoke only that for several days before switching. When taste-testing I tend to smoke all the way through one tin exclusively, usually. Also keep notes when you smoke--when, which pipe, weather & beverage--this may help you find optimum personal times for you to smoke. You can also 'reset' your palate with soda crackers & water, a slice of apple, etc. Just don't be afraid to explore and change the game up, in other words, and be attentive when you smoke. Not a noob question at all.

 

[clanobucklin]

Give your pipe a good pipe cleaning with some Bj Long Tapers and Everclear Grain Alcohol. Then give your pipe a good rest. Also smoking straight burley tobacco for a while may help.

 

[ranger]

Try picking up a couple of corn cobs and designate each one to one tobacco...smoke one cob with one tobacco for a day or so, then switch to another cob and different tobacco....that should help.

 

[unclearthur]

Good idea Ranger.

 

[grouchy]

i have the same problem too.

this is a little emabarassing but really am too old to care. gents, this between you and me and the lamp post, lets keep it just between us.

have started doing this almost daily. ok, i'll say it. brush my tongue hard with a stiff bristle tooth brush with toothpaste. it has helped some.

now...shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......mums the word.

 

[thekiltedchaplain]

Yeah, I've found if I stick with a blend for a while, then switch it helps me distinguish the flavors.

 

[rybo]

Great ideas guys. Thanks ranger - I think I'll definitely do that. You guys are super helpful, thanks so much.

 

[ranger]

Thanks UncleArthur....and you're welcome rybo.

 

[ranger]

Thanks UncleArthur....and you're welcome rybo.
One more thing that I do to taste the tobacco better is when I let out the smoke very gently out of my mouth, I'll let a tiny bit go up my nose....also, (but this is a little bit harder to do), is when I let out the smoke, I let some out my nose at the same time as I do my mouth....I get a real good taste of the tobacco using that technique....but it is a little bit of a pain in the a@@...so I only do that once in awhile.

 

[grouchy]

will sometimes let it all out through my nose and get a wonderful feeling in sinus's.

 

[nmbigfoot02]

Something I've found that helped me with the same problem you're having was to dedicate my pipes to different blends. Not in the sense that I only smoke Latakia blends in one, VaPers in another, etc., but rather once I start smoking a tin full of something, I smoke through the entire tin in the same pipe. My experience has been that I'm better able to catch the nuances between blends.
My theory on why this works is that as a blend is smoked, it adds to the cake in the pipe. Since this cake is just the remnants of burned tobacco, it contains some of the flavors, smells, etc. By smoking the same blend consecutively through the same pipe, I'm not getting thrown off by other tobaccos getting thrown into the mix.
Hope that makes sense/helps.

 

[cburke111]

rnager is right its a good plan to have a few corn cobs kicking around to smoke a variety of tabaks out of but with a new one i usually smoke it first out of a clay churchwarden then i pack it in my briar the clay smokes clean and cool so it gives my taste buds a frame of reference or an idea of what the flavors are that i should be looking for or aware of

 

[admin]

This is a good thread with lots of great advice.
Here's one more that hasn't been mentioned, and it might sound like sacrilege, but you might also try taking a day off from smoking.
I've had a couple of times where I've been smoking quite frequently, and I start to not taste the tobacco any more, no matter which pipe or tobacco I am smoking.
I take a day off from smoking and it re-sets my palette.

 

[grouchy]

omg....sacrilege...now that's almost crossing over the threshold of fight'n words :laughat:

 

[python]

Lots of good advice so far. It could be a number of things including ghosting, which has already been mentioned.
Here is an article that I wrote about dedicating pipes and tobacco blends:
Dedicating Tobacco Pipes to Pipe Tobacco Blends