Trying to Find the Flavor

[mbmoehl]

I can tell the difference between my Turkish, va/per, burley and aromatic blends, but it's very very subtle, more of distinction in smell than taste and I'm probably smelling the 'room note' more than anything else, but I also only smoke outdoors.

I've heard / read the term retohale quite often, but can someone describe what exactly it is? Sometimes it seems like blowing the smoke from your mouth out your nose and other times like breathing out through the pipe and then smelling that smoke. For me, the first doesn't feel that great, and I think the second would just be considered the 'room note'.

I'm still working on slowing my pace while balancing keeping an ember going. It's tough, I either get a lot of smoke or have a lot of relights, which also seems to effect the flavor due to the heat of the flame.

 

[AJL67]

I can tell the difference between my Turkish, va/per, burley and aromatic blends, but it's very very subtle, more of distinction in smell than taste and I'm probably smelling the 'room note' more than anything else, but I also only smoke outdoors.

I've heard / read the term retohale quite often, but can someone describe what exactly it is? Sometimes it seems like blowing the smoke from your mouth out your nose and other times like breathing out through the pipe and then smelling that smoke. For me, the first doesn't feel that great, and I think the second would just be considered the 'room note'.

I'm still working on slowing my pace while balancing keeping an ember going. It's tough, I either get a lot of smoke or have a lot of relights, which also seems to effect the flavor due to the heat of the flame.

Take a puff close your mouth blow out through your nose, or dint close your mouth, but if you’ve never tried it that might help you get the hang of it.

Many blends are very similar to me, love the sweet virginias to me they are fairl close it’s that extra little something that sets them apart, usually nothing mind blowing, but a special brown flake to me has more of a brown sugar sweetness while a best brown with age might have a touch of honey sweetness, then the casing can add something, orlik golden slice is sweet with citrus, it’s the little things that set them apart.

VaPers will have a little raisin or fig or some such, sometimes a hint of spice like cinnamon or clove or whatever. If you have a spice rack at home sometimes it helps to familiarize yourself with different spices.
YMMV

 

[sparker69]

I agree with those who have suggested retrohaling to find more flavour.
Maybe part of it as well is a learning process. When I started smoking cigars, I read reviews about the first, second, and third tier of the cigar and the evolution of flavour. I transposed this to my exploration of wine and other alcoholic beverages: colour, nose, taste in the mouth and then in the throat. Each step has something to bring to the whole experience. The tasting of the tobacco is the same. Directing smoke to different parts of your mouth as well can bring out flavours. But I think, maybe taking it as a journey, educating your palate, can help.

 

[bwhooley]

While this video specifically speaks to cigars, I find the tips and techniques readily applicable to pipes and pipe smoking. I've been smoking both for many years and still learned a lot from it. Definitely worth the time investment!

 

[PipeIT]

Not sure if it was mentioned, when having difficulty distinguishing between tabac, I’ve seen it often recommended to not smoke a lot of different blends, but to stick with the same blend(s) for a while.

Also smoke something pretty simple, blends that are basic, straight VAs, or VaPers, or just a straight Burley etc., don’t smoke blends with a lot of different tabac blends in them.

The simpler to start out with and sticking with, will make it easier to distinguish the flavors.