Have tried the following: SPC Mississippi River, SPC Plum Pudding Special Reserve, Sasieni Balkan, Escudo, G.L.Pease Westminster, G.L.Pease Quiet Night, Corniel & Diehl Pirate Kake, Petersen 3 p's, Petersen 965, Petersen Nightcap, Petersen Irish Whiskey just to name a few. Probably to many for a beginner. I get carried away sometimes. Have others but am trying to limit myself for the sake of finding several that I can rely on...if that makes sense.
Trying to Find the Flavor
- Thread starter mike wheelock
- Start date
time. Time helps. Worrying about it and comparing your experience to others, not so much.
Here's my two cents:
It took me a while to deduce this, but when folks are writing about flavors, they are speaking of those flavors as they compare to other tobaccos.
All tobacco tastes like tobacco. Just as all red wine tastes like red wine, and all coffee tastes like coffee. But compare two very different coffee blends, and you will be able to see how one can taste nuttier than the other. Same for realizing that one red wine can taste fruitier than another.
This doesn't mean that the coffee literally tastes like a bowl of cashews. Or that the red wine literally tastes like the flavor of a raspberry.
Keeping this in mind is what helped me to stop searching for these incredibly intense and elusive flavors everyone was talking about, and simply enjoying the tobacco for itself, and in relation to other tobaccos.
P.S. - Aromatics really do have very little flavor; especially in relation to how intense they smell. The tin note really sets you up for disappointment.
It took me a while to deduce this, but when folks are writing about flavors, they are speaking of those flavors as they compare to other tobaccos.
All tobacco tastes like tobacco. Just as all red wine tastes like red wine, and all coffee tastes like coffee. But compare two very different coffee blends, and you will be able to see how one can taste nuttier than the other. Same for realizing that one red wine can taste fruitier than another.
This doesn't mean that the coffee literally tastes like a bowl of cashews. Or that the red wine literally tastes like the flavor of a raspberry.
Keeping this in mind is what helped me to stop searching for these incredibly intense and elusive flavors everyone was talking about, and simply enjoying the tobacco for itself, and in relation to other tobaccos.
P.S. - Aromatics really do have very little flavor; especially in relation to how intense they smell. The tin note really sets you up for disappointment.
or why people sometimes say hints of fruit or the like. I find if i dry aros out a little bit and smoke them gently they do tend to be more of a flavor bomb
I don't know how much "very windy" is, but as you progress you'll develop little skills such as covering the bowl with your fingers to moderate the effects of the wind when you're outside. Eventually becomes instinctual.
Depending on the chamber size, an inexpensive wind cap can also be mighty handy.
I usually smoke my bowls halfway and leave them for later (often having two half-smoked bowls standing by).
For some reason, when I relight the second half of one, the flavors really stand out, at least at first. Some folks smoke this way deliberately -- look up "delayed gratification technique (DGT)." Me, it just happens to be how I smoke.
For some reason, when I relight the second half of one, the flavors really stand out, at least at first. Some folks smoke this way deliberately -- look up "delayed gratification technique (DGT)." Me, it just happens to be how I smoke.
To have the best chances to feel the tastes, you need to get a few things right.
1. Do not smoke it hot. Too much heat will destroy the tastes really badly. This requires some technique when it comes to packing, lighting up and smoking.
2. Good moisture level. Try a freshly opened tinned tobacco. The moisture level will usually be good for at least a week. The worst thing is dried out tobacco, but too much moist also damps the taste.
3. Tobacco of your liking. It depends on your taste, but personally I think many Burley blends have very mild (not to say boring) taste.
4. Do not inhale. This distracts your tasting senses quite a bit. Not recommended.
5. Remove some ash mid bowl to get back to that fresh initial taste.
6. Experience. You will learn to discern different tastes over time as your tastes mature.
Good luck!
1. Do not smoke it hot. Too much heat will destroy the tastes really badly. This requires some technique when it comes to packing, lighting up and smoking.
2. Good moisture level. Try a freshly opened tinned tobacco. The moisture level will usually be good for at least a week. The worst thing is dried out tobacco, but too much moist also damps the taste.
3. Tobacco of your liking. It depends on your taste, but personally I think many Burley blends have very mild (not to say boring) taste.
4. Do not inhale. This distracts your tasting senses quite a bit. Not recommended.
5. Remove some ash mid bowl to get back to that fresh initial taste.
6. Experience. You will learn to discern different tastes over time as your tastes mature.
Good luck!
If you cant enjoy the flavour- start buying blends purely for nicotine content.
You gotta get some kind of enjoyment at least!
You gotta get some kind of enjoyment at least!
Oh man , I got the vid right now every smoke taste the same , hot air ,???
One day (probably soon), your packing, drying, and sipping technique is going to come together and the “ah-hah” moment will occur. That’s what happened to me. Running it cool and slow equals flavor for me. The screen name “chasing embers” is illuminating.
Taste(s) comes with experience, think of like a wine connoisseur, relax, it will come in time, unless your taste buds aren’t that great.
Just sip/puff very slow, like the wine taster, sipping and tasting the smoke, sip, move your mouth and tongue around in all sorts of manner, hunting and tasting, and in time you’ll find the flavors.
Just keep experimenting, tasting in various ways as you sip.
Enjoy!
I've found the best smokes are those in which I smoke the pipe, think about something on my mind, and then realize as the nicotine grows on me that I have a damn good smoke going on. The pipe and even the tobacco are vehicles for the larger experience. Specialty tobaccos sell a little bit of sensationalism is the marketing and in the exciting flavors. If I needed awesome flavor, I would chew Starbursts. Flavor needs to be there, but don't think something is wrong if the tobacco flavor doesn't give you something to write home about.
My tabac better give me something to write home about, or I don’t want it.
Life’s to short to smoke cheap tabac! LOL ?
While I certainly enjoy the ritual of smoking a pipe, drying the tabac, packing it, lighting, tamping, etc., and kicking back, flavor is number one, and the only thing for me.
I was the same way when I use to drink beer, couldn’t stand Budweiser. I started out drinking different imported brands, and then later Microbrews.
I use to always say the same thing about beer;
Life’s to short to drink cheap beer! LOL ?
Life’s to short to smoke cheap tabac! LOL ?
While I certainly enjoy the ritual of smoking a pipe, drying the tabac, packing it, lighting, tamping, etc., and kicking back, flavor is number one, and the only thing for me.
I was the same way when I use to drink beer, couldn’t stand Budweiser. I started out drinking different imported brands, and then later Microbrews.
I use to always say the same thing about beer;
Life’s to short to drink cheap beer! LOL ?
As some said, slower cadence, better packing, etc all go towards tasting those tastes, as well as experience. Just takes time.
Here's an exercise for you. Get some PS Luxury Navy Flake, it's not expensive and easy to come by. If you smoke it like others, you'll get that spicy kind of bright taste, but if you slow way down with it, very long slow and gentle sips, it'll taste a little sweet with a smokey aftertaste. So try a bowl of that and just keep getting slower and more gentle until you pick up that sweet taste on the draw.
That's a good tobacco, in my opinion, for learning how to slow down and control, because the flavor is drastically different depending on how hard you're drawing, and to find that sweet flavor you really have to slow way down and be very gentle on your sips.
Another thing to try is if you smoke a whole bowl, time yourself. If it takes 40 minutes, the next time you have that tobacco, try slowing down and extending how long it takes to being 60 minutes, then try slowing enough to extend the smoke to 80 minutes.
Beyond that, don't worry about it so much. Different things taste differently to different people. For example, where milk chocolate tastes sweet to others, to me it tastes like bitter dirt. The tongue has different taste buds for tasting different things (some taste bitter, some taste sweet, etc), no taste bud on your tongue tastes all flavors, each is specialized, so if you have more taste buds dedicated to tasting sweet than you do tasting bitter or vice verse, that can affect your taste perception of something compared to someone else.
Here's an exercise for you. Get some PS Luxury Navy Flake, it's not expensive and easy to come by. If you smoke it like others, you'll get that spicy kind of bright taste, but if you slow way down with it, very long slow and gentle sips, it'll taste a little sweet with a smokey aftertaste. So try a bowl of that and just keep getting slower and more gentle until you pick up that sweet taste on the draw.
That's a good tobacco, in my opinion, for learning how to slow down and control, because the flavor is drastically different depending on how hard you're drawing, and to find that sweet flavor you really have to slow way down and be very gentle on your sips.
Another thing to try is if you smoke a whole bowl, time yourself. If it takes 40 minutes, the next time you have that tobacco, try slowing down and extending how long it takes to being 60 minutes, then try slowing enough to extend the smoke to 80 minutes.
Beyond that, don't worry about it so much. Different things taste differently to different people. For example, where milk chocolate tastes sweet to others, to me it tastes like bitter dirt. The tongue has different taste buds for tasting different things (some taste bitter, some taste sweet, etc), no taste bud on your tongue tastes all flavors, each is specialized, so if you have more taste buds dedicated to tasting sweet than you do tasting bitter or vice verse, that can affect your taste perception of something compared to someone else.
The first time I actually experienced tru flavor, was when we were in our new leased vehicle. We took the dog to a trail, and I lit my pipe. The trail ended up being closed, so we got back into the new car. (We had smoked cigarettes in it before, but never my pipe). I tried to make very little smoke, almost hiding the fact that I was smoking it.
That was the most flavor I have ever gotten out of a pipe. Mouth watering mind numbing flavor.
I don't smoke like that very often.
Moral of the story, pretend like you are hiding it. Very little smoke, very big taste.
That was the most flavor I have ever gotten out of a pipe. Mouth watering mind numbing flavor.
I don't smoke like that very often.
Moral of the story, pretend like you are hiding it. Very little smoke, very big taste.
I had a similar experience switching away from heavily flavored aromatics. I fell in love with the ritual of it all, then fully embraced the retrohale. In short order I was able to identify some of the flavors identified in the well written reviews, but it didn't come from overly concentrating on it. Again, focusing on the peaceful contemplation of the ritual, the rest came together.
I would drop the aromatics and begin looking at certain tobacco genres.
Capstan Blue Flake is a straight Virginia
Peterson Navy Rolls is a nice Virginia/Perique
Mac Baren Old Dark Fired is a great Virginia/Burley
Do your research on how to cube cut flakes and to fold and stuff flakes. It takes time and you will need patience.
I would also get a nice pipe like a Savinelli or a Winslow, no filters needed. If you can master these three blends, you will open up a whole world of blends and pipes.
Capstan Blue Flake is a straight Virginia
Peterson Navy Rolls is a nice Virginia/Perique
Mac Baren Old Dark Fired is a great Virginia/Burley
Do your research on how to cube cut flakes and to fold and stuff flakes. It takes time and you will need patience.
I would also get a nice pipe like a Savinelli or a Winslow, no filters needed. If you can master these three blends, you will open up a whole world of blends and pipes.
Puff in and out of mouth does nothing , we smell flavor not taste flavor, we can only taste salty, sweet, bitter, sour, umami , eating with stuff nose taste bland,
Beginner pipe smoker focus too much on "smoking" instead of relaxing and savoring, smelling the smoke
Another tips is try to get some smoke into nasal either by letting some smoke out the nose or breathing in some
Beginner pipe smoker focus too much on "smoking" instead of relaxing and savoring, smelling the smoke
Another tips is try to get some smoke into nasal either by letting some smoke out the nose or breathing in some
Just remember "smoke" is a by product, you want more flavor than smoke, getting too much smoke mean tobacco burn too hot which can kill off all flavor