Your Favorite Third Of The Smoke?

[That Guy]

1. The ritual light up and the first taste of that delicious tobacco ( and hopefully the chance to finally sit down and relax) ?

2. The 2/3 when your in the groove and everything is going smooth. Your set to cruise control and enjoying the ride?

3. The final stretch when your blissfully enjoying all the different transitions the smoke has gone through and your getting every lost drop of goodness?

 

[bullet08]

Bottom 1/3.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

My favorite always happens to be right before being interrupted by the household. It almost never fails that I'm in the groove, properly caffeinated, and in the middle of a good book when it happens.

The interruption aside, the middle 1/3, since the false lights are gone, I'm adjusted to the tobacco, and can ponder, reflect, read, or just sit.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Mine aren’t poetic!

 

[tfdickson]

For me it’s the final 1/3, but I smoke mostly VAs and VaPers. I suspect my answer would be different if my tobacco preferences were different.

 

[jndyer]

For me, it is the last two thirds. Typically, I have the ember going strong. The flavors are being enjoyed and the pipe is just humming along..

I also almost exclusively smoke VA's and VaPer's and wonder if it would be different if I focused on other categories of tobacco.

 

[ThermionicScott]

When I was starting out, it was always the charring light. That’s when the taste, filtered through that big stack of fresh tobacco, seemed to match most closely what I expected from the tin note. And it only seemed to get duller and ashier from there. I imagine that’s how it is for a lot of newbies.

Now that I sorta-kinda know what I’m doing, I’d say the first 2/3 is all pretty great. The last third is often good, but it can still get ashy and tougher to keep going. Although I’ve made a lot of progress in keeping that last third from getting wet and gurgly! I’m excited for better and better experiences as I improve my technique.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Middle third.

 

[That Guy]

I myself enjoy the last third of a bowl. Especially when you that magical burnt brown sugary tar flavor from a great Virginia or va/per.

 

[Briar Lee]

Like most of life, the first is best, followed by the middle, and then the last part is mostly wondering when to quit and fire up another one.

Smoke em’ while you can, because they don’t allow many pipes in the nursing homes, and none at all in the grave.

 

[Streeper541]

I like the Fifth Third.
Don't ask me why.

 

[Michigan_Bill]

I like each of them best, at the time, anyway

 

[K.E. Powell]

Voltaire's pithy saying about alcohol sort of applies here: Froth at the top, dregs at the bottom, but the middle excellent. I wouldn't say that holds strictly true for pipe tobacco, but for me, most blends are at their best in the middle third. There are exceptions, of course. Namely perique-heavy blends. Also, my favorite blend, Briar Fox, shines in the last third and takes on a slightly spicy character that just never fails to delight me.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

I was about to write a similar post asking why bowls change so much. For me it really seems to vary. A lot of bowls seem too intense at first, but other seem to build.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

Voltaire's pithy saying about alcohol sort of applies here: Froth at the top, dregs at the bottom, but the middle excellent. I wouldn't say that holds strictly true for pipe tobacco, but for me, most blends are at their best in the middle third. There are exceptions, of course. Namely perique-heavy blends. Also, my favorite blend, Briar Fox, shines in the last third and takes on a slightly spicy character that just never fails to delight me.

Perique heavy blends being best at the end?

 

[K.E. Powell]

Perique heavy blends being best at the end?

In my experience, yes. They take on the fullness of their character by that point. That is entirely subjective and not the case across the board. But broadly speaking, yea, perique-heavy blends really shine in that last third.

 

[BriarsAndBottles]

In my experience, yes. They take on the fullness of their character by that point. That is entirely subjective and not the case across the board. But broadly speaking, yea, perique-heavy blends really shine in that last third.

Thanks for the explanation. Do you have one in mind that particularly showcases this? I’d like to see for myself.

 

[SmokeRings79]

Final third

 

[judcole]

I like it all. My favorite pipe is the one in my mouth, my favorite tobacco is the one I am smoking at the moment, and my favorite part of the bowl is where I am right then. Anything else is overthinking it. YMMV.

 

[otm]

Pipes, the middle third. Cigars, the final third.