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Post by lenticula on Mar 30, 2018 4:09:25 GMT -5
Some years ago whilst sitting down to dinner with my wife she commented..."these carrots are really tasty".
I'm thinking "WHAT!"
Carrots is carrots...they have texture but taste?!
This is reinforced by my liking of for instance, lemon sorbet, which I enjoy but 'er indoors screws her face up.
Now it seems the same is true of pipe tobacco.
I see all the fancy descriptions of various tobaccos...this with a hint of that and another with a subtle flavour of that.
Now on forums such as this I see you commenting on likes and dislikes of various smokes and I'm left thinking I'm missing out.
They all taste pretty much the same to me.If indeed taste is the right word !
So why do I smoke?
I suppose it's the ritual of sitting down and relaxing.
Choosing a particular pipe and tobacco, but selecting it mainly for the texture and ease of smoking.
Is it just me or are there others amongst you who feel the same ?
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Post by Legend Lover on Mar 30, 2018 5:06:38 GMT -5
I feel exactly the same as you, with the exception of a latakia blend or something like that where I notice something distinctive.
The ritual, the relaxation, and the smell of the smoke is what does it for me... I just love the smell of smoke.
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Post by Lady Margaret on Mar 30, 2018 5:44:46 GMT -5
starting out that is definitely what kept me at it. now, however, i detect "flavors" and some nuances. I don't get all the subtilties that some do. the ritual and relaxation is definitely the selling point, the flavors are just cream in the coffee, lol.
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exchef
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Post by exchef on Mar 30, 2018 7:30:29 GMT -5
I know that when i first started with smoking cigars, I could barely tell the difference beyond mild, medium and full bodied. It took a couple years for me to develop the taste to determine the nuances of the different tobaccos. This gives me a bit of a leg up in the pipe world as my palate is already somewhat educated, but there are nuances to pipe tobacco that still escape me and I am enjoying the learning process.
ExChef
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Post by slowroll on Mar 30, 2018 8:03:35 GMT -5
I think sensitivity to taste is a variable thing from time to time, at least for me. Sometimes the flavors are right there, sometimes they are elusive or non-existent. Maybe a function of what we've eaten, phase of moon, whatever. Having said that, it is also true that flavors must be right in your face for me to appreciate them. I'll never have the tastebuds of Jiminks, but I can tell the difference between Virginia, Burley, Orientals in General and latakia. Subtle nuances not so much. That's why I smoke 98% latakia blends, and occasionally the taste of those drops off for a while. But,it's all of a piece with most flavors for me: I like smoky Scotch, expresso coffee always, beer has to be Guiness, etc.
Having said all that, are you sure you are smoking slowly enough? I find the best flavor, if I'm going to get any, is when the pipe is just about going out, a hard thing to accomplish steadily. If I puff vigorously, anything tastes like napalm and sawdust.
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Post by sparks on Mar 30, 2018 8:12:49 GMT -5
I'm moving this thread into the General Pipe Smoking Discussion board. Guys, please be aware of where you are starting threads. We have boards setup here to try and keep things neat and orderly. Please use good judgement when starting a new thread. Introduce Yourself is not a place for discussions of this sort. |
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Post by lenticula on Mar 30, 2018 8:19:57 GMT -5
I puff really slowly.
I think therein lies one art of pipe smoking...slow measured draws without the pipe needing a relight.
Now I know that relighting isn't a crime, but nevertheless I wouldn't expect to relight more than once or twice to each bowl, but of course a great pleasure is to get through a bowl while enjoying a slow smoke without relighting.
I think I'm just about there !
I started pipe smoking in 1964 at college but on reflection it was probably just to look erudite.
Between around 1970 and 2000 I smoked cigars. Mainly Villiger Kiel for a quick smoke, or Davidoff Tubos at other times.
However around 2010 when the tubos got to over £20.00 each is when I returned to pipes, firstly with Falcon and various bowl shapes, but in recent years to Peterson and now Savinelli.
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 30, 2018 8:43:43 GMT -5
On a good day I can't taste much in the way of subtle flavors, but during allergy season (now), I use a steroid nasal spray that really dampens the taste buds.
I be there are other medications that have a similar effect.
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gav
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Post by gav on Apr 9, 2018 17:25:34 GMT -5
Not really experienced enough with all the nuances of pipe tobaccos but I have been smoking cigars for years. I find it best to exhale through the nose in order to get a good profile of what you are smoking. retrohale |
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Post by trailboss on Apr 9, 2018 23:50:02 GMT -5
Speaking of carrots... retail carrots bought in the store compared to the ones I pilfered from my grandma’s garden is like comparing lobster to bologna... I really need to grow carrots!
I get where you are coming from about the flavors though, in my case I think years of environmental assaults have robbed me of the ability to pick out the flavors that others can seem to do so well... sometimes I get a hint of it.
I am jealous of the gift that others have in that regard, but I still thoroughly enjoy my pipe.
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Post by bonanzadriver on Apr 9, 2018 23:59:54 GMT -5
I think it's a combination of the amount of taste buds you've got and your own personal chemistry/ph levels.
Many here, such as Jim Inks, have incredibly developed sense of taste and discernment.
I myself tend to be sensitive to certain tobacco, especially Virginia's and most Aromatic's. They tend to really bite me.
That being said, I consider myself fortunate that I seem to be able to detect many of the subtle, and not so subtle, flavors and nuances present in many of the blends out there.
I'll echo what was suggested earlier, about retrohaling or "Snorking" (exhaling through the nose). It definitely adds to the experience of different blends.
(just my $0.02)
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