One thing I would advise a new piper to do is, once you know you're going to stick with piping, get a Peterson System pipe. In particular the Spigot or Deluxe. You almost can't get a bad smoke from them.
I have been smoking a pipe for 5 decades and it has only been the last 2 decades that I have heard pipe smokers making mention of tasting notes. I am sure that some with more refined palates have been aware for much longer but for me it has been more about liking a particular blend for it's overall smoking characteristics (cool, flavorful, sweet, clean, etc.). I am just now getting to where when I try a new blend I try to pick out nuances. Good video and good tips.
Great video. For me, when it comes to the notes on the tin or in the description if it's bulk, I generally take the notes as a guide. I don't try hard to taste every single thing that it mentions. I know if I like a particular tobacco's taste and I know if I don't particularly care for it in the same way as food. Sometime I come across a tobacco that I can taste every single thing mentioned on the tin, such as Eileen's Dream or We Three Kings, but if I don't, as long as I like the taste, I don't worry too much about separating things much like I don't worry too much about differentiating cumin and basil in a meal. I look at it as all coming together to create a symphony which may be interesting to take apart, but as C.S. Lewis says in Abolition of Man, if we take everything apart and make everything transparent. we're left with nothing.
Wow this is awesome timing! I just started my pipe journey and have been absolutely enjoying the heck out of it! I’ve been experimenting and trying soooo many different blends and tobaccos, and I’m so surprised at how many I really love! For years I just casually smoked some aromatics but a few months ago I finally took a deep dive into the hobby, and it’s been an absolute blast! And I was actually shocked at how many blends I really like! It’s a pretty big leap to go from aromatics to some hardcore English and Balkan blends, but I’m actually really enjoying them! But the one thing I’ve really noticed is how similar EVERYTHING has been tasting to me HAHA! I was just sitting there smoking last night trying some more new tobaccos and thinking how tough it is for me to discern any kind of difference or specific flavors in the different blends! I’m really enjoying them all and honestly that’s all I care about, but it is just funny how similar they all are to me! I guess as you mentioned maybe time and experience will help that out! But either way I dont really care! I grab a good pirate book, pack my bowl with some delicious rum soaked tobacco, and sail away to another time! And it’s the greatest most relaxing escape ever! Well Thank you so much for your wisdom and insight, it has been so unbelievably valuable to me as a new piper! Love your channel buddy! Cheers!🏴☠️☠️🍻👍😄
if i may add my two-pence comments on your reference of everything tasting the same: when trying a new blend focus on the actual process of smoking and tasting (you can read your pirates book 20min later!) smoke slow. why slow? the char as you draw the smoke will warm up the tobacco layer right underneath it, allowing it to release its oils which are responsible for the aromas. it will get even better mid-bowl, as by then the char will not be directly exposed to air but will be slightly covered by a thin layer of tobacco ash acting as a buffer of sorts to too much ''vivid'' light and the unsmoked tobacco layers under the char will have developed a more even, higher temperature. then you will realize that the tobacco keeps changing attitude in the last tier of the bowl, and this is usually where better quality and better blend balance will shine or the blend may become too harsh or heavy and mono-dimensional. (btw, i never smoke to the very end, i discard the last 1/4-1/5 of the tobacco in the pipe). it also helps to keep some short notes: sniff the tobacco in the tin, at the beginning. inhale as hard as you wish, no temp issues, just to get the first scents and what they are closest to. then think what blend you smoked in what pipe, in terms of raw material (briar, cob, morta, clay, whatever you happen to have) and size: deep and narrow bowl? shallow and wide? as - as ? comments on the blend: ribbon cut tobacco? crumble cake, flake, medallions etc. more comments on how you packed the pipe with the tobacco: rubbed out or folded or whatever. off the tin immediately? dried for half an hour? still more notes! did you drink anything along your smoking session? how did it taste? ok i am not saying that this is a compulsory approach, i for one am very very far from being an expert in such matters, rest assured. but it helps as you get to know a particular blend. besides, we all have different palates, if i taste figs in a blend and you get caramel, there is no point ...chasing the figs, you will never find them hahahah. enjoy + greetings from europe
@@ILOVEMFEO Wow, thank you so much for this amazingly insightful and informative response! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it! It really is so helpful to get tips from pros like you and channels like this because as Ive have been learning pipe smoking really is a science! There is sooooo much to know and learn and that has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my journey so far! I have really been loving all the experimenting and sampling and learning! I actually have been taking some notes and I really do try to pay attention to each blend, what types of tobacco leaves, does it have a flavor topping, etc and it definitely has been helpful! I know I’m getting there, I think just like everything worthwhile in life you get out if it what you put into it, and they take time and experience to really master! Well even if you don’t ever master the craft it just takes time to get it! But I am going to definitely take all of your advice here and do my best, I’m sure my palate will develope over time! And honestly even if it doesn’t, I’m still loving the experience! Cheers🍻☠️🏴☠️👍😄
Like Wilson touched on, you may also want to try getting some basic blending component tobaccos, like a straight red or bright Virginia. By smoking them on their own, it may help you to be able to recognize the components in certain blends.
@@TheGcbailey Ahoy Chadwick Bailey, from Los Angeles! Well I hope you are enjoying the journey as much as I am, it’s been so rewarding so far! It’s just nice to take some time away from our hectic society, chill out, relax and enjoy the simple things! Smoking a pipe immediately transports me back in time, to a simpler time, no cel phones and computers, and I love the escape! Just the aromas alone are so nostalgic! I’m a total pirate nerd, and a good pipe and tankard of grog just instantly takes me there! Cheers to a truly wondrous voyage and calmer seas ahead!😄🍻☠️🏴☠️👍
Great advice for new pipers and a nice recap reminder for experienced pipers, Wilson. I tend to speed up my cadence whilst enjoying a blend that makes my mouth water. I then start to lose the very flavors that I love. Patience, patience, patience! Serene smokes, Gary
Another great vid. I would also like to see a vid with some insight on how bowl/pipe shape might affect tobacco taste. I've heard Virginia's in a tall bowl tomcontrol heat, English in a wide bowl etc....
This helped me. I was in the middle of a bowl of Half and Half tasting not much and so I slowed way down and switched to a breathing method. Instant anise and cardamom notes were had! Thanks and have a blessed weekend.
Nice video with some very good advice. There's one issue I'd like to address as I see it fairly often throughout the YTPC. I'm not sure where the misconception about "chugging" cigars comes from. Just like pipe smoking it's absolutely essential not to overheat the tobacco in a cigar. If you over smoke either one they lose all their flavor nuance and taste like ash. The basic rule of thumb is to only puff a cigar once every 30 seconds and don't double puff if you can help it. It really is a similar cadence to sipping a pipe, there's just a greater volume of tobacco and thusly smoke produced. Yes you obviously do have to draw a bit harder only because the draw of a cigar is naturally tighter than a pipe. Learning to retrohale and doing it occasionally throughout the smoke is absolutely a great way to pick up more flavors from pipes and cigars. Just don't overdo it at first or you can burn out the taste receptors in your nasal cavity and actually lose more flavors in your smoke. As you get used to it you can do it as often as you like but even just a few times per smoke is enough to greatly enhance flavors. Sampling individual leaf varieties is a fantastic way to learn what you actually enjoy in a blend. We also do this with cigars as they are likewise composed of complex blends of many different types of leaf. This brings me to another gripe... "Cigar leaf" is the single most annoying component to see listed in a pipe blend. It's almost never disclosed what type of leaf is actually used. Kasturi leaf seems to be the most commonly disclosed cigar leaf recently. However, that's a leaf that most cigar smokers have never even heard of because it's most commonly used in clove cigarettes NOT premium cigars. Warped makes some of the only pipe tobacco blends I've seen that disclose the use of actual cigar leaf that you would find in real cigars, Criollo 98, Equadorian Habano etc.. No surprise as Warped makes some pretty decent cigars.
Keeping the bowl cool, is key. That's what I've found. I've only been pipe smoking just under a month, so experience, and trying individual tobacco leaves will help as well. It will get better with time.
What a great channel!!! Who doesn't love Charles Spurgeon as well as quality pipe tobacco. Please consider doing a video on various tobacco types and brands that have minimal casing and no toppings such as the HH series. Thanks and God bless you and your viewers
Great video. Like many, am fairly new to pipe smoking (2 years) and have struggled with tasting. Have tried several blends/types of tobacco and although I can detect some differences in the tobaccos, I can’t actually taste the flavors. I really appreciate your tip on trying straight leaf tobacco to learn about their qualities and soon will be ordering small ozs of these to try. A year ago, I tried Balkan Supreme (I think) and what immediately came to mind was Barn Yard! I couldn’t even keep it in the house due to the smell. Hated it…at first. But now am drawn to it as an acquired taste. I call it “…a tobacco you love to hate”. I smoke it when I want some family members to go home…😊. But THAT tobacco was a good lesson. Coincidently, I have some of that being delivered today.
Ive been smoking a pipe for several years now, but have hard problems trying to pic out the certain notes. Been thinking about getting one kind of eatch tobacco type to improve my pallet. Thanks for the advice sir! Good video!👍
I haven't been smoking long, maybe 2 months and I've only just started to taste the notes. Before the act of smoking was relaxing for me so I didn't mind not tasting, but damn, now I can taste I definitely don't want to stop 😅
Very, very helpful; a nice refresher commentary. Enjoying a secondhand of Morning & Evening with Star of the East Flake in a vintage Kentucky Club coupon-promotional MacDuff Silver Edition bulldog with room temp black coffee. Retrohaling came difficult...just mimicking the act of gently blowing one's nose into a facial tissue did the trick. Smoking 100% component leaf tobaccos opened up a whole new dimension to the tasting experience. Time, patience and experimentation are the best teachers
Thank you for the information and encouragement. I have only been smoking for about three weeks and have been a little bit discouraged. What’s not being able to discern the different flavors and aromas as you were describing. I just bought a tin of the coveted Seattle Pipe Club gentlemen’s blend rum vanilla. It smelled so delicious out of the tin, and then when I smoked it, I was disappointed. Thanks again!
Great video! Super helpful as a relatively new pipes smokers (little over a year). Also, love the Skyrim soundtrack in the background. Listen to it on repeat when working from home lol!
To be honest I don't taste anything except ash. I've since have stopped smoking all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Hopefully that helps. I got my brother into pipe smoking, hes a regular cigar guy, and he tells me that he can taste the note and the flavor. I find smoking the pipe very relaxing. And if that's all I get out of it so be it. Thank you for your videos God bless.
Hahaha I appreciate the kind words and support! And though I fall quite short in looks compared to Stephen Amell (that's the actor) I do receive the same comments time to time.
One thing I’ve started doing recently with my pipes and cigars and opening the corner of my mouth while I’m drawing in and introducing a little cool air. That keeps the draw cooler because there’s two streams, one through the pipe or cigar, and one through the corner of the mouth. I’ve noticed I can pick up a ton of flavor through this method. It’s never about getting billows of smoke, it’s about finding flavor. Hope that helps you friends, bless you!
Really appreciate the tips, for me the biggest game changer was the retrohale, still to this day if i taste only using the tongue, most blends taste the same. I still can't sound like a poet in describing blends though 😅
Great advice Wilson! Being a long time cigar smoker and relatively new to pipe smoking, I often need to remind myself to slow down. Some of the more enjoyable, and memorable, smokes that I have had were when I had the time to sit and relax with a pipe or cigar. Living in western New York, and because I don't smoke in the house, it is sometimes difficult to enjoy a long smoke when the weather isn't cooperative. I'm also starting to realize that some age on certain blends makes a big difference as well. Some of the tobaccos that I purchased early on, that I didn't really care for, are now becoming more enjoyable since I revisited them a few years later. The fact that I have a little bit more experience probably has something to do with that as well. Keep up the great content! Be safe and happy smokes my friend! On a side note, what is the status of the March Madness Giveaway? I got knocked out early, but just curious how many people are still in it?
I smoke both cigars and pipes. When I took up pipe smoking it was a hard transition, I wanted the big volume of smoke like cigars and my tobacco tasted like ash and my pipe got really hot. Regarding the topic of the video, I don't really try and pick up "notes" I just taste the smoke and decide if I like it or not. I guess it would be fun to taste notes but just don't seem to be able to it.
If your really want to taste your tobacco you need to dry out your tobacco and smoke it in a meerschaum. It is really that simple. Took me years to figure that out but it's the truth.
Dion, of course, i 100% agree with you - would also add that one should pursue non-topped/non-cased tobacco's, as well - things like C&D Pegasus, GLP Union Square, MB HH Balkan Blend, etc. tobacco's that have no detectable toppings/casings/flavored cavendish are a great way to begin to train your palate to pickup on the nuanced flavors in the natural leaf
@@bamagtrdude Your right about the toppings. I completely stay away from any topping that has been sprayed on like Stutliff Molto Dolce. Mac Baren uses a fog to enhance their flavoring which makes the tobacco not goopy and easy to dry out. Autumn Evening is another areo I highly recommend because the flavoring is done at the casing level and not topped.
Would you consider making a video about how to smoke when you have children? My wife gave birth last week to our first and from what I’ve read, even if I smoke outside there’s a series of prudent steps to take afterwards, especially with a newborn. What I’ve found is best if I really care to have a pipe is to wash whatever parts of my body were exposed to the smoke, change my clothes, wait 2 hours before holding him, 12 hours before breathing on him, and 4 days before kissing him. Hard not to feel some discouragement over this, as finding a balance between enjoying this hobby and having peace of mind regarding the wellbeing of my family feels difficult. Any thoughts? Is this even a topic worth discussing?
Hi Nick, I wont say I wont do a video on the forementioned topic but Im cautious as I'm no expert. But since I have 4 kiddos, one being a newborn, here are my quick habits/thoughts: 1) I always wash my face and change my "smoking shirt" when I back around the kiddos. 2) In my home office where I predominantly smoke, I have an air filter, a window to occasionally open, and a french door that stays closed. That helps isolate the smoke and rid it fairly quickly. Outside of that, I dont believe I take any other major precautions in regards to the kids. I'm not saying there arent risks, but Im certain there are greater risks around us that we dont think about.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper I was searching for any anecdotal input from pipe smokers online and could find none, so yours is helpful - the fact you don’t wait any amount of time before interacting with your children and have yet to see any negative health effects is worth considering. Thank you!
When it comes to cigars you don't chug or draw deeply often. You take maybe a primer puff and one draw about once every 45 seconds to a minute. Believe it or not it's a slower process than pipe smoking. This is why a cigar can last up to an hour and a half.
One thing I would advise a new piper to do is, once you know you're going to stick with piping, get a Peterson System pipe. In particular the Spigot or Deluxe. You almost can't get a bad smoke from them.
I have been smoking a pipe for 5 decades and it has only been the last 2 decades that I have heard pipe smokers making mention of tasting notes. I am sure that some with more refined palates have been aware for much longer but for me it has been more about liking a particular blend for it's overall smoking characteristics (cool, flavorful, sweet, clean, etc.). I am just now getting to where when I try a new blend I try to pick out nuances. Good video and good tips.
Everything in life is like this. Things are becoming more hobbyist and craft focused. You see it with beer, wine, chocolate, etc.
Great video. For me, when it comes to the notes on the tin or in the description if it's bulk, I generally take the notes as a guide. I don't try hard to taste every single thing that it mentions. I know if I like a particular tobacco's taste and I know if I don't particularly care for it in the same way as food. Sometime I come across a tobacco that I can taste every single thing mentioned on the tin, such as Eileen's Dream or We Three Kings, but if I don't, as long as I like the taste, I don't worry too much about separating things much like I don't worry too much about differentiating cumin and basil in a meal. I look at it as all coming together to create a symphony which may be interesting to take apart, but as C.S. Lewis says in Abolition of Man, if we take everything apart and make everything transparent. we're left with nothing.
Good addition Michael!
This is not only a great but also a humble take on the matter. Thanks for sharing
Wow this is awesome timing! I just started my pipe journey and have been absolutely enjoying the heck out of it! I’ve been experimenting and trying soooo many different blends and tobaccos, and I’m so surprised at how many I really love! For years I just casually smoked some aromatics but a few months ago I finally took a deep dive into the hobby, and it’s been an absolute blast! And I was actually shocked at how many blends I really like! It’s a pretty big leap to go from aromatics to some hardcore English and Balkan blends, but I’m actually really enjoying them! But the one thing I’ve really noticed is how similar EVERYTHING has been tasting to me HAHA! I was just sitting there smoking last night trying some more new tobaccos and thinking how tough it is for me to discern any kind of difference or specific flavors in the different blends! I’m really enjoying them all and honestly that’s all I care about, but it is just funny how similar they all are to me! I guess as you mentioned maybe time and experience will help that out! But either way I dont really care! I grab a good pirate book, pack my bowl with some delicious rum soaked tobacco, and sail away to another time! And it’s the greatest most relaxing escape ever! Well Thank you so much for your wisdom and insight, it has been so unbelievably valuable to me as a new piper! Love your channel buddy! Cheers!🏴☠️☠️🍻👍😄
if i may add my two-pence comments on your reference of everything tasting the same:
when trying a new blend focus on the actual process of smoking and tasting (you can read your pirates book 20min later!)
smoke slow. why slow? the char as you draw the smoke will warm up the tobacco layer right underneath it, allowing it to release its oils which are responsible for the aromas.
it will get even better mid-bowl, as by then the char will not be directly exposed to air but will be slightly covered by a thin layer of tobacco ash acting as a buffer of sorts to too much ''vivid'' light and the unsmoked tobacco layers under the char will have developed a more even, higher temperature.
then you will realize that the tobacco keeps changing attitude in the last tier of the bowl, and this is usually where better quality and better blend balance will shine or the blend may become too harsh or heavy and mono-dimensional. (btw, i never smoke to the very end, i discard the last 1/4-1/5 of the tobacco in the pipe).
it also helps to keep some short notes: sniff the tobacco in the tin, at the beginning. inhale as hard as you wish, no temp issues, just to get the first scents and what they are closest to.
then think what blend you smoked in what pipe, in terms of raw material (briar, cob, morta, clay, whatever you happen to have) and size: deep and narrow bowl? shallow and wide? as - as ? comments on the blend: ribbon cut tobacco? crumble cake, flake, medallions etc. more comments on how you packed the pipe with the tobacco: rubbed out or folded or whatever. off the tin immediately? dried for half an hour? still more notes! did you drink anything along your smoking session? how did it taste?
ok i am not saying that this is a compulsory approach, i for one am very very far from being an expert in such matters, rest assured. but it helps as you get to know a particular blend. besides, we all have different palates, if i taste figs in a blend and you get caramel, there is no point ...chasing the figs, you will never find them hahahah.
enjoy + greetings from europe
@@ILOVEMFEO Wow, thank you so much for this amazingly insightful and informative response! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it! It really is so helpful to get tips from pros like you and channels like this because as Ive have been learning pipe smoking really is a science! There is sooooo much to know and learn and that has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my journey so far! I have really been loving all the experimenting and sampling and learning! I actually have been taking some notes and I really do try to pay attention to each blend, what types of tobacco leaves, does it have a flavor topping, etc and it definitely has been helpful! I know I’m getting there, I think just like everything worthwhile in life you get out if it what you put into it, and they take time and experience to really master! Well even if you don’t ever master the craft it just takes time to get it! But I am going to definitely take all of your advice here and do my best, I’m sure my palate will develope over time! And honestly even if it doesn’t, I’m still loving the experience! Cheers🍻☠️🏴☠️👍😄
Like Wilson touched on, you may also want to try getting some basic blending component tobaccos, like a straight red or bright Virginia. By smoking them on their own, it may help you to be able to recognize the components in certain blends.
Welcome, Grimwood. Sounds like you and I are in a similar locale along our pipe smoking journey. Cheers from Oklahoma, enjoy!
@@TheGcbailey Ahoy Chadwick Bailey, from Los Angeles! Well I hope you are enjoying the journey as much as I am, it’s been so rewarding so far! It’s just nice to take some time away from our hectic society, chill out, relax and enjoy the simple things! Smoking a pipe immediately transports me back in time, to a simpler time, no cel phones and computers, and I love the escape! Just the aromas alone are so nostalgic! I’m a total pirate nerd, and a good pipe and tankard of grog just instantly takes me there! Cheers to a truly wondrous voyage and calmer seas ahead!😄🍻☠️🏴☠️👍
Great advice for new pipers and a nice recap reminder for experienced pipers, Wilson.
I tend to speed up my cadence whilst enjoying a blend that makes my mouth water. I then start to lose the very flavors that I love. Patience, patience, patience!
Serene smokes,
Gary
Thank you Gary. And I do the same!
Another great vid. I would also like to see a vid with some insight on how bowl/pipe shape might affect tobacco taste. I've heard Virginia's in a tall bowl tomcontrol heat, English in a wide bowl etc....
This helped me. I was in the middle of a bowl of Half and Half tasting not much and so I slowed way down and switched to a breathing method. Instant anise and cardamom notes were had! Thanks and have a blessed weekend.
Nice video with some very good advice.
There's one issue I'd like to address as I see it fairly often throughout the YTPC. I'm not sure where the misconception about "chugging" cigars comes from. Just like pipe smoking it's absolutely essential not to overheat the tobacco in a cigar. If you over smoke either one they lose all their flavor nuance and taste like ash. The basic rule of thumb is to only puff a cigar once every 30 seconds and don't double puff if you can help it. It really is a similar cadence to sipping a pipe, there's just a greater volume of tobacco and thusly smoke produced. Yes you obviously do have to draw a bit harder only because the draw of a cigar is naturally tighter than a pipe.
Learning to retrohale and doing it occasionally throughout the smoke is absolutely a great way to pick up more flavors from pipes and cigars. Just don't overdo it at first or you can burn out the taste receptors in your nasal cavity and actually lose more flavors in your smoke. As you get used to it you can do it as often as you like but even just a few times per smoke is enough to greatly enhance flavors.
Sampling individual leaf varieties is a fantastic way to learn what you actually enjoy in a blend. We also do this with cigars as they are likewise composed of complex blends of many different types of leaf.
This brings me to another gripe...
"Cigar leaf" is the single most annoying component to see listed in a pipe blend. It's almost never disclosed what type of leaf is actually used. Kasturi leaf seems to be the most commonly disclosed cigar leaf recently. However, that's a leaf that most cigar smokers have never even heard of because it's most commonly used in clove cigarettes NOT premium cigars.
Warped makes some of the only pipe tobacco blends I've seen that disclose the use of actual cigar leaf that you would find in real cigars, Criollo 98, Equadorian Habano etc.. No surprise as Warped makes some pretty decent cigars.
Keeping the bowl cool, is key. That's what I've found. I've only been pipe smoking just under a month, so experience, and trying individual tobacco leaves will help as well. It will get better with time.
What a great channel!!! Who doesn't love Charles Spurgeon as well as quality pipe tobacco. Please consider doing a video on various tobacco types and brands that have minimal casing and no toppings such as the HH series. Thanks and God bless you and your viewers
Thanks Nathaniel! Ill keep that topic in mind.
Good tips.
I've been smoking for about 3 years and I'm only now learning how to pick up the nuances of the tobaccos.
Great video. Like many, am fairly new to pipe smoking (2 years) and have struggled with tasting. Have tried several blends/types of tobacco and although I can detect some differences in the tobaccos, I can’t actually taste the flavors.
I really appreciate your tip on trying straight leaf tobacco to learn about their qualities and soon will be ordering small ozs of these to try.
A year ago, I tried Balkan Supreme (I think) and what immediately came to mind was Barn Yard! I couldn’t even keep it in the house due to the smell. Hated it…at first. But now am drawn to it as an acquired taste. I call it “…a tobacco you love to hate”. I smoke it when I want some family members to go home…😊. But THAT tobacco was a good lesson. Coincidently, I have some of that being delivered today.
Ive been smoking a pipe for several years now, but have hard problems trying to pic out the certain notes. Been thinking about getting one kind of eatch tobacco type to improve my pallet. Thanks for the advice sir! Good video!👍
My pleasure!
I haven't been smoking long, maybe 2 months and I've only just started to taste the notes. Before the act of smoking was relaxing for me so I didn't mind not tasting, but damn, now I can taste I definitely don't want to stop 😅
Thanks for the video
A Great informational video! Very sound advice! Thanks for sharing Wilson!
Very, very helpful; a nice refresher commentary. Enjoying a secondhand of Morning & Evening with Star of the East Flake in a vintage Kentucky Club coupon-promotional MacDuff Silver Edition bulldog with room temp black coffee. Retrohaling came difficult...just mimicking the act of gently blowing one's nose into a facial tissue did the trick. Smoking 100% component leaf tobaccos opened up a whole new dimension to the tasting experience. Time, patience and experimentation are the best teachers
I needed this video so bad!!!! Thank you for putting the time into this!
Thank you for the information and encouragement. I have only been smoking for about three weeks and have been a little bit discouraged. What’s not being able to discern the different flavors and aromas as you were describing. I just bought a tin of the coveted Seattle Pipe Club gentlemen’s blend rum vanilla. It smelled so delicious out of the tin, and then when I smoked it, I was disappointed. Thanks again!
That was really great advice on getting the types of tobacco individually!
Thanks Wilson. Very helpfull 👍
Great video! Super helpful as a relatively new pipes smokers (little over a year). Also, love the Skyrim soundtrack in the background. Listen to it on repeat when working from home lol!
Skyrim's soundtrack is still my favorite studying music. It's excellent.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper Mine too!
Excellent video Wilson! Thank you very much! Bill from Greece.
Thank you Bill!
Great advice.
To be honest I don't taste anything except ash. I've since have stopped smoking all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Hopefully that helps. I got my brother into pipe smoking, hes a regular cigar guy, and he tells me that he can taste the note and the flavor. I find smoking the pipe very relaxing. And if that's all I get out of it so be it. Thank you for your videos God bless.
I’ve found the same near the bottom of a long bowl. Thanks for sharing 956
As a new pipe smoker transitioning from cigars.. I love your channel!!! And if the actor in the TV series Arrow ever needs a double…. Just saying 😊
Hahaha I appreciate the kind words and support! And though I fall quite short in looks compared to Stephen Amell (that's the actor) I do receive the same comments time to time.
Great video - thanks 👏👍
No problem 👍
One thing I’ve started doing recently with my pipes and cigars and opening the corner of my mouth while I’m drawing in and introducing a little cool air. That keeps the draw cooler because there’s two streams, one through the pipe or cigar, and one through the corner of the mouth. I’ve noticed I can pick up a ton of flavor through this method. It’s never about getting billows of smoke, it’s about finding flavor. Hope that helps you friends, bless you!
Thanks for sharing this, I'll try it.
Really appreciate the tips, for me the biggest game changer was the retrohale, still to this day if i taste only using the tongue, most blends taste the same. I still can't sound like a poet in describing blends though 😅
Retrohale is definitely a help!
I smoke my cigars super slow. The same thing apploes to cugars for flavor. I only puff when its on the verge of going out. Cool smoke is key.
Well said
Great advice Wilson! Being a long time cigar smoker and relatively new to pipe smoking, I often need to remind myself to slow down. Some of the more enjoyable, and memorable, smokes that I have had were when I had the time to sit and relax with a pipe or cigar. Living in western New York, and because I don't smoke in the house, it is sometimes difficult to enjoy a long smoke when the weather isn't cooperative. I'm also starting to realize that some age on certain blends makes a big difference as well. Some of the tobaccos that I purchased early on, that I didn't really care for, are now becoming more enjoyable since I revisited them a few years later. The fact that I have a little bit more experience probably has something to do with that as well. Keep up the great content! Be safe and happy smokes my friend!
On a side note, what is the status of the March Madness Giveaway? I got knocked out early, but just curious how many people are still in it?
I appreciate the comment!
As of this morning, there are only 10 people in the tournament giveaway.
Taste is to each his own
When smoking a cigar we try to take smaller inhales not big ones or as much as you can inhale. You can taste more with smaller draws.
I smoke both cigars and pipes. When I took up pipe smoking it was a hard transition, I wanted the big volume of smoke like cigars and my tobacco tasted like ash and my pipe got really hot. Regarding the topic of the video, I don't really try and pick up "notes" I just taste the smoke and decide if I like it or not. I guess it would be fun to taste notes but just don't seem to be able to it.
80 per cent of our taste receptors come from the nose, medical fact.thanks for the video
If your really want to taste your tobacco you need to dry out your tobacco and smoke it in a meerschaum. It is really that simple. Took me years to figure that out but it's the truth.
Dion, of course, i 100% agree with you - would also add that one should pursue non-topped/non-cased tobacco's, as well - things like C&D Pegasus, GLP Union Square, MB HH Balkan Blend, etc. tobacco's that have no detectable toppings/casings/flavored cavendish are a great way to begin to train your palate to pickup on the nuanced flavors in the natural leaf
@@bamagtrdude Your right about the toppings. I completely stay away from any topping that has been sprayed on like Stutliff Molto Dolce. Mac Baren uses a fog to enhance their flavoring which makes the tobacco not goopy and easy to dry out. Autumn Evening is another areo I highly recommend because the flavoring is done at the casing level and not topped.
The nose is the real taster of tobacco, as we all may know. Retrohale done correctly develops your nose taste buds. Like knowledge of fine 🍷 wines.
>Well stated !
Do you have a suggestion on a tobacco to start with to make recognizing the flavors with? You know where there are just a few flavors.
I have a few videos on blends for beginners. Most would fit that category.
... Or, try bud of steel That enhances all the flavors of tobacco in purity 💪💪💪😁😁
Would you consider making a video about how to smoke when you have children? My wife gave birth last week to our first and from what I’ve read, even if I smoke outside there’s a series of prudent steps to take afterwards, especially with a newborn.
What I’ve found is best if I really care to have a pipe is to wash whatever parts of my body were exposed to the smoke, change my clothes, wait 2 hours before holding him, 12 hours before breathing on him, and 4 days before kissing him.
Hard not to feel some discouragement over this, as finding a balance between enjoying this hobby and having peace of mind regarding the wellbeing of my family feels difficult. Any thoughts? Is this even a topic worth discussing?
Hi Nick,
I wont say I wont do a video on the forementioned topic but Im cautious as I'm no expert. But since I have 4 kiddos, one being a newborn, here are my quick habits/thoughts:
1) I always wash my face and change my "smoking shirt" when I back around the kiddos.
2) In my home office where I predominantly smoke, I have an air filter, a window to occasionally open, and a french door that stays closed. That helps isolate the smoke and rid it fairly quickly.
Outside of that, I dont believe I take any other major precautions in regards to the kids. I'm not saying there arent risks, but Im certain there are greater risks around us that we dont think about.
@@TheSpurgeonPiper I was searching for any anecdotal input from pipe smokers online and could find none, so yours is helpful - the fact you don’t wait any amount of time before interacting with your children and have yet to see any negative health effects is worth considering. Thank you!
@@TheSpurgeonPiper Thanks for sharing.
could you do a review on GL Peace Chelsea morning please
That's the plan. I actually have and it was one of the first blends I reviewed. But I took the video down as I want to update. I'll cover it very soon
@@TheSpurgeonPiper thanks I enjoy your videos
@@tylerpickering9722 I appreciate it!
Remember folks a cigar a day or pipe tobacco a day keeps the potheads and stoners away
Good video, but I don't think cigar smokers would agree that they "chug." I think cigar smokers "sip" no less than pipe smokers.
What pipe is that in the thumbnail ?
Be careful on that retrohale if you're puffing on a Virginia. You'll toast your sniffer.
True!
One tip don’t smoke often at least for me if I smoke more than 3 times a week I can’t taste a dang thing
You want to cook the tobacco, not burn it. Too much heat = bad. The cooler you can get it the better.
Actually you want to smoke a cigar a little slower also.
“I’m not an expert by no means” is a double negative. You are claiming to be an expert. :D
or being humble 🤣
When it comes to cigars you don't chug or draw deeply often. You take maybe a primer puff and one draw about once every 45 seconds to a minute. Believe it or not it's a slower process than pipe smoking. This is why a cigar can last up to an hour and a half.