Hello all, I was given a pipe and some quality pipe tobacco by my friends/housemates for my birthday as they had seen me eyeing them previously in a popular Cambridge tobacco shop... I loaded a bowl according to what I had read here, and smoked it... I'm not sure if I did something wrong as it was my first time ever really smoking a pipe, but I didn't really get any flavor profile or anything... mostly just a burnt tobacco taste similar to a cigar. Is there something that I should be doing that I'm not? I feel like from what I read here I should be getting a different, more complex taste.. please correct me if I'm wrong, I just want to get the best pipe smoking experience that I can!
Am I doing something wrong?
- Thread starter Z4CHc
- Start date
It can take a while to get used to just 'sipping' the pipe.
What tobacco are you smoking?
What tobacco are you smoking?
- Thread starter
- #3
"Black & Gold"... I think it's relatively popular, but then again I'm not really much of a pipe smoker...
Someone should come along soon and correct me, but if I were to venture a guess then I would say that you're smoking "hot". ie: too fast of a cadence.
I would second the possibility of smoking it a bit too hot and fast. Generally as you gain experience, what you are aiming for is to keep the tobacco smoldering just on the point of almost wanting to go out, then taking small sips just enough to keep it lit most of the time.
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- #6
I pretty much kept it just so that the bowl was relatively warm in my hand, but I was nervous to wait too long to sip because I didn't want it to go out... maybe I'll experiment with how long that takes... but match lighting it was not going so well for me outside lol
Doesn't sound like it was smoking too hot or fast, then. Next thing would be a combo of not having your palate as developed yet and/or just not liking that particular blend, which also happens. I assume you were puffing/sipping and not inhaling?
If you're going to properly "sip" the tobacco, you'll need to have something on hand to tamp the ash. A large-head (roofing?) nail would suffice in a pinch, but you'll eventually want to get a proper tobacco tamper (the ubiquitous "Czech tool" should be available at the tobacco shop for small coin). Every few minutes, use the tamper to gently push the ash down further into the pipe. This ensures that the burning tobacco comes in contact with un-burnt tobacco -- so the pipe stays lit without having to puff vigorously.
Tamping also keeps your tobacco packed to a good density, which will keep the draw from being too loose or too tight. Draw is a subjective preference, but a good place to start would be like drinking through a straw.
Black & Gold sounds like the tobacconist's relabel of an aromatic. These tend to burn hot due to the added sugars and other ingredients used to "case" the tobacco. These kinds of blends are actually harder to smoke properly than non-aromatics. I would suggest something less aromatic, such as Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh, or Half-and-Half. These "drugstore" blends should be available in drugstores (not CVS) and grocery stores in your area. Alternatively, you can head back to the tobacconist in Cambridge and ask for their recommendation for a non-aromatic.
Lastly, bear in mind that with anything like this, it may take time to develop your palate.
Tamping also keeps your tobacco packed to a good density, which will keep the draw from being too loose or too tight. Draw is a subjective preference, but a good place to start would be like drinking through a straw.
Black & Gold sounds like the tobacconist's relabel of an aromatic. These tend to burn hot due to the added sugars and other ingredients used to "case" the tobacco. These kinds of blends are actually harder to smoke properly than non-aromatics. I would suggest something less aromatic, such as Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh, or Half-and-Half. These "drugstore" blends should be available in drugstores (not CVS) and grocery stores in your area. Alternatively, you can head back to the tobacconist in Cambridge and ask for their recommendation for a non-aromatic.
Lastly, bear in mind that with anything like this, it may take time to develop your palate.
- Thread starter
- #9
when would you recommend that I try to tamp? just every few minutes? or are there specific signs that I should look for?
Tamping is one of those things that you just start to "feel" after a while of doing it.
When I first started tamping it was magical. If you are drawing on the pipe, and you take a few sips, and it just doesn't make a big ol' puff of smoke...then tamp. Suddenly, big puff of smoke. Go for a few minutes until the sips don't make a solid puff, tamp again.
Be gentle when tamping though. Don't ram the tamp in, ash is very soft, and it won't take much to press it down a little bit into the tobacco.
When I first started tamping it was magical. If you are drawing on the pipe, and you take a few sips, and it just doesn't make a big ol' puff of smoke...then tamp. Suddenly, big puff of smoke. Go for a few minutes until the sips don't make a solid puff, tamp again.
Be gentle when tamping though. Don't ram the tamp in, ash is very soft, and it won't take much to press it down a little bit into the tobacco.
Hirsute
Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
There are a few different blends I know of called "Black Gold" and they range from fairly cheap aromatics to roll-your-own tobacco masquerading as pipe tobacco. I suspect the issue with flavor is in the tobacco itself and not your technique.
As far as tamping goes, in general you are not putting much pressure on it at all. Do your charring light and puff well to light the entire surface of the tobacco, then tamp lightly (meaning almost no pressure) to extinguish or near extinguish. Then light again and puff away (or sip). As you smoke, you may want to tamp occasionally to even out the tobacco (it may puff up a bit as you smoke--it can expand when lit) and to compress the ash. Again, this is very light tamping unless you are trying to affect the draw, and I do that sometimes if it's drawing too open and not getting a good burn. Remember when you load your bowl that it is much easier to tamp down a bit and compress the tobacco to make it draw a little harder than to pick at the tobacco and fluff it up to make it draw easier. In fact the latter almost never works.
As far as tamping goes, in general you are not putting much pressure on it at all. Do your charring light and puff well to light the entire surface of the tobacco, then tamp lightly (meaning almost no pressure) to extinguish or near extinguish. Then light again and puff away (or sip). As you smoke, you may want to tamp occasionally to even out the tobacco (it may puff up a bit as you smoke--it can expand when lit) and to compress the ash. Again, this is very light tamping unless you are trying to affect the draw, and I do that sometimes if it's drawing too open and not getting a good burn. Remember when you load your bowl that it is much easier to tamp down a bit and compress the tobacco to make it draw a little harder than to pick at the tobacco and fluff it up to make it draw easier. In fact the latter almost never works.
Hirsute
Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
Oh, and it looks like you're in Brighton, MA. Head down to LJ Peretti's in Boston, which is just off Boston Common.
https://www.ljperetti.com/
And bring a pipe or two, as you can sample at the store and smoke there.
https://www.ljperetti.com/
And bring a pipe or two, as you can sample at the store and smoke there.
- Thread starter
- #13
Are you familiar with the area? it's the Black and Gold from Leavitt and Peirce
- Thread starter
- #14
I'll have to give it a try
+1 . . . I went through many a bowl, and many, many relights figuring out the best way to fill a pipe, the nuances of different kinds of tabacco, and which types of tobacco I like and don't like. Don't be in hurry. . . it's well worth the time spent.
The single best piece of advice...
Hirsute
Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
I used to live in Boston and go back to visit my in-laws about once a year. I'm familiar with Leavitt and Peirce--used to buy tobacco there! They've become less of a serious tobacconist for pipes over the past decade, but I bet their Black & Gold is better than what I referred to. Likely it's an OK aromatic. With that said, aromatics are tricky and can taste blah.
LJ Peretti's is more serious pipe tobacco spot, and you'll do well to go there. Here are my recommendations for Peretti's to get a sample of several different types of pipe tobaccos and see what you like. Get an ounce of each if they smell OK to you (and take your time to chat with the guys there and ask questions, and they'll also let you sample stuff while you're there):
- Boston's Best Cavendish (a light aromatic)
- Blend 102 (a burley blend)
- Tashkent (an oriental blend)
- Oriental No. 40 (a balkan blend)
- Dundee or Park Square (Virginia/Perique blends--get whichever smells better to you--they're both great)
Extra Credit:
- Oxford Flake (straight virginia flake)
- No. 8 slice (virginia - burley - perique flake)
- Scottish Flake (a wine-soaked virginia flake, nice and flavorful and slightly aromatic--need quite a bit of drying time before smoking)
- Blend 500 (a cigar leaf blend; it's a bit of a stout smoke)
Then, report back and tell us what you liked and didn't, and I'll have some other Peretti's recommendations based on your feedback.
It sounds like you have all sorts of good tobacco suggestions, shop I'll lay off that.
As for tamping, I admit to being something of a fussy, obsessive tamper. I tend to tamp when I start to feel the draw loosen up.
As for tamping, I admit to being something of a fussy, obsessive tamper. I tend to tamp when I start to feel the draw loosen up.
Commander Quan
Commander Yellow Pantyhose
This quote by Thomas Edison sums up a beginners journey into pipe smoking. Apparently it's also hard to invent a light bulb.
Again, I learn something new here everyday!
