Tobacco questions, advice needed

[Puffin'Canuck]

Good day all,

I've been smoking for a couple months now, pretty consistently, and I really enjoy the experience. I love the fact that it makes me sit down for 30 minutes or so and just relax on the patio. Here's the question: I notice the tobacco cycles through stages. I find it starts quite nice and flavourful, but about 1/3 into the bowl it gets really awesome. I love it when it really opens up and the flavours all come tumbling out. Very quickly after this though, it seems to get a little bitter and sometimes unpleasing, depending on the smoke. Is it the fact that I'm still with fairly new pipes and they need time to smoke nice, the tobacco, excess tars that accumulate in the bowl? All three? Is there a way to make the whole bowl as enjoyable as that puff when everything is in perfect harmony? advice please. I've already decided that I'm going to the grave as a pipe smoker, so I need to make this as pleasurable as possible! thanks.

[dogsplayinpoker]

Might be what you are smoking. What are you smoking?

[uncballzer]

I get the same thing; I've been smoking over a year now and even on my best pipes I still get a bitter end to the bowl. My favorite part, after say about smoking after 10minutes of a new bowl, and having to sit it down for a few hours while I'm working and then come back to it, it tastes soo much better, and typically then smokes the whole way with not as much bitterness as if I smoked it the whole way through.

[Puffin'Canuck]

Originally Posted by dogsplayinpoker

Might be what you are smoking. What are you smoking?

a couple different types. first is a virginian cake. second, i smoke only aromatics in one pipe, so there is maple vanilla right now in it. and third, a blend from my local called Ionian.

Even the aromatics get a bit bitter toward the final puffs.

[Puffin'Canuck]

Originally Posted by uncballzer

I get the same thing; I've been smoking over a year now and even on my best pipes I still get a bitter end to the bowl. My favorite part, after say about smoking after 10minutes of a new bowl, and having to sit it down for a few hours while I'm working and then come back to it, it tastes soo much better, and typically then smokes the whole way with not as much bitterness as if I smoked it the whole way through.

i do agree with this. I also enjoy that. I find when I get home from work I like a few puffs, but then put it down until after dinner. thats when its really satisfing and it opens up. there is a whole different aroma as well, just from the unlit bowl.

good times, thanks.

[dogsplayinpoker]

Originally Posted by Puffin'Canuck

a couple different types. first is a virginian cake. second, i smoke only aromatics in one pipe, so there is maple vanilla right now in it. and third, a blend from my local called Ionian.

Even the aromatics get a bit bitter toward the final puffs.

I would expect the aromatics to get bitter once the casing(flavoring) burns away.
If your pipe is new, it may have been pre-carbed. Basically the manufacturer coats the inside of your pipe with a mixture of carbon. This is supposed to help with the bowl becoming too hot. While it may do this, it also tastes very nasty(ashy) for quite a few bowls.

[WWhermit]

Originally Posted by Puffin'Canuck

i do agree with this. I also enjoy that. I find when I get home from work I like a few puffs, but then put it down until after dinner. thats when its really satisfing and it opens up. there is a whole different aroma as well, just from the unlit bowl.

good times, thanks.

This is known as DGT. Delayed Gratification Technique, and is works wonderfully.

WWhermit

[Quick_nick]

Everyone will have there own opinions on what makes a pipe smoke better and tobacco taste the best, you have to just keep smoking and you will find out what is best for you. I agree with another post in that the casing on aromatics will burn off and turn out to be more bland as you smoke.

Cheers

[Mad Hatter]

You might try loading 2/3 of a bowl and seeing how that smokes. It might reveal something about your situation.

[Puffin'Canuck]

thanks for the help, all. i'm sure the answer lies within the fact that i just need to buy more pipes and much more tobacco. (my girlfriend will probably kill me....but at least when she comes at me, there'll be a pipe between my teeth!)