What happened?!!!

Could it be the weather? Atmospheric conditions that could have affected the pipe or the way the pipe interacts with tobacco? Has to be something odd if that pipe and that tobacco are otherwise a perfect combo and you are quite certain the pipe is clean and not sour.

Don't ask me what it is, but it's the reason I prefer to smoke a new blend more than once before judging it.
Of course, the opposite can happen as well. Sometimes I'll get a terrific smoke out of a pipe which normally doesn't do much for me.

Usually, a brushing of the teeth and a drink of water does the trick. But, some days, not often, my tastes are just off. I chalk that up to body chemistry.

On the other hand, it just might be... DSB!*

*DSB: Dreaded Semen Buildup

were not dedicated to a genre I would suggest what was last smoked. That not being the case try it again in a few days, same result or back to normal? Might be an oddity or maybe the pipe is tired of English and is hinting for a change.

Other than that it could be stem goo fowling the smoke, easily removed with some Dawn. :-)

And its normally English blends. That may be because I'm a VA kind of guy...

Not sure what happened but my first recommendation would be a four digit KW and a good ole codger burley for a couple days. Give the Dunnie a couple days off and it'll be right as rain.

Ian: smoked indoors, dehumidifier running as it does all year, nope, not atmosphere - good thought though.

Matches: point well taken - ya gotta give a new tobac at least a half dozen bowls ... preferably at least 1/2 tin before making a decision ... unless its G&H Ennerdale Flake which can officially be called YAK after one puff ;o)

Bob: I don't put semen in my pipes ... what exactly have you been doing with that 7" canadian?

ckr: last tobacco smoked in this pipe was the same ... and it was wonderful. Last time smoked was about 20 days ago - plenty of rest. And yes, dedicated to Englishes and Balkans for years. Dawn: I forgive you (evil man!) - once was enough!

Bob: you may be onto something ... more and more I'm a straight VA kind of guy (or maybe a Va/Burley). Lately I've smoked A LOT of VAs ... gosh I hope I'm not getting away from Englishes ... I've got 50 tins of the stuff in the cellar!

GI: a change in diet may be order. Maybe I'll go on a Navy Flake kick for a while (I love that stuff). Its not a codger burley but it is at least a Va/Burley which is about as close as I get. As far as the Kaywoodie ... no, I'll just stay with my primary rotation - I don't believe this had anything to do with that particular pipe.

Either way, I think I'll not smoke anything tonight ... a day off won't kill me and might do a world of good.

Thanks guys.

An ample pinch of Copenhagen also helps cleanse the pallet. Just don't spit out the window of the Jag or you'll have nice brown Redneck Racing Stipes. I can tell you the proper aim point from the driver's side of an F-150 going 60 MPH is about 2 inches above the outside rearview mirror but on a Jag, I really can't say. Probably better off with an empty Gatoraide bottle in the console (at least that's how I roll)

Rick, you wrote that there was about 20 days between smokes. Good pipes are like athletes, they thrive on competition and exercise. Or, think old cars which run better when used, rather than setting in a garage. For me, I would never rest a pipe that I like more than 3-5 days. I don't know if there is a rational explanation, but I know from experience that, for me, pipes rested too long don't respond as expected to a quality blend. Usually takes a few smokes to nudge the pipe along. Just a thought.

And, Cap'n, DSB is linked to a different set of pipes normally, at least for me.

24 pipes in the primary rack. 1 pipe smoked per day (sometimes multiple bowls in the same pipe). Toss in a couple of yard work pipes. With the exception of a few extra bowls on the weekends you're looking at 20 to 30 days rest average per pipe. I've found if they sit for too long they tend to gurgle a little but at my current rotation they're dry as can be. And the flavor always seems wonderful to me ... Lately I've been spending extra time breaking in all those Dunnies I bought a few months ago. Sometimes it seems all I smoke is Dunhills (*grins*). But now I'm trying to just go back to the same old rotation I always used.

But you have me thinking now ... gee ... maybe this is a bit too much rest ... hmm ... well, tell ya what I'm going to do ... that Dunnie is coming right back up for a 2nd go around Sunday (which gives it 3 days rest) and we'll see how she performs. God how I love experimenting with pipes.

LOL ... just thinking of you spitting at the mirror by mistake ... egads that would be disgusting. So thats how you put pin striping on a car ... always wondered about that.

Copenhagen ... never tried the stuff and don't think I will now ... just me and my pipes are all I want from the tobacco world. (well, I'm still toying with cigars but not with much success)

I, too, have found that a pipe allowed to dry out too long can take awhile to get back to tasting the way I like. My pipes number 15 in rotation. I sometimes will smoke one pipe a few times a day. But I generally will smoke at least 3-5 different pipes in a day for a total of 8 to 12 smokes. I never allow my pipes to rest, too long. A week is fine, but I have experienced what has been discussed here if allowed to rest too long.

As for DSB, I must have gotten my pipes mixed up alright. It just so happens that my HSMM* was feeling neglected and I was no longer thinking as clearly as I should.

*HSMM: Heat Seeking Moisture Missle! (This site is rated PG-13 so I had better be careful)

And I don't think it's the pipe or tobacco. Generally, pretty much everything I try of that tobacco blend seems pretty grim. What sometimes works is to fire up something completely different - those Englishes - & see if that doesn't help matters. I put it down to biorythms/ new moon/ constipation/ whatever. Just put it behind you (he he) & keep smoking like a trooper should.

Dunhill-Ashton oil-cured pipes don't need rest: smoke well or don't smoke well.
There is a moisture saturation point in the oil-cured pipes? Yes, sure, then, must rest (24-48 hours, no more). The weather: I think this is very important: high pressure or low pressure (sun, rain, wind, snow, etc.. not very important).
When a oil cured pipe rests for 30 days everything changes: the pipe is dried (too) and we need to smoke as if it's new. More you smoke better smoke your oil cured pipe. Only my opinion, of course.

NOW THAT IS FUNNY! I hate when that happens.
Dave

www.dsb.dk

LMAO! :)

Are you married? Could the wife have sabotaged your tobacco? Aaah, a mystery to be sure. Might need a two pipes smoke to figure this one out. I once heard about a wife who wanted to please her man, and washed his pipes in the dishwasher. Had to wonder if they were still married after that one?

I once caught our Zulu maid scrubbing my Peterson POY in a bucket of soapy water. The pipe recovered. The maid remained. Those who know Africa will understand how these things happen.

but it happened to me yesterday too. A VA/burley with a hint of turkish just smoked wrong. I usually enjoy the blend, but it went so far east Marko Polo wouldn't have mapped it. Anyway it turned me off for the rest of the day and I couldn't bear to light up anything. It would not have been bad if I wanted Oriental, just wasn't what I ordered. Weirded me out completly as this bowl is mostly used for VA blends, I think.

Damn but that is good service, my friend!

can and will spoil your day. That is what I have experienced. Dryer is better. For most blends, "clumping" is an indication that it is on the wet side. If you pinch and the tobacco remains clumped. I feel it is too moist. On the other hand, brittle is too dry. There is a "sweet-spot" for moisture level that hovers around 15% as ideal. When you find it in a blend, take note of it and how it feels in the hand and pinch. That will be your guide.

Bottom line, moisture does rob flavor!

The BART here in San Francisco really makes me miss the S-tog...even if they are always fixing the tracks...but when they randomly cancel your train...it does make a nice walk on which to smoke a pipe...

Cheers,

Josh

Some of those tracks are from back when the S-tog lines were established in the 60s. DSB has just been stalling, stalling, stalling, stalling Oh-Something-Broke-So-Now-We-Have-To ...

yeah...those tracks are always having problems...but the trains are clean and quiet...hmmm...I miss that...but it would make sense if they tried to get ahead of the problems a bit more...oh well...I guess they were working heavily on the tracks when I left...anyway...

back to the actual topic of this thread...

I hope your taste-buds have come back to life Rick...any clues as to what was up?...or was it just a random quirk of body chemistry...that most of us seem to experience from time to time...

Cheers,

Josh

About the topic ... Yes, it has happened to me.

None of those are questions, just a list of statements :) But I get what you're saying.

There's a bunch of reasons why it happens, and the tricky part is to figure out just what it was.

Here's a few reasons _I_ have found for a pipe and tobacco tasting off or downright awful:

1) If the pipe has rested longer than you normally would (bone dry)
2) If the pipe has rested less than you normally would (moisture left in the wood)
3) If the weather has changed (a drop in pressure will affect your taste buds and your sense of smell ... and make your knee sore if you're as old as ckr)
4) If you have eaten food that is flavored/spiced very differently from what you're used to (it can take a few days for the taste buds and sense of smell to get back on track)
5) If you have changed beverage (Going from Coca Cola to Coca Cola Light, or from one Coffee roast to another, whatever the case may be - will affect your nose and taste buds and again, it can take them a while to adjust)
6) Something has affected your sense of smell in general (I will explain)

That's the top 6 from my own personal experiences.

Here's my explanation on 6):

We're all pretty much equipped with the same amount of taste buds. Their sensitivity varies a great deal from person to person, but the things we can taste are all the same: sweet, bitter, sour, salt (and umami). The sensitivity dictates how strongly we react to things like hot spices, or lemon or whatever ... which many wrongly interpret as nuances of taste. It's just your body saying: Holy crap this stuff has something on it I'm not used to! Dude!

The nose is a lot more interesting. Even though we have some of the baddest excuses for a sense of smell in the family of mammals, it works pretty well for our purpose and is a very individually tuned device in our body. We can pretty much smell the same things but the ability to pick up nuances, particular smells and make distinctions varies greatly.

Most of what you experience as taste is in fact smell. Try eating something very flavorful while holding your nose and you'll see/taste what I'm talking about. The flavor will be gone, or at least very obscure. If something has affected your sense of smell in some little way, it will ultimately affect the taste of whatever you're consuming. I have found that tobacco is particularly sensitive to these changes.

Sorry about the rant, but sensed you were looking for the bigger picture. I hoped this helped, at least in a little way.

Edit: A small example of how taste is affected. Say you're walking around in a stable all day, tending to some horses. There's a bunch of very strong smells in such a place. At first you will feel a slight discomfort because you're not used to the smells. Some people even react so strong that they get physically ill. After a while, the nose (brain) gets used to the idea of the smells in your surroundings and stops paying attention to them (they're no longer "new" or "dangerous", so the brain blocks them out). If you go straight from the stables and fetch a plain vanilla ice cream from the freezer, odds are it will taste a hell of a lot more of vanilla than you're used to. I have experienced this on many occasions. When I was a wee lad, I used to help out on my aunt's farm. Everything tasted very different from what I was used to back home, but I was eating the same brand of cold cuts, and whatnot as I always had.

Copenhagen and Codger Burlies.
This will fix 99% of the world's problems

I took a day off from smoking yesterday to give my tastebuds a rest. Tastewise everything I eat tastes perfectly normal so I'm at a complete loss to explain this. Must be body chemistry like you said Josh. Tonight I'll be smoking after work - hopefully I'll be back to normal.

GI I never would have guessed you would feel this way! LOL, God I love this zaney batch of nuts.

I'll reply when I get home (didn't want you to think I was blowing you off - thanks for the long response!)