Tongue Bite is a fairly common problem among pipe smokers; even veteran smokers can experience it from time to time. Since you didn’t mention what kind of tobacco you smoke, I can only assume that it might be an aromatic. Aromatics tend to be the biggest villains when it comes to tongue bite. They are very moist and burn hot, which produces very hot steam, which is the root cause of tongue bite. I have not experienced any real bad tongue bite in many years….probably since the days I began smoking a pipe, over 25 years ago.
Another cause of tongue bite is the packing of the tobacco. If it’s packed too tight or too loose, this will produce either a hard or loose draw, which will in turn make the tobacco burn hot….thus, tongue bite. If you find you’ve packed your pipe to lightly, you can always use a packing tool and pack it a bit tighter. But, if you’ve packed it to tight from the start, it’s very hard to loosen it up…shy of dumping the bowl and staring again.
Also, puff rate is critical. If you smoke fast, it will burn hot and produce tongue bite. Pipe smoking is meant to be relaxing and enjoyable. It’s not a race…take your time. Take the time to select your pipe and a tobacco blend. Pack slowly and lightly….fire it up and enjoy!
As I mentioned, aromatic blends are at fault many times for tongue bite. Another type of tobacco that burns hot is Virginia blends, especially straight Virginia’s. Virginia tobaccos are naturally high in sugar and will burn hot. Virginia tobaccos are wonderful….they have great flavor and aroma, but if smoked fast, they will rip your tongue up pretty bad. Many wonderful tobacco blends have Virginia tobaccos as a base and such things as Latakia, Perique, Burley and Cavendish are added to create unique mixtures.
So, the upshot is to smoke SLOW, pack your pipe lightly (use less tobacco and pack less tight) and select tobacco blends that generally don’t burn hot. I’ve been an English Blend smoker for over 20 years (I love Latakia and Perique) and totally enjoy many brands and blends. I even smoke Virginia blends, but I’ve learned that a slow smoke and light pack are the best way to truly get the most enjoyment from my pipes.
Take it slow, relax and enjoy!
Happy Puffing!
Jim
I can remember a time when the only option for lighting a cigar, pipe, cigarette, gas stove, etc. was a wooden kitchen match. My mother and grandmother used to keep a small metal box with a lid next to the stove and strike a match to light the stove. My father and grandfather only used matches for their cigars and/or pipes.
Having been a cigar and pipe smoker for the better part of 30 years, I’ve owned my share of lighters. That being said, I actually prefer wooden matches for lighting my pipe. However, when outside or driving a butane lighter is much easier and safer to use. The match flame is much “cooler” in respect to a lighter and I have greater control over the movement flame when lighting a pipe.
While I sometimes use matches to light a cigar, the use of a nice torch butane lighter is easier and faster. The down side I find to these fancy butane torch lighters is that they don’t work very well and are expensive ($30 to $90 range). I’ve owned several Colibri butane pipe lighters and have not had the best of luck with them.
I currently own two IMCO G77R lighters and a Corona Pipemaster (brass) with Pipe Shapes on the sides. These lighters have been very reliable and have provided excellent service over the years. The IMCO lighter is made by Prometheus and are very reasonably priced at around $15.00. They use the old flint style lighting method, which IMHO is be better than the “electronic” lighting method found in many of the torch lighters. The electronic function seems to be the “Achilles’ Heel” to these lighters. Plus they tend to suffer from fuel or air locks, so you have to bleed the lighter before refilling and using. To temperamental for me.
In all honesty I can’t discuss lighters without mentioning Zippo. Zippo lighters have been around since the 30’s and have a long and wonderful history in the US and world wide. They manufacture all kinds of themes and are very reliable and collectible. However, I’ve never really got into Zippo lighters. The fuel used to impart a unpleasant flavor, which has for the most part disappeared after improvements in fuel filtering.
I recently bought a sample box of Romeo Y Julieta cigars, in which was a torch lighter by Cigar Savor (E01) was included. It’s lightweight and works pretty well….so far. For Father’s Day (2010), I received a nice cigar lighter from my wife. It’s an Eternity brand, which I’d never heard of, but it’s very attractive and works nicely. My wife gave me the receipt, just in case I wanted to exchange it, so I know what she paid. It was less than $40…not bad! I’ve paid double for Colibri lighters that stopped working six months after purchase.
The bottom line is that the issue of using lighters vs. matches is a long running source of discussion and debate between cigar and pipes smokers. As for me, I use both depending on the situation. When lighting my pipe…I prefer good old wooden kitchen matches, but there is a place and time for butane and fuel lighters.
I’ll be writing additional cigar and pipe tobacco reviews in the coming months. While I don’t want my blog to become another political commentary site, but I may toss in a few comments about the current state of affairs in this country, especially on the topics of anti-smoking and tobacco taxes. It’s really gotten out of hand and we need to stand up for OUR rights as smokers! Stay tuned!!
Happy Puffing!!
Park-Lane No. 15
Description: Our fullest English mixture yet. This blend is a combination of our No. 12 full English and a generous amount of Louisiana Perique. For those who enjoy full English style mixtures with Perique.
No. 15 has a wonderful pouch aroma of Perique and Latakia. The blend reminds me a great deal of Dunhill Nightcap, being a soft and smooth smoke from the beginning and an equally smooth finish. I call it No. 12 on steroids!! Blend No. 12 is a rich and full English blend with nearly 50% Cyprian Latakia which produces a cool and smoky flavor. The Cyprian Latakia is mixed with golden, red and stoved Virginia’s and various different Turkish tobaccos.
The addition of Perique in No. 15 amplifies the full taste of No. 12. While I often times prefer Syrian Latakia over Cyprian, I love the deep flavor and aroma of No. 15. Many of my fellow pipe smokers like this type of blend for later in the day, but I smoke No. 15 all day! This is one of my all time favorite Park-Lane blends. If you like blends with Latakia and Perique…you owe it to yourself to try this mixture.
Rating:
Strength: Strong
Flavoring: Mild to Medium
Taste: Full
Room Note: Strong but pleasant
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
If you want to read other reviews on Park-Lane Tobacconist blends, as well as many other pipe tobaccos, go to www.tobaccoreviews.com.
Park-Lane Tobacconist can be found at www.cigarsandpipes.com
Paul Bonacquisti is the owner of Park-Lane Tobacconist located in Clifton Park, New York. Paul has become well established as one of the country’s most talented and favorite pipe makers and now has the reputation of being a master blender as well. I am lucky to call Paul a personal friend. I enjoy smoking his pipes and his exceptional blends.
Park-Lane Tobacconist is an old fashioned full service Tobacconist shop. They have a well appointed web store, just like the brick and mortar store, offering a full range of hand blended English and Aromatic pipe tobaccos, tinned pipe tobaccos, cigar accessories, hand made pipes from around the world, lighters, pipe accessories and toiletries & shaving goods.
I will write additional pipe tobacco reviews on blends from Park-Lane Tobacconist as well as other fine mixtures created by McClelland, Wilke and others. Stay tuned!!
Happy Puffing!!
Cohíba Siglo VI
Size: Robusto (52 x 5.9)
Strength: Medium to Full
Price: £24.55 ($38.60)
I received a few Cuban cigars as a gift from a good friend who lives in the UK. My wife and are planning on visiting him and hie wife sometime in the future. We share the love of good cigars and pipe tobacco. I thought this would be a great opportunity to sample and review some of the top quality Cuban cigars…..
The Cohíba Siglo VI is probably one of the best cigars rolled in Cuba. I had the opportunity to smoke Cuban cigars while on vacation in Aruba in 1994. Finding a cigar shop in Oranjestad was the first priority. At this point I had never smoked a Cuban, but heard people rave about them, so my level of anticipation was high. The first thing I notice was how expensive they where…compared to cigars back in the states, these where over the top expensive. As you can see from the price above, not much as changed…..$38 for a single cigar is outrageous.
At first I was not impressed. I was an experienced cigar smoker in 1994 and had smoked cigars from Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and other counties, all of which seemed of better quality and were far less expensive. I had heard stories about how strong Cuban cigars were…these were mild and tame by comparison. However, with all due respect, these little cigars are creamy, smooth, and provide a rich myriad of aromas varying from musk, spice, earthy to woody tones. Given the Robusto size, it was a nice 45 minute smoke. It only required a single light and burned evenly, with a nice gray ash.
The Espléndido is supposed to be the “Father of Cohíbas”, but I’m afraid the Espléndido will have to relinquish its crown to the Siglo VI. This cigar is a classic from Havana stick. For anyone who wants to venture into the world of Cuban cigars, this would certainly be an excellent starting point…..and a must for the true cigar lover as well!
Appearance: 10 out of 10 (smooth and oily wrapper leaf)
Construction: 9 out of 10 (firm, yet not soft)
Flavor: 9 out of 10 (very pleasant flavor and aroma)
Value: 3 out of 10 (very expensive)
Overall Experience: 9 out of 10 (a classic smoke…very enjoyable!)
Final notes: While I truly enjoyed this cigar, it was overly expensive. Keep in mind that since 1961, all Cuban products are illegal and can’t be imported into the US. I don’t promote or encourage the illegal importation of these items….while I personally don’t agree with the political, social or economic position of the embargo, it’s the law. However, when presented with a Cuban cigar (as John F. Kennedy once said), I’ll destroy them, one by one.
I have several more Cuban cigars to smoke and review….so stay tuned!
Happy Puffing!
Hi, welcome to my first posting. I’ve selected the Rocky Patel’s 15th Anniversary cigar series to by my first review.
These cigars made their debut in the United States on July 30, 2010, but my local tobacconist had them a week or so early. The cigar is made in Nicaragua with a blend of Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, Habano Ecuadorian wrapper, and binder from Jalapa (Nicaragua). The cigars will be available in four sizes:
Note: Prices may vary based on location.
These cigars are a box pressed cigar (I prefer the more traditional round shape) and have an excellent construction, very well made. Once lit, the initial taste is full flavor with lots of spice. It is a rather “heady” cigar…I began to get a slight nicotine buzz after only a few minutes of smoking. I’ve smoked the Corona Gorda and Robusto so far. Both cigars burned evenly and did not need any re-lights and maintained a firm, long gray ash. The aroma was very pleasant and even my wife commented that it smelled nice…which she never does when I smoke a cigar. She actually prefers my pipe smoking to the cigars.
I’d have to classify the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary cigars as a full-bodied and full-strength cigar. It is cigar is really meant for the experienced cigar smoker! It is NOT for the beginner!!
I rate the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary series a ★★★★ star rating out of 5. Try before you buy! If you like full-bodied cigars, this is a great choice. However, if you prefer medium to mild, this cigar is not for you.
Next time…..I’m going to review some Cuban cigars I received from a friend who lives in the UK.
