Suddenly Lost my Taste for Pipe Tobacco

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Fuelman

Might Stick Around
Apr 20, 2024
97
156
Indiana
Title edited. See Rule 9 for title guidance.

Not sure what happened. Im a regular pipe smoker and smoke about 6 blends exclusively. Nothing has changed in my smoking routine/patterns, same amount of dry time, same char light, same smoking pace, everything yet about a month ago, I just lost my taste. All my blends taste acidic, ashy, and frankly, disgusting. I’ve pulled a few other tins out that I rarely smoke just to do some taste test and they have the same flavor profile as the rest. Any idea what could have happened?
I am so sorry for your loss . I hope your taste comes back.
 
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Reactions: fishmansf

PaulDM

Lurker
Dec 12, 2022
41
280
I have gradually gotten somewhat tired of pipe smoking and the taste of tobacco. Nothing as dramatic as you, but I have gone from once a day to a few times a week. When I am in the mood for a smoke I really enjoy it. As long as there is nothing physically wrong with you, a reduced taste for tobacco is probably a good thing health wise and wallet wise.
 

bassbug

Lifer
Dec 29, 2016
1,130
968
My nurse will check your prostate.

-Dr. Dan

hvew99e358k61.jpg
So that's where she went off to. We dated a while....
 

Sig

Might Stick Around
Jul 18, 2023
90
587
Western NY
This happened to me once.
After doing a real good deep cleaning on my pipes, it was 100% better.
I get into the habit of smoking a pipe many, many, many times with only a cleaner down the shank after each smoke.
I realized my issue when I smoked a couple pipes I rarely smoke. They tasted great.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,104
26,408
Florida - Space Coast
Brush your teeth more than once a year? I don't of course, it's how i reduce tongue bite.

I actually went through a couple month period where cigars tasted gross to me, beautifully maintained vintage cubans, fresh cubans, didn't matter they all tasted sour, wasted a lot of good sticks before just putting them aside for awhile. My tastes came back around a couple months later, oh and pipes still tasted fine. Could be a bazillion things, no point in pushing it, best to just lay off a bit then come back around.
 

sardonicus87

Lifer
Jun 28, 2022
1,147
12,009
37
Lower Alabama
Sometimes dirty pipe gremlins show up out of nowhere, sometimes they slowly creep in unnoticed until they get real bad.

I didn't even notice how bad my meer was smoking because it was so gradual, until I ran some drill bits through the shank, then the next smoke after was magical. Like, I could tell it was off, just didn't realize by just how much.

I don't clean my pipes often, just a pipe cleaner mid-smoke and after smoking. I keep a bunch of clean clays around and if I am unsure if it's me or the pipe or the tobacco, I try something I know well that I know isn't off in the clay and if that's off, I know it's me. If it's not off in the clay, then I know it's the pipe.
 

beargreasediet

Can't Leave
Nov 23, 2021
301
2,497
The Prairie
Don’t tell anybody but I’m gonna do you a real solid here friend. Send me all your pipes and tobacco - and for a nominal fee I will check them out for you and give you a detailed report.

As for the bloodwork, unless your dr is a total stud, there is an app, that you may or may not be familiar with, that gives you a much better read on things than most sick-care professionals. They have a discount on full spectrum blood panels, especially nice if you are paying the bill…
 

Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
2,937
14,161
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton
Hey we’re all doctors here, so let’s quit fucking around and just call it brain cancer.
These are consistently the worst threads on every forum. Rank amateurs guessing at your health. Just stop it.
Sounds like Forum Derangement Syndrome ! Smoke two pipe bowls with your favorite beverage and report back to us in the morning. Remember, it feels good to feel good. 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️:ROFLMAO: puffy
 
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dingdong

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 2, 2024
173
839
Jakarta, Indonesia
It happened to me once in a while..not sure if its
a) too many pipes
b) changing blends constantly
c) too many bowls a day
d) not enough drinks (tea/coffee/alcohol)
d) other life's problem (stress, work, money, women etc)
What i do then :
Sticking to a few pipes and 1-2 blends only ; quit pipes and went to cigarette again to experience how horrible cigarettes are; change food and drink patterns and slow down piping ; basically changing the pattern and break the cycle (i just quit my job) puffy puffy puffy
 

fishmansf

Can't Leave
Oct 29, 2022
322
754
PNW
A lot I would have suggested has already been covered.

If for some reason you decide to stop … don’t get rid of your pipes or any accumulated tobacco, just put it away. You may be glad you still have them down the road.
I won’t ever stop smoking, not even if I’m at deaths doorstep. I’ve taken up snus (for those of you who were on that thread, my wife and I came to an agreement) which has cut down my smoking a lot compared to what it used to be but I don’t ever plan to quit. I had a cancer scare this last year (an unrelated cancer to smoking) and one of my main questions to my doc was “can I still smoke a pipe during treatment”? Being as I’m a fit young guy with his life ahead of him, both my doc and my wife weren’t too happy with that question 😂
 
May 14, 2024
2
2
Your original post is a timely one for me; I'm experiencing a similar thing over the past week or two.

Three months ago I bought an assortment of house blends from a brick and mortar. All were decent blends (likely Sutliff) except one, which tasted to me exactly like new, clean cardboard. (If you've ever worked a stocking position in a warehouse or store you'll know the smell.) The taste wasn't particularly bad or good, it was just...cardboard. I put that blend away and left it untouched since then.

I smoke many different blends but prefer stronger, funkier tastes. Last week I lit up a regular favorite and noticed immediately that it had a hint of that same cardboard taste. Over the next couple of days all of my blends began taking on this same taste. Doesn't matter the moisture level, the way they're stored, how old they are, packing methods, etc...everything is starting to taste like it's about 20% cardboard.

My best guess is I've overloaded my palate/olfactory system by hitting it hard with a lot of potent flavors. It doesn't help that I'm a daily cigarette smoker as well. I'm taking a break from smoking pipes (and probably the cigs too) to see if anything changes. I'll let you know what happens.

I know of only one other person this has happened to, except his "ghost taste" was soap. He said after a month of smoking only Prince Albert (a basic, non-abrasive blend with minimal potency) his palate "reset" to normal. Might be food for thought.