Cobs make tobacco taste worse...unpopular view?

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The space at the bottom of the bowl is a good moisture sink. Think Peterson's system pipes. Leaving the filter in adds a moisture sponge.

I think a cob is superior to a basket pipe. Once a person has some experience a cob can be filled with pipe mud and the filter taken out.

It is only the better briar pipes that can handle moisture the way a cob does. For example my Cavicchi lovat has a very absorbant stem and it never has moisture difficulties.

Flavor wise there is a good bit of flavor carried by the smoke that is burning a bit moist. When I was a hot-boxing newb, the cob was very forgiving of my poor technique. Now I still have some cobs that I grab for around the land smokes.

And as an employer there are times I smoke a pipe with an employee and sharing cobs allows me to be unpretentious. I do not have any of my expensive pipes at the office. If you are going to share a cob with a friend then don't break out a $600.00 Rad Davis.
 
Haha! I like the animated responses so far. Maybe I should be more specific about my qualms. I have decided that by and large I only really enjoy English blends, specifically ones loaded with latakia. Maybe those just don't play well in a cob for me. But even when I smoke something else, it still tastes like I'm taking the tobacco I love and ruining it because I'm also inhaling burnt Kellogg's Corn Pops. It's sort of a sickly sweet nauseating taste. Dislike!

But oh well! *shrug*
 
IMO English and Balkans (Latakia blends) are best left to meerschaums and briars.

The bigger question, how do you feel about corn flakes and pop corn? :)
 
After the first few bowls you should not be tasting any cob. You should be developing a carbon layer in the bowl.

I guess I am just not smoking mine hot enough. :geek:
 
joequo":5e10p22g said:
Haha! I like the animated responses so far. Maybe I should be more specific about my qualms. I have decided that by and large I only really enjoy English blends, specifically ones loaded with latakia. Maybe those just don't play well in a cob for me. But even when I smoke something else, it still tastes like I'm taking the tobacco I love and ruining it because I'm also inhaling burnt Kellogg's Corn Pops. It's sort of a sickly sweet nauseating taste. Dislike!

But oh well! *shrug*
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It's a good point, however, some Latakia creations do really well in cobs. The key is, the drier the cob (as to the smoke), the less "corny" palate notes you'll get into a bowlful.

I often enjoy the fact Squadron Leader tastes just like smokey buttered popcorn due to the somewhat oily nature of that mixture.

Smoking sweet "corn pops" sounds vile... maybe you got an extra-sugary cob or your Lat mixtures are cased more than mine? :scratch:

8)
 
...I have a few cobs...smoke them a few times a year...as stated...its a matter of subjectivity. I personally enjoy smoking a briar pipe over anything else...I enjoy my Native American 'pipestone", meers, porcelain, and a clays every once-in-a-while...at some point I will try a Morta...quite stunning to look at, and have read some fine reviews...

Oh well, just my take... :cheers:

 
I am also not a fan of cobs. I prefer the way my blends taste in a quality briar pipe that has been fully broken in. I get a much cooler and drier smoke which leads to better flavor for me. I dedicate my pipes so I can appreciate the subtle differences in blends, and to my tastes, nothing smokes my flakes better than quality briar. I have a couple of meers but am not crazy about those either. The great thing about our hobby is that everyone's tastes are different and people should always smoke what they like, not what other people think they should like. If would be pretty boring if we all liked the same things.
 
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