Taste vs Smell

[Cogsworth]

So I have been vaping for a couple of weeks now and I feel like I'm not really getting the flavor that everyone talks about. It almost feels like I "smell" the vapor rather than "taste" it. Is that fairly common? I am using an Ego Twist and have tried a carto tank, VapeOnly BCC tanks and a Vivi Nova mini. The flavors I've tried are Vanilla and White Chocolate Raspberry from Virgin Vapor, Bonnie and Clyde from Villain Vapes and Raspberry Lemonade from Pink Spot.

What are your opinions on taste vs smell? I know they are quite intertwined.

 

[Baditude]

What you're experiencing is quite common and normal, actually. You have a form of what we vapors call "vapor's tongue". After years of cigarette smoking, you have damaged taste buds. They will heal after a period of time once you stop smoking.

To better allow yourself to distinguish your different e-liquid flavors, make certain that you exhale some of your inhaled vapor through your nose. Our sense of smell actually assists our sense of taste with food and drink, and is no different with our vaporized e-liquids.

Also make sure that you drink plenty of water during the course of your day. The Pg and Vg in e-liquid attract water and actually pull water from our tissues when we vape. This can lead to dry mouth (which affects flavor detection) and even can cause mild dehydration if not replaced.

Stronger flavors such as menthol, cinnamon, and the mint family are easier for damaged taste buds to detect. Some juice vendors also offer flavor boosts for their customized flavors. I'd recommend not using just one flavor, as this can cause over-saturation to the taste buds. Variety truly is the spice of life.

 

[TyrannyUnleashed]

What you're experiencing is quite common and normal, actually. You have a form of what we vapors call "vapor's tongue". After years of cigarette smoking, you have damaged taste buds. They will heal after a period of time once you stop smoking.

To better allow yourself to distinguish your different e-liquid flavors, make certain that you exhale some of your inhaled vapor through your nose. Our sense of smell actually assists our sense of taste with food and drink, and is no different with our vaporized e-liquids.

Also make sure that you drink plenty of water during the course of your day. The Pg and Vg in e-liquid attract water and actually pull water from our tissues when we vape. This can lead to dry mouth (which affects flavor detection) and even can cause mild dehydration if not replaced.

Stronger flavors such as menthol, cinnamon, and the mint family are easier for damaged taste buds to detect. Some juice vendors also offer flavor boosts for their customized flavors. I'd recommend not using just one flavor, as this can cause over-saturation to the taste buds. Variety truly is the spice of life.

Great response!
I posted last night that I was having a hard time with taste along the same lines as OP's post. I got pretty much the same answer that you gave, but this really hit home with me.

 

[fold_moiler]

i haven't smoked for a while. like two months and when i'm at my mom's or someone else's house they can still smell the vapor but i never can. i think it's because i'm always exposed to it. i know i didn't answer your question lol. but i can taste it more when i exhale from my nose. but i'm not a big fan of water dripping from my nose.

 

[allentu]

From personal experience, I seem to notice that it depends on your juice and setup. Even with exactly the same setup, some juices just taste different even though its a "standard" taste like watermelon for example. There are some local "in house" brands that I will not be buying any longer

 

[Kagey K]

i haven't smoked for a while. like two months and when i'm at my mom's or someone else's house they can still smell the vapor but i never can. i think it's because i'm always exposed to it. i know i didn't answer your question lol. but i can taste it more when i exhale from my nose. but i'm not a big fan of water dripping from my nose.

Water dripping from your nose? Every vape I take is a half nose/half mouth exhale so I get full flavor and I never get water drips out of my nose. That seems weird to me.

I also play around with the vapor in my mouth a bit, rolling my tongue and moving it around so the vapor hits all of my tastebuds, and no it doesn't look as weird as it sounds.

 

[fold_moiler]

just took a pull and blew it 100 out my nose. i def felt moisture building up.

 

[Kagey K]

just took a pull and blew it 100 out my nose. i def felt moisture building up.

hmmmm maybe I'm weird then.... I did have my adenoids taken out as a kid, perhaps that is the difference?

Edit are you guys using high pg juice? I'm using straight vg - 80 vg/20 pg ratios.

 

[KerryK]

So I have been vaping for a couple of weeks now and I feel like I'm not really getting the flavor that everyone talks about. It almost feels like I "smell" the vapor rather than "taste" it. Is that fairly common? I am using an Ego Twist and have tried a carto tank, VapeOnly BCC tanks and a Vivi Nova mini. The flavors I've tried are Vanilla and White Chocolate Raspberry from Virgin Vapor, Bonnie and Clyde from Villain Vapes and Raspberry Lemonade from Pink Spot.

What are your opinions on taste vs smell? I know they are quite intertwined.

I just listened to this very enlightening Big Picture Science Podcast on Taste and Smell:

Big Picture Science

"Imagine biting into a rich chocolate donut and not tasting it. That’s what happened to one woman when she lost her sense of smell. Discover what scientists have learned about how the brain experiences flavor, and the evolutionary intertwining of odor and taste."