One advantage, at least in theory, of tag combinations over single specific tags is that it's easy to zoom in and out, from a very specific search in a particular situation (many tags intersected) to a broader search (anything coming #next, or anything planned for the +project).
I'm still experimenting with tag systems, but I think that the following can help:
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Saved search queries: (video) No need to remember tag combinations for regular information retrieval. For example, a project note may automatically load the search query for all related tasks (e.g., from various meeting notes). Tag auto-completion helps when building queries.
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Limited tag vocabulary: Even a small and consistent number of tags (that is easy to memorize, still working on that...) can generate a lot of possible tag combinations. Tag auto-completion also helps to recall tags while tagging (see the Inline Tags plugin).
- Avoiding overload: Perhaps the example above demonstrated extreme granularity. However, my queries usually include 1-3 tags, and at the moment my text is usually tagged by no more than 3 tags (although perhaps I should get used to elaborate tagging).