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What affects the taste of a cigar?

Excellent read. There is a lot of food for thought. I haven't noticed that my mood effects the taste, but definately the environment does. I have gotten to the point of not smoking when doing yardwork, because the cigars are not enjoyed nearly as much.

I should also pay more attention to the pairings, as this might enable me to pickup the flavor profiles.

I do have a question regarding the aging process. After a cigar has peaked, does it start to go the opposite direction in quality? if so, when does that process start?

Thanks for the post,

Ken
 
Fatken said:
I do have a question regarding the aging process. After a cigar has peaked, does it start to go the opposite direction in quality? if so, when does that process start?
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"Peaked" for you may not be "peaked" for me. Also it depends on the cigar blend in question.
 
It is a good read with a lot of insight. I will keep this link for future references. Thanks for the post. :thumbs:
 
I want to point out that each of these factors can influence the overall enjoyment. Sometimes they might, sometimes not. I can think of several cigars that I expected to be a superior smoke that were not. Don't let expectations rule you. I remember my first Indian Tabac. All had only heard mediocre reviews, but I quite enjoyed it.

However, to maximize mood, expectation, environment, and pairings, I've elevated many of my best cigars to a point of ritual. Cheapskate that I am, I'll be damned if I'll waste a $20+ cigar to lack of preparation. In that light, has anyone ever wondered why the cigar smoked with friends tasted so much better?

Also, I think you're strange for mentioning the blend last. :laugh:
 
NullSmurf said:
Also, I think you're strange for mentioning the blend last. :laugh:
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The points weren't necessarily listed in order of importance... rather just the order in which I chose to present them.
 
Andrew, there is one thing missing in the list. The bodies PH level, when the bodies acid level is very high and you add tobacco, a base (ammonia). The result is a salt and a very distinct flavor difference than when our bodies PH level is balanced.

Al
 
puffstuff said:
Andrew, there is one thing missing in the list. The bodies PH level, when the bodies acid level is very high and you add tobacco, a base (ammonia). The result is a salt and a very distinct flavor difference than when our bodies PH level is balanced.

Al
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hmmm....intersting.

So would different drinks while smoking have a different change in the PH of our mouths? Like for example, would coffee have a different spike in the PH of the mouth than alcohol?
 
Might be why citrius juices suck with a cigar.

Doc.
 
indyrob said:
puffstuff said:
Andrew, there is one thing missing in the list. The bodies PH level, when the bodies acid level is very high and you add tobacco, a base (ammonia). The result is a salt and a very distinct flavor difference than when our bodies PH level is balanced.

Al
Click to expand...
hmmm....intersting.

So would different drinks while smoking have a different change in the PH of our mouths? Like for example, would coffee have a different spike in the PH of the mouth than alcohol?
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Rob, I'm not sure about that. I did a lot of research on the subject after I had a cigar one day that tasted very salty. One weird thing I found out was although tobacco itself is a base and will initially cause a reaction in the mouth it actually acidifies the body in the long term as does caffeine, milk, wheat, meats. It's some interesting stuff to research.
 
Excellent read Andrew.

I guess in part your summation could be an analogy on life. If you believe something is good, it's going to be good.

Brian
 
Nice read Andrew. One thing I have noticed which may go under the Enviorment catagory is weather. I like to smoke outside, and when it's really hot out can mak a difference in how a cigar taste to me. Or, like today. I smoked what is usually a favorite on the front porch while it was pouring down rain. It seemed off to me and, when I got down to the last third I guess the humidity took it's toll. The taste really got harsh and I could not for the life of me keep it lit. I finally gave up and called it off.
 
jfields said:
Nice read Andrew. One thing I have noticed which may go under the Enviorment catagory is weather. I like to smoke outside, and when it's really hot out can mak a difference in how a cigar taste to me. Or, like today. I smoked what is usually a favorite on the front porch while it was pouring down rain. It seemed off to me and, when I got down to the last third I guess the humidity took it's toll. The taste really got harsh and I could not for the life of me keep it lit. I finally gave up and called it off.
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Good point... though I'd assume weather only matters when smoking outside (unless we're talking about humidity).
 
moki said:
jfields said:
Nice read Andrew. One thing I have noticed which may go under the Enviorment catagory is weather. I like to smoke outside, and when it's really hot out can mak a difference in how a cigar taste to me. Or, like today. I smoked what is usually a favorite on the front porch while it was pouring down rain. It seemed off to me and, when I got down to the last third I guess the humidity took it's toll. The taste really got harsh and I could not for the life of me keep it lit. I finally gave up and called it off.
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Good point... though I'd assume weather only matters when smoking outside (unless we're talking about humidity).
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This is interesting in terms of differences. For me, smoking outside is a definite second. I have a strong preference for smoking inside and preferably in a small room. I enjoy to smell the smoke and see the room fill up with it. I enjoy the smell of the smoke all around me and to see it. It even is a plus if the sun is coming through a window during the sunrise or sunset part of the day and I can see rays of sunlight shine through the smoke I blow. Just my preference.
 
moki said:
What affects the taste of a cigar? -- my thoughts. Your comments?
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That's great! And I think all of them are very true. If I have a cold or bad allergy day, smoking a cigar is usually not very enjoyable. Fruit juice doesn't go well with cigars for me either, nor beer for that matter. Alcohol is OK, but can detract from the cigar. Water seems to be the best to let the cigar show through.

I have been smoking a lot this past week and am sort of cigarred out for a bit. I usually smoke once or twice a week, but it has been every day smoking 3-5 cigars a day. I knew that I needed a break, but my buddy wanted to smoke a cigar. I grabbed a HdM PR from '04, and I usually love this cigar, but it just didn't do it for me. It tasted kind of burnt and wasn't that enjoyable. "you have only one set of taste buds, and they are a continuous system" ... yup ... that seems to be very true in this case. If I can slow down and listen to what my body is telling me, instead of letting my mind think it knows best, I usually come out better for it. :)

"People underestimate the power of expectation, which is why blind taste tests are so incredibly important in finding out what cigars you really enjoy." Very true! This is one of the reasons I wanted to start the Blind Review thread. I thought it would allow people to take time and focus on the cigar with minimizing their expectations, which would hopefully allow for more of the cigar's true characteristics to show up. I know for me it has been fun to try a blind review of a cigar. Feel free to jump in anytime. :thumbs:
 
I have to take this "where you smoke makes a difference" thought a step further.

In the early days of my cigar enjoyment, I would almost always smoke in his living room. Indoor conditions (versus outdoor smoking conditions), to me, are MORE ideal as I already don't have as good a read on my sense of taste for a cigar to begin with (meaning, discerning flavors or taste profile of a cigar). What contributes to this is the fact that the lingering smoke in the outdoor air is wafted away by a breeze. Sure humidity outdoors and temps can also cause the burn to be imbalanced (canoeing) or just too much/too little humidity can cause the cigar to burn either too slow or too fast; my point is, when I smoke I want to be effused WITH that smoke lingering around me. Indoors is much more conducive, to me anyways, because I can really smell the pre-lit cut of the cigar, and enjoy the post-inhaled "exhaust" of the smoke better, too. More often than not, when I'm outdoors the scent of the cigar smoke (and the cigar itself) is in direct competition with so many other things (smell of foliage or grass, the scent of grilled food on the air, car exhaust, etc.....).

As I stated, though, my olfactory sense of "taste" is quite diminuitive and can be adversely affected easily by external stimuli. Indoors is more conducive to making a better smoking experience.

My half centavo,
Darren
 
Saxjazzman said:
For me, smoking outside is a definite second. I have a strong preference for smoking inside and preferably in a small room. I enjoy to smell the smoke and see the room fill up with it. I enjoy the smell of the smoke all around me and to see it...
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I tend to agree. I enjoy a good smoke on the porch, but if weather permits, I'll smoke back in my garage where I can fill up the space with smoke. For me the trailing smoke (from the lit end) has such a different character that the drawn smoke that only building it up in a semi-confined space allows me to fully enjoy the more fragrant cigars.

For example, I've smoked an OR AVO LE05 on my porch and also in my garage. The amazing bouquet of the LE05 was much more pronounced and concentrated in the garage and I felt I got much more out of the experience. I still consider this one of the best damned smelling cigars I've ever come across and puffing on the deck outside just let so much of that magic slip away.

Wilkey
 
Ginseng said:
Saxjazzman said:
For me, smoking outside is a definite second. I have a strong preference for smoking inside and preferably in a small room. I enjoy to smell the smoke and see the room fill up with it. I enjoy the smell of the smoke all around me and to see it...
Click to expand...
I tend to agree. I enjoy a good smoke on the porch, but if weather permits, I'll smoke back in my garage where I can fill up the space with smoke. For me the trailing smoke (from the lit end) has such a different character that the drawn smoke that only building it up in a semi-confined space allows me to fully enjoy the more fragrant cigars.

For example, I've smoked an OR AVO LE05 on my porch and also in my garage. The amazing bouquet of the LE05 was much more pronounced and concentrated in the garage and I felt I got much more out of the experience. I still consider this one of the best damned smelling cigars I've ever come across and puffing on the deck outside just let so much of that magic slip away.

Wilkey
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...do tell, Wilkey... how does a Moontrance taste while you're skipping? :)
 
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