• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Refining Your Pallette

N2Advnture

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
1,712
I have seen lots of posts lately in regards to "refining a pallette" so I thought I'd toss my $.02 in.

The key reason for refining your pallette is to aide in picking up the sublties in your smokes, so here are a few tips that I belive will help you out:

1.) A "refined" pallette doesn't come over night and isn't available to everyone. Genetics has a lot to do with it as well, so don't get discouraged. The main key is to try a WIDE variety of cigars and to concentrate on them when smoking. (ie: Don't be working on your car or mowing your lawn.)

2.) Smoke slower! Remember the one minute rule between draws. This is the most common reason people don't pick up certain flavors. For one, they smoke too fast which causes a cigar to get hot and bitter. Secondly, because they are smoking to quickly, they don't have a chance to savor the flavors and don't concentrate on them. Try it, I guarantee you will pick up more flavor.

3.) After taking a draw and expelling the smoke, take some air in through your nose and mouth (at the same time if you can do it). By drawing air through you mouth and nose you pull some concentrated flavors across your ofactures and can usually pick up a ton of subtle flavors this way.

4.) Drink water. Try not to drink anything that will over power or effect the flavor of your smoke. As you get good at decerning what flavors are in a smoke, you can then pair beverages that will compliment those flavors. (Rums, scotches, coffees, etc...)

5.) Read reviews. I am a firm believer in the "smoke what you like and like what you smoke" but reviews (and MRN's book) are a great GUIDE to leading you in the direction of smokes that fit your preferred flavor profile(s). I am not saying go buy a box of ANYTHING based on a review. If a review or a couple of reviews describe flavors that seem to be in your preferred flavor profile, then pick up a couple to try for yourself before committing to a box.

6.) Smoke a cigar that has been reviewed and try to follow along with the reviewer. You'll be amazed at how smoking along with someone else's notes will help you pick up flavors that you couldn't put your finger on.

7.) Take notes for yourself! Break the cigar down into thirds (first 1/3, second 1/3, final 1/3). Most cigars change flavor in these areas so it's a good general rule to follow. By taking your own notes, you slow down and concentrate on the flavors.

8.) SMOKE SLOWER! - It is worth mentioning twice.

9.) Once you get these basic techniques down and manage to concentrate on flavors and not techniques (like smoking slower!) I HIGHLY recommend blowing a little smoke through your nose about 2-3 times during each third. Some may argue that they do it every time but I do think there can be too much as the nasal cavity is sensitive and the hot smoke may effect it's ability to decern flavors later in the smoking experience. (You need to find a happy medium for yourself though).

I remember when I first tried it I did too much smoke and I thought my nose was going to burn off...my eyes wouldn't stop watering! LOL!

10.) Try new cuisines & beverages! Foods & beverages are a great way to develop a pallette. Concentrate on each bit and try to pick up the herbs, spices, etc...

*Side note - I was smoking a small stick one time on my drive home from work and it had a certain flavor that I just couldn't relate to what it was. I was driving my crazy! So when I got home I opened the spice cabinet and sniffed through (and tasted) them all. Couldn't figure it out. A week later, I was enjoying dinner at one of our favorite places and BAM! I tasted the flavor in my meal that I had tasted in the smoke. Dried Apricots!

Hope this helps and happy smoking my friends!

~Mark
 
Great suggestions, Mark but I'm going to have to bust your chops and tell you that it's "palate." :p

An additional note on #9. If you find the smoke is too hot or harsh to enjoy when expelling nasally, several factors could be at play.

1. The cigar is just too young, improperly fermented, or insufficiently aged.
When this is the case, I don't find it fruitful or enjoyable to expel in this manner. Just enjoy the as usual or with some of suggestion #3.

2. You are new to this technique and the concentrated smoke is uncomfortable.
When this is the case, it helps to "carbeurate" the expelled smoke. To do this, make sure you have some air in your lungs. Start exhaling very gently from your lungs. Once air is passing out your nose, then mix in some of the drawn smoke that you've been holding in your mouth. The fresh air from your lungs will dilute and soften the cigar smoke making it "softer" and easier to detect the most subtle nuances. It will not change the character of the smoke and it will allow you to expel smoke from even the strongest cigars nasally.

This latter sounds complicated and it does take a little practice. But you can practice this even without smoking. If you can get the hang of it, I think you'll find a whole new horizon opens up for you.

Smoke on!

Wilkey
 
Wow Mark, you're on a roll today.

Great advise for a newbe like myself... :thumbs:
 
Wilkey, your #2 is a method I have been using whenever it is unpleasant or overpowering to exhale through the nose for some time. Thank you for stating it so well, as I really feel that using this practice will allow folks to really dive into flavors that would be lost if they either skipped exhaling though the nose at all out of fear, or, just as bad 2) forced it, and essentially anesthitiaed/shocked their nose with the strength of it all, like nosing/tasting cask strength single malt.
 
Is "palette" anything like like "palate?"

??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
 
I think I want to try #6

"6.) Smoke a cigar that has been reviewed and try to follow along with the reviewer. You'll be amazed at how smoking along with someone else's notes will help you pick up flavors that you couldn't put your finger on."

I found with wine drinking, when someone pointed out to me a certain flavour I was able to detect it after that (or maybe it was just my head telling me I could!)

I've always thought I'd like someone to "guide" my senses as I smoke and say "do you taste that chocolate right now?" and see if I can detect it in the cigar. I'll have to try that review following a few times and see how it goes.

Thanks Mark!
 
I am a big fan of rule #6 and it's what has helped me out immensly.
 
palette - |?palit | - noun a thin board or slab on which an artist lays and mixes colors.

:)
 
What a great read, thanks so much for taking the time to put it all down. The only thing I'd add is to the following:

9.) I HIGHLY recommend blowing a little smoke through your nose about 2-3 times during each third. ~Mark
If this is your first time trying this, don't do it with an Opus xXx! :whistling:
 
Great post and excellent general rules of thumb to follow.

Takeing some tasteing classes at say,a wine school or food tasteing events.The teachings there show some techniques that work on refineing the palate.Also practiceing with various wines,spirits,beer,and food is fun. :)

Great stuff,inspite of those anal spelling comments. ;)
 
palette - |?palit | - noun a thin board or slab on which an artist lays and mixes colors.
:)


All that typing and THAT'S what you bust balls about? :D

I DO know the difference but I am exhausted. i think that being an art major originally might of had something to do with too :laugh:

Now we have to send him back to "Posting 101" class in order to teach him to quote the right post he's responding to. :laugh:

How's this? "F" you! :p

~M
 
Great suggestions Mark!

I would also recommend for people to try cigars from the two extremes of a taste spectrum. Try a Macanudo one day then try a Opus X the next, or smoke a Colorado wrapped cigar one day then a Oscuro wrapper the next. You can also do this with a cheap smoke followed by a premium. This will help you to fine tune-in those profile characteristics that you like and don't like.

:cool:
 
Top