Cigar tastes

[Zeebra]

So, in reading alot of cigar reviews I see alot of people describing their cigars with "hints of <fill in taste experience here>"

Now, everytime I smoke a cigar I attempt to distinguish some sort of flavour, but sadly I fail each time. The same goes for wine -- people are always telling me they taste this or that in a wine and all I taste is wine. :laugh:

So for those of you who CAN taste different flavours in cigars, have you always had this ability or is it something that you've managed to acquire over time?

 

[jabba]

answer is quite simple... to quote Kramer...

"Your palette is unrefined!"

 

[Zeebra]

answer is quite simple... to quote Kramer...

"Your palette is unrefined!"

I was afraid of that.

 

[RGD]

So, in reading alot of cigar reviews I see alot of people describing their cigars with "hints of <fill in taste experience here>"

I agree - what the heck is "toothy"

My reviews would fall under one of three:

Sucks
Doesn't Suck
Doesn't Suck - Buy Again

:blush:


Ron

 

[Brickhouse]

Zeebra,

I by no means consider myself to be one of those you speak of, but I'm working on it.

What I do to try and "train" my palette(for lack of a better word)is research a cigar prior to smoking it to see what it's background and baseline tastes are. This way I know what I "should" be tasting in it. I try and recognize those tastes as I smoke it and remember them.

It's sort of like remembering the answers to the test before you take it. No, you won't know the information 100%, but you'll have a better understanding of it. Which I am hoping will grow into blind recognition.

If any of this makes sense. hehe

 

[smokelaw1]

Ron,
Your reviewing system is the same that mine was for quite some time. I have only recently been developing the ability (real or imagined) to pick out specific flavors in cigars. As far as I can tell, these expereiences come through the nose, more than the mouth, just as I worked on with nisong good scotch. I spend more time agitating, sniffing, adding water (especially to cask strength) and sniffing again than actually drinking the stuff, and ti is all part of the fun and expereince. When I really focus on a cigar, and release more of the smoke from my nose than usual, the specific flavors seem to "pop" more readily. OFten, also, they change dependign on the moisture level in my palate, and a glass of water (or sips thereof) can help me discern them. COld water shuts down flavors and aromatics (just like putting ice in scotch) though, so I always drink it uniced while smoking a cigar if I can help it.

Short answer: Definitly could not always do it, had to practice...and I still might be convincing myself that I taste things more often than not!

 

[Jeff B.]

I once read a thread on here in regard to tastes, and I think it was the great Ginseng who said something to the effect of that noticing tastes in a cigar often come about because it reminds you of something you've tasted in the past. That might be another cigar, or perhaps coffee, or cocoa, etc etc etc. That's kind of what I try and do when really trying to disect the flavor of a cigar.

 

[Cigar Hound]

Zeebra,

I by no means consider myself to be one of those you speak of, but I'm working on it.

What I do to try and "train" my palette(for lack of a better word)is research a cigar prior to smoking it to see what it's background and baseline tastes are. This way I know what I "should" be tasting in it. I try and recognize those tastes as I smoke it and remember them.
It's sort of like remembering the answers to the test before you take it. No, you won't know the information 100%, but you'll have a better understanding of it. Which I am hoping will grow into blind recognition.

If any of this makes sense. hehe

Sounds like alot of work to me... I'd rather just smoke 'em!

 

[nfulton]

I smoked and tried to discern the "tastes" for more than a year. Then by chance one night while smoking a Gurkha Legend Aniversario suddenly the flavors began to pop out. I agree, you like it or you don't, but I think it helps me find the cigars that I would appreciate more. Alas, my skills will never be immortalized in the annals of CA, but it keeps me away from the dog rockets!

 

[DarrenR]

Well let me tell you that I have smoked a few in my day and I still do not always catch the flavor of a cigar because I do not smoke more than 3-4 a week so, my palette always rests. I also do not smoke cigarettes anymore either so my palette is totaly different now.
It is much easier to catch the aroma and build your tastes to that. I started to train by selecting milder more sweet with some spice smokes from Partages, Montesino, Montecristo and RyJ and played with my taste. If it is sweet what type of sweet? Honey, sugar, fruit ect...
I have always felt those are much easier to detect and identify than spices, earthy and woody flavors. I also kept a journal at first. That is just me though. I hope this helps alittle.
DarrenR

 

[Cigar Penguin]

I determine flavors of cigars and wine to the first thing I am reminded of flavor-wsie while puffing/sipping.


The flavors described as "a hint of" are just that,because the first instance of a flavor that is noticed is so quick,it is a hint of.
Yes,some say you need a refined palette but,I have come across these flavors at a younge age and at the bginning of my cigar/wine experiances.I believe,since taste has alot to do with smell,your sinus' need to be in normal working order for you to taste and vise-versy.If some of us "honkey" folk cannot smell....how the hell can we taste?!?

 

[fetterjohn]

I once read a thread on here in regard to tastes, and I think it was the great Ginseng who said something to the effect of that noticing tastes in a cigar often come about because it reminds you of something you've tasted in the past. That might be another cigar, or perhaps coffee, or cocoa, etc etc etc. That's kind of what I try and do when really trying to disect the flavor of a cigar.

I wholeheartedly agree with what you say. I found that by thinking about the flavor (or flavour as you spell it) in regards to tastes of common things (coffee, cocoa, pepper, the smell of wood or bark, tea, etc.) that I have experienced in the past, I can pick out the subtle characteristics of cigars. Hope this helps.

-Fetter

 

[puffstuff]

So, in reading alot of cigar reviews I see alot of people describing their cigars with "hints of <fill in taste experience here>"

I agree - what the heck is "toothy"

My reviews would fall under one of three:

Sucks
Doesn't Suck
Doesn't Suck - Buy Again

:blush:


Ron

Tooth refers to a wrappers texture, usually bumps or raised grain, so yes it would be very hard to taste tooth, or for a cigar to taste toothy.

 

[RGD]

So, in reading alot of cigar reviews I see alot of people describing their cigars with "hints of <fill in taste experience here>"

I agree - what the heck is "toothy"

My reviews would fall under one of three:

Sucks
Doesn't Suck
Doesn't Suck - Buy Again

:blush:


Ron

Tooth refers to a wrappers texture, usually bumps or raised grain, so yes it would be very hard to taste tooth, or for a cigar to taste toothy.

See - ya learn something new everyday Thanks - now I know next time I read that.

Ron

 

[Ginseng]

Zee,

Tasting is indeed a skill that one can develop. Essentially it boils down to:

1) Paying attention to what you are smoking, both on the PALATE as well as through the nose.

2) Staying relaxed so your sense memory can do the free-associating for you. Sometimes the more you chase "flavors" the more elusive they become.

3) Smell things. If you want to be able to pick out leather, grab some leather and really sniff it. If you want to become sensitive to earth, smell the soil. I kid you not. I get bent when people write stuff like "I detected calcerous soil" or "striated lime." For god's sake, if you haven't smelled it in life you sure as hell are not going to detect it in cigars.

Keep in mind that the predominant taste will always be "tobacco" by far. IMO, the quality of this characteristic is the most worthy standard. All that other stuff just dresses it up and most folks, myself included, miss the associations not because we are incapable but because we lack the original experience in sense memory.

It can get better with practice.

Wilkey