Flavors~

[Not A Nice Person]

No, NOT flavored cigars.

I got to thinking about this the past few weeks. What is it that makes a cigar right for you? What flavor profile do you instinctively look for, gravitate toward?

While I appreciate a broad range of flavor notes in cigars, and like a complex, balanced, nuanced smoke in general, I've come to realize that when I consider my current favorites, they ALL have a strong coffee bean flavor component. Flavors like pepper, leather, and such are nice, but I think what I'm really always looking for is that strong coffee/espresso bean basenote that makes a cigar feel full-flavored and heavy-bodied to me.

~Boar

 

[Shamrocker]

A few of the things I find separate a great cigar from a good cigar are:
-the mouthfeel of the smoke. Some may call it full, or creamy, or rich.. a feel that kind of coats your palette and reminds you how tasty it is until you take your next puff.
-a flavour that evolves over the course of the smoke.
-peppery flavour. I tend to like spicy food, and a cigar that has a touch (or more) of that goes well for me.

 

[Kingantz]

I don't base my likes/dislikes on just flavor, but on appearance, age, draw, mood, amongst a host of other variables. I enjoy a Johnny-O! with dark earth, strong cocoa, and spice as much as I do a Trinidad Ingenios with sweet, floral, lighter notes. I can smoke a fresh Bolivar and enjoy it immensely, and smoke one aged and find it terrible, and vice versa. Yes, far too many variables for me to answer specifically.

 

[Macion Grey]

I don't like cigars that taste like pennies.

As a general observation: I am most partial to rich, earthy smokes with nutmeg and cinnamon tones. Illusione suits me most perfectly.

 

[CRQuarto]

Hrmm, this is an interesting point you bring up. I thought about it, and I would say that the majority of cigars that I particularly like have coffee, expresso, or cocoa tones to them, though I do have many that I like that are on the creamy, mild side. I love the black pepper spiciness in my cigars as well, but the more I think about it, the more I would say I just love a well balanced, zero harshness cigar that either evolves a lot, or is consistently flavored and doesn't get boring. I hope at least some of what I said makes sense, lol....

 

[Joho]

Construction is definitely a huge factor for me when it comes to selecting a cigar I like. Burn issues that need correction or unraveling wrappers will completely put me off, no matter how the cigar tastes. Personally, it depends on what body I'm looking for.

Full-bodied - Something that doesn't smack me in the face. I'm a big fan of rich and earthy Nicaraguans, especially the Padrón classics, or anything along the lines of non-Cuban Punch and Hoyo De Monterrey. Oscuro wrappers are a big plus.

Medium-bodied - Anything sweet and well-balanced. I love the Hemingway maduros (have yet to try a natural). Earthy and nutty flavors are a total turn off for me here.

Mild-bodied - Smooth, rich, and creamy.

 

[flamchop]

Flavors... what I like is always changing but I can usually enjoy a mild-medium smoke just as much as a full-bodied. I usually lean toward the fuller flavors like Tats, Anejo... maduro smokes. Connecticut broadleaf wrapped smokes are usually very good for me. If it has an ever so slight sweetness/cocoa in the finish that's even better.

I just don't like smokes that are boring... something that doesn't have much distinct flavor at all. I hate it when I reach the end of something and feel like I just inhaled air and hay for an hour.

 

[twizz]

In trying to develop more tastes, and wanting to try new things, I've found sweet, cocoa, and creamy to be the adjectives I want to use most. The shark was my only anejo to date (some on the way), and I love that flavor. I've yet to have only one CC that I didn't like, and that was a PSD4, I just found it bland and flavorless.

As far as NCs go, I've only found myself grabbing maduros, with the occasional Ashton natural mixed in.

 

[Bonfire Smoke]

I am a sucker for the way a cigar looks, but taste, oddly enough I do not want one with that "just tobacco" taste. I want something with a roasted nut, leather, and earthy taste. In the mornings I like a mild smoke, recently going with Drew Estates Tabak Especiale. This has a lot of sweet coffee taste. In the evening I want something medium, but closer to full bodied like a Punch Champion or something from the Fuente line.

I like what Shamrocker said about the smoke. You can tell the difference in the way smoke from different cigars feels in your mouth. I like the cooler, thick, creamy and rich smoke. Bottom line is if it taste good, burn it!