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What do you really taste?

other1

Cigarpassaholic. Mmm.. cigarpassahol.
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
1,788
Ok, newbie question...

Whenever I see reviews, I see people talk in lots of detail about what they taste. I don't think that I've ever really been able to say, I taste leather, or, I taste cedar, or nutmeg, or chocolate, etc. etc. Does the average person really taste all these things? Is there any method for tasting cigars like there is for wine?
 
other1 said:
What do you really taste?
Tobacco!! That's it. Unless you are smoking a Frilly flavored cigar or an Acid or a Lars Tetan, than all you will taste is Tobacco.

When I say I taste leather, or I tatse chocolate, for the most what I am saying is that the flavor in the tobacco, at that time, makes me think of leather/chocolate. It is more of a mind thing, and can be effected by your mood or how tired you are.

It isn't really a science per se, but if you hold the smoke in your mouth, move your tongue through the smoke and then blow it out through the nose and the mouth slowly, you will find the flavors are much more pronounced and you may be able to get a sense of something from it.
 
PB sums it up pretty concisely. As I put it in one of my reviews, I actually get more of a sense of the flavor with my nose thatn with my palate.

Given the fact that my taste buds are near sixty and have had some pretty strange experiences, that doesn't really surprise me. :sign:


Just smoke 'em. If you get a hint/suggestion of something that doesn't seem like tobacco, consider it a bonus. (Unless it's burning plastic, detergent and some other things that people have written about. Then just put it out!!! :0 )
 
I can officially say that I taste the following things on a semi-regular basis in cigars:

-Leather
-Coffee
-Burnt coffee
-Spice
-Pepper
-Burnt Toast
-Cocoa
-Nutiness
-Earthiness
-Sweetness
-Creaminess
-Bitterness
-And popcorn once
 
Tony Bones said:
I can officially say that I taste the following things on a semi-regular basis in cigars:

-Leather
-Coffee
-Burnt coffee
-Spice
-Pepper
-Burnt Toast
-Cocoa
-Nutiness
-Earthiness
-Sweetness
-Creaminess
-Bitterness
-And popcorn once
What the HELL are you smoking.........Jelly Bellys :p

If an expert reviewer and true aficionado can taste these things.........I'll stay an amateur (man.........I can't imagine chewing leather, or tasting dirt for a 'fully developed palate'.........Who's nuts do you lick for reference anyway? :0 )

M. Gipson :)
 
Depending on where, when and how the tobacco is grown, it will develop differently - the elements, bonding, molecular structure will be nearly identical, but differences in the soil and atmosphere will cause slight variations place to place, year to year, and even leaf to leaf (and every combination in between.) The chemicals that exist in the smoke will stimulate taste buds depending on their ingredients.

If you chewed on leather, 'X' taste buds will be stimulated. If you chewed a rubber tire 'Y' taste buds will be stimulated. If you smoke "umptysquat" cigar it will stimulate close to 'X' taste buds and the "fractustobacist" cigar you smoke will stimulate close to 'Y' taste buds. So the first "tastes like" leather and the second "tastes like" a rubber tire.

That's it. No magic. Just chemistry and biology. The funny thing is, everyone has different taste buds, so my rubber may taste like leather to you (and get your mind out of the friggin gutter :D )
 
gawntrail said:
Tony Bones said:
I can officially say that I taste the following things on a semi-regular basis in cigars:

-Leather
-Coffee
-Burnt coffee
-Spice
-Pepper
-Burnt Toast
-Cocoa
-Nutiness
-Earthiness
-Sweetness
-Creaminess
-Bitterness
-And popcorn once
What the HELL are you smoking.........Jelly Bellys :p

M. Gipson :)
BERTIE BOTT's EVERY FLAVOR BEANS

It's a box containing 20 different flavors of jelly beans. Some of the beans are delicious, with flavors such as Toasted Marshmallow, Blueberry, and Grape Jelly. Other flavors, though, are on the questionable side, such as Black Pepper and Spinach. And some flavors are downright revolting -- Booger and Vomit for example.

If you're a coward, you can check the flavor of each bean before you eat it. But it's more fun to close your eyes and take what you can get.

They're made by Jelly Belly, so the quality is terrific, even if the flavors are not. Each box contains 1.75 oz of candy.

Good luck!

Or, if you want to avoid the guess work completely...

BERTIE BOTT TRULY GROSS GIFT BOX

There's no guessing with this set -- ALL of the jelly beans have gross flavors.

Each 4.25 oz., box is divided into 10 compartments with 10 diferent disgusting flavors. You get...

Earwax
Spaghetti
Black Pepper
Earthworm
Sardine
Dirt
Soap
Grass
Vomit
Booger

So what are you waiting for?
Chow down, and hope you don't throw up!

Just $6.50!
 
Muley said:
...so my rubber may taste like leather to you (and get your mind out of the friggin gutter :D )
Leather Rubbers :0

Dude you really are tough, no wonder they call you Muley ;)
 
The only thing I can really "taste" is a peppery flavor of certain brands. For instance San Cristobals have a distinct peppery taste to them. Certain maduros taste very sweet or almost like sugar to me. I'm pretty much talking about the taste of the wrapper.
 
i agree with pb!
although we do keep our gars in a box lined with cedar so it's plausible to taste cedar in your smoke.
i had one cigar remind me of a warm brownie aroma, not taste and it was not a flavored cigar.
i can't rememebr what it was.
 
Ok, so I'm not crazy.. Nobody else tastes most of this stuff either. So let me ask this... Why smoke so many different types of cigars?
 
I smoke another one of my Te Amos last night. I know alot of people don't like these, but I've been enjoying them. Last night I did distinctly taste chocolate. This isn't a flavor listed on the CA ratings, but it's what I tasted. I like how Muley put it. I like chocolate!
 
First off, pay no atention to PB. Too many years of cow chit and Texas dust for him to taste anything. :p

Not everyone can taste all the different flavors, but everyone can taste some of them. We smoke different cigars because they are different. Length, ring guage, wrapper, filler blend, soil,even the year grown and rolled contribute to the taste.
If you can't taste the differences perhaps your lucky, cause then those Swisher Sweets at the corner 7/11 will be just as good as a $400.00 box of Cubans. Think of all the money you can save. ;)
 
What I find strange is that I can "taste" many things in scotch (whether or not they are there lol!) but don't have the same sensitivity with cigars. Obviously, overall flavor impressions decide if I like the smoke or not but I don't find the myriad of flavors as some do.
 
I used to be unable to identify any particular taste beyond the burning tobacco. However, little by little, I've been able to start associating certain flavors to a descriptive word. The ones most frequently used are "earthy," "toast," and "peppery." Other than that, I know there's a distinction, but I can't identify it.

I still think those who can taste specific spices and multiple levels of flavor are either insanely talented or just fooling themselves. On a side note, if it IS talent, they should consider going into the food industry. Good money is paid to those who can taste food and identify all the ingredients. :)
 
gawntrail said:
Tony Bones said:
I can officially say that I taste the following things on a semi-regular basis in cigars:

-Leather
-Coffee
-Burnt coffee
-Spice
-Pepper
-Burnt Toast
-Cocoa
-Nutiness
-Earthiness
-Sweetness
-Creaminess
-Bitterness
-And popcorn once
What the HELL are you smoking.........Jelly Bellys :p

If an expert reviewer and true aficionado can taste these things.........I'll stay an amateur (man.........I can't imagine chewing leather, or tasting dirt for a 'fully developed palate'.........Who's nuts do you lick for reference anyway? :0 )

M. Gipson :)
I licked my own nuts, thank you very much :sign:

Seriously, I don't see this as a big deal. Sometimes I smoke a cigar and taste smoke. However, the majority of the time I can find at least two discernable flavors in a stick. I've had good luck w/ PAM's and HDM EL's for finding distinct flavors.
 
I definitely agree. Different smokes taste different. I just can't quite discern what it is......To put such specific flavors and aromas to cigars must take years of smoking them. I've been smoking LGCs for a while now......and it seems like they generally taste the same, but specifically are different. I mainly smoke cigars for the experience (the solitude at home or the social interaction at a bar or resturant).

I like the ones that leave a little sweetness, and the smoke doesn't burn your nose when you leave it in your mouth while typing or catching a game on the tube

M. Gipson :p
 
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