I cant believe that i did not post this here. i wrote it a long time ago but it may help some of the new guys. Im sure a few of you have seen this before. I was gunna link to it on another thread but i couldnt find it. so here ya go:
I am by no means an expert on the topic of cigars but (being a cook and a wanna-be wine connoisseur) I do know a bit about taste. (**edit: its been years since i tapped out this article. i now know way more on cigars than i do of wine. whoda thunk it?)
When you taste food most of the taste comes from smell. All that the human tongue can actually taste is salt, sweet, umami, and bitter. To develop your palate you need to develop you sense of smell. This may seem like a difficult task but it isn’t hard. It just takes practice. One thing that helps is knowing what you are looking for.
Like many of you, I do enjoy a glass of wine. since wine is a great parallel to cigars when it comes to taste and so many people are familiar with it i will use it as an example.
I like to taste all the little flavors going on in the wine, but being able to identify them took practice. Here is how I taste wine:
1) Pour glass less than half way full.
2) Swirl and look for impurities (cork from opening) and to release aroma, and took for "legs"*
3) Take a sniff of it. not a deep sniff but several shallow sniffs the way a dog smells things. **
4) Take a small amount in and hold in the mouth
5) Smell again
6) Swallow
When I do this I can smell everything in the wine and identify what is in it.
But, how do I know what to look for?
Good question.
Look up what other people say about the wine. If they say it has a black cherry smell to it, go out and buy a black cherry. (Try it: Blackstone Merlot (i think its still under $10 a bottle) does in fact taste a bit like black cherry) Cut the cherry in half and place it in a wine glass and smell it. Then pour the wine in another glass and smell it. Notice the similarities. After a while you learn to point out taste on your own.
How does this relate to cigars?
Another good question.
Read reviews. If someone says it has a hint of coffee then smell some coffee while smoking a cigar. I recently red a thread here where someone said they could taste Macadamia nuts. Buy that cigar and some macadamia nuts. Smoke the cigar and eat the nuts. Notice how they are the same. How else are you supposed to identify a taste if you don’t have a reference point? Basically, you need to learn the common smells and tastes of cigars. (Nutty, pepper, leather, and so on)
Develop a smoke strategy. Much like my wine tasting, I have found a way to taste cigars better then when I first started. I feel the cigar, I look at it closely and I spend a lot of time smelling the cigar pre-smoke. Before I clip, I lick the cap. after lit and while puffing I make sure to blow a bit of that puff out through my nose . All of this helps me understand the cigar better.
Read reviews, buy the flavors mentioned, try the cigar, and decide for yourself. At worst you’ll enjoy a few good smokes.
that was most of the original document. now a few years on id like to restate how important it is that you learn how to get smoke through the nose. when you get a bit of it through the nose your sense of smell can really go to work for you. You will start to see complexities in cigars that you thought were simple and you may even start to not like cigars you did before. it opens a new world up to you.
i would also like to make a point that if you familiarize yourself with common flavors and tastes in cigars such as Cedar, Coffee, Leather, Earth, Nuts, Sweet, Spice, Pepper, etc, the easier it will be for you to understand cigars. smoking a ton of cigars helps, but if you have no concept of what anise is supposed to taste like then how will you identify it in a cigar? developing your palate is more than about cigars. its about understanding taste and smell in all aspects of your life.
**i thought that i would add this bit by Alex to my thread because he pretty much hit the nail on the head when it came to my cigar journey and the journey of many of you out there.
Alex Svenson:
I have a theory on how a smokers palate progresses over time. Most often they will start by trying and enjoying less intimidating blends. Mild up to medium as they master the art of smoking and the action itself. Drawing, swirling, using the nose. They are not able to differentiate the flavors but rather are able to identify a cigar as one they like or dislike and make some generalizations about the overall flavor but have a hard time picking up individual components. Now the smoker tries ventures into stronger territory, more medium and medium to full bodied cigars. By now he has the basics down on how to smoke and falls in love with all new blends and brands (cursing that he filled his humidor up with all that mild stuff). By now the flavors are more pronounced and through experience, the smoker can more easily identify nuances and things like finish and competing aromas. At this point you know what flavor is, you know what you like and you cant get enough of it. You try everything and really develop a taste for full bodied cigars as you seek out richer and richer flavors. After this stage, you have sworn off mild cigars but then the day comes that you light up a medium or medium to full bodied cigar and you swear it is the best you have ever had. At this time, you realize that the flavor you thought you were detecting was merely the training wheels on the bike. The training wheels are off and you are riding by yourself. You detect all the richness you love in your full bodied blends but in a smooth and non overwhelming format. The lighter body allows allows you palate to zero on literally dozens of aspects in cigars you never thought existed. Now you pick up some rich mild cigars, maybe even stuff you thought you no longer liked and threw out years ago and find new characteristics you never thought the cigar had. You go back to some lesser strength favorites then back to some full bodied. Holy *** you say, you are now pulling even more richness out of the full bodied stuff!! Now you buy a big cabinet humidor, your wife leaves you because you spent your retirement money on cigars and you are really off the races LOL. In all seriousness though, from here a smoker does settle in on what he really likes the most. Could be medium, could be mild and could be full. That said, while the lock in on a strength profile they like, the dont smoke it exclusively. they appreciate some cigars or brands at all strength levels because they have mastered the concept of "flavor". For example, I prefer medium to full or full bodied cigars as my regular smoke of choice but there are some mild and medium smokes in the humi for when the occasion calls for one. Cigars I think have every bit as much flavor as some of my full bodied favorites. I want to go on record now having said all this that this is a major generalization that I think pertains to many smokers but certainly not all and this theory is based solely on my observations over many years. It is also my experience that this progression takes on different forms and different intervals for each person. Some people progress right to full bodied cigars in a matter of weeks and some stay in the initial stages much longer. There are not certainties in this hobby nor rules. Everyone is different. That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses. For those who may not know what I am talking about, I cant describe for you exactly what it is like, but I will tell you, you will know the day you "get it". It is like an epiphany. You will literally go back and resmoke every cigar you have already tried and it will be like you never smoked it before. It did not happen for me until 2003 really.
... as i said in that epic thread "for me it was in 2008 and i was smoking a Zino Classic." that was the mild cigar that i just happened to pick up.
the other thought that i really wanna highlight here is the last few lines of Alex's post: That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses.
at some point you will have an understanding of a cigar when you smoke it. it wont just be something you taste. developing your palate is fun and part of it, but there is far more to it than taste.
i would also like to push this from a post later in the thread to the first post:
kuzi16:
Ive been meaning to put these up here for quite some time. I think some of you may already have these.
*edit on 9-19-09
**edit on 1-5-11
So much info here.
Bump-er planes for the folks that haven't seen it ....
I cant believe that i did not post this here. i wrote it a long time ago but it may help some of the new guys. Im sure a few of you have seen this before. I was gunna link to it on another thread but i couldnt find it. so here ya go:
I am by no means an expert on the topic of cigars but (being a cook and a wanna-be wine connoisseur) I do know a bit about taste. (**edit: its been years since i tapped out this article. i now know way more on cigars than i do of wine. whoda thunk it?)
When you taste food most of the taste comes from smell. All that the human tongue can actually taste is salt, sweet, umami, and bitter. To develop your palate you need to develop you sense of smell. This may seem like a difficult task but it isn’t hard. It just takes practice. One thing that helps is knowing what you are looking for.
Like many of you, I do enjoy a glass of wine. since wine is a great parallel to cigars when it comes to taste and so many people are familiar with it i will use it as an example.
I like to taste all the little flavors going on in the wine, but being able to identify them took practice. Here is how I taste wine:
1) Pour glass less than half way full.
2) Swirl and look for impurities (cork from opening) and to release aroma, and took for "legs"*
3) Take a sniff of it. not a deep sniff but several shallow sniffs the way a dog smells things. **
4) Take a small amount in and hold in the mouth
5) Smell again
6) Swallow
When I do this I can smell everything in the wine and identify what is in it.
But, how do I know what to look for?
Good question.
Look up what other people say about the wine. If they say it has a black cherry smell to it, go out and buy a black cherry. (Try it: Blackstone Merlot (i think its still under $10 a bottle) does in fact taste a bit like black cherry) Cut the cherry in half and place it in a wine glass and smell it. Then pour the wine in another glass and smell it. Notice the similarities. After a while you learn to point out taste on your own.
How does this relate to cigars?
Another good question.
Read reviews. If someone says it has a hint of coffee then smell some coffee while smoking a cigar. I recently red a thread here where someone said they could taste Macadamia nuts. Buy that cigar and some macadamia nuts. Smoke the cigar and eat the nuts. Notice how they are the same. How else are you supposed to identify a taste if you don’t have a reference point? Basically, you need to learn the common smells and tastes of cigars. (Nutty, pepper, leather, and so on)
Develop a smoke strategy. Much like my wine tasting, I have found a way to taste cigars better then when I first started. I feel the cigar, I look at it closely and I spend a lot of time smelling the cigar pre-smoke. Before I clip, I lick the cap. after lit and while puffing I make sure to blow a bit of that puff out through my nose . All of this helps me understand the cigar better.
Read reviews, buy the flavors mentioned, try the cigar, and decide for yourself. At worst you’ll enjoy a few good smokes.
that was most of the original document. now a few years on id like to restate how important it is that you learn how to get smoke through the nose. when you get a bit of it through the nose your sense of smell can really go to work for you. You will start to see complexities in cigars that you thought were simple and you may even start to not like cigars you did before. it opens a new world up to you.
i would also like to make a point that if you familiarize yourself with common flavors and tastes in cigars such as Cedar, Coffee, Leather, Earth, Nuts, Sweet, Spice, Pepper, etc, the easier it will be for you to understand cigars. smoking a ton of cigars helps, but if you have no concept of what anise is supposed to taste like then how will you identify it in a cigar? developing your palate is more than about cigars. its about understanding taste and smell in all aspects of your life.
**i thought that i would add this bit by Alex to my thread because he pretty much hit the nail on the head when it came to my cigar journey and the journey of many of you out there.
Alex Svenson:
I have a theory on how a smokers palate progresses over time. Most often they will start by trying and enjoying less intimidating blends. Mild up to medium as they master the art of smoking and the action itself. Drawing, swirling, using the nose. They are not able to differentiate the flavors but rather are able to identify a cigar as one they like or dislike and make some generalizations about the overall flavor but have a hard time picking up individual components. Now the smoker tries ventures into stronger territory, more medium and medium to full bodied cigars. By now he has the basics down on how to smoke and falls in love with all new blends and brands (cursing that he filled his humidor up with all that mild stuff). By now the flavors are more pronounced and through experience, the smoker can more easily identify nuances and things like finish and competing aromas. At this point you know what flavor is, you know what you like and you cant get enough of it. You try everything and really develop a taste for full bodied cigars as you seek out richer and richer flavors. After this stage, you have sworn off mild cigars but then the day comes that you light up a medium or medium to full bodied cigar and you swear it is the best you have ever had. At this time, you realize that the flavor you thought you were detecting was merely the training wheels on the bike. The training wheels are off and you are riding by yourself. You detect all the richness you love in your full bodied blends but in a smooth and non overwhelming format. The lighter body allows allows you palate to zero on literally dozens of aspects in cigars you never thought existed. Now you pick up some rich mild cigars, maybe even stuff you thought you no longer liked and threw out years ago and find new characteristics you never thought the cigar had. You go back to some lesser strength favorites then back to some full bodied. Holy *** you say, you are now pulling even more richness out of the full bodied stuff!! Now you buy a big cabinet humidor, your wife leaves you because you spent your retirement money on cigars and you are really off the races LOL. In all seriousness though, from here a smoker does settle in on what he really likes the most. Could be medium, could be mild and could be full. That said, while the lock in on a strength profile they like, the dont smoke it exclusively. they appreciate some cigars or brands at all strength levels because they have mastered the concept of "flavor". For example, I prefer medium to full or full bodied cigars as my regular smoke of choice but there are some mild and medium smokes in the humi for when the occasion calls for one. Cigars I think have every bit as much flavor as some of my full bodied favorites. I want to go on record now having said all this that this is a major generalization that I think pertains to many smokers but certainly not all and this theory is based solely on my observations over many years. It is also my experience that this progression takes on different forms and different intervals for each person. Some people progress right to full bodied cigars in a matter of weeks and some stay in the initial stages much longer. There are not certainties in this hobby nor rules. Everyone is different. That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses. For those who may not know what I am talking about, I cant describe for you exactly what it is like, but I will tell you, you will know the day you "get it". It is like an epiphany. You will literally go back and resmoke every cigar you have already tried and it will be like you never smoked it before. It did not happen for me until 2003 really.
... as i said in that epic thread "for me it was in 2008 and i was smoking a Zino Classic." that was the mild cigar that i just happened to pick up.
the other thought that i really wanna highlight here is the last few lines of Alex's post: That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses.
at some point you will have an understanding of a cigar when you smoke it. it wont just be something you taste. developing your palate is fun and part of it, but there is far more to it than taste.
i would also like to push this from a post later in the thread to the first post:
kuzi16:
Ive been meaning to put these up here for quite some time. I think some of you may already have these.
*edit on 9-19-09
**edit on 1-5-11
So much info here.
Bump-er planes for the folks that haven't seen it ....
I cant believe that i did not post this here. i wrote it a long time ago but it may help some of the new guys. Im sure a few of you have seen this before. I was gunna link to it on another thread but i couldnt find it. so here ya go:
I am by no means an expert on the topic of cigars but (being a cook and a wanna-be wine connoisseur) I do know a bit about taste. (**edit: its been years since i tapped out this article. i now know way more on cigars than i do of wine. whoda thunk it?)
When you taste food most of the taste comes from smell. All that the human tongue can actually taste is salt, sweet, umami, and bitter. To develop your palate you need to develop you sense of smell. This may seem like a difficult task but it isn’t hard. It just takes practice. One thing that helps is knowing what you are looking for.
Like many of you, I do enjoy a glass of wine. since wine is a great parallel to cigars when it comes to taste and so many people are familiar with it i will use it as an example.
I like to taste all the little flavors going on in the wine, but being able to identify them took practice. Here is how I taste wine:
1) Pour glass less than half way full.
2) Swirl and look for impurities (cork from opening) and to release aroma, and took for "legs"*
3) Take a sniff of it. not a deep sniff but several shallow sniffs the way a dog smells things. **
4) Take a small amount in and hold in the mouth
5) Smell again
6) Swallow
When I do this I can smell everything in the wine and identify what is in it.
But, how do I know what to look for?
Good question.
Look up what other people say about the wine. If they say it has a black cherry smell to it, go out and buy a black cherry. (Try it: Blackstone Merlot (i think its still under $10 a bottle) does in fact taste a bit like black cherry) Cut the cherry in half and place it in a wine glass and smell it. Then pour the wine in another glass and smell it. Notice the similarities. After a while you learn to point out taste on your own.
How does this relate to cigars?
Another good question.
Read reviews. If someone says it has a hint of coffee then smell some coffee while smoking a cigar. I recently red a thread here where someone said they could taste Macadamia nuts. Buy that cigar and some macadamia nuts. Smoke the cigar and eat the nuts. Notice how they are the same. How else are you supposed to identify a taste if you don’t have a reference point? Basically, you need to learn the common smells and tastes of cigars. (Nutty, pepper, leather, and so on)
Develop a smoke strategy. Much like my wine tasting, I have found a way to taste cigars better then when I first started. I feel the cigar, I look at it closely and I spend a lot of time smelling the cigar pre-smoke. Before I clip, I lick the cap. after lit and while puffing I make sure to blow a bit of that puff out through my nose . All of this helps me understand the cigar better.
Read reviews, buy the flavors mentioned, try the cigar, and decide for yourself. At worst you’ll enjoy a few good smokes.
that was most of the original document. now a few years on id like to restate how important it is that you learn how to get smoke through the nose. when you get a bit of it through the nose your sense of smell can really go to work for you. You will start to see complexities in cigars that you thought were simple and you may even start to not like cigars you did before. it opens a new world up to you.
i would also like to make a point that if you familiarize yourself with common flavors and tastes in cigars such as Cedar, Coffee, Leather, Earth, Nuts, Sweet, Spice, Pepper, etc, the easier it will be for you to understand cigars. smoking a ton of cigars helps, but if you have no concept of what anise is supposed to taste like then how will you identify it in a cigar? developing your palate is more than about cigars. its about understanding taste and smell in all aspects of your life.
**i thought that i would add this bit by Alex to my thread because he pretty much hit the nail on the head when it came to my cigar journey and the journey of many of you out there.
Alex Svenson:
I have a theory on how a smokers palate progresses over time. Most often they will start by trying and enjoying less intimidating blends. Mild up to medium as they master the art of smoking and the action itself. Drawing, swirling, using the nose. They are not able to differentiate the flavors but rather are able to identify a cigar as one they like or dislike and make some generalizations about the overall flavor but have a hard time picking up individual components. Now the smoker tries ventures into stronger territory, more medium and medium to full bodied cigars. By now he has the basics down on how to smoke and falls in love with all new blends and brands (cursing that he filled his humidor up with all that mild stuff). By now the flavors are more pronounced and through experience, the smoker can more easily identify nuances and things like finish and competing aromas. At this point you know what flavor is, you know what you like and you cant get enough of it. You try everything and really develop a taste for full bodied cigars as you seek out richer and richer flavors. After this stage, you have sworn off mild cigars but then the day comes that you light up a medium or medium to full bodied cigar and you swear it is the best you have ever had. At this time, you realize that the flavor you thought you were detecting was merely the training wheels on the bike. The training wheels are off and you are riding by yourself. You detect all the richness you love in your full bodied blends but in a smooth and non overwhelming format. The lighter body allows allows you palate to zero on literally dozens of aspects in cigars you never thought existed. Now you pick up some rich mild cigars, maybe even stuff you thought you no longer liked and threw out years ago and find new characteristics you never thought the cigar had. You go back to some lesser strength favorites then back to some full bodied. Holy *** you say, you are now pulling even more richness out of the full bodied stuff!! Now you buy a big cabinet humidor, your wife leaves you because you spent your retirement money on cigars and you are really off the races LOL. In all seriousness though, from here a smoker does settle in on what he really likes the most. Could be medium, could be mild and could be full. That said, while the lock in on a strength profile they like, the dont smoke it exclusively. they appreciate some cigars or brands at all strength levels because they have mastered the concept of "flavor". For example, I prefer medium to full or full bodied cigars as my regular smoke of choice but there are some mild and medium smokes in the humi for when the occasion calls for one. Cigars I think have every bit as much flavor as some of my full bodied favorites. I want to go on record now having said all this that this is a major generalization that I think pertains to many smokers but certainly not all and this theory is based solely on my observations over many years. It is also my experience that this progression takes on different forms and different intervals for each person. Some people progress right to full bodied cigars in a matter of weeks and some stay in the initial stages much longer. There are not certainties in this hobby nor rules. Everyone is different. That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses. For those who may not know what I am talking about, I cant describe for you exactly what it is like, but I will tell you, you will know the day you "get it". It is like an epiphany. You will literally go back and resmoke every cigar you have already tried and it will be like you never smoked it before. It did not happen for me until 2003 really.
... as i said in that epic thread "for me it was in 2008 and i was smoking a Zino Classic." that was the mild cigar that i just happened to pick up.
the other thought that i really wanna highlight here is the last few lines of Alex's post: That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses.
at some point you will have an understanding of a cigar when you smoke it. it wont just be something you taste. developing your palate is fun and part of it, but there is far more to it than taste.
i would also like to push this from a post later in the thread to the first post:
kuzi16:
Ive been meaning to put these up here for quite some time. I think some of you may already have these.
*edit on 9-19-09
**edit on 1-5-11
So much info here.
Bump-er planes for the folks that haven't seen it ....
If you haven't read the info Kuzi posted here yet, check it out.
Great stuff.
kuzi16:
I cant believe that i did not post this here. i wrote it a long time ago but it may help some of the new guys. Im sure a few of you have seen this before. I was gunna link to it on another thread but i couldnt find it. so here ya go:
I am by no means an expert on the topic of cigars but (being a cook and a wanna-be wine connoisseur) I do know a bit about taste. (**edit: its been years since i tapped out this article. i now know way more on cigars than i do of wine. whoda thunk it?)
When you taste food most of the taste comes from smell. All that the human tongue can actually taste is salt, sweet, umami, and bitter. To develop your palate you need to develop you sense of smell. This may seem like a difficult task but it isn’t hard. It just takes practice. One thing that helps is knowing what you are looking for.
Like many of you, I do enjoy a glass of wine. since wine is a great parallel to cigars when it comes to taste and so many people are familiar with it i will use it as an example.
I like to taste all the little flavors going on in the wine, but being able to identify them took practice. Here is how I taste wine:
1) Pour glass less than half way full.
2) Swirl and look for impurities (cork from opening) and to release aroma, and took for "legs"*
3) Take a sniff of it. not a deep sniff but several shallow sniffs the way a dog smells things. **
4) Take a small amount in and hold in the mouth
5) Smell again
6) Swallow
When I do this I can smell everything in the wine and identify what is in it.
But, how do I know what to look for?
Good question.
Look up what other people say about the wine. If they say it has a black cherry smell to it, go out and buy a black cherry. (Try it: Blackstone Merlot (i think its still under $10 a bottle) does in fact taste a bit like black cherry) Cut the cherry in half and place it in a wine glass and smell it. Then pour the wine in another glass and smell it. Notice the similarities. After a while you learn to point out taste on your own.
How does this relate to cigars?
Another good question.
Read reviews. If someone says it has a hint of coffee then smell some coffee while smoking a cigar. I recently red a thread here where someone said they could taste Macadamia nuts. Buy that cigar and some macadamia nuts. Smoke the cigar and eat the nuts. Notice how they are the same. How else are you supposed to identify a taste if you don’t have a reference point? Basically, you need to learn the common smells and tastes of cigars. (Nutty, pepper, leather, and so on)
Develop a smoke strategy. Much like my wine tasting, I have found a way to taste cigars better then when I first started. I feel the cigar, I look at it closely and I spend a lot of time smelling the cigar pre-smoke. Before I clip, I lick the cap. after lit and while puffing I make sure to blow a bit of that puff out through my nose . All of this helps me understand the cigar better.
Read reviews, buy the flavors mentioned, try the cigar, and decide for yourself. At worst you’ll enjoy a few good smokes.
that was most of the original document. now a few years on id like to restate how important it is that you learn how to get smoke through the nose. when you get a bit of it through the nose your sense of smell can really go to work for you. You will start to see complexities in cigars that you thought were simple and you may even start to not like cigars you did before. it opens a new world up to you.
i would also like to make a point that if you familiarize yourself with common flavors and tastes in cigars such as Cedar, Coffee, Leather, Earth, Nuts, Sweet, Spice, Pepper, etc, the easier it will be for you to understand cigars. smoking a ton of cigars helps, but if you have no concept of what anise is supposed to taste like then how will you identify it in a cigar? developing your palate is more than about cigars. its about understanding taste and smell in all aspects of your life.
**i thought that i would add this bit by Alex to my thread because he pretty much hit the nail on the head when it came to my cigar journey and the journey of many of you out there.
Alex Svenson:
I have a theory on how a smokers palate progresses over time. Most often they will start by trying and enjoying less intimidating blends. Mild up to medium as they master the art of smoking and the action itself. Drawing, swirling, using the nose. They are not able to differentiate the flavors but rather are able to identify a cigar as one they like or dislike and make some generalizations about the overall flavor but have a hard time picking up individual components. Now the smoker tries ventures into stronger territory, more medium and medium to full bodied cigars. By now he has the basics down on how to smoke and falls in love with all new blends and brands (cursing that he filled his humidor up with all that mild stuff). By now the flavors are more pronounced and through experience, the smoker can more easily identify nuances and things like finish and competing aromas. At this point you know what flavor is, you know what you like and you cant get enough of it. You try everything and really develop a taste for full bodied cigars as you seek out richer and richer flavors. After this stage, you have sworn off mild cigars but then the day comes that you light up a medium or medium to full bodied cigar and you swear it is the best you have ever had. At this time, you realize that the flavor you thought you were detecting was merely the training wheels on the bike. The training wheels are off and you are riding by yourself. You detect all the richness you love in your full bodied blends but in a smooth and non overwhelming format. The lighter body allows allows you palate to zero on literally dozens of aspects in cigars you never thought existed. Now you pick up some rich mild cigars, maybe even stuff you thought you no longer liked and threw out years ago and find new characteristics you never thought the cigar had. You go back to some lesser strength favorites then back to some full bodied. Holy *** you say, you are now pulling even more richness out of the full bodied stuff!! Now you buy a big cabinet humidor, your wife leaves you because you spent your retirement money on cigars and you are really off the races LOL. In all seriousness though, from here a smoker does settle in on what he really likes the most. Could be medium, could be mild and could be full. That said, while the lock in on a strength profile they like, the dont smoke it exclusively. they appreciate some cigars or brands at all strength levels because they have mastered the concept of "flavor". For example, I prefer medium to full or full bodied cigars as my regular smoke of choice but there are some mild and medium smokes in the humi for when the occasion calls for one. Cigars I think have every bit as much flavor as some of my full bodied favorites. I want to go on record now having said all this that this is a major generalization that I think pertains to many smokers but certainly not all and this theory is based solely on my observations over many years. It is also my experience that this progression takes on different forms and different intervals for each person. Some people progress right to full bodied cigars in a matter of weeks and some stay in the initial stages much longer. There are not certainties in this hobby nor rules. Everyone is different. That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses. For those who may not know what I am talking about, I cant describe for you exactly what it is like, but I will tell you, you will know the day you "get it". It is like an epiphany. You will literally go back and resmoke every cigar you have already tried and it will be like you never smoked it before. It did not happen for me until 2003 really.
... as i said in that epic thread "for me it was in 2008 and i was smoking a Zino Classic." that was the mild cigar that i just happened to pick up.
the other thought that i really wanna highlight here is the last few lines of Alex's post: That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses.
at some point you will have an understanding of a cigar when you smoke it. it wont just be something you taste. developing your palate is fun and part of it, but there is far more to it than taste.
i would also like to push this from a post later in the thread to the first post:
kuzi16:
Ive been meaning to put these up here for quite some time. I think some of you may already have these.
So much good stuff here.
Kuzi, your extensive cigar knowledge never ceases to amaze me.
jgibv:
If you haven't read the info Kuzi posted here yet, check it out.
Great stuff.
kuzi16:
I cant believe that i did not post this here. i wrote it a long time ago but it may help some of the new guys. Im sure a few of you have seen this before. I was gunna link to it on another thread but i couldnt find it. so here ya go:
I am by no means an expert on the topic of cigars but (being a cook and a wanna-be wine connoisseur) I do know a bit about taste. (**edit: its been years since i tapped out this article. i now know way more on cigars than i do of wine. whoda thunk it?)
When you taste food most of the taste comes from smell. All that the human tongue can actually taste is salt, sweet, umami, and bitter. To develop your palate you need to develop you sense of smell. This may seem like a difficult task but it isn’t hard. It just takes practice. One thing that helps is knowing what you are looking for.
Like many of you, I do enjoy a glass of wine. since wine is a great parallel to cigars when it comes to taste and so many people are familiar with it i will use it as an example.
I like to taste all the little flavors going on in the wine, but being able to identify them took practice. Here is how I taste wine:
1) Pour glass less than half way full.
2) Swirl and look for impurities (cork from opening) and to release aroma, and took for "legs"*
3) Take a sniff of it. not a deep sniff but several shallow sniffs the way a dog smells things. **
4) Take a small amount in and hold in the mouth
5) Smell again
6) Swallow
When I do this I can smell everything in the wine and identify what is in it.
But, how do I know what to look for?
Good question.
Look up what other people say about the wine. If they say it has a black cherry smell to it, go out and buy a black cherry. (Try it: Blackstone Merlot (i think its still under $10 a bottle) does in fact taste a bit like black cherry) Cut the cherry in half and place it in a wine glass and smell it. Then pour the wine in another glass and smell it. Notice the similarities. After a while you learn to point out taste on your own.
How does this relate to cigars?
Another good question.
Read reviews. If someone says it has a hint of coffee then smell some coffee while smoking a cigar. I recently red a thread here where someone said they could taste Macadamia nuts. Buy that cigar and some macadamia nuts. Smoke the cigar and eat the nuts. Notice how they are the same. How else are you supposed to identify a taste if you don’t have a reference point? Basically, you need to learn the common smells and tastes of cigars. (Nutty, pepper, leather, and so on)
Develop a smoke strategy. Much like my wine tasting, I have found a way to taste cigars better then when I first started. I feel the cigar, I look at it closely and I spend a lot of time smelling the cigar pre-smoke. Before I clip, I lick the cap. after lit and while puffing I make sure to blow a bit of that puff out through my nose . All of this helps me understand the cigar better.
Read reviews, buy the flavors mentioned, try the cigar, and decide for yourself. At worst you’ll enjoy a few good smokes.
that was most of the original document. now a few years on id like to restate how important it is that you learn how to get smoke through the nose. when you get a bit of it through the nose your sense of smell can really go to work for you. You will start to see complexities in cigars that you thought were simple and you may even start to not like cigars you did before. it opens a new world up to you.
i would also like to make a point that if you familiarize yourself with common flavors and tastes in cigars such as Cedar, Coffee, Leather, Earth, Nuts, Sweet, Spice, Pepper, etc, the easier it will be for you to understand cigars. smoking a ton of cigars helps, but if you have no concept of what anise is supposed to taste like then how will you identify it in a cigar? developing your palate is more than about cigars. its about understanding taste and smell in all aspects of your life.
**i thought that i would add this bit by Alex to my thread because he pretty much hit the nail on the head when it came to my cigar journey and the journey of many of you out there.
Alex Svenson:
I have a theory on how a smokers palate progresses over time. Most often they will start by trying and enjoying less intimidating blends. Mild up to medium as they master the art of smoking and the action itself. Drawing, swirling, using the nose. They are not able to differentiate the flavors but rather are able to identify a cigar as one they like or dislike and make some generalizations about the overall flavor but have a hard time picking up individual components. Now the smoker tries ventures into stronger territory, more medium and medium to full bodied cigars. By now he has the basics down on how to smoke and falls in love with all new blends and brands (cursing that he filled his humidor up with all that mild stuff). By now the flavors are more pronounced and through experience, the smoker can more easily identify nuances and things like finish and competing aromas. At this point you know what flavor is, you know what you like and you cant get enough of it. You try everything and really develop a taste for full bodied cigars as you seek out richer and richer flavors. After this stage, you have sworn off mild cigars but then the day comes that you light up a medium or medium to full bodied cigar and you swear it is the best you have ever had. At this time, you realize that the flavor you thought you were detecting was merely the training wheels on the bike. The training wheels are off and you are riding by yourself. You detect all the richness you love in your full bodied blends but in a smooth and non overwhelming format. The lighter body allows allows you palate to zero on literally dozens of aspects in cigars you never thought existed. Now you pick up some rich mild cigars, maybe even stuff you thought you no longer liked and threw out years ago and find new characteristics you never thought the cigar had. You go back to some lesser strength favorites then back to some full bodied. Holy *** you say, you are now pulling even more richness out of the full bodied stuff!! Now you buy a big cabinet humidor, your wife leaves you because you spent your retirement money on cigars and you are really off the races LOL. In all seriousness though, from here a smoker does settle in on what he really likes the most. Could be medium, could be mild and could be full. That said, while the lock in on a strength profile they like, the dont smoke it exclusively. they appreciate some cigars or brands at all strength levels because they have mastered the concept of "flavor". For example, I prefer medium to full or full bodied cigars as my regular smoke of choice but there are some mild and medium smokes in the humi for when the occasion calls for one. Cigars I think have every bit as much flavor as some of my full bodied favorites. I want to go on record now having said all this that this is a major generalization that I think pertains to many smokers but certainly not all and this theory is based solely on my observations over many years. It is also my experience that this progression takes on different forms and different intervals for each person. Some people progress right to full bodied cigars in a matter of weeks and some stay in the initial stages much longer. There are not certainties in this hobby nor rules. Everyone is different. That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses. For those who may not know what I am talking about, I cant describe for you exactly what it is like, but I will tell you, you will know the day you "get it". It is like an epiphany. You will literally go back and resmoke every cigar you have already tried and it will be like you never smoked it before. It did not happen for me until 2003 really.
... as i said in that epic thread "for me it was in 2008 and i was smoking a Zino Classic." that was the mild cigar that i just happened to pick up.
the other thought that i really wanna highlight here is the last few lines of Alex's post: That said, I do believe that the idea of mastering flavor is really the pinnacle of cigar enjoyment. Frankly, it is hard to describe in words. It uses all the senses.
at some point you will have an understanding of a cigar when you smoke it. it wont just be something you taste. developing your palate is fun and part of it, but there is far more to it than taste.
i would also like to push this from a post later in the thread to the first post:
kuzi16:
Ive been meaning to put these up here for quite some time. I think some of you may already have these.
Awesome post! Thanks for that! I have really been trying to develop my palate and blow smoke out of my nose, trying to pick up tastes in a cigar. Yesterday I was smoking a Macanudo Gold Corona and I was awestruck when I tasted anise! Then I thought I was crazy because nobody ever mentions anise. Its always been chocolate, or cedar, earthy, nutty, leather, flavors. Then a few minutes later I picked up a flavor that reminded me of cognac. So, I was excited to see Kuzi mention anise. Made we realize I might not have been so crazy after all.
I do agree with the points kuzi16mkaes in ref:"I do know a bit about taste. "
many wine snobs too have some similarities to Cigar connoisseur. the look of the wine, smell, and ultimately the taste. Matching the right wine with the right occasion , meal , and individual preference are things that are constantly changing. Bevmo has made it a point to sell Cigars at their stores and with each one will have a recommendation of what type of wine , liquor, bourbon etc...
Some of the recommendation I would not do, nor would I even think would be good with it lol. What I do like with the Graphs provided by Kuzi16 is that they get you thinking of what flavors, aromas , and taste and notes the stick you smoke has. this can be developed by experiencing the foods, wines and cigars. The charts provided would be good to have, when smoking a stick and try to match it to the charts. I believe if you are and out going person, have experienced some culture , and open to trying different things. your palate is already developed, it is getting you to know what your palate does. This chart can help after you have ate the meal drank the drink and smoked the smoke. without that we are asking this Q? "what is that taste, smell, and Flavor"?
ok guys. Things have gone downhill since my most recent flavor experience. All I am tasting (in my last 3 cigars) is plastic. The kinda plastic flavor that I got when I would smoke more than an inch on those plastic tipped black n milds. Kinda turned off here. Anyone else taste plastic?
ok guys. Things have gone downhill since my most recent flavor experience. All I am tasting (in my last 3 cigars) is plastic. The kinda plastic flavor that I got when I would smoke more than an inch on those plastic tipped black n milds. Kinda turned off here. Anyone else taste plastic?
what cigars were they? how long have they been in your humidor? what size were they and how long did they take to smoke? do you have infused cigars in your humidor? where did you procure those cigars?
ok guys. Things have gone downhill since my most recent flavor experience. All I am tasting (in my last 3 cigars) is plastic. The kinda plastic flavor that I got when I would smoke more than an inch on those plastic tipped black n milds. Kinda turned off here. Anyone else taste plastic?
what cigars were they? how long have they been in your humidor? what size were they and how long did they take to smoke? do you have infused cigars in your humidor? where did you procure those cigars?
...did you take the cellophane off?
what cigars were they? 5 vegas Gold Corona, Las Cabrillas Churchill, Macanudo Gold Label Corona
how long have they been in your humidor? several weeks
what size were they and how long did they take to smoke? Coronas and a churchill
do you have infused cigars in your humidor? No. Never smoked an infused
where did you procure those cigars? CigarsInternational.com
ok guys. Things have gone downhill since my most recent flavor experience. All I am tasting (in my last 3 cigars) is plastic. The kinda plastic flavor that I got when I would smoke more than an inch on those plastic tipped black n milds. Kinda turned off here. Anyone else taste plastic?
Are you on any new medications? Some drugs mess up your taste buds.
ok guys. Things have gone downhill since my most recent flavor experience. All I am tasting (in my last 3 cigars) is plastic. The kinda plastic flavor that I got when I would smoke more than an inch on those plastic tipped black n milds. Kinda turned off here. Anyone else taste plastic?
Are you on any new medications? Some drugs mess up your taste buds.
Nope. No new meds. No meds at all actually.
What about the tar and nicotine? Do those things give off a plastic taste? I only feel it in my mouth after puffing. But the smoking coming out the foot and what I blow out smells delicious to my nose.
ok guys. Things have gone downhill since my most recent flavor experience. All I am tasting (in my last 3 cigars) is plastic. The kinda plastic flavor that I got when I would smoke more than an inch on those plastic tipped black n milds. Kinda turned off here. Anyone else taste plastic?
Are you on any new medications? Some drugs mess up your taste buds.
Nope. No new meds. No meds at all actually.
What about the tar and nicotine? Do those things give off a plastic taste? I only feel it in my mouth after puffing. But the smoking coming out the foot and what I blow out smells delicious to my nose.
Might just be your palate's burned out or you just don't like those blends. I remember tasting raisin and candle wax from the Verdadero Organic.
Sorry I forgot to answer the last question. Yes. I had them all stored in the humidor without the cellos
i was making a joke about you taking off the cellophane before you smoked. i probably shoulda been more clear on that.
given the answers to the questions, i would say that the problem isnt the cigars, its you. but it can probably be fixed. just pay attention to what you eat and drink before and during a cigar. aim for slightly acidic foods before you smoke. aim for neutral or ever so slightly acidic drinks during.
a good way to cleanse your palate before a cigar is to drink and swish a small amount of milk before you smoke (even though it edges to alkaline) and then eat white bread, and then swish with water.
Sorry I forgot to answer the last question. Yes. I had them all stored in the humidor without the cellos
i was making a joke about you taking off the cellophane before you smoked. i probably shoulda been more clear on that.
given the answers to the questions, i would say that the problem isnt the cigars, its you. but it can probably be fixed. just pay attention to what you eat and drink before and during a cigar. aim for slightly acidic foods before you smoke. aim for neutral or ever so slightly acidic drinks during.
a good way to cleanse your palate before a cigar is to drink and swish a small amount of milk before you smoke (even though it edges to alkaline) and then eat white bread, and then swish with water.
Sorry for not catching your joke . Still new and i little nervous i guess. I will try your tips at my next smoking. Thanks. Ill inform you of the results
I really enjoyed your post about learning to appreciate the different tastes each cigar has to offer. I have been a scotch drinker for years but it was only recently that I started smoking cigars and am enjoying every bit of it. My buddies always told me how well these two went together but I never believed them until now. I haven't had the opportunity to try many cigars yet but recently purchased a small wooden humidor to start my collection. I realize this is a bit of a loaded question but does anyone have suggestions for a medium bodied cigar that doesn't break the bank?
I really enjoyed your post about learning to appreciate the different tastes each cigar has to offer. I have been a scotch drinker for years but it was only recently that I started smoking cigars and am enjoying every bit of it. My buddies always told me how well these two went together but I never believed them until now. I haven't had the opportunity to try many cigars yet but recently purchased a small wooden humidor to start my collection. I realize this is a bit of a loaded question but does anyone have suggestions for a medium bodied cigar that doesn't break the bank?
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I have read in places if you eat alot of spicy food it makes it harder to develop your palate for cigars.. Also I have heard if you smoke cigarettes it also effects developing your palate.. Not sure how much truth is in this but it would make some sense.. I dont drink much so paring is tuff for me... I have learned drinking Dr Pepper is prolly not ideal while smoking a cigar... I'm still learning and have only pinned down earth, pepper and leather (I have chewed on fresh leather while in school when we made belts coasters and stuff like that..lol).. Hoping to find some good cigars with coffee as I love my coffee.. Read some reviews and got some 5 vegas triple a's and DPG blue because said coffee.. The DPG blue burned funny and wasnt a good experience.. Like the 5 vegas triple a but did not experience any coffee.. Thinking maybe because I smoke and I use alot of spices on my food.. Possible?
I have read in places if you eat alot of spicy food it makes it harder to develop your palate for cigars.
i have not heard that. not sure if it is true, but i eat a ton of spicy food. love it.
kswildcat:
Also I have heard if you smoke cigarettes it also effects developing your palate.. Not sure how much truth is in this but it would make some sense..
that is true. the acidity of cigarettes and the chemicals are all bad.
kswildcat:
I dont drink much so paring is tuff for me... I have learned drinking Dr Pepper is prolly not ideal while smoking a cigar...
smoke and drink what you like. that may not be as bad of a pairing as you think. the acidity in a Dr Pepper is a good counter balance to the alkaline smoke of a cigar. I ave done that pairing many times.... but never for a review. then its only water.
kswildcat:
I'm still learning and have only pinned down earth, pepper and leather (I have chewed on fresh leather while in school when we made belts coasters and stuff like that..lol).. Hoping to find some good cigars with coffee as I love my coffee..
el major espresso. its inexpensive to boot.
kswildcat:
Read some reviews and got some 5 vegas triple a's and DPG blue because said coffee.. The DPG blue burned funny and wasnt a good experience.. Like the 5 vegas triple a but did not experience any coffee.. Thinking maybe because I smoke and I use alot of spices on my food.. Possible?
Comments
Bump-er planes for the folks that haven't seen it ....
Great stuff.
Kuzi, your extensive cigar knowledge never ceases to amaze me.
how long have they been in your humidor?
what size were they and how long did they take to smoke?
do you have infused cigars in your humidor?
where did you procure those cigars?
...did you take the cellophane off?
http://www.askdocweb.com/badtaste.html
I found this list online.
given the answers to the questions, i would say that the problem isnt the cigars, its you. but it can probably be fixed. just pay attention to what you eat and drink before and during a cigar. aim for slightly acidic foods before you smoke. aim for neutral or ever so slightly acidic drinks during.
a good way to cleanse your palate before a cigar is to drink and swish a small amount of milk before you smoke (even though it edges to alkaline) and then eat white bread, and then swish with water.
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i have a few links in the link in my signature line below. check em out.
smoke and drink what you like. that may not be as bad of a pairing as you think. the acidity in a Dr Pepper is a good counter balance to the alkaline smoke of a cigar. I ave done that pairing many times.... but never for a review. then its only water. el major espresso. its inexpensive to boot. or maybe it just wasnt coffee.