Having trouble with taste...

[smokin5]

Don't buy the myth of the Bic.
I use them, & I've torched a LOT of stogies.
It does not affect the taste one little bit.

The key to picking up flavors of cigars & in the nose -
80% of taste in in smell.
Either "French inhale" the smoke (Inhale from your nose when you exhale from your mouth), or exhale the smoke from your nose. You will likely pick up many different flavors doing these.

[Langod]

Originally Posted by Darrell

Really? I always heard they were not butane, but more like zippo fluid. I'm confused.

Supposedly the new Zippo fluid doesn't "taste" either. But I haven't tried it -- I have a jet insert in my Zippo.

[wattsd]

Did you say that you have only smoked 2 cigars? That might also be it. When I first started that were quite similar. As you smoke more varieties you will pick up different flavors from each. You can try changing your lighter but I bet you just need a little more time smokin. Try a brand that offers both a maduro wrapper, and a lighter wrapper in the same line. Maduros are slightly sweeter, "thicker" tasting. Lighter cameroon and conn. shades are "lighter". Hard to explain...easy to taste.

SO....have fun smoking and finding out what you like!! Thats my favorite part!

[linty]

yah, that might be it, I just kinda got frustrated when it seemed the same... that and i'm running low on cigars (though a friend was kind enough to send me a sampler, which is on it's way) so i don't know! hopefully it will come

and yes, the padron I have has a maduro wrapper.

[spincycle]

Hi Linty,

A bit of mis-information in this thread.

Bic lighters, or "wick" style lighters, typically use naphtha - a liquid hydrocarbon like gasoline. These lighters are not under pressure, and burn cooler, so your flame is usually rounded and a yellow / orange colour.

Zippo's are a name brand for butane lighters. Butane is kept in liquid only under pressure, at atmospheric pressure it's a gas. Think propane - butane is from the same family. Because the contents are kept under pressure and butane burns hotter, the flame looks more jet (as it shoots out from it's pressurized vessel) like and the flame is usually blue / clear.

Personally, I don't detect a difference in taste when I light with either type of lighter. But I think it is possible to get a flavour difference if your cigar is getting any unburned fluid on it. Try and keep your cigar atleast 1 inch away from the flame. Just use the heat, not the flame itself to toast the cigar. I primarily use a butane lighter just because it's faster to toast.

Now, as for your taste buds - the Padron x000 series and Taboo Twist both taste rather different to my pallet, but you'll quickly find, what tastes like chocolate and coffee, might taste like leather and grass to you. I agree with the advice above. Keep trying cigars! You'll soon start to pick up the differences.

Let me know if you ever want to go for a smoke together. I'm in Mississauga almost every weekend.

Hope this helps!

[Blazedup]

You will get no added taste from lighting your cirars with a Bick. You will rarely if ever see a Cuban bustin out with a high dollar torch lighter for a cigar. Any lighter with a noticible smell to the fluid can add an undesirable taste to your smoke.

[kansashat]

Originally Posted by spincycle

Hi Linty,

A bit of mis-information in this thread.

Bic lighters, or "wick" style lighters, typically use naphtha - a liquid hydrocarbon like gasoline. These lighters are not under pressure, and burn cooler, so your flame is usually rounded and a yellow / orange colour.

Zippo's are a name brand for butane lighters. Butane is kept in liquid only under pressure, at atmospheric pressure it's a gas. Think propane - butane is from the same family. Because the contents are kept under pressure and butane burns hotter, the flame looks more jet (as it shoots out from it's pressurized vessel) like and the flame is usually blue / clear.

Personally, I don't detect a difference in taste when I light with either type of lighter. But I think it is possible to get a flavour difference if your cigar is getting any unburned fluid on it. Try and keep your cigar atleast 1 inch away from the flame. Just use the heat, not the flame itself to toast the cigar. I primarily use a butane lighter just because it's faster to toast.

Now, as for your taste buds - the Padron x000 series and Taboo Twist both taste rather different to my pallet, but you'll quickly find, what tastes like chocolate and coffee, might taste like leather and grass to you. I agree with the advice above. Keep trying cigars! You'll soon start to pick up the differences.

Let me know if you ever want to go for a smoke together. I'm in Mississauga almost every weekend.

Hope this helps!

I think you need to interchange where you have Bic with where you have Zippo in your post. The information will be correct then. Bic is a pressurized butane lighter & a Zippo is a wick style lighter.

[totallytentative]

Originally Posted by kansashat

I think you need to interchange where you have Bic with where you have Zippo in your post. The information will be correct then. Bic is a pressurized butane lighter & a Zippo is a wick style lighter.

All Bics, torches, and even $0.75 dollar store lighters are butane. Anything that uses naptha has to have a wick of some kind because it's a liquid (at least at standard temp & pressure). I bought some of the current Zippo fluid that says cleaner, low odor, etc on the back (I own a Nimrod for some reason...) but can only say that the flame from it smells pretty darn clean to me... like a candle but with even less of that parafin odour.

I also agree that you just need more practice and that it's 80% smell. I'm also relatively new to cigars and had both lousy and half-decent cigars for my first few, but like you I didn't get much out of them either and was mainly getting "smoke" as my flavour. I personally found I just needed to practice the way I expel the smoke so that a tiny amount gets wafted out my nose at the same time in small puffs (that's what I do anyway). I've never heard of what smoke5 suggested before, so I may try that next time.

Personally I would prefer to practice on cheapER cigars, but as we both know even house brand stuff up here costs $5 each Cigarillos maybe?

Pairing a cigar with a flavoured drink or even plain water (doesn't have to be a spirit) is nice because it helps cleanse your palette once in a while.

HTH and this isn't a case of the blind leading the blind!

[spincycle]

Originally Posted by kansashat

I think you need to interchange where you have Bic with where you have Zippo in your post. The information will be correct then. Bic is a pressurized butane lighter & a Zippo is a wick style lighter.

You are of course correct. Now I've contributed to the mis-information. I really should have proof read! That's what I get for posting and bring all light headed with Vitamin N.

[mrreindeer]

Originally Posted by smokin5

The key to picking up flavors of cigars & in the nose -
80% of taste in in smell.
Either "French inhale" the smoke (Inhale from your nose when you exhale from your mouth), or exhale the smoke from your nose. You will likely pick up many different flavors doing these.

I do the latter & it definitely makes a difference. I have noticed, however, a strange taste in the last 1/3. Is this strong, not necessarily good, taste, the nicotine I'm tasting? Has it been building throughout the whole cigar and just gets more noticeable by the end?

[JCK]

Hi Linty.. Welcome to the jungle. I honestly don't think you have any issues with the way you're lighting your cigar.

If these are your first two cigars ever, just relax. Try not to interpolate too much into the experience.

After reading a few of your posts. It sounds like you've experienced one of the best parts of cigars. It relaxes you.

Keep smoking different cigars until you find one that you like. If down the road you still experience this coal y boot flavor you mentioned to the point where it detracts from your cigar experience, the it may be time to reconsider another way to relax.

What I would suggest however is that you try and refrain from getting too many accessories, i.e., humidors and lighters until you know that this is right for you.

I don't want to see anyone think they've wasted money on a past time that may not work out for them..

[Dgar]

I tend to believe its due to the newness of the cigars to you, many people who have smoked many cigars have been surprised at the results of blind tastings.

Just relax, smoke a few more cigars as long as your enjoying them, and in time you'll find your favorites.

By the way, having a Padron as one of your first two cigars is a nice start.

Enjoy the journey....

[SuperDave]

When I first started a year or so ago, all I could taste was a heavy "tobacco" flavor. After 5-10 different cigars, I could begin to taste something besides the tobacco. Even after several hundred cigars, I can't taste coffee, or chocolate, but I can taste grass, cedar, earthy flavors. Also, I know immediately if I like the "undefined" taste or not after the first couple of puffs, just can't put labels on most of the flavors. My advice is don't worry about identifying flavors --just keep trying them until you find some you like. Good luck!

[scottw]

Take it slow, very slow. Perhaps you are smoking too quickly.

[linty]

thanks for all the advice, I just got the 5 sticks of tat-browns from chippewastud79 that I bought so i'll try those soon with my new found knowledge, i'm pretty excited