Tasting? Velvety grassy chocolate with hints of red apples. What?

[Mr C]

Hey guys

Now that i've smoked a few cigars, i've have definetly noticed that they taste different between eachother, and sometimes even within the same cigar... yay 4 me

Anyways...

What i'm unable to understand is all the descriptions...? I can't source them when smoking?
Chocolate, grassy, coffee?
My taste buds can only do sweet, sour, bitter and salty (as far as I know, this is normal, and we all have this range).

Sometimes when I inhale into my mouth and through my nose at same time, I get wifts of certain more descriptive scents (is this what you guys do?)

Or after a puff out, I've got a flavour left in my mouth. Sometimes to front of tongue, sides or back, sometimes even throat.
But that usually just tastes like tobacco to me?

Could you guys give me a more descriptive, detailed way you guys puff and when/ how you taste this flavours?

Are they subtle over the tobacco taste? or pronounced?

Thanx

[Mindflux]

I concur. I think some of our BOTL's are hitting another leafy substance before the cigar, IMO.

When I smoke, I get dirt, tobacco and spice.

I dont even know what velvety would taste like?

Truly bizarre.

[Ermo]

I really do taste coffee, chocolate, spice, leather and floral notes. Those are the only flavors I detect, and they are VERY subtle most of the time. Just relax, and don't think about it too much when smoking, the flavor is there.

[ghost]

A few months ago I would have agreed with you. Now though I do taste different things in the cigar (commonly those that ebn2002 states, along with some grass).

I started tasting more flavors as I learned to slow down the pace when smoking a stick. Once I did this I started finding more flavors. I have cousin who smokes waaaay to fast. Over the weekend he brought over some smokes for us to enjoy. He asked what I thought and I started telling him what flavors I was picking up. He asked to take a hit and agreed with me and asked why he was not getting the same out of his. When I took a hit of his I instantly could tell the cigar was burning too hot and too fast. Told him to slow down but he says he likes that burned harsh tobacco taste Too each his own.

[Ermo]

Well I've smoked about 11 ISOM's and have not tasted the grass yet. I should add that in a few of them there was a tangy taste, best taste I've ever got from a cigar. That tang is what is making me buy more, well and the construction too.

[TU09]

Give it some time. Your sense of taste will probably develop further.

While you are correct that sweet, sour, bitter, and salty are the only sensations detected by taste buds, your sense of smell comes into play big time along with combinations of taste bud sensations to allow people to experience complex flavors. There is much more involved in taste than taste buds and more complex flavors than those listed above are possible even from cigars.

Consider reading reviews first and then trying to discern the flavors listed. Perhaps this will hone your palate?

[M Thompson]

I'm so glad someone asked this question. I was thinking the same thing myself, although I'm not sure how someone could describe it.

I've tried different things as well, slightly inhaling a little occasionally, taking a draw and letting the smoke gently float around my head as I breath it in through my nose, etc... Its all been fun, but I still only taste tobacco and sometimes the spice from a tasty wrapper. I do notice a difference in the tobacco taste, but I can't pinpoint yet exactly what it is that makes it different.

Right now, I have the best experience when I don't worry too much about it and just kick back and enjoy the smoke. Aaaaahhhhh....

I will definitely try slowing down a bit, sticking to the "draw a minute" rule. Maybe forcing myself to put the stogie down between hits.

-M

[dyj48]

That's an excellent question. It took me a while before I could discern different tastes from different cigars. The biggest differences occurred for me when I began smoking ISOM smokes and then noted the distinctions.

Slowing down definitely makes a difference, one minute between puffs. As Corey suggests, reading other posts and reviews makes a difference for you to see if you could also find the same flavors. The better quality cigars have distinctive notes and flavors that hits your palate in different way. I've been surprised when I've actually been able to taste the flavors described in other reviews. I really enjoy it when I discover a new taste or flavor in my smoking.

Davis

[Da Klugs]

It's hard to describe "smoke flavors". Our frame of reference is solids and liquids.

Grassy? It's the only adjective that is close to describing the Cohiba flavor. No one eats grass so it's not really that "flavor". Maybe toasted wheat like.

Anyway I have found that there are more flavor nuances in NC cigars to attempt to describe. Not sure why. Maybe lithium brings it out. Just like em better. Maybe it's the virgins thigh sweat.

[Tristan]

When I first started my tastes weren't developed enough to describe a lot. I think the longer you smoke the more you pick up. I swear that yesterday night was the first time I tasted "leather" in a cigar. I'm sure other cigars I've smoked have been leathery and I just couldn't pick it up? I'm not sure!

All I know is I enjoy smoking cigars more and more every time I smoke one. It's a downward spiral!

[rumballs]

I find that probably 80% of cigars are sufficiently described with fairly general terms like sweet, spicy, earthy. The remaining 20% though will sometimes just vividly suggest an unusual flavor, like butter, steak, pepper, etc. I find that part of "being able to taste" these flavors is seizing on something the second it comes to mind. e.g. for an instant you might think "caramel" - if you keep thinking about that, there's probably a reason it came to mind and it does taste like caramel. If on the other hand you start to question yourself you might just fall back to "sweet".

[Baric]

Consider yourself lucky you can detect sweet, sour, salty etc Mr C as not everyone can do that lol. i find its just best to go for it-add a description that it links with in your own opinion and smoke with some chocolate/coffeee etc so you can compare to these commonly quoted tastes!

[palm55]

Just smoked one after lunch today... "First 1/4 was spicy, with salsa overtones, but with wonderfully bread-like undertones... Second 1/4 mellowed a bit, gently hinting of grains or nutty beans... Third 1/4 changed dramatically into decidely light, 'tropical' flavors..."

Was it the taco I had for lunch? Was it the glass of lemonade I had while smoking? Or was it the cigar itself?

I dun'no! But the darned thing tasted pretty good!!

[Stonefox]

I've noticed lately that I'm picking up more flavors when I smoke now than before. At first they all tasted like smoke. Now I'm picking up on the spicyness, grass flavor, leather, chocolate, and earthiness. I even once tasted what to me tasted like cherry in a R&J. I don't know that I will ever be able to pick out some of the flavors that CA describes, I'm not even sure what some of those flavors are Maybe I should start eating the cigars

[Fireman_UK]

Originally Posted by tristan

When I first started my tastes weren't developed enough to describe a lot. I think the longer you smoke the more you pick up. I swear that yesterday night was the first time I tasted "leather" in a cigar. I'm sure other cigars I've smoked have been leathery and I just couldn't pick it up? I'm not sure!

All I know is I enjoy smoking cigars more and more every time I smoke one. It's a downward spiral!

I know what you mean Tristan, I've recently started picking up the 'leather' taste with certain sticks. Well not sure if its the taste or aroma, but definitely leather.