Cigar Flavors - Online tool?

[mav_sd]

Hey guys,

I was watching Bryan's last video (Kealeria) and noticed his freshest poll. He asks for votes to be cast about favorite flavors... coffee, nutty, spice etc...

The question is this: Is there a tool or reference that exists today that can match these sorts of flavors to sticks that fit the profile?

The brothers on this site have been more than helpful with reviews and with advice when it is asked for, but it would also be sort of cool to be able to input some flavor variables and have a list generated that could help match potentially compatible sticks with what you might be in the mood for.

For newbs and for those of us who are not so new, but still exploring, I would think this could be useful/interesting. My web searches have come up with some guides for flavored cigars, but very thin when it comes to more traditional smokes.

Anyone know about something that would do the trick? If nothing exists, I would think all of us could come together to set up something like this:

http://www.allflavoredcigars.com/html/flavored_cigars_flavor_meter__.html

but for non flavored sticks. (and with a bit of excel or HTML magic, we could get a tool created to make it interactive)

What I like about the chart I linked to is how it has the various flavors and then a rating scale to indicate how much of that flavor is present in the different sticks... I know it's fairly subjective from tongue to tongue, but I still think there would be flavors most of us would agree with.

Thoughts?

 

[cashedash]

so like a google search engine but for cigars?

 

[mav_sd]

@Cashed

Sort of... but more like:

Input Flavor: Spice, Pepper

Output Cigars: Cigar "A" and Cigar "B"

or

Input Cigars: Cigar "X"

Output Cigars: Cigar "Y" and Cigar "Z" (Similar flavors to Cigar "X")

and maybe a percentage to show "Best Match" etc...

 

[cashedash]

oh yea I get what you are saying. I should probably patent this idea. Make some money!

 

[Volusianator]

LOL, I just smoke my cigars and enjoy them, hard for me to do that if I try to make a science project out of it. But hey, that's just me.

 

[Zen Cigar Man]

funny this came up. I'm posting something later this week on my blog that'll discuss the different flavors components found in cigars.

As far as a database of flavors, that's honestly impossible as people will pick up different flavors in a cigar. Case in point, the other night at the store I was smoking a LFD Cam Cab with two other Brothers and I was getting rich coffee and licorice, one of the guys was getting pepper and citrus and the other was getting barnyard flavors ("he has the palate of a billy goat").

Another way to look at it is, each cigar is different, even the same blend and could exhibit different flavor components. Plus there's the year to year crop variation... There are some exceptions, Henke Kelner is a great blender and can keep a lot of consistency smoke to smoke, year to year.

But there are general "trends" with wrappers. Corojos are peppery, Cameroons are sweet and spicy, Connecticuts are dry and woody, CBLs are rich and chocolatey, Rosados are leathery, etc. But that's not the case all the time.

It's a cool idea, i just don't think it would work for everyone's palate.

 

[Bowhnter]

I like the idea, mostly because I can't pick out flavors unless it's chocolate, mocha, etc.

I always try to look up a cigars profile before I smoke something, especially for the first time. Could be handy to know what other cigar it might compare to.

Especially if a cigar has a particular dominate flavor, it might help someone to develope their palate.

 

[Craig Mac]

I agree with Wade and Zen on this one.

 

[Moro]

I think it takes away from learning that oneself...but that's me.

 

[PLUSH]

f Case in point, the other night at the store I was smoking a LFD Cam Cab

These are probably my favorite smokes. Some are better than others and have different complexities. While smoking some I can get hints of some spice, not sure which, like oregano, or coriander. I can't quite put my finger on it.

 

[mav_sd]

Thanks for your thoughts so far guys, Looks like the idea will have lovers and haters. :smile:

I understand those of you who feel that a cigar will be different for each smoker and palate. I agree. However, I would say that if you put 100 smokers in a room and gave them all the same stick that you'd have more similar traits identified than dissimilar. Meaning that the strongest flavors are likely to be picked up by a majority.

I don't think you could break it down to every flavor for every stick and get it right, but I do think that the primary components could be identified and catalogued, and that some folks would be thankful for another source of input when making their (sometimes costly) decisions about what to buy or try next. I'm not trying to replace good conversation and shared opinion among brothers... but why not try to harness some information from our enourmous collective experiences?

 

[Zen Cigar Man]

These are probably my favorite smokes. Some are better than others and have different complexities. While smoking some I can get hints of some spice, not sure which, like oregano, or coriander. I can't quite put my finger on it.

hmmm, coriander. i think that may be close.