From Gigar Smoker to Cigar Aficionado

[fady]

Fire up a cigar. Jot down your impressions as you smoke. That's all a review really is. If you want to increase the number of flavors your palate recognizes then there's a chart somewhere around there that lists common flavors found in cigars. Go find some of the flavors on there that you might not be familiar with and try 'em. Don't know what nutmeg tastes like? Then raid the spice cabinet and lick some.

Dan

Most charts have horse manure on them as well, so yea...

 

[Alwayslit]

As a wise man once said, smoke what you like and like what you smoke.

 

[LittleMoe]

Great advice above. Couple more suggestions:


3. Next time you have a perfecto of some sort, experiment with how much you clip -- I still find it fascinating to start with just a slight cut, and then through the first half of the cigar, gradually cut a little more and take note of how the flavors change.

.

the flavors change with different cuts????? really????? i never heard of that !!!!


I'll have to give it a try !!!!!

 

[Red Raider]

Currently doing just that... and life is good!!!

As a wise man once said, smoke what you like and like what you smoke.

 

[The EVP]

If you have to ask, you're not there yet.

 

[CWS]

Never liked the labels, just cigars.

One of my best friends is probably the most knowledgeable person I have ever met on wine after being in the industry for over 40 years. He never puts on airs, will not call himself an "aficionado" and rarely defines fruits and berries in wine. However, when he suggests a bottle for my wife, we buy it and she is always dazzled. Try this you will love it. To me, that is an aficionado.

 

[mk05]

My rule of thumb was, do you enjoy smoking a cigar for the experience or the nicotine?

If you enjoy for the experience, the curiosity and culture follow.

 

[Guarantee]

I just like the whole experience rather than breaking down every detail. What does leather and earth taste like anyhow? I guess you go into your closet for a dirty pair of shoes instead of spice rack for that one.

 

[Red Raider]

Love the comments and some very wise words have been writen in several of the below coments below. Here's to enjoying cigars!!! Keep smoking my friends...

 

[Thecatch83]

Give 90+ ratings to dog sticks like Perdomos, Gurkhas and Onyx? Oh wait, that's the magazine......

 

[aroma]

Some people are touchy about the word "aficionado." ("You can't be an aficionado if you've been smoking less than 20 years.") I'm content to call myself a cigar enthusiast. Anyone can be enthusiastic, whether or not they have a lot of knowledge or experience.

W.r.t. discerning flavors, a lot of good advice has already gone by in this thread. I'll re-iterate the advice to retrohale.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMcDOSypco8"]here[/ame]

You don't have to blow a whole puff out your nose, as depicted in the video. Retrohaling even a tiny wisp of smoke will still dramatically enhance your ability to discern flavors/aromas.

Also, taste varies greatly from person to person, based on what we've experienced and on our physical make-up, so different people can, and often do, get markedly different impressions from the same smoking experience.

 

[Thecatch83]

Is that you in the video?

 

[aroma]

Is that you in the video?

Chuckle...
No, that's Dave Diaz, of StogieFresh.info

BTW, there's a lot of info on taste science and how to develop your ability to discern flavors on his website:
Go to stogiefresh.info
click "cigar edu"
look for half a dozen links in the lower left corner