Excellent instructional - very appreciated...
So, first question:
Was I most likely getting the peppery taste because of the burn of exhaling through my nose deliberately, or was I tasting the flavor, not the burn?
Was it a "pepper" flavor (black, white, peppercorn, etc...) or was it a burning cayenne type flavor?
If just pepper, it's most likely from the wrapper. If cayenne, then it is probably blowing too much smoke through your nose or blowing it through too quickly.
The blowing smoke through the nose should only be done a couple of times during each 1/3 (IMHO, of course) as you run the risk of "burn out" if you do it too much.
Also, just a little smoke will do you. The object is to try to pick up a little more subtle flavor by using an addition part of your olfactory system located in your nasal cavity. (IMHO, again).
Another couple of them and I can probably answer my own question; I'm interested in what the experts say.
The cigar seemed to get much harsher towards the last third - something I've not noticed in previous encounters with the MC's. Which leads to my second question:
Is that increased harshness a natural building of potency that I'm just more aware of by virtue of my extra attention, an anomaly of that particular stick, or was it simply caused because I was smoking faster than I was the first 2/3?
The last third of a cigar can become harsh and/or bitter if you smoke too quickly or smoke too "hard" (eg, long, powerful draws) or if you slobber a lot on the head of the cigar. Any or all of these combined can create a build up of tars in the cigar or around the head.
Try, slowing down a bit. Not taking a drink of your beverage before drawing (to prevent the head from getting too wet) and try to keep from drawing with big hard draws.
Also, try "purging" a few times throughout the last 2/3s and see if all or a combination of these tips help.
I suspect it was that I was smoking faster - it's a whopping 11 degrees out without the wind, and after a while even a polar bear like me starts to want to get indoors. I'm usually partaking earlier in the day, so it's not as cold ...
Came inside, had a small glass of water, and found my girlfriend had left some sliced apple out for me. Took a bite and had to glance down to make sure it was an apple, not some weird hybridized orange ... thing. My first bite of apple after the smoke gave me a definite taste of orange.
So, third and final question:
Was that unknown zest I was getting earlier actually orange, and the apple just clued me in, or was I just imagining it?
Depends on if it is typical of the flavor profile of that cigar.
The fruity flavor from the apple which tends to have a slight bitterness may have jogged the association / conclusion that the flavor was citrus. (I do it all the time if I can't figure a flavor out, I'll sniff spices to pin it down).
Most often, the citrus I find has a citrusy crispness like sprite (depending on the type of smoke the cigar is putting out).
Flavor faded very quickly; within a couple bites I was eating apple. But I definitely got citrus from that first post-smoke bite.
I'm interested in enhancing my palette, and these are the stream-of-consciousness questions that bounce through my mind as I'm blowing smoke, so, feel free to analyze the blather ... I'm interested in the board's thoughts.
okemyeye
