Emperor's New Clothes?

[groundhog]

I've been wondering about this for a long while now.
And I'm really confused. About a lot of things cigar-wise.
But mostly with taste. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, especially with cubans.
I can separate cigars into two categories, for me, now - nice tobacco taste and awful tobacco taste.
As a result, I've started to wonder if they're actually virtually devoid of differences.
They taste different from different boxes the same factory at the same time. They taste different from the same factory at different times. They taste different from different factories.
Brand profile? Does it exist? Or is it all just a big ball of BS?
The thing that got me wondering was the 24:24 at FOH - looking at his tasting notes, they all look very similar, no matter which marca.....
Thoughts on my ramble?

[lestabantam]

I think there are different profiles for different marcas, and I think Rob at FoH would say so, you could always ask him. I'm sure plenty of folk on here have an opinion on this.

The differences between boxes, factories and so on is part of the charm of Cubans. It is also frustrating when a reliable cigar becomes average, especially when you've paid hard earned cash for average sticks.

For me the pros far outweigh the cons with Cubans, when you get a good stick/ handful/ box there is no beating them, and trying to keep track of which marcas and vitolas are on form keeps the hobby interesting.

[smokey joe]

Emperor's New Clothes?

It is all just tobacco & taste is personal. For me there are certain characteristics to each brand. I can tell the difference between different brands, Trinidad vs Cohiba for example have a very different taste to each other, in my opinion.

FOH is a forum run by a vendor who does a very good sales pitch with elaborate comparisons to flavours in food & drink. It is convincing & quite effective.

[PeeJay]

I'm always amazed at how different blends of burning fermented leafs can taste so different but I do think some of the flavour perceptions are in our own minds.

[Emaresee]

It is all just tobacco & taste is personal. For me there are certain characteristics to each brand. I can tell the difference between different brands, Trinidad vs Cohiba for example have a very different taste to each other, in my opinion.

FOH is a forum run by a vendor who does a very good sales pitch with elaborate comparisons to flavours in food & drink. It is convincing & quite effective.

I agree wholeheartedly. Accepting its a natural product there will always be variance. If you buy into the wine concept of terroir, soil temperature, weather etc can all affect the taste of the same wine year in year out. Now there is a product where you can more freely influence the make up of the wine in an attempt to give you consistency of taste. Time then affects the taste.. tannins soften, alcohol softens, etc etc...

I guess the cigar is more limited to the leaves in the bunch, but it can be adjusted according to the leaf available at production point in order to give consistency of taste profile. I try not to think too hard about what factory produces what... I dont have the available concentration at the moment...

Unquestionably aging has merit, BUT only if the flavours evolve into your own 'good tobacco' taste category. For some it dulls down the flavours, for others it pleasingly mellows and blends them!

Our perception of taste profiles is hugely variable. I find this fascinating because I smoked my first Dippy last weekend... and I found it tasted nothing like a Monte!!!

certainly a topic that can run and run!!!

[Emaresee]

I'm always amazed at how different blends of burning fermented leafs can taste so different but I do think some of the flavour perceptions are in our own minds.

without doubt... the very best cup of tea I have ever enjoyed was at a tea production house in Sri Lanka... I bought some of the leaf there and then. Stuffed if I could ever make a tea taste that good again. The setting and the circumstance were hugely influential. I was in an environment where the very air you breathe tasted of the tea I was drinking.

Imagine that glass of wine/cup of coffee/cold beer that all tasted great one day (before / after/ with a meal, with friends, on your own, in a restaurant, on a cliff top etc etc etc!) and duff the next.... cigars must be the same.

[PeeJay]

Imagine that glass of wine/cup of coffee/cold beer that all tasted great one day (before / after/ with a meal, with friends, on your own, in a restaurant, on a cliff top etc etc etc!) and duff the next.... cigars must be the same.

Although I don't drink wine I'm told retsina fits that description perfectly

[Emaresee]

Ha! Never had it on that reputation alone!

Sent from my LG-K350 using Tapatalk

[Shaun]

I can taste differences between the brands, but some reviews out there are laughable.

[PeeJay]

I can taste differences between the brands, but some reviews out there are laughable.

So are some on here Shaun

[TJCoro]

Believe It Or Not?

So are some on here Shaun

Well, now I'm in trouble. I've been taking the cigar reviews here as gospel. So, how can I tell which to believe and which to laugh at?

As I've said before, this cigar stuff is hard!!!

Ricky Bobby

[Tom Major]

For me there are some differences in brands, ie JLP is totally different than Montecristo etc. As to the taste consistency, based on my usage of JLP, I'd say they all tasted the same, just with slight differences, like some bitterness, but that is not _very_ noticeable.

It always amazes me how people are able to extract some flavours in cigars. Remember watching video review of Chinchalero Novillo and guy smoking it said it gives flavours of nuts, fruits, baked potatoes, earth, leather, spices, tea, hay, toast and god knows what else. And then first stick I tried was harsh as f**k and I couldn't really feel anything but urge to put it down. Had it once or twice and didn't come back to natural, but do like Fuerte Maduro.

Sorting sticks into good and bad (to my taste) tobacco is the first step to choosing one.