Tastes Fundamentals
The human tongue can detect four basic tastes: sweet, salty, acidic, and bitter. That’s all there is to it! The remainder is a question of taste and the sense of smell. Only sweetness, acidity, and bitterness are considered when testing cigars. A chlorinated soil or fertilizer could impart a salty flavor. The tobacco does not burn in this scenario! You’ll get sick quickly with a salted leaf in your cigar! Any tobacco buyer is aware of this and avoids purchasing such a product. The Interesting Info about Cigars.
Flavor and Taste
The tongue detects taste, whereas the nose detects flavors. Almost everyone can see the four basic tastes (sweet, salty, acidic, and bitter). Flavors are a different story. Few people can identify and recognize flavors. Often, one can sense a flavor but not remember it. It is also a memory issue. Specific training can help to strengthen one’s sense of smell.
Interested in Flavors?
After testing cigars, some “experts” give a rather arcane explanation of their feelings. Do you ever stick your nose in the hair of a hare? Most likely not, so forget it! Simply remembering the flavors you encounter and enjoy in nature, such as fruits, forests, and spices, is sufficient to enjoy your smoke.
3×8=6+8+10?
Understand that an average rating is a tricky thing! Assume that three smokers are blind testing two cigarettes. The first cigar receives three eight ratings. The mean is 8. The second cigar receives 6, 8, and 10 points. The average is also 8. Are the cigars the same?
Is that a good or bad cigar?
Taste is a personal concern, and as such, it is subjective. Everyone can enjoy or dislike a cigar as long as it is well-made and can be smoked. Others may appreciate something other than a cigar that you want. You don’t need to use fancy words to persuade people that you’re correct! Say, “I like it,” or “I don’t.” It will demonstrate respect for other people’s viewpoints. A terrible cigar makes you or others sick because of green or improperly processed tobacco.
Humble yourself!
The blind smoking test is one of the most effective traps that the human brain has devised! Moreover, it’s an excellent method to acquire humility!
Testing Methodology
When we talk about taste, we are talking about subjectivity. The cigar’s name, brand, ring, color, and appearance will all influence your appreciation. Even the food you just ate before you started smoking! Do you smoke while drinking coffee or Cognac? Be wary and skeptical of published tests and ratings if the technique still needs to be fully revealed!
Formal or informal?
There are two approaches to organizing smoking tests. The first (“scientific”) method is to gather all smokers in one location and maintain them in the same environment for smoking sessions. They are given a list of criteria to consider and a form on which to record their findings. External factors are minimal in this scenario. You can use statistical analysis to determine which characteristics are significantly present in the cigar.
The other option (“casual”) is to have folks in various locations smoking alone in their usual setting. Because external factors are diverse and numerous, no objective calculation is possible. You only get tendencies, which can be helpful when deciding between two prototypes for a new product. However, if it is not a blind test, it is not valid.
Words and Their Meanings
Ensuring that all “scientific” smoking panel members speak the same language and understand the exact meaning behind the terms is critical. That may appear to be simple, but it is not! You must divide the problem into small sections and train people on each part using examples.
What Is the Proper Way to Light a Cigar?
To light your cigar, avoid using gasoline lighters or sulfur matches, which will leave a terrible taste in your mouth. Only a few puffs will sufficiently warm the head. If your cigar is well-made, the burning line should become even after a time.
Should I Take Off The Label?
The band of a cigar should be removed before smoking it. However, most people smoke with the band on, which does not affect the taste! If you decide to remove the bar, do with caution. Check that the glue has not spread across the wrapper or may tear when you remove the band. If in doubt, keep the band on and smoke.
Does Eating A Cigar Affect Its Taste?
We’ve discovered that smokers perceive the same cigar differently based on eating before smoking. I used to organize blind tests with a group of people, always the same people in the same room, a few years ago. Everyone attended the sessions right after lunch. We discovered statistical variations in the results after smoking the same cigar at intervals. Of course, other outside factors could have influenced our smokers, but it isn’t easy to say.
How To Identify The Taste And Type Of Cigar?
You must have acute senses of taste and smell and a strong recall. Some tobaccos have a distinct flavor or aroma that you can easily recall. Others are more difficult to identify, and you must train yourself for more time. The first step is to smoke cigars produced entirely from one variety of tobacco to understand its unique qualities. After that, because cigars combine several tobaccos, detecting each component becomes more difficult. In 35 years, I’ve only met one guy who can do it (and it’s not me!). However, if you’ve smoked these monotype cigars, you can quickly identify the dominant tobacco in a blend.
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