Taste is a very fickle mistress, and not all people taste things in quite the same way. Here are a few things that I find contribute to the taste and enjoyment of cigars:

Mood -- I've found that my mood affects my enjoyment and taste of cigars more than I would have expected. I can smoke the same cigar one day, and love it, then smoke it again when I'm in a funk and it does nothing for me. Remember, studies have found that taste is linked closely to brain chemicals which control our moods... so this makes quite a bit of sense.

Don't underestimate how much your mood can affect whether you enjoy the taste of a cigar or not.

Expectations -- People underestimate the power of expectation, which is why blind taste tests are so incredibly important in finding out what cigars you really enjoy. If you're handed an aged, rare cigar, I think two things come into play. First, you have the expectation that you're going to enjoy the cigar (or at least should enjoy the cigar).

But perhaps more important is that if you know you've been given a "special" cigar, you will pay more attention to the cigar. Knowing the cigar is something special, you'll slow things down, and look for the flavors and nuances it conveys as you smoke it.

Environment -- Just as expectations often cause you to slow down and pay attention to the flavors a fine cigar has to offer you, so does the environment you smoke it in. If you're mowing the lawn or playing poker, you're likely distracted and won't be paying much attention to what the cigar has to offer you.

However if you're sitting back, relaxing, and are able to really focus on what the cigar has to offer you, that's another story entirely. Really tasting a cigar takes time and focus; the tastes are there regardless, but like many things in life, you have to be looking to find them.

Pairings -- What you eat and drink while you smoke a cigar affects your overall enjoyment and taste drawn from the cigar. A very strong drink can overpower the flavor of subtle cigars just as easily as a bold red wine can overpower subtly flavored foods. What you've eaten or had to drink prior to smoking a cigar can also have an effect; you have only one set of taste buds, and they are a continuous system.

Age of the cigar -- Properly stored, cigars made of premium tobacco will become more refined with age as the tobaccos that compose it marry harmoniously, and rough edges in the taste become smoothed out. Often subtle nuances or "complex" tastes in a cigar can be obscured by overpowering tastes when the cigar is young.

How long to age a cigar depends on the cigar blend, as well as your personal tastes. In general, a bolder blend has more long-term aging potential, but all cigars will eventually peak at a certain point in time. When that peak hits its sweet spot depends not just on the tobacco, but more importantly on what type of taste you enjoy.

Health -- The sense of taste is closely linked to the sense of smell. Obviously, then, if you're congested because of illness or suffering from allergies, you're not going to taste a whole lot in the cigar. Body and mind are interrelated, so poor health also affects your mental state, which will change how you perceive the cigar as noted above.

The tobacco blend -- It may seem strange to some people that I've listed the actual tobacco blend last (though it is certainly not least). The reason is that regardless of the tobacco blend, all of the aforementioned factors affect the taste of your cigar as you perceive it, and perception is everything. You could have a premium aged cigar handed to you with the band taken off, and smoke it while in a bad mood during a busy activity, and you'll likely get nothing out of it.

Clearly however, just as the ingredients in your favorite meal matter, so does the tobacco blend. More interestingly, despite the best efforts of cigar makers, cigar blends vary in taste somewhat from cigar to cigar, even from the same production year. Year over year, the variance is more prominent. Still, there is a distinctive taste profile to each cigar blend, some of which you'll like, some of which you won't.

So there you have it.
What do you think?
Post Away

Excellent post! I agree with every point. I am a fairly light smoker, about 2-3 a week. I try to enjoy each cigar to the fullest. When I smoke, I try to give it my full attention. I don't smoke while doing yard work, walking the dog, and I don't even play golf. I plant my self in a comfortable chair on the patio with an appropriate beverage and focus on the moment. I'm not thinking about work, or what I did this morning, or what I have to do later in the day. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I read. But the cigar is the center of my attention. I find this to be one of the most relaxing things I can do. I can enjoy the taste of even an average smoke this way. If I'm smoking something special, its all the more rewarding. It would seem a waste to divide your attention between an Opus X and a television show.

Randy

quote:

Originally posted by SHEEPSHEAD BAY:

So there you have it.
What do you think?
Post Away

EXCELLENT POST, opps!, i mean excellent post Sheepshead.

quote:

Originally posted by Conehead:
Excellent post! I agree with every point. I am a fairly light smoker, about 2-3 a week. I try to enjoy each cigar to the fullest. When I smoke, I try to give it my full attention. I don't smoke while doing yard work, walking the dog, and I don't even play golf. I plant my self in a comfortable chair on the patio with an appropriate beverage and focus on the moment. I'm not thinking about work, or what I did this morning, or what I have to do later in the day. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I read. But the cigar is the center of my attention. I find this to be one of the most relaxing things I can do. I can enjoy the taste of even an average smoke this way. If I'm smoking something special, its all the more rewarding. It would seem a waste to divide your attention between an Opus X and a television show.

Randy

I'm like you, although I smoke much less(2-3 per month). Like a beautiful woman, a cigar deserves a mans full attention.

IB

I agree it depends on the circumstances also.

I have one on the way home from work everyday and I prefer a short strong one then.

Last night I attended a retirement party and was able to enjoy an hour long smoke and a drink on a dinner cruise. I was given a smoke I h ad tried and tought too mile before but on the ocean, with the salt air and a drink it was perfect.

Beautifully done Sheepshead.

I remember lighting up a Ashton virgin sun at the docks awhile ago and the mosquitos where so bad I wound up dropping it in the water a inch in trying the slap my leg.

quote:

EXCELLENT POST, opps!, i mean excellent post Sheepshead

Glad you enjoyed it, i see you still have a sense of humor.

quote:

Posted July 21, 2007 05:23 PM Hide Post
Beautifully done Sheepshead.

I remember lighting up a Ashton virgin sun at the docks awhile ago and the mosquitos where so bad I wound up dropping it in the water a inch in trying the slap my leg.


If only all women had cigar breath.

Glad you enjoyed it as well.
Smoking out doors can no doubt be a challenge at times.

mood affects how i enjoy cigars

one day i smoke a punch elite in a bad mood and hated it

a week later i smoke another after and awesome rock concert and absolutely loved it

Have to agree mood plays an important role in much of what we experience.

the best way for me to have a great cigar and be in a good mood is to be around some of my friends and enjoy a good smoke with them

friendly atmoshpheres can make a decent cigar taste amazing

that was a good post. you hit every avenue. i make every effort to enjoy a cigar in the evening with either wine or another spirit. im usually alone and its my time. i love that. i also find myself, when smoking at a gathering or just a couple of friends hanging out, that im not too involved with whats going on around me. i find myself drifting off with the cigar. watching the burn, trying to smell the aroma and get the flavors. im sure its rude to others. im always trying to get my fiancee out to the porch with me for a nice relaxing evening. she usually says no, she doesnt like cigar smell, but when she does, she usually calls me on my wonderings. she says 'you not even listening to me, why dont i just leave you with your cigar.' i laugh and then ask her to repeat herself.

quote:

'you not even listening to me, why dont i just leave you with your cigar.' i laugh and then ask her to repeat herself. Big Grin

That is called selective hearing.
Been using that tactic for years.
It my friend is the secret to longevity once you become married.
Glad you enjoyed the post.

quote:

Originally posted by SHEEPSHEAD BAY:

quote:

'you not even listening to me, why dont i just leave you with your cigar.' i laugh and then ask her to repeat herself. Big Grin

That is called selective hearing.
Been using that tactic for years.
It my friend is the secret to longevity once you become married.
Glad you enjoyed the post.

Good post! When my wife speaks to me from the left-my left ear doesn't work. When she speaks to me from the right-my right ear doesn't work. When i'm smoking a cigar-I can't hear at all. Funny what a cigar will do!

i still hear everything when i smoke a nice cigar

i can actually fully indulge in a convo and a cigar at teh same time

but if someone is nagging me thats when i fade out

cause i hate nagging

SSB this has been one of the best post I have read in years, your on the money, keep it up.

quote:

Good post! When my wife speaks to me from the left-my left ear doesn't work. When she speaks to me from the right-my right ear doesn't work. When i'm smoking a cigar-I can't hear at all. Funny what a cigar will do!

How does that song go the things we do for love.
Glad to see you back IB Vitola haven't heard from you in a while

quote:

Originally posted by Conehead:
Randy

I'm like you, although I smoke much less(2-3 per month). Like a beautiful woman, a cigar deserves a mans full attention.

IB[/QUOTE]

Funny, a cigar taste a hell lot better when a beautiful woman is in my embrace when I smoke it. How do u explain that?

quote:

I'm like you, although I smoke much less(2-3 per month). Like a beautiful woman, a cigar deserves a mans full attention.

IB

Funny, a cigar taste a hell lot better when a beautiful woman is in my embrace when I smoke it. How do u explain that? [/QUOTE]

I don't quite understand your quote "when I smoke it", (it) you mean the cigar or the woman?!