Hey Gang...

For the last week or so my smokes have been tasting rather bland...I have smoked a Pepin Blue Label, Juan Lopez, Perdomo Lot 23, Remedios, Fuente Brevas Royale, RP Old World Reserve, CAO, Don Diego, Onyx, Trinidad MAduro, etc....different stuff.

All my smokes taste bland and "stale" ...hard to describe...humidor is 70 humidity adn I keep the maduros together and the naturals together..I dont get it...I am not getting the range of flavors that I had before.

A friend of mine says his palate gets "burned out" and he takes a month off and everything is back to normal.

I dont smoke much. One cigar Saturday and Sunday morning and 1 SAturday and Sunday evening. If I am lucky I get maybe 2 evenings during the week on my back deck. So I am not a heavy smoker.

Any ideas why? Has this happened to any of you guys?

GONZO !!!

turn the humidity down a couple of points. The difference is startling....

Keep in mind what you may have eaten beforehand. Anything excessively sweet or salty is going to numb your palate to the savory aspects or sweet notes.

quote:

Originally posted by Gregory Mottola:
Keep in mind what you may have eaten beforehand. Anything excessively sweet or salty is going to numb your palate to the savory aspects or sweet notes.

So can alcohol...

Alcohol can also be a wonderful complement, so long as you find the right pairing with the right cigar. However, if one is in the habit of gargling with rubbing alcohol a la Kitty Dukakis, there's going to be trouble on the taste buds.

Anything cold will numb the palette. That includes anything with ice cubes.

I find alcohol wakes the palate up.
Like a before dinner cocktail wets the appetite.
Also a good spirit can compliment a cigar dramatically.

I'm in the lower-your-humidty camp. It won't cost you anything to try. Let your cigars rest in the new environment for at least a couple of weeks to acclimate to the lower humidity. If you try this, let us know if you notice any difference. On the other hand, maybe your palate is fried. If your palate is, uh, "fatigued" wouldn't you also notice it when eating the regular stuff you eat?

Cold beer or cold ice water swished around every couple of draws works well here for cleaning the ol' palate. Besides, it helps keep ya cool in this freaking heat.

quote:

Originally posted by Gregory Mottola:
Alcohol can also be a wonderful complement, so long as you find the right pairing with the right cigar. However, if one is in the habit of gargling with rubbing alcohol a la Kitty Dukakis, there's going to be trouble on the taste buds.

Of course, it can be a marruage made in heaven. Ideally, it is... I just find that it depends on the quantity, and variety, of alcohol you've had before lighting up.

Say I go to a dinner, have a couple of martinis, white wine with the appetizers, red wine with the entrees and cheese, and a nice dessert wine with dessert. Sure, a Cohiba and cognac will be great afterwards, but I may not get the full flavors as I would with the same cognac and cigar, totally sober in the afternoon.

And I know a few vodka or gin drinkers which couldn't tell the difference between even the most basic nuances, even if they were to kick'em in the groin.