Need some simple sticks for training my palate

xmacro

I'm trying to improve my palate, and after reading kuzi's train-your-palate thread, I got the idea to find some one-dimensional cigars to help me "recognize" different flavors alongside a tasting aid

So can anyone recommend me some very simple, one-dimensional sticks that give off strong flavors of the basics? Like one stick that's entirely leather, another that's entirely wood, another that's entirely coffee, etc?

stephen_hannibal

5 Vegas Relic- Leather in huge ammounts
Greycliff G2 Turbo- Cedar
Perdomo Habano Maduro- Dark Coffee w/ a touch of chocolate

Hope that helps.

Rob1110

I found the montecristo media noche to be very heavy on cocoa, though there are other notes in there.

dennisking

This is tough because all palates are different.
sol cubano cuban cabinet is very leathery.
la gloria cubana serie r is a black pepper bomb
graycliff 1666 is very cocoa in its taste as was the Padilla 32 for me.
rp signature has a ton of bread flavor

sol1821

http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?brand=433
,br> chocolate and lots of it

The Sniper

sol1821:

http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?brand=433
,br> chocolate and lots of it

Bolivar I assume? Too easy to open the link. :-) If so, good call.

xmacro

Well, seems I'll be putting a call into Ccom soon - thanks guys!! If anyone has more suggestions, lemme know

kuzi16

el mejor espresso.

i think you can figure out the flavor on that one.


any davidoff for musk...

alienmisprint

kuzi16:

el mejor espresso. ....

+1

wwhwang

Oliva G Maduro for the espresso and dark chocolate flavors.

kuzi16

What i think will help also with training your palate is to become very familiar with the most common flavors that appear in cigars. Chocolate, coffee, wood, cinnamon, pepper, rich earth, etc...
many times people know those flavors or smells but they do not know them. dont just eat food. TASTE it. pay a lot of attention to it. dont just do anything in life. do those things while paying attention to the smells that come along with it. it may sound a bit insane, but make it a point to be even more self aware.

Amos Umwhat

As I recall, my response to my first ITC 10th anniversary was "cashews, cashews, cashews". As always, it's all about the nose. I don't do the "blow it out your nose" thing. I can, and I do get the flavors that way, but also a burn that isn't worth it. By slowly pushing a little smoke out the mouth, and carefully filling my nostrils, but not enough to reach the throat, I get twice the flavor of the "out your nose retrohale", and none of the burn.

xmacro

I occasionally retrohale, though since it burns most of the time, what I've been doing lately is after blowing most of the smoke out of my mouth, I smack my tongue against the roof of my mouth, kinda like smacking your lips (same sound, actually); although I still can't identify what I'm tasting, this seems to enhance whatever it is that's in the cigar, without the burn.

kuzi16:

What i think will help also with training your palate is to become very familiar with the most common flavors that appear in cigars. Chocolate, coffee, wood, cinnamon, pepper, rich earth, etc...
many times people know those flavors or smells but they do not know them. dont just eat food. TASTE it. pay a lot of attention to it. dont just do anything in life. do those things while paying attention to the smells that come along with it. it may sound a bit insane, but make it a point to be even more self aware.

Good idea; most of the time I just wolf down whatevers in front of me - taking it slower should help

bigharpoon

Punch Gran Puro has a lot of cinnamon flavors.

Bahia Blu is a great one to recognize goat's ass.