Is there something I dont understand about flavor profiles?
JohanTheMighty
Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 12
in Cigar 101
I know, long title, but this has been bugging me... I smoked a Gurkha Warlord tonight; a stick described as "full flavored" and one which I was warned was not for new cigar smokers like myself (I've only been smoking them for about 2 months) because it could be so overwhelming for the palate. Anyway, I really liked the flavor of the cigar, it reminded me of the Shaggy, except that the intensity of the flavor was much much lighter. In fact, I would say that the Warlord was essentially a "Shaggy Ultra Light". I'm glad that I paired it with water instead of a beer because there was so little intensity to the flavor that anything else would have over powered the cigar.
So, what am I missing here? The construction of the stick was solid, there were no cracks or holes, other than the one I made with my cutter, so smoke wasn't escaping prior to reaching my palate. I was expecting thick, flavorful smoke, and what I got for 3/4 of the cigar was light wisps of smoke instead. Have I misinterpreted what "full flavored" means as it relates to cigars? Does it refer more to complexity of the flavor as opposed to intensity?
Any insights would be appreciated. I want to make sure I have a better understanding of what terms like "full flavored" mean so I don't make the mistake of purchasing "Ultra Light" cigars like this again.
Thank you for your time.
So, what am I missing here? The construction of the stick was solid, there were no cracks or holes, other than the one I made with my cutter, so smoke wasn't escaping prior to reaching my palate. I was expecting thick, flavorful smoke, and what I got for 3/4 of the cigar was light wisps of smoke instead. Have I misinterpreted what "full flavored" means as it relates to cigars? Does it refer more to complexity of the flavor as opposed to intensity?
Any insights would be appreciated. I want to make sure I have a better understanding of what terms like "full flavored" mean so I don't make the mistake of purchasing "Ultra Light" cigars like this again.
Thank you for your time.
Comments
that may be your problem. They are inconsistent enough to explain this situation.
beyond that a palate is a very personal and widely variable thing. Not only on a person to person basis, but also on a situation to situation basis for the same person.
many things can effect your palate: what you are currently eating/drinking. What you previously ate/drank. The pH of your mouth. Your mood. The list could go on and on.
jus remember that only you can decide what cigars are good and what cigars are bad. Don't let others influence you.
Never use Gurkha as a standard for anything. :^)
Seriously, though... Keep trying sticks and you will narrow down your likes/dislikes. Try different vitolas as well as different wrappers and fillers too. It's amazing how flavor profiles can be effected by the shape of the cigar or the ring guage. And the actual most important rule is:
Have Fun!!
If you are up for a trade, I'd be glad to put together a sampler of some things you might enjoy. PM your addy if you're interested.
AMEN to that.
Something that you can try, that might help you understand.
Find a few cigars, like Diesel Hair of the Dog, Torano Noventa and Fuente Hemingway Short Story.
Smoke one the first day, another the second day and the last one on the third day.
Take notes on how they taste to you.
Then compare them. The Diesel, Noventa and Hemingway are completely different levels of the flavour spectrum, so it should give you a relatively close idea.
But as Kuzi stated, there are so many other variables. The biggest variable is you.
There are cigars I like a lot, that others can't stand and visa versa.
I don't understand the whole "not for newbs" concept either, BTW. The second cigar I ever smoked was the Gurkha Centurian Perfecto, and I was given the same speech, but being the loose canon that I am I smoked it anyway and absolutely loved it... which I suspect won't bode well amongst the Gurkha hate, but dammit, I liked it!
I digress though; why the whole "Not for newbs" bit? I'm almost tempted to try everything I've been told I'm too new at this for because I've really liked what I've smoked anyway, despite that warning.
The only thing I will say in that regard is being new to cigars, your tastes will change over time.
Something you liked today may not be to your liking 6 months from now, which is why I recommend to newer guys to sample a lot of different cigars.
Once you find the type of cigars you like, then go for the boxes or 10 packs.
If you are comfortable with your likes, then go for what you want.
And if you smoke a cigar, like the one you discussed, that is tight and have more of them, let the others rest and try again later.
It might be that they were too green/fresh or the humidity in them was a little high.
Letting them rest may change that.
I've gotten several cigars that as soon as I got them, the first one was pretty tight. Let them sit for a week or so in the humi made them just right.
But that's just my opinion.
As for the 'not for noobs' thing, I think it's typically a nicotine level thing, not a flavor thing. No one wants to see the new guy get green-gilled and never want to smoke again. Unfortunately for some that means pushing new smokers to milder cigars, which often have mild flavor profiles to go with them that only a more seasoned smoker would really appreciate. So, in the end, smoke what you want. But also stop if it's making your head spin.
The thick mouthfeel and sweetness that a maduro gives is its main contribution to body, imo, and many dark sticks I have had have been very easy on my palate. I only wish I hadn't smoked with my eyes for so long!
the wrapper of the cigar has less to do with the body or strength of the cigar than the filler does.
any real body or strength you are getting in a maduro is mostly coming from the filler.
there is no rule saying a Maduro must be strong or not.
though fermenting a tobacco leaf to a darker color is all about bringing out/creating complex sugars for a sweeter flavor, there are absolutely secondary reactions that happen. loss of nicotine is one of them.
Cool. Loss of nicotine during maduro fermentation. You learn something new everyday. Thanks for clarifying brutha