StogieChat Cigar Forum

(01-02-2011, 04:33 PM)365Cigars Wrote: [ -> ]On New Years Eve I had (in order) a Cuban Partagas Lusitania (nice, long smoke... heavy cedar & leather with a touch of sweetness & spice - gets a little spongy to the touch when the stick gets warmed up), a beautifully aged 8-year old La Flor Dominicana 2000 Series Toro (released May 2002 - Box-Pressed, smooth, medium-bodied, creamy sweetness with black fruit, currants, sugar cane & nutmeg notes), an Opus X Lost City Double Robusto (power smoke with black pepper, sweet tobacco, dried plum & light Turbinado sugar notes) and I closed out the year with a Cohiba Behike BHK 56 (strong yet smooth smoke... aged tobacco, dried raisin, rum, cream caramel & light white pepper notes with a slight herbal undernote)...

On New Years Day I started with a Tatuaje Anarchy (powerful strong smoke... red pepper, cumin, dried orange peel, strong black coffee with a restrained, slightly "animal" undernote), a Cuban Partagas Serie P No. 1 (petite belicoso - sweet aged tobacco, black tea, sugar cane & dried apricot) and closed out the day with a 2008 Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 50 (nice sweet smoke with a touch of punch to it... black pepper, anise, toffee, dark cherry with a crisp, silky mouth feel)...

And today, the day after the day after?... A Drew Estate Liga Privada T-52 Flying Pig of course! (one hell of a smoke, review to come)...

Fantastic descriptions!...But, what would you describe as an animal undernote? I am still learning to pick out specific flavors, so any insight would be awesome.

BTW, Welcome from Pa!

Hunlock...

Thanks for asking...

"Animal" to me is a slightly gamey, wild, unrestrained flavor... one that kind "growls" at you as you smoke -- I use the term to apply to strong sticks that pounce on you during the smoke... as an example the Tatuaje "The Face" is an "animal-like" smoke in that it starts out strong and peppery, calms down and then in the last 2" or so unleashes a wave of power that smacks you about time after time (and it's a freakin fun-ride!)...

In this case there's this wild componant in the flavors that lay low in the Anarchy, they're there, taking subtle swipes at you and unleashing them at points... the black coffee & pepper mix gives it that "animal" touch because it stalks you all the way through the stick...

Hope this helps... :-)

BTW, one of the ways I trained myself to discern flavors was to take a puff, let it sit in my mouth for a few seconds, let about 2/3rds of the smoke escape and then suck in a little air to mix with the remaining smoke... I would swish it about my mouth (watch how wine, coffee or food tasters do it) and then release the mix... I'd close my eyes during the process and then after my mouth was clear I'd taste what was hitting my palate & tongue... closing my eyes allowed me to concentrate on what I was getting from my mouth without any distractions, all that mattered was the flavors I was discovering...

PS: I get quite a few people asking how to learn to taste cigars so they can get flavor profiles... I'm thinking of doing a video on my own process for the blog... when I do I'll post a link to it here...

I use a flavor wheel....

Teck...

That's very cool... I've downloaded it for assistance when I do reviews... I have a 3-page/3-column document I put together with the different flavors & descriptors I've used or have discovered along the way (good place to get descriptors is from magazines like Wine Spectator) that help me when I write a review...

Do you mind if I share your flavor wheel when I do the "tasting" video?..

(01-06-2011, 12:28 AM)365Cigars Wrote: [ -> ]Hunlock...

Thanks for asking...

"Animal" to me is a slightly gamey, wild, unrestrained flavor... one that kind "growls" at you as you smoke -- I use the term to apply to strong sticks that pounce on you during the smoke... as an example the Tatuaje "The Face" is an "animal-like" smoke in that it starts out strong and peppery, calms down and then in the last 2" or so unleashes a wave of power that smacks you about time after time (and it's a freakin fun-ride!)...

In this case there's this wild componant in the flavors that lay low in the Anarchy, they're there, taking subtle swipes at you and unleashing them at points... the black coffee & pepper mix gives it that "animal" touch because it stalks you all the way through the stick...

Hope this helps... :-)

BTW, one of the ways I trained myself to discern flavors was to take a puff, let it sit in my mouth for a few seconds, let about 2/3rds of the smoke escape and then suck in a little air to mix with the remaining smoke... I would swish it about my mouth (watch how wine, coffee or food tasters do it) and then release the mix... I'd close my eyes during the process and then after my mouth was clear I'd taste what was hitting my palate & tongue... closing my eyes allowed me to concentrate on what I was getting from my mouth without any distractions, all that mattered was the flavors I was discovering...

PS: I get quite a few people asking how to learn to taste cigars so they can get flavor profiles... I'm thinking of doing a video on my own process for the blog... when I do I'll post a link to it here...

Does this flavor wheel work for tasting women too?

(01-06-2011, 01:36 AM)365Cigars Wrote: [ -> ]Teck...

That's very cool... I've downloaded it for assistance when I do reviews... I have a 3-page/3-column document I put together with the different flavors & descriptors I've used or have discovered along the way (good place to get descriptors is from magazines like Wine Spectator) that help me when I write a review...

Do you mind if I share your flavor wheel when I do the "tasting" video?..

Not my wheel... I think i got it from Uncle T...

I cant see "morning diaper" or "pensioners favourite chair" on that wheel.

I like on that wheel how they distinguish horse manure from regular plain old manure

(01-06-2011, 01:03 PM)ashman Wrote: [ -> ]I like on that wheel how they distinguish horse manure from regular plain old manure

Yeah... How do i know which one? I've never tasted manure...