07-22-2006, 09:47 AM
[user=44]Rob The Long Island Cowboy[/user] wrote:
I don't see why that'd be the case. I'm sure Mark wasn't just doing a drive-by mockery, I'm giving him the credit that he really doesn't believe that anyone could taste these things from cigars.
I think I presented a fairly reasonable response, with numerous cited references that indicated that perhaps there might be a dimension to this that he may be missing.
Assuming that what he's really interested in is discussing cigars, I don't see why good can't come from this. I'm not offended in the least; I'm merely trying to point out that there's quite a bit of scientific evidence to support the notions I put forward.
Certainly it could be argued that all food is just good or bad; no subtleties can be discerned. The same for wine, it can easily be argued that there is either good wine or bad wine, which is decided by what you like and what you don't like. I'm good with that, and at a basic level, I actually agree: what's good is what you like.
However there's more than just here-say to support the idea that some people do have more developed palates than others, and that you can also train your palate should you choose to work at it. This goes for foods, wines, cigars... anything you can taste.
This is not a pissing contest; I'm hoping that Mark, and others, respond to the substance of what I stated:
.....
It's very possible to discern these flavors from cigars, wine, and other consumable items. What you call "bullsh*t" others do experience, and many people make their living doing.
And there is science behind it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2880471.stm
Still, my palate is not nearly as refined as the palate of many others I know; it takes work to refine it. One thing to keep in mind is that you're not necessarily meant to take the various tastes noted literally.
Taste is extremely linked to memory; a taste may evoke memories of a similar taste in something else that you've had before. It's similar to how an impressionistic painter hints at the true nature of what they are depicting, describing it in a generalized way to impart the idea/form.
Sure, my review is over the top... but it does try to convey an experience as best I could manage it. If you want to try it yourself some time, find a peaceful moment, and really focus on what you're tasting as you enjoy your cigar or wine. Let it curl around your tongue, and focus on the tastes, you might be surprised.
Taste is extremely subjective, and not everyone will taste things the same way, or even have the same range of tastes available to them. It's also work to focus on what you're tasting, and attempt to translate that into words through which others can try to get an understanding of the experience you had.
If you want to boil it down to "good/bad" you certainly can, and it's a valid way to approach any luxury food or spirit. But dismissing the idea of being able to pick up subtle flavors in said items I think is not correct.
Sumatran coffee, for instance, really does have a distinctive taste that you can become quite familiar with if you are a lover of the bean. Another example: while black pepper and jalapeno peppers are both spicy, they have very different tastes, which is why chefs go to the lengths they do to pick the appropriate spice to complement a particular dish.
The same can be said for cigars, wines, coffee, beers, scotches, and even things like chocolates. But if all cigars are to you is the gastronomic equivalent of slamming down a Big Mac and Coke, yeah, it'll all seem somewhat ridiculous to you.
Quote::?ÃÂ Nothing good can come of this.ÃÂ
I don't see why that'd be the case. I'm sure Mark wasn't just doing a drive-by mockery, I'm giving him the credit that he really doesn't believe that anyone could taste these things from cigars.
I think I presented a fairly reasonable response, with numerous cited references that indicated that perhaps there might be a dimension to this that he may be missing.
Assuming that what he's really interested in is discussing cigars, I don't see why good can't come from this. I'm not offended in the least; I'm merely trying to point out that there's quite a bit of scientific evidence to support the notions I put forward.
Certainly it could be argued that all food is just good or bad; no subtleties can be discerned. The same for wine, it can easily be argued that there is either good wine or bad wine, which is decided by what you like and what you don't like. I'm good with that, and at a basic level, I actually agree: what's good is what you like.
However there's more than just here-say to support the idea that some people do have more developed palates than others, and that you can also train your palate should you choose to work at it. This goes for foods, wines, cigars... anything you can taste.
This is not a pissing contest; I'm hoping that Mark, and others, respond to the substance of what I stated:
.....
It's very possible to discern these flavors from cigars, wine, and other consumable items. What you call "bullsh*t" others do experience, and many people make their living doing.
And there is science behind it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2880471.stm
Still, my palate is not nearly as refined as the palate of many others I know; it takes work to refine it. One thing to keep in mind is that you're not necessarily meant to take the various tastes noted literally.
Taste is extremely linked to memory; a taste may evoke memories of a similar taste in something else that you've had before. It's similar to how an impressionistic painter hints at the true nature of what they are depicting, describing it in a generalized way to impart the idea/form.
Sure, my review is over the top... but it does try to convey an experience as best I could manage it. If you want to try it yourself some time, find a peaceful moment, and really focus on what you're tasting as you enjoy your cigar or wine. Let it curl around your tongue, and focus on the tastes, you might be surprised.
Taste is extremely subjective, and not everyone will taste things the same way, or even have the same range of tastes available to them. It's also work to focus on what you're tasting, and attempt to translate that into words through which others can try to get an understanding of the experience you had.
If you want to boil it down to "good/bad" you certainly can, and it's a valid way to approach any luxury food or spirit. But dismissing the idea of being able to pick up subtle flavors in said items I think is not correct.
Sumatran coffee, for instance, really does have a distinctive taste that you can become quite familiar with if you are a lover of the bean. Another example: while black pepper and jalapeno peppers are both spicy, they have very different tastes, which is why chefs go to the lengths they do to pick the appropriate spice to complement a particular dish.
The same can be said for cigars, wines, coffee, beers, scotches, and even things like chocolates. But if all cigars are to you is the gastronomic equivalent of slamming down a Big Mac and Coke, yeah, it'll all seem somewhat ridiculous to you.