| Basic Tastes | | | | same place and keep them in the same environment |
| The human tongue is able to determine 4 basic tastes | | | | for the smoking sessions. They receive a list of criteria |
| : sweet, salted, acid and bitter. That's all ! The rest is a | | | | to analyze and a form to quote their evaluation. In this |
| matter of flavor related to the sense of smell. When | | | | case, external factors are minimized. You can make a |
| testing cigars, only sweetness, acidity and bitterness | | | | statistical calculation and say what characteristic is |
| are concerned. A salted taste could be given by a | | | | significantly present in the cigar. The other way |
| chlorinated soil or fertilizer. In this case, the tobacco | | | | ("casual") is to have people in different places, smoking |
| does not burn! If, by bad luck, there is a salted leaf in | | | | by themselves in their usual environment. As external |
| your cigar, you'll feel promptly nauseous ! Any tobacco | | | | factors are various and numerous, it is not possible to |
| buyer knows that and avoids purchasing such a | | | | make any objective calculation and you just get |
| material. | | | | tendencies, which are very helpful sometimes if you |
| | | | have to choose between two prototypes for a new |
| Taste is discerned on the tongue, flavors with the | | | | product. But in both cases, if it is not a blind test, it is not |
| nose. Almost everybody is able to perceive the four | | | | valid. |
| basic tastes (sweet, salted, acid and bitter). Flavors are | | | | Words and Meanings |
| another matter. Few people are gifted for discerning | | | | To organize a "scientific" smoking panel, it is very |
| and recognizing flavors. Often, one can feel a flavor | | | | important to be sure that all members speak the same |
| and not be able to name it. It is also matter of memory. | | | | language and put the same meaning behind the words. |
| It is possible to improve the sense of smell by specific | | | | That may seem simple but it is not! You have to split |
| training. | | | | the problem into small parts and train people using |
| Discerning Flavors? | | | | examples for each of these parts. |
| Some "experts", after having tested cigars, give a very | | | | How Do I Light The Cigar? |
| esoteric description of their feelings. Do you often put | | | | To light your cigar, avoid gasoline lighters and sulfur |
| your nose in a hare's hair? Probably not, so forget it! | | | | matches which will give a bad taste. Do not heat the |
| Just remember the flavors you meet and like in the | | | | head too much, just a few puffs will do. If your cigar is |
| nature : fruits, forest, spices for example, it is enough to | | | | well constructed, after a while the burning line should |
| enjoy your smoke. | | | | become even. |
| 3x8=6+8+10? | | | | Should I Remove The Label? |
| Understand that a average rating is something tricky! | | | | Etiquette says that you should remove the band from |
| Let's imagine that 3 smokers are blind testing two | | | | the cigar before smoking it, but most people smoke |
| cigars. The first cigar gets 3 times an 8 rating. The | | | | with the band on, and that does not affect the taste! If |
| average is 8. The second cigar gets 6, 8 and 10. The | | | | you choose to remove the band, do it carefully. Check |
| average is 8 too. Are the cigars equivalent ? | | | | that the glue has not spread out on the wrapper, or it |
| Is The Cigar Good Or Bad? | | | | could be torn when removing the band. If in doubt, |
| Taste is a personal matter, and consequently, it is a | | | | keep the band and enjoy your smoke. |
| subjective matter. As soon as a cigar is well | | | | Does A Meal Affect The Taste Of A Cigar? |
| constructed and can be smoked, everyone has the | | | | We have noticed that smokers have a different |
| right to like it or not. A cigar you may like may not be | | | | perception of the same cigar depending on what |
| enjoyable to others. You don't need to convince | | | | they've eaten before smoking. A few years ago, I |
| anyone that you are right using fancy words! Just say | | | | organized blind tests with a group, always the same |
| " I like it " or " I don't like it ". It'll show respect for other's | | | | people in the same room. The sessions were held just |
| opinions. A bad cigar is the one that makes you and | | | | after lunch for everybody. Smoking again the same |
| others sick because of green or badly processed | | | | cigar at intervals, statistically, we noticed deviations in |
| tobacco. | | | | the results. Other external factors may have |
| Be Humble! | | | | influenced our smokers, but it is very difficult to say. |
| The blind smoking test is one of the best traps that | | | | How To Recognize The Taste And Type Of A |
| human brain has invented! It is a very good way to | | | | Cigar? |
| learn humbleness! | | | | You need to have accurate senses of taste and smell, |
| Testing Procedure | | | | and a very good memory. Some tobaccos have a |
| As soon as one speaks of taste, it involves | | | | very typical taste or aroma that you can memorize |
| subjectivity. The name, the brand, the ring, the color, the | | | | easily. Others are more difficult to identify and you |
| appearance of the cigar are going to affect your | | | | need to train yourself longer. In fact, the first step is to |
| appreciation. Even the meal you just ate before | | | | smoke cigars made 100% with one single type of |
| smoking! Do you drink coffee or Cognac while | | | | tobacco to grasp its own characteristics. After that, as |
| smoking? Be cautious and critical about published tests | | | | cigars are a blend of different tobaccos, it becomes |
| and ratings, as long as the procedure is not clearly | | | | much more complex to detect each of the |
| disclosed! | | | | components. In 35 years, I have met only one guy who |
| Formal or Casual? | | | | is able to do so (it's not me!). But the dominant tobacco |
| There are two ways to organize smoking tests. The | | | | in a blend is much easier to identify if you have had the |
| first one ("scientific") is to have all the smokers in the | | | | opportunity to smoke these monotype cigars. |