Where do Flavors Come From?

[Treinenwj]

Kind of a newb question, but I've never really given it too much thought. I don't have a very refined palette, so I usually just taste variations of tobacco.
Every once in a while I taste coffee, or walnuts, or something; but not nearly as often as other people seem to.

So my question is this: if these cigars are not infused, how do those non-tobacco flavors get in there?

 

[TheCigarKid]

It's called the art of blending cigars!

 

[vivalanation734]

Natural Chemicals. It's the same reason why we can make jellybeans taste like coffee and nuts, except some occur naturally and others are manufactured. Different regions, tobaccos and soils all have different chemical makeups which influence the final product.

 

[Treinenwj]

Jellybeans have artificial flavors. Am I mistaken by understanding non-infused cigars do not have artificial flavors?

 

[vivalanation734]

No. You are right. Regular cigars don't have flavoring, but all flavors are, are natural chemical compounds that are found in different minerals and plants.

 

[itsme_timd]

No. You are right. Regular cigars don't have flavoring, but all flavors are, are natural chemical compounds that are found in different minerals and plants.

But, natural or not, there are no flavors added to cigars that are not flavored or infused.

Cigars (well, tobacco) produce a variety of flavors. Just like wines or spirits, especially wines... you might hear them described as tasting of plums or black currants, peaches, etc. - even though none have been added. The combination of the tobacco itself, the soil it's grown in and the way it is cared for while growing; and the curing and aging of the tobaccos can change the flavors in a leaf. Like a leaf being shade grown or sungrown; ligero, seco or viso; even something as simple as how much rain there was in the growing season can change the flavor and other characteristics of the tobacco. Sometimes it's not necessarily that a flavor is jumping out at you, leather is a great example. You may not have chewed on a shoe in the past but the sensation on the palate and the aroma together remind you of leather. I can't pick out all the flavors some people can, I think for some it's a bit fabricated and for others it's just a well developed palate. Science had proven there are people they define as "Super Tasters" and they have very sensitive palates and might be able to detect notes of wet stone and sandalwood - but I can't.
Oh well, I still know when a cigar tastes GOOD! :cbig:

 

[Wink]

That's good stuff Tim! Thanks, I wondered the same thing. "super tasters" I must be a "wimpy taster" LoL because I can't grab any of those delectable qualities from these sticks. Most of the time I just concentrate on the experience while trying to savor select taste but I guess they evade me, maybe when my palate gets a little more refined I'll be able to join the elite. BOTL'ers have taught me alot! Thanks again

 

[Simoun]

This is a good blog entry I found a while ago and explains some of the chemistry behind taste and aroma.

http://cigarfan.net/category/cigar-science/

A lot of what people taste and smell are a result of how the mind interprets the smoke, whose flavors and aromas are drawn out of the leaves from the fermentation process and yield chemical compounds similar to those found in other specimens in the plant family, hence the ability for tasters to detect notes of fruit, honey, flowers, herbs, etc.. In addition, the presence of leather can be accounted for if you factor in the natural, though not always organic, methods of leather tanning, which uses, variously, minerals and vegetable proteins that complement and enhance the cigar's presentation of what many describe as an "earthy" note––soil, compost, loam, tobacco, mud, etc.

 

[The BurgerMeister]

another great thread with so much great info. this place rocks! :guitar:

 

[Treinenwj]

Thanks for the info guys! It still seems like some sort of dark magic to me, though.

 

[truckingtiger]

do you guys retro-hale? blow a little out of the nose then the rest from the mouth? I have found that if i dont retrohale, all I taste is tobacco...retrohale lets me pick out different flavors. Here is an article from - http://www.cigarinspector.com/cigar-tips/what-is-retro-haling
---------------------------------------------
First of all, what is retro-haling? According to the tobacconist university:
"Retro-haling is the act of moving smoke from the back of the mouth, up through the sinuses, and exhaling through the nasal passages."

Now, why would one want to smoke a cigar through the nose? Well, it is simply because we have so many flavor detectors in our noses - much more than on the tongue that can only distinguish basic flavors. Smoking through the nose will maximize the flavors you will get out of your cigar.

Final question - how do you do it? That's the tricky part, quite difficult to explain. Former cigarette smokers will certainly know how to retro-hale and I'll try to describe it as concisely as I can. First of all, take a good puff on your cigar and release approximately half of the smoke through the mouth as you normally do. Do not inhale or swallow the remaining smoke. With your mouth closed, gently push the smoke to the back of the cavity with your tongue and at the same time start exhaling through the nose. That's it!

Make sure you try this with the mildest cigar you can get and go slowly or you might end up coughing quite a bit. I usually do it a couple of times in each third but there are aficionados who retro-hale every single puff.
-----------------------------------

try it.

 

[red]

But, natural or not, there are no flavors added to cigars that are not flavored or infused.

Cigars (well, tobacco) produce a variety of flavors. Just like wines or spirits, especially wines... you might hear them described as tasting of plums or black currants, peaches, etc. - even though none have been added. The combination of the tobacco itself, the soil it's grown in and the way it is cared for while growing; and the curing and aging of the tobaccos can change the flavors in a leaf. Like a leaf being shade grown or sungrown; ligero, seco or viso; even something as simple as how much rain there was in the growing season can change the flavor and other characteristics of the tobacco. Sometimes it's not necessarily that a flavor is jumping out at you, leather is a great example. You may not have chewed on a shoe in the past but the sensation on the palate and the aroma together remind you of leather. I can't pick out all the flavors some people can, I think for some it's a bit fabricated and for others it's just a well developed palate. Science had proven there are people they define as "Super Tasters" and they have very sensitive palates and might be able to detect notes of wet stone and sandalwood - but I can't.
Oh well, I still know when a cigar tastes GOOD! :cbig:

good info tim.

 

[snooper800]

Much like wine; it doesn't matter what anyone else tells you they "taste" in it, either you like it or you don't. Having a refined palate makes no difference if you don't like certain tastes; be it the bite of a tannin-full finish or the lack of vibrant fruit. You may be better able to desribe the wine, but if you don't like the overall taste, what difference does it really make?

You either like a cigar or you don't; the operative word being "you".

Some guys will beat a path to the Opus X; I've tried to smoke two of them, both times the experience was marred by an strong nicotine buzz which I hate.

I will never waste my money on another one, but most of the members here love them.

We all should smoke (drink) what we like; never question someone else's palate.

BTW - many note the taste of leather in their smokes. I have to ask; how many of you spend time chewing on leather?? Or they taste barnyard.......I'm not even going to ask. :yes:

 

[BrooksW]

BTW - many note the taste of leather in their smokes. I have to ask; how many of you spend time chewing on leather?? Or they taste barnyard.......I'm not even going to ask. :yes:

(from a post in another thread, I thought it was applicable here)

I have tasted some weird flavors...but remember that for the most part, you are not actually "Tasting" any flavors (other then tobacco), but your mind is taking what you are tasting, and converting it into flavors that you are familiar with (or the closest to it that you are familiar with)...

For example, while smoking the Cohiba Gran Reserva (review here, fwiw), I SWORE I tasted Honeysuckle....When I was growing up (in a military family) I lived for 3 years in Panama, and we would go around and pull the stems out of Honeysuckle plants and suck on them...

I also grew up (on and off) on a horse farm, and so I am well acquainted with the smell of hay, manure and leather tack...You don't have to have tasted these things to put a name to them, the smell that you remember is usually enough...

Now, do I think that the tobacco ACTUALLY tasted like Honeysuckle (or had Honeysuckle in it?) No, of course not...but that is what INSTANTLY popped into my mind while I was smoking it, and that is what I tasted...and this happens ALL the time when I am doing reviews...

Hope that helps!

~brooks

 

[Jwrussell]

Thanks for the info guys! It still seems like some sort of dark magic to me, though.

Hey, no one said it wasn't magic. Think about the blending of grapes for wine. Same kind of dark magic going on there.