Commonality of Tastes/Flavors: Cigars

Is a smoke (Rudyard Kipling). Smoking has been around since the beginning of time but insofar as more recent times the home of both rum and cigars - a wonderful combination - remains the Caribbean. If you can't find a Cuban, you might try an expatriate smoke like one from Gran Papi Rodriguez and Family in Key West.
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Capn Jimbo
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Commonality of Tastes/Flavors: Cigars

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Taste Test: Common Cigar Flavors Demystified

The following article from Puff demonstrates the commonality of flavors between rum and cigars and certainly establishes the validity of "pairing" certain rums and cigars. Enjoy...

When some people think of cigar “flavors,” they picture the 99 cent atrocities found in gas stations that come in flavors like chocolate and white grape. For finer cigars, the “flavor” is a bit more mysterious — you may have heard cigars being described as “nutty” or having hints of cherry or citrus or even grass, but it’s nothing you’ve ever picked up on yourself. That doesn’t mean the flavor isn’t there, though; much like fine wines, there can be a lot packed away in your smoke of choice.

Finding the Flavor In Your Cigars


The trick to it all is that the “flavor” of most cigars is a production of your sense of smell as much as it is your sense of taste. While there are some genuine flavored luxury cigars — and others that are dipped in liquors such as rum or cognac to add those flavors to the wrap — the majority of flavors that you encounter in your smoking adventures will result from your brain combining the actual taste of the cigar with faint scents that it picks up from the smoke. This isn’t a bad thing, of course; you can find a wide range of flavors in cigars, all without the need for additives or overpowering oils and chemicals.

While not everyone can pick up every flavor, here are a few of the more common flavors that you can look for when relaxing with your favorite cigars:

Nuts

Nutty flavors are some of the most common flavors that you’ll pick up when smoking a cigar. Sometimes you’ll catch just a slight nutty hint to the taste, while other times it will be more distinct. Cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, and almonds are all common flavors that you might find in cigars, though you may detect a few less common nuts in some cigars as well.

Fruits

Cherries are by far the most common fruity flavor that people pick up on in cigars, but they’re certainly not the only one. Apples, pears and grapes also appear in the flavor of some cigars, as do oranges and a few other citrus varieties. This can appear as a distinct flavor like orange zest, or just a general citrus “bite.” Fruit flavors are often subtle and appear in the finish of your smoke, though some flavors are more distinct or appear within the body of the smoke as well.

Spices


“Spicy” is often used as a catch-all term for full-bodied cigars, though you will occasionally pick up flavors of distinct spices and herbs in your cigars as well. Cinnamon is fairly common — especially the “hot cinnamon” variety, like Red Hots — as are cloves and cumin. You may encounter flavors like black pepper, licorice (anise) and red peppers as well.

Woods

Sometimes cigars have a bit of a woody taste to the smoke, similar to what you’d find in meat that’s been smoked with hardwoods. Cedar and oak are two of the most common, though you may occasionally find other flavors such as cherry or apple wood as well.

Other Flavors Found in Cigars

Sometimes you’ll find other flavors hiding in your cigars. Some of these are pleasant, like molasses, coffee, tea, and chocolate. You may find some saltiness in your cigars as well, especially if the tobacco is grown in Cuba or similar locales. There are a few other odd, but not unpleasant, flavors you’ll encounter as well. Just watch out, because you’ll find some unpleasant flavors on occasion too.



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Kudos to https://puff.com for this interesting and educational article.
http://www.puff.com/articles/cigar-flav ... om20171110
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