Cigar Watch

Taste is, after all, the greatest test of any cigar. So it should be no surprise that the most points – 35 in all – are allotted to this area. Of course the problem with taste is that it’s a matter of individual taste. I have participated in tastings when the estimate of a cigar’s strength ranged from mild to medium-full – when some found sweetness while other saltiness – where some found a cigar smooth and others found it harsh. When it comes to taste almost everything is subjective.

So when you set out to rate the taste of your smoke, remember that it’s your opinion that matters – and that’s entirely appropriate. The entire idea of rating a cigar is to record what you think about it.

If you’ve been smoking cigars for a while, you’ll probably have gained some idea of the range of tastes. Pay attention to the strength of the flavor as well as its intensity. Also look for any bitterness or harshness during the smoke. Notice if the taste is sweet or salty (two of the tastes that the tongue can detect). Also try to detect components of the taste. Most really good cigars have a layered flavor – are complex in their tastes.

Some cigars are blended and rolled to provide a rather consistent taste over the entire smoke while others build in intensity as you smoke them. So pay attention to how the taste changes. Take the time to waft some more smoke directly into your nose – often the aroma will change as the stogie burns down.

I find it useful to use the ‘Comments’ section of the Rating Sheet as a note pad. I’ll jot down a taste or aroma as I smoke the cigar. Pay particular attention to what you liked and didn’t like about the cigar. After I have finished the smoke, I turn back to allocating the numbers in the Taste section.

• Light, Medium, Full-Bodied – You will notice that I don’t use the term strong when it comes to cigar taste. That’s because even the most full-bodied cigar should smoke smooth and pleasantly. Poorly aged or fermented cigars that still have a lot of ammonia in them will be strong – might indeed make you feel sick – but a well aged & fermented stogie should never do that. Pay attention to how the taste changes over time. Some cigars start out with a shot of spiciness only to settle in to a different taste.
• Bitter, Smooth, Harsh – This is one of those components of tastes that can change over the course of the cigar. You should note carefully if a stogie becomes bitter or harsh because, unless you are a masochist, you’ll probably want to avoid the experience in the future. That doesn’t mean that you should toss out the rest of the brand. Sometimes putting them into your long-term humidor for six months to a year will settle them down. In that sense, cigars are a bit like wine. Correctly stored they sometimes get better with age.
• Sweet, Salty – some cigars – particularly the Maduros – have a sweet taste to them. This is mostly because of the additional aging that goes into producing a good maduro wrapper. Other cigars can have a salty under-taste to them. These are tastes discovered by the tongue.
• Aroma – the real heavy lifting when it comes to taste in cigars is the sinuses. I know, it doesn’t make much sense if you reflexively identify the ability to taste with your tongue – but that’s the way it is. If you slowly draw in and then slowly let the smoke out through your nose you might find layers of ‘tastes’ that you never noticed before.
• Finish – a cigar will be with you well after you put it out – that goes for good and bad ones. I like to fill in my notes on the finish after I’ve put it out and waited a while. Notice whether it left you relaxed or hyper – enjoying the memories of a good cigar or trying to get the taste out of your mouth.

You’ll have noticed that I haven’t been listing numbers with each of the categories above. Well, I did mention that the allocation of these 35 points are subjective – a matter of opinion. I use my notes in the ‘Comments’ space as a guide but don’t tend to allocate any points until the cigar is out. So allocate your points – then total up the sections – and you have a rating for your cigar!!