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Discussion: Favorite Tasting Notes

Discussion: Favorite Tasting Notes

Happy Monday, folks! 

Also, please let me offer my apologies for not getting one of these discussion contests up last week.

One of the things that’s struck me as interesting lately is how very different our preferences are when it comes to cigar tasting notes.  Which brings me to this week’s discussion contest: 

What’s your favorite tasting note?  Least favorite?

Login and comment below for a chance to win a Small Batch gift card this Sunday! 

If you were to poll people about ice cream, I’d imagine that there are only a few who would say there’s a flavor that they absolutely, violently abhor.  But for the most part, I think most people would say they prefer x/y/z, but wouldn’t avoid chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies ‘n cream, rocky road, or chocolate mint if it was the last ice cream on earth. 

Yet when it comes to cigars, it seems that there are clear winners and losers even in the major league flavors such as earth, chocolate, umami, wood, leather, and pepper.  

 

Cigar Tasting Notes Sampler

 

For instance: your least favorite flavor, if it was abundant in the only cigar available to you, would you still smoke it? 

From my discussions lately with various groups, it seems that everyone has a favorite as well as a tasting note that they avoid at all costs in the cigar world.  

For me, I can’t get enough of a cigar with cinnamon impressions.  Simultaneously, any hint of mushrooms quickly adds a cigar to the bottom of personal preferences list.  As much as I love tasting cinnamon, I detest tasting mushroom or broth (umami) sensations.  

What about you!?  What are your favorite and least favorite tasting notes? 

 

DISCUSSION CONTEST DETAILS

One of the comments below will win a $25 gift card.  The gift card will automatically be sent to the email address that you login to comment with, so please use your regular sign-in.   

I’ll be randomly selecting a comment below this Sunday after sending out the Weekly Newsletter. The winner can expect a comment with his or her name in it, a congratulations email, and an email with the $25 gift card information.  The actual gift card email takes some time to generate from the system and may lag behind by up to 48 hours. 

Only available to U.S. customers. 

 

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Comments

8/12/2019 5:35 AM
I am a big fan of getting caught off guard by a cigar with some citrus in it. Same goes for cinnamon. I don't mind woody flavors but if a stick is one woody flavor with no transitions, I will most likely not revisit that cigar.
8/12/2019 7:03 AM
There are a lot more flavors I enjoy than dislike and a lot of times it depends how the flavors mesh together. One flavor I find I get really excited about when I taste it is a salty peanut butter. Usually it’s faint but I dig it.

A flavor I don’t particularly care for is the flavor I get from a lot of Honduran Corojo tobaccos. To me it’s like a tangy, floral type flavor. It’s not a deal breaker if it’s a background flavor, but if it’s in the forefront, I’ll pass.
8/12/2019 7:25 AM
Speaking of Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Week, I am a huge fan of the creamy/slighly spicy profile of the Herrera Esteli. The Sweetness in San Andres is also one of my favorites.
8/12/2019 9:32 AM
I love spice.  Cinnamon, clove, pepper, all of the above.  Not a fan of floral or earthy notes.
8/12/2019 9:32 AM
1) Natural sweetness 2) Fresh home made bread-still warm 3) Cedar
When I hit the trifecta, I buy boxes.
8/12/2019 9:53 AM
The craziest tasting note I had was from a Fuente PR. I was getting a banana Runt note, clear as day. But I tend to gravitate towards: baking spice, dough, coffee and chocolate.

Least favorite: Dirty earth. It's odd though, you cannot have the chocolate and coffee notes, without the earthiness. Either way, get that dirty, charred, earth outta here!
8/12/2019 10:05 AM
Im a big fan of anything with a hot pepper spice to it. I can't say theres a specific flavor I dont like in a cigar but I definitely don't like when a cigar lacks any flavors at all.
8/12/2019 10:05 AM
For a maduro I always like to see dark chocolate, dark earth, subtle sweetness, and enveloped by woody aromas.

For a good connecticut, always like to see vanilla, cream, cedar, and light unsweetened dusted cocoa.

Not a fan of anything citrus, floral, or sour notes.
8/12/2019 10:05 AM
Gimme cereal grain or baking spice notes allllll day, but keep the mega-cedar to yourself.
8/12/2019 10:24 AM
Graham cracker is always welcomed!
8/12/2019 10:39 AM
I love spice and not a huge fan of that cedary/woodsy flavor if too potent.
8/12/2019 11:04 AM
I'm a big fan of anything with notes of dark chocolate, cream, cedar or coffee. Not a fan of the earthy or floral flavors.
8/12/2019 11:07 AM
I love when a cigar has a white pepper flavor to it. I'm a huge fan of spice, but white pepper seems to be too often forgotten, so I really appreciate a stogie that carries it. Red & Black peppers are also very good.

I can't say there's anything I 100% dislike, but I'm not a fan of sour anything, including fruits. I have had a few cigars with some sour notes that I did not particularly enjoy.
8/12/2019 4:22 PM
When a cigar has balance been darker notes (black pepper and dark chocolate) and sweet notes (citrus and honey) with some flavors like sourdough and mineral notes in the background, it's very likely a box purchase.
8/12/2019 6:24 PM
I've started to enjoy umami flavors and classic Maduro sweet tobacco. I also have a new found appreciation for creamy vanilla citrus flavors from the Casdagli Cottontail.
8/13/2019 6:29 AM
My favorite tasting notes are natural sweetness, coffee, creamy, cedar, black pepper, herbal tea and mocha coffee flavor.

My least favorites are harsh bitter flavors, almost like a tangy metallic taste, or cigarette notes, like the way burning paper smells.
8/13/2019 8:13 AM
Big fan of sweet toasty, baking spice notes. Typically found in Cuban cigars but have now found it in Warped and some Illusione.
8/14/2019 2:56 AM
Graham cracker, nuts, creaminess, chocolate - not necessarily in that order, or all in the same stick - but those flavors are winners for me!
8/14/2019 10:50 AM
I'm a big fan of fruit flavors of any kind. Not a big fan of real earthy notes.
8/18/2019 12:50 AM
Really love cinnamon notes. Mushroomy stuff is always great and davidoff nails that really well. Padron 1926 80th maduro really hits that mushroom note well in first third.
8/18/2019 10:51 PM
Congrats to the second Chris!  And many thanks to everyone for participating this past week
8/19/2019 8:38 AM
I don’t have a one absolute favorite flavor, but this year I’m especially fond of citrus flavor(lime, orange, etc, etc). But I always hope to get some sort of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cream, dark fruit (plums, dark cherry & fig comes to mind), floral notes, honey, leather, spices (cinnamon, cloves, red pepper, black pepper, etc...) and mushrooms flavors throughout the summer.

I don’t really care for overly savory blends, especially when the main flavor profile is white pepper, cedar or pine.