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Advice for beginners cigar palate

T

Tom89

New Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2025
Messages
2
Hello

I am new to cigars and I don't smoke very often (so it is a twice a month kind of thing for me)

I have found that I seem to have a very narrow palate, in that most cigars just taste like 'smoke' to me but I had some GREAT experiences with the 858 flora fina sungrown, and the Hemmingway

Even when I've tried Maduros like Padron or Perdomo Habano I've usually been underwhelmed by the flavor, the only cigar that every overwhelmed my palate was the MyFather's Judge which almost made me puke (that was when I was puffing too often though so I thought maybe I was ruining the flavor that way)

Now I had a habit of buying from a brick and mortar and waiting 3 days (out of the humidor) before smoking an 858 flora fina or hemmingway and I've had great experiences that way.

Recently I bought a jar-humidor with a 69% bolvida pack and kept some 858' cameroons in there for a week.

I just smoked one of these 858 cameroons and was disappointed by the lack of flavor.

I really want to get the most out of cigar smoking because I don't do it often and I know when it's right it's really right.

I want to know:

  • Am I doing anything wrong or do I just have a ridiculously narrow palate? //I just can't believe I'm not really tasting >50% of the cigars I'm trying
  • Is it normal to leave a cigar out of the humidor for DAYS to get it to dry for the flavor (I live in the pacific northwest so it's not bone-dry but still)?
  • Any other tips/tricks to getting the most out of my smokes?
  • Any cigar recommendations to try out.
Thank you in advance.
Tom
 
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Hi, Tom. You're in the right place to get lots of great suggestions. The first of which would be to head over to the new member forum and introduce yourself!

Taste and palates are very personal, so you probably shouldn't expect to pick up all the flavor notes that you read about in reviews. I know I certainly don't. Plus the flavors mentioned are generally just going to be fleeting hints of something, not a whole mouthful of it. As a new smoker it will take time to develop your palate and become accustomed to the cigar smoking experience. There's nothing for it but to keep trying lots of different cigars.

The 858SG and Hemingways are great cigars, and are a go to choice for many. The regular 858 is solid, but not up to the standard that those set. I have not tried the judge, but by all accounts it is a very strong cigar and is meant more for experienced cigar smokers. Maybe one to come back to after a while?

As far as your storage and prep, you should be ok there, but you'll find a lot of folks prefer a little less humidity. I use 65% for storage, and will "dry box" a cigar for a day or two before smoking it (if I planned ahead that far). So I think your experience there is on track with what many of us do as well.

Finally, check out the newbie sampler trade. That's a great way to get a variety of known good cigars from a seasoned aficionado here instead of guessing at the tobacconist.
 
Just to be clear, are you looking for flavor or FLAVOR? They make flavored cigars in lots of flavors. I assume you are looking for the hints of flavor vs a grape cigar, but want to be sure
 
So, everything posted up to this point is just about the best advice you can get.

Taste and palettes are Very subjective, and can be developed over time but it takes consistant attention.

I have been smoking since 2008, and there is no way I pick up the notes professional reviewers talk about.

Dirt, wood, pepper, grass, salt, leather, chocolate in varying degrees, and if it is upfront baking spice, but that is more of a "memory" note an actual flavor, like sometimes I get a flashback to my kitchen as a kid with my mom at Christmas.

In the end, for me. I focus on the experience not the flavor
 
As others have mentioned, the joy of smoking a cigar is far more often the experience, the company you're with, even what you are eating and drinking.

Lack of flavor could be many things, such as your depth of puff, frequency of puff,etc.

Welcome! Stick around and you will learn more than you could have ever imagined!
 
Hey, Tom. I don't have any tricks to share, wish I did. However, do keep in mind that when you smoke a cigar and what you pair it with can make a big difference. For me, I really like a beer. For others, it might be a coke, cup of coffee, or something else. Also, for me, if I eat dinner that is spicy and then have a cigar, I usually don't enjoy it as much. My suggestion would be to try to pay attention to not only the cigar you're smoking but also what other things are going on when you're having that cigar.
 
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