cigar rating for beginners.

I have been smoking for over 2 years, but most of the time I find I am not experienced enough to taste the difference in cigars down to the "nuttines, earthy tones, spices" that more experienced smokers speak of.

Is there something I can/should do in order to taste cigars at this level?

PS Is there an Android APP for rating cigars?

[Sonic04GT]

You may find some answers in this thread I made recently

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=52256

[ApexAZ]

I still have difficulty discerning certain flavors. Namely the woody/cedar and nutty flavors. Have recently begun to taste coffee and some chocolate type flavors (bakers chocolate).

Also recently I'm starting to taste more sweet in cigars as well as whisky. This is very new to me. I never tasted anything sweet when I first started.

I noticed that when I made a concerted effort and really focused on the flavors, I started noticing them more and more. I have to really concentrate on it though.

There are lots of apps available. I ended up going to Evernote mainly because the apps often lacked many of the brand and vitolas I wanted to track. Evernote store your data 'in the cloud', which can be accessed from just about any device. It requires a bit more work as far as data entry goes, but I can take a photo and write notes including my own rating, and synch it all for free.

It you decide on another app that is designed exclusively for cigars, make sure it has the option of adding your own in case it isn't available in their database. Also, the ability to back up and restore is important.

[MrClean]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

I ended up going to Evernote mainly because the apps often lacked many of the brand and vitolas I wanted to track. Evernote store your data 'in the cloud', which can be accessed from just about any device. It requires a bit more work as far as data entry goes, but I can take a photo and write notes including my own rating, and synch it all for free.

Thanks for the Evernote recommendation Brian, I hadn't seen that app before. I think it's just the ticket for me!

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by MrClean

Thanks for the Evernote recommendation Brian, I hadn't seen that app before. I think it's just the ticket for me!

Sure thing. Hopefully it will be useful for you.

[Bill86]

Smoke more cigars. But in the end it only matters if you enjoy them. Ratings could be as simple as suck, did not suck, great, buy more and still be more than effective.

I wouldn't worry about it.

[lenguamor]

I could be wrong, but what I think is that people who love food and can taste ingredients in food have a natural transition to tasting the nuances of cigars.

I've cooked my whole adult life and I'm adventurous in my quest for new flavors, so for me to discern some of the more subtle flavors in a complex cigar is easy; I have a frame of reference for it. I know all the spices and herbs, and I make a conscious effort to discern individual flavors in food.

Also, realize that in order to discern the complexity of a cigar, that cigar has to be complex. Just as you wouldn't ask a non-musician to be a virtuoso cellist, don't ask a cigar that is made to be just a straightforward powerhouse to have much nuance.

Read the reviews; pick out cigars that you see described as having complexity and nuance, and try those; try to pick out the flavors others already have. That would be a good start.

[kuzi16]

i agree with the above post. people that, in general, pay attention to taste, flavor, smells etc. do a better job of identifying flavors in cigars. learning to cook helps because you have to be able to understand the flavors you are mixing together to get them to taste right in the food you are making.

when someone has that base understanding of flavor, they can taste these elements in cigars and other complex things such as beer, scotch, rum.

i have always tried to develop my palate not just by smoking cigars, but by trying to understand flavors in a general sense with a focus on things that are common in cigars.

i actively seek out and taste/smell things like coffee, earth, leather, coco, etc. it helps.

Also, google a coffee or chocolate tasting wheel. It'll help with learning how to identify flavors on the palette.

[kuzi16]

Originally Posted by Bad Finger

Also, google a coffee or chocolate tasting wheel. It'll help with learning how to identify flavors on the palette.

google a cigar tasting wheel.

Just me personaly, I smoked a very dark room for a while (and still do sometimes) with sounds of a nature playing. I would often read a review or two of the cigar I was about to smoke to give me an idea of what I was going to be smoking taste wise. It kinda helps you hunt for flavors, then again I have tasted completely different things from reviews as well. Main thing though is enjoy yourself and have fun with it.

[Blak Smyth]

If I am smoking with friends and focused on conversation I miss alot of flavors from my cigar. When I really set aside personal smoking time and concentrate on a flavor I can sometimes find it.

Here is a very helpful excersize to try, smoke a cigar and focus for flavor then read a few reviews about that cigar to see if you tasted what somebody else tasted. Then smoke another and see if you find anything else.