TiminBC Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I try and enjoy cigars from many places. When a Cuban is 'on' I often feel the taste is clearly Cuban. I know magazines rate both but these ratings are subjective and often based on non-taste criteria. Depending on the day and what I have eaten I find the same cigars in any line or from any country can taste different enough to surprise me. Has there ever been a objective test where the object was to identify whether cigars are produced from Cuba or another country?. Part of my brain wants to say those with better more reliable palettes than I should be able to do this easily but I often read the actual tobacco is only part of the overall taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Here's one that I know of Link 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cigar Surgeon Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I'm sure I'm not as experienced as other smokers here, but I do quite a lot of smoking for reviews. What I can tell you is that there are specific and unique flavor profiles associated with tobacco of certain growing regions. I'm now to the point where I can immediately tell Nicaraguan origin filler. The same is true of Cuban tobacco, it has a particular flavor profile (whether that's the minerals, soil composition) that makes it stand out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiminBC Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Great thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshacklefordiv Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 http://bonvivantva.com/?p=152 Third link from the bottom. A lot of very experienced cigar smokers mistook an NC for a CC. I've had the brand in question (the link is to a review I did). I do find that it has a cuban flavor despite the fact that the stick is not from Cuba. I'm not sure what it is that makes a Cuban taste Cuban, but it would seem that it is at least to some degree replicable outside the ISOM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkenMonkey Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I remember that Jimmy2 tasting. That was pretty impressive. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonVivant Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 it took me a long time to do that, but I am still learning - when one keeps an open mind, or whatever left of it, one will be pleasantly surprised. For example, Davidoff 3000 from Dominican Republic never resembled Davidoff 3000 from Cuba and I was set up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 it took me a long time to do that, but I am still learning ... Great blog Leo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonVivant Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Great blog Leo Thank you, Frank! Except, I have no blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Thank you, Frank! Except, I have no blog no kidding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk05 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 You beat me to it Frank. hah I think after a while, you really get a feel for the tobacco. I personally have my own "feel" for what Nicaraguan, Dominican, Honduran, and Cuban tobacco tastes like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habana Mike Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Gotta wonder if Prez perhaps slipped a surprise in the blind tasting this year. Not sure if he mentioned they were all Habanos..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy2 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I remember that Jimmy2 tasting. That was pretty impressive. Thanks DM !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armaniac Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Here's one that I know of Link Wow what an interesting thread! I was pulling for Jimmy and.........I don't want to spoil the outcome for those who want to read it. Lot of fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laynard Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I'm still fairly new, but I definitely find that there is a Cuban profile that cannot be replicated. On the NC side of things, I have a lot of sticks from trades that I do not know the origin of before I light up. I like to take a guess, then go online to see if I'm right. So far, I've been fairly lucky. To me, each region has a signature to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigcars Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 The premium Nicaraguans seem to be closest to Cuban in flavor and profile. There are a few (very few) Dominicans that are nearly "Cubanesque" as some say too. I find that a blending of Brazilian and Cameroon tobacco in one's cigar has a close similarity to that taste and aroma, IMHO. I've also had the Cabaiguan cigars from Pete Johnson's/Pepin Garcia's factory lines, and yes it was very flavorful - near Havana-style. Again that was to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tino Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 All I know is blind tasting can make a fool out of anyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I was at a blind tasting in a shop in London about 3 years ago where there were 2 rebanded cigars given to everyone, about 50 people. One was a Padron something and the other was a Bolivar Corona Extra. I don't remember the exact numbers but while very few got the marca right, I know over 40 people guessed the Bolivar to be Cuban and the Padron not. A comparision style test is easier than having to guess the origin of a single cigar. The comparison highlights differences. When looking at two cigars, knowing one to be Cuban, I can usually tell just by looking at the wrapper which is which. A single cigar by itself though wouldn't be as easy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkenMonkey Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I was at a blind tasting in a shop in London about 3 years ago where there were 2 rebanded cigars given to everyone, about 50 people. One was a Padron something and the other was a Bolivar Corona Extra. I don't remember the exact numbers but while very few got the marca right, I know over 40 people guessed the Bolivar to be Cuban and the Padron not. A comparision style test is easier than having to guess the origin of a single cigar. The comparison highlights differences. When looking at two cigars, knowing one to be Cuban, I can usually tell just by looking at the wrapper which is which. A single cigar by itself though wouldn't be as easy. But with Jimmy2's tasting that Colt linked to, it could have been 3 cc's or 3 nc's. He didn't know that there was a Cuban in there for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 But with Jimmy2's tasting that Colt linked to, it could have been 3 cc's or 3 nc's. He didn't know that there was a Cuban in there for sure. That's a good point. To be honest I can't remember if during the test I mentioned we were told if one was Cuban. Though the shop sells about 80% Cuban cigars so most of us would at least have surmised that one of the cigars must have been Cuban. It was a ticketed event, there would have been a riot if we had been given two non-Cubans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshacklefordiv Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 The premium Nicaraguans seem to be closest to Cuban in flavor and profile. There are a few (very few) Dominicans that are nearly "Cubanesque" as some say too. I find that a blending of Brazilian and Cameroon tobacco in one's cigar has a close similarity to that taste and aroma, IMHO. I've also had the Cabaiguan cigars from Pete Johnson's/Pepin Garcia's factory lines, and yes it was very flavorful - near Havana-style. Again that was to me. Back in about 2008, I had some Cabaiguans that really blew my mind. I'd say there were the best cigars I'd had to date. I don't know if my tastes have evolved, or the Cabaiguans have changed, but I haven't had one in the last couple years that have been that good. Don't get me wrong, they are still some of my favorite sticks, but they don't blow me away. This year, I've had monte #s 2 and 4 that did blow me away. Also a bunch of Hoyo Ep. #2s with similar results. Sometimes when I smell a Cuban, prelit, I get that olfactory trigger that tells me its definitely Cuban. This sensation is not blind, however. With the Cabaiguans, the taste, to me, is just as Cuban as a real cuban. Perhaps I'm easily fooled (though so were those in the blind test I linked to previously). But the prelit aroma of a Cabaiguan does not result in the same olfactory memory trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLuis Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 http://bonvivantva.com/?p=152 Third link from the bottom. A lot of very experienced cigar smokers mistook an NC for a CC. I've had the brand in question (the link is to a review I did). I do find that it has a cuban flavor despite the fact that the stick is not from Cuba. I'm not sure what it is that makes a Cuban taste Cuban, but it would seem that it is at least to some degree replicable outside the ISOM. That's strange. If I had to pick a NC that I had to say was the closest to a Cuban, I'd have hands down picked a Cabaiguan. Nice cigars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshacklefordiv Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I just realized that the Cabaiguan box actually says, "taste of Cuba": http://bonvivantva.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Photo_66.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 ....but I haven't had one in the last couple years that have been that good. Interestingly (or not) I recently smoke a Cab Imperiale. I enjoyed it, but in the end, my thoughts were "Nicaraguan pepper stick". For me it was "typically" Nic - monolithic, a bit dank...... It's most Cuban trait a tightish draw No knocks - just personal observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.15b5f6bc4159a73805a9f118f79a68ca.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now