Where does your flavour description come from?

[LordAnubis]

I was reading today’s 24:24 and as well as thinking “you’re a bell end, Ayalla” I was thinking. “But what does drift wood taste like?” It is apparent to me that Ayalla was in dire times at some point in his existence and while
floating in the seas saw some loose timber and decided the wises course of action is to pick up and lick it. I have never had that opportunity.
 
So how do you describe/associate flavours? Do you try and match to things you know? Or go on a guess? Do you associate the smell to a taser instead?
 
My style is try and associate a flavour to a scenario. I don’t explain a cigar as hay and honey. I describe it as drinking honey tea on a warm summers day in your backyard.
 
What do you do?
 
 
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[hoyopr]

Flavor is sensed more through the nose, while taste is through the tongue and mouth.

I find that subtle flavors and tastes I will pick up are sometimes based on more of an idea.

Like Bolivars when I began enjoying cigars and discovering the many different flavor and taste profiles, Boli PC's and CE to me had a great earthiness. I've not really sat down and eaten earth but know what it smells like. 

[Zigatoh]

For ages I thought gin tasted like Christmas tree, and no I've never licked a Christmas tree...

[Colt45]

For me flavor descriptors are often tastes that remind me of how something smells.

[99call]

I'm always surprised how closed many are, to what they actually sense or know.  As babies we spent all our time going round licking chair legs, biting dogs tails, chewing loose carpet ends.  Yet as adults, when someone says 'driftwood?' many go, "yeah!!! right, sure buddy, when did you ever lick a bit of drift wood".   I think we retain a great deal more information from childhood than you would imagine. If someone asked me what does electrical wire taste like, I don't know why, but I know, and I can bet is a combination of being an inquisitive 'licky baby',  DIY round the house, the odd moment, I don't have a spare hand, and a hold a bundle of wire in my mouth etc, the smell of unravelling a long drum of it, It's all of life's little jigsaw pieces, a little sensory data base we retain. 

I think a great deal depends on how inquisitive you are as an adult, the majority of my working life I've either been a chef or a artefacts conservator/restorer.   Within both professions, you're constantly smelling, accessing, observing, touching, tasting materials.  

I think a great deal comes from what degree you appreciate quality off food drink etc.  I was raised in a very foodie house, whereas my Missus was not.  If we go shopping, she'll pick up a melon and put it in the basket, because it looks undamaged.  I'll then pick it up, smell it, and acknowledge that is have no aroma whatsoever, and swap it out, for one that does.   I know a great many people that are not passionate of 'switched on' to aroma or taste, and thats no negative comment on them, they will be passionate about something else.  but to me, I find it very hard to understand the person who spends ££££ of CC's and insists the taste of nothing but tobacco!? 

Colt ^^^^^ above, puts it very well, but again, I think we retain a great deal of taste from our childhood.  I know if I'd of been brought up on the coast, I'd of crawling away somewhere trying to chew on handfuls of seaweed, and maybe even a bit of driftwood.

[KavalanWhisky]

I've only learnt how to retro hale a cigar this year and this opened my world up to the real flavours of a cigar. My issue is that I get quite similar flavours, well at least IMHO. I mainly smoke cubans and range mainly RASS, PSD4, E2, Monte and few Trinni.  The main flavour I get is Toasted Almond / Marzipan flavouring and I get it to a certain extent throughout the smoke or hints of it every so often.  I get mainly woody/grassy notes on younger cigars but get mild toasted almonds/brazil nuts with more aged stock.

Do you guys every taste toasted almonds?

Regarding the descriptions on 24:24 I have bought many a box due to Rob's way of describing the flavours, I'm still chasing the toasted marshmallow flavour!!

[hedgeybaby]

I find the flavor side elusive if I'm honest. Last night I smoked a Bolivar PC and watched a review of Rob and Smithy smoking the same. I really tried to get some of the characteristics that they described but failed. 

It still didn't detract from my enjoyment of the stick though. 

When I smoke, I'm getting the enjoyment from the whole experience of inhaling smoke in a rhythmic fashion,  the peace, the smell etc etc.

The flavors that others describe obviously exists, but I don't get it and it doesn't really bother me in the slightest.

Probably further proof that because I still smoke cigarettes,  I'm not able to love cigars.

[scap99]

We all know what dog feces smells like, and we've described things as tasting like it.....but I truly hope none of us have ever actually tasted it!

I think the driftwood analogy is similar.  You don't have to have ever had it in your mouth to know.

[ponfed]

I personally think a lot of people when they read those descriptions expect it to be like having a mouthfull of the stuff.

Like if people describe honey flavors, they expect it to be like a spoonful of honey shoved in their mouth. 

But it's not. The flavors come through as aromas, which may or may not be dominant.

Thing is you have to try to tune in to it. When you start perceiving wisps of milk coffee or driftwood, concentrate on it.

Eventually, your nose and palate will be tuned in enough that those aromas will come through much more clearly through the hot smoke and tobacco flavor.

Then you'll see that you enjoy your cigars on another level, cause what was once hints of smells, will be perceived more clearly as tastes. 

 

My two cents.

[NYMets01]

1 hour ago, hedgeybaby said:

I find the flavor side elusive if I'm honest. Last night I smoked a Bolivar PC and watched a review of Rob and Smithy smoking the same. I really tried to get some of the characteristics that they described but failed. 

It still didn't detract from my enjoyment of the stick though. 

When I smoke, I'm getting the enjoyment from the whole experience of inhaling smoke in a rhythmic fashion,  the peace, the smell etc etc.

The flavors that others describe obviously exists, but I don't get it and it doesn't really bother me in the slightest.

Probably further proof that because I still smoke cigarettes,  I'm not able to love cigars.

This is exactly how I see it as well. I’m able to realize that I like something or don’t based on certain characteristics etc but no way I can describe more than the 2-3 of the discrete flavors I’m getting.

The true enjoyment for me is the whole meditative effect, controlled breathing, being outside watching a movie or reading a book, etc.

[MooseAMuffin]

4 hours ago, KavalanWhisky said:

Regarding the descriptions on 24:24 I have bought many a box due to Rob's way of describing the flavours, I'm still chasing the toasted marshmallow flavour!!

For me, I think the Fonseca No. 1 tastes like a toasted/burnt marshmallow. They are one of my all time favorites. I recommend grabbing a box. 

[ayepatz]

“Driftwood” is arguably my favourite tasting note. As soon as Rob coined it, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

It reminds me of playing links golf on a windy day, when you can taste flecks of seawater in the air, and the scent of beachgrass is everywhere.

That, for me, is classic Sancho Panza. Love it.?

[KavalanWhisky]

12 hours ago, MooseAMuffin said:

For me, I think the Fonseca No. 1 tastes like a toasted/burnt marshmallow. They are one of my all time favorites. I recommend grabbing a box. 

I've smoke a few of those, they were lovely but never got the toasted marshmallow flavour....?

Maybe my tastebuds aren't tuned for that flavour.