Beginner's Corner: A rough guide to brand flavours

[DaBoot]

Excellent analysis, ??

[argrovesjd]

Great job! Thank you for this!


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[earthson]

What an excellent resource! I would add some notes to certain brands (honey to RA, flowers and cream to Fonseca, herbed butter and baked goods to Trini), while others (HU and Punch) were right on the dot.  Thanks for this!

[HopeUgood]

@CaptainQuintero Are you saying that if one is presented with an opportunity to buy the older style QDO corona, don't hesitate?

[Brian24]

This is terrific. Thank you for taking the time.

[RickHendeson]

Not to nitpick here -- because we could do that with any and all inherently subjective descriptions -- but do you think Monte Esp. are still "darker and more concentrated"?  Objectively speaking, it seems to me for many years Monte Esp. has consistently carried some of the lightest wrappers of the whole marca

[DandyJBez]

Hah, I always said that the RASS had a raisin-y note to it. But I can definitely see the stewed fruit/plum! Also definitely agree with Sancho Panza being a real experience and good change. Definitely unique. 

 

Also the QDO really is a classy cigar. I have half of a 4 year old box that I struggle not to blow through lol 

 

excellent write up. 

[ohbob976]

This is awesome 

[CaptainQuintero]

1 hour ago, HopeUgood said:

@CaptainQuintero Are you saying that if one is presented with an opportunity to buy the older style QDO corona, don't hesitate?

  I can't say about the corona, I haven't tried the new ones, people say the blend is different but I've no exposure. I was more on about the panetela, if you see them then jump!

 

31 minutes ago, RickHendeson said:

Not to nitpick here -- because we could do that with any and all inherently subjective descriptions -- but do you think Monte Esp. are still "darker and more concentrated"?  Objectively speaking, it seems to me for many years Monte Esp. has consistently carried some of the lightest wrappers of the whole marca

 For me the Especial#1 has always had a lot darker/concentrated flavours compared to the numbered series, certainly more than the new releases like the Petit Edmundo. Overriding cowpat/farmyard too, bit of a strange flavour to chase but there you go

  

2 hours ago, earthson said:

What an excellent resource! I would add some notes to certain brands (honey to RA, flowers and cream to Fonseca, herbed butter and baked goods to Trini), while others (HU and Punch) were right on the dot.  Thanks for this!

I must have missed out the floral notes with Fonseca by accident, I think I was dragging my feet at the half way point! 

[Thirds]

Excellent resource for newcomers.  Looking forward to sampling all CCs have to offer.  

 

The helpfulness of everyone on this site site is impressive.  This took some time and very generous contribution. 

[MigsG]

12 hours ago, Thirds said:

Excellent resource for newcomers.  Looking forward to sampling all CCs have to offer.  

 

The helpfulness of everyone on this site site is impressive.  This took some time and very generous contribution. 

I actually have the entire guide saved as a memo on my phone! 

[MrGTO]

I know for me the Cohiba pyramids was the epiphany of the lemongrass herbal Cohiba taste. They are one of my favorite sticks to date. 

[GrouchoMarx]

My favourite:

Guantanamera A machine rolled travesty. Bite your fingernails or pick your nose as a viable alternative.

ROFL !!!

[Pommy Puffer]

Captain, you are so spot on, but this Magnum 46 I'm smokin right now has flavours that is impossible to get anywhere else on this planet! 

And so pure and unique.

Being a mongrel, I like more bite, but this fukcer has taken the bite out of me

[CaptainQuintero]

2 hours ago, Pommy Puffer said:

Captain, you are so spot on, but this Magnum 46 I'm smokin right now has flavours that is impossible to get anywhere else on this planet! 

And so pure and unique.

Being a mongrel, I like more bite, but this fukcer has taken the bite out of me

  I love those days where you just fancy something that comes out swinging and I reach for one of the four horsemen; RyJ Cazadores, Bolivar Gold Medal, Por Larranaga Petit Corona or Upmann Mag 46

 Sometimes they swing faster than you can duck!

[BinBin]

Thanks for taking the time to write this us. This is great

[Str8BlkCoffee]

Outstanding post. Very informational for those like myself who are relatively new to Cuban cigars. Thank-you!

 

[Tonyontop]

Excellent write-up, thanks!

[rbi]

As a newbie to CC's, I can't thank you enough for this.  I've begun working my way through various types, sampling to find out what I prefer and I keep going back to this to compare my notes to yours.  Mucho gracias.

[CaptainQuintero]

10 hours ago, rbi said:

As a newbie to CC's, I can't thank you enough for this.  I've begun working my way through various types, sampling to find out what I prefer and I keep going back to this to compare my notes to yours.  Mucho gracias.

  Glad you've found it helpful, how are your getting on with the note taking? It helped me no end when I was first starting out and trying to put what I was enjoying into some kind of order

[Islandboy]

On 5/16/2019 at 7:54 AM, MigsG said:

I actually have the entire guide saved as a memo on my phone! 

Is this just a copy and paste thing? I’d like to save it for future reference too...just an excellent guide.

[MigsG]

46 minutes ago, Islandboy said:

Is this just a copy and paste thing? I’d like to save it for future reference too...just an excellent guide.

Yeah, I just copied and pasted into new notes (under Memo on a Samsung S7).  Broke them up into 2 notes to fit. 

Comes in handy when talking marcas with friends. I refer to it sometimes when having a cigar whose flavors I'm not easily identifying. And, adding notes of my own as well. ?

[CanuckSARTech]

CQ, a GREAT "little" write up.  Great descriptors and explanations given.

Also, not sure if this helps at all, and hope not to deviate from your initial thread - I'm attaching a file saved from what we had put together here on FOH quite a number of years back.  A sort of "reference doc", in short hand / bullet points, that may help members too.  What I used to do years back was keep a folded copy of this in the back of my Cigar Dossier, along with a printed copy of a cigar flavour wheel, to sort of help "guide" my tastings on new or unknown cigars.  Again, not 100% sure if it helps here, but I'm hoping it matches the intent of @CaptainQuintero's post.

 

Cuban Cigar Brands' Flavour Profiles (from FOH).doc

[CanuckSARTech]

On 5/25/2019 at 6:40 PM, CaptainQuintero said:

  I love those days where you just fancy something that comes out swinging and I reach for one of the four horsemen; RyJ Cazadores, Bolivar Gold Medal, Por Larranaga Petit Corona or Upmann Mag 46

 Sometimes they swing faster than you can duck!

Four horseman.  LOL.  Classic, 'cause it's soooo true.  Especially Cazadores and Boli GMs.  Whew baby!

[rbi]

On 11/10/2019 at 6:14 PM, CaptainQuintero said:

  Glad you've found it helpful, how are your getting on with the note taking? It helped me no end when I was first starting out and trying to put what I was enjoying into some kind of order

To be honest, my palate isn't yet sophisticated enough to taste all of the flavors and be able to distinguish what they are.  For instance, I was smoking a Trinidad Vigia Tubo yesterday and when I retrohaled, I would taste something that tasted clean and a bit tart but I couldn't put my fingers on it.  I did make a note and I described that as "earthy with a pleasant pungentness'.  I later read a review of that cigar on Cigar Aficionado and they described it as having an "earthy truffle" flavor and immediately I was like "YES!  That's it...it was truffles I was tasting."