Tasting funk:

[El Presidente]

I let the gent know that I will ask other forum members for advice 

Much appreciated 

_______________________________________

Happy Holidays Rob and  I hope you and the team are well. 

Can you please give me some advice? I have had a stressful year having come down with covid in July.  At the time I thought it was pretty mild but even when I thought I was recovered my sense of taste and smell didn't come back for months. I still don't think it has returned fully. 

Bottom line is that all of my cigars taste the same right now and it is driving me mad. 

Do you know of other members who have gone through this?  Maybe you have? 

is there anything that I can do to bring my sense of taste back?

_________________________________________________

 

[NSXCIGAR]

I've heard loss of or diminished taste/smell is a symptom of COVID. I've heard it continues for months with no indication of when it will return.

I think this is a question for a medical professional.

An an aside, thank the good lord I never had this happen.

[Bijan]

Had it happen from smoking too much but it wasn't covid. Smoked less and taste came back. Also had it happen from smoking what I am entirely sure was a fake. Happened twice. Didn't clue in until the second time, though I had my suspicions first time, didn't realize a fake would screw up the palate like that.

Hope he gets better soon.

[tigger]

Two thoughts:

-How often does this member smoke? Years ago, I went from smoking 4 or 5 a day to two or three a week, and my palette got a lot less muddled.

-I think age can play a factor. I had a much greater ability to taste in my 30s than I do in my 50s.

[torsion]

I'm pretty sure I had mild/manageable Covid very early on in March as I too lost my taste/sense of smell; at that time it was only just coming to light that it was a symptom, luckily for me it was only about a month.
My attempted cigar session back failed a couple of weeks into self diagnosis and isolation, as my taste and smell was still zero.
Kept sampling sticks more spaced apart than usual and my taste and smell eventually did come back, took way longer than I've ever experienced which makes me think it was Covid

If it's been months for our brother then most definitely seek medical advice

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Kaptain Karl]

When I had my candida infection in my gut this spring my palette was way off. There was about 6 months where my palette was down by 75%. It sucked! It took awhile but it came back finally. 

[bogglor]

I had COVID in March and completely lost my sense of smell and taste for a full month.  We're talking I could eat a mouth full of espresso beans and taste absolutely zero.  Then, when it gradually started coming back, I'd say I regained 50% of it within the first couple days after I noticed it was back, about 80% of it after 2 weeks, and maybe 95% after a month.  However, it took a good couple more months to get that last 5% back, the portion of your taste really responsible for nuance - like being able to tell a red grape and black grape apart.  If it's been outside of 3-4 months, a doctor check is definitely warranted.  There are things you can do to 'retrain' your smell to get it back quicker.  

[Monterey]

I've known people who got it early on where it took 5-6 months to recover fully in regards to taste and smell.

[multi-useless]

I know this sounds ridiculous, but I’d tell the guy to try smoking an Acid or other “infused” cigar - I’ve had some exceptionally bad cigars (smoked on a dare, essentially) ruin my sense of taste for a few days at a time; last couple times I did this, I found that somehow, smoking an Acid in the following days really helped my sense of taste for real cigars come back.

[MrBirdman]

I think the OP individual's best bet is to stop smoking for a while, a few weeks at least, and then try one or two of your favorite smokes and see where things are. Smoking "suppresses" (for lack of a better term) everyone's palate to some degree, but this goes away with abstinence. 

Also, does the OP individual retrohale?

[DeeBeezy]

Lost it for 4 months due to COVID... be patient it will come back to its full capacity, in the mean time smoke less special cigars once every two weeks or so to see where you pallet is holding 

[mprach024]

I think most have covered the medical side, and brother I feel for you and wish you a quick recovery.  From a non medical side, I do notice if my cigars are ROTT I get that acrid flavor that makes everything taste the same, as well as when my cigars are too humid.  Anything over 66RH I tend to feel things all get muttled and similar.  This is obviously not related to COVID and most likely not the issue, but figured it was worth pointing out in case.  This is also assuming that tastes/flavors in other things aren’t also muted. If it’s JUST cigars, then it might be a storage issue.  

[Skypilot]

I am in the same situation. It has been nearly 2 months since COVID and cigars are still off. Taste and smell is normal when it comes to food but not so with cigars for some reason. They all taste the same. I have had 2 cigars that tasted normal, one was Connie A on a Thanksgiving that made think I was back to normal, but no such luck. 
 

Having zero smell while I was sick was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. I could open a bag of coffee, take the biggest inhale and there was nothing. Just cold air and no smell of any kind.....

[Taco]

I am also right in the thick of it. No smell or taste for 3 1/2 weeks. Thanksgiving was such a bummer. My cigar intake has decreased significantly. If I get the itch, I usually smoke a shorty. I have a fear of having all these great sticks but not being able to taste them ever again. It’s a friggin nightmare. 

I’m excited and rejuvenated to hear others regain the ability to taste the nuances of a cigar. Onward.

[bogglor]

On 12/16/2020 at 12:24 AM, Taco said:

I am also right in the thick of it. No smell or taste for 3 1/2 weeks. Thanksgiving was such a bummer. My cigar intake has decreased significantly. If I get the itch, I usually smoke a shorty. I have a fear of having all these great sticks but not being able to taste them ever again. It’s a friggin nightmare. 

I’m excited and rejuvenated to hear others regain the ability to taste the nuances of a cigar. Onward.

Yep.  I was in the same boat.  It will return.  You just have to be patient.  Smoke the stuff you've been holding on to that you don't like that much and clear some humidor space!