How nuanced is your palate?

[MoeFOH]

In another post, started yesterday in the Waterhole, I'm trying to tackle (most likely misguidedly ) the subject of cigar scoring or grading. 

I think the really interesting part of this discussion is how nuanced do you believe your palate to be? In other words, how many steps do you need (or feel you have the ability to discern) when scoring/grading a cigar from worst to best? 

For argument's sake, just to simplify the process and test the waters, in this poll I'm giving you two options: 5 or 10 points of graduation.

Which suits you best... to score a stick out of 5 or out of 10? 🤔

Vote away! 

[raggie]

I’d rate my palate as a 5. However, I prefer to score cigars themselves out of 10 (or even 100). I may not pick up on distinct notes but we’ve all had cigars that are inexplicably good or strangely disappointing. Having a more granular scoring system allows me to rate a cigar I just like with a greater score.

[Hammer Smokin']

I'm really bad. 

I only have 2 ratings. 

Good and not good. 

 

[MoeFOH]

2 hours ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

I'm really bad. 

I only have 2 ratings. 

Good and not good.

I think this might be the answer. full stop.  

[wjs]

I have a terrible palate for cigars, a pallet would be a better descriptor. I'm better with strength, mouthfeel, etc than I am hints of rotting elderberries and freshly opened box of staples. 

[CaptainQuintero]

  I used to follow the /100 scale pretty aggressively but found chasing the single digits differences more and more, and losing sight of the experience as a whole.

Now I've settled into the /10 scale and go with the flow.

[teamrandr]

I smoke too many to have a great palate anymore.

[vvvendo1969]

 I usually rate as follows in my cigar inventry list.

SUPER GREAT

superb

excellent

good

soso

bad

[Jerryvonkramer]

Usually I am a 7 or 8 but right now I am a 1. Why? Because here in the UK it has been raining since bloody June, finally it looked like we were going to have Spring, and I've gone completely wild, had 4 in one day on Friday, and 2-3 every day since. Now Wednesday and my palate is completely gone. I even tried "rinsing my mouth with Olive Oil" based on a bizarre old post by @Jimmy2, had an Upmann Connie 1 earlier and got nothing, and I mean NOTHING. I think it was smoking a Bolivar PC right after a Quai D'orsey yesterday that did it. I don't usually smoke at such a rate. Blown out the taste buds.

Usually, I can pick out a lot of flavours, but there's usually one or two notes I associate with each cigar. For example, the RASS has this deep stewed fruit taste. Upmanns tend to have a shortbread feel. Por Larranga is pure caramel, Punch is peanut and so on. It is rare for me to detect more than 2-3 notes at any given time although cigars can "transition". I find a lot of Cubans start with hay and wood and progress to sweeter in the second third and towards more earth at the end.

 

[AllorNothing]

My palate itself is terrible...but I taste everything through my nose. Every puff = retrohale, otherwise I don't get any flavor.

[Chas.Alpha]

1: I’m on the NUDIE/FOHMOH tasting panel, so obviously I have a superior palate. 
2: I’m also the one that the other panel members say “This idiot doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

So, there’s that… 😔

[Dave O)))]

I went 5 because I'm still (always) a learner. In reference to a post above, retrohale is the greater part of my palate, but I do get some input from my tastebuds if they're not blown out.

[Chibearsv]

I think 5 gets the job done.  I like to use the letter grades but with + and - that turns into 13 different grades.   And numbers 1-5 can turn to 50 when people decimalize. 

10 hours ago, vvvendo1969 said:

superb

excellent

good

soso

bad

I think this nails it for me.  🙄

Is it necessary to decide if a perfect Siglo VI is better or worse than a perfect Esplendido by grading one a 97 and the other a 96?  Not for me.  "Superb" works just fine for both

[PigFish]

11 hours ago, Chas.Alpha said:

1: I’m on the NUDIE/FOHMOH tasting panel, so obviously I have a superior palate. 
2: I’m also the one that the other panel members say “This idiot doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

So, there’s that… 😔

… I got that beat! Hamlet and I agreed on Zoom that we don’t give a shit about what each other thinks!!! 🤪

[PigFish]

I am also a 5-6 point guy.

Excellent (superb, sublime… etc)

Great

Good (above average)

Average (my average could range to what experiences I have had lately)

Below average 

Bad (dog rocket etc.)

[BrightonCorgi]

On 4/18/2024 at 8:47 AM, Hammer Smokin' said:

I'm really bad. 

I only have 2 ratings. 

Good and not good. 

Thumb up or thumb down.

I've culled it down to good, not good, or jury is still out.

[Ford2112]

4 hours ago, PigFish said:

I am also a 5-6 point guy.

Excellent (superb, sublime… etc)

Great

Good (above average)

Average (my average could range to what experiences I have had lately)

Below average 

Bad (dog rocket etc.)

If you don't mind I'll adopt this.  

[Cigar Surgeon]

10 points for me and it breaks down to words as:

Amazing

Very good 

Good 

Average 

Subpar 

Poor

Bad

[jazzboypro]

I'm a will buy it again/won't buy it again kind of guy.

[wjs]

8 hours ago, jazzboypro said:

I'm a will buy it again/won't buy it again kind of guy

This is mostly where I fall. Would/wouldn't buy again, w/the rare must buy again.

[MagicalBikeRide]

The parallel thread would suggest most people score on a binary scale - being dog rocket or not dog rocket… Whilst also debating the meaning of dog rocket. We’re a curious group. 

[joeypots]

I’m a five star guy because I use the inventory feature at the CCWC. I could see a 10 point scale.