How important is aroma to your overall cigar experience? Which cigars (Cuban or non-Cuban) have the most distinctive aroma for you?

[El Presidente]

How important is aroma to your overall cigar experience? Which cigars (Cuban or non-Cuban) have the most distinctive aroma for you?

I will expand upon my and Hammy's thoughts once you have shared yours. 

[bmac]

Cohiba and Partagas for me. Behind the burn line and close to the cigar as possible. Cake, spices, vanilla, honey all the way on aged Coro I smoked two days ago. It adds a whole new dimension to the experience. For me, almost as enjoyable as the flavors on the tongue and can really help me pinpoint the complexity and subtleties.

[loose_axle]

Partagas, RyJ and Ramon Allones for me in the Cuban world. They have all have quite distinctive profiles.

LFD in the non Cuban world. Its like all the regular aircraft are flying around in WW2 and then a Me163 Komet just rockets past leaving everyone scratching their head at what they just saw and smelt. 

[Gemini_Man]

Trinidad's sweet smoke comes to mind. Wafting the smoke and smelling the head after a few pulls enhances the flavor experience for me.

[LizardGizmo]

It's crucially important when it adds to my experience. I smell the burn line very frequently when smoking a cigar. 

However, I have had cigars that tasted great on the draw and through the retrohale and the burn line aroma was quite unpleasant. I don't knock the cigar for that. Aroma is only a value-add for me, it never detracts. It's like a little bonus if it hits.

I especially love the aroma on LGC MDO2, Sir Winston, Mag 46, CoRo, CoLa, and D4 to name a few. Current non-Cuban aroma winners are the BR Dalia, the new Kelner LE 80, Aging Room Concerto...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.

 

[zacca]

Like @LizardGizmo said, if anything it’s a value add…but I generally don’t think about it and don’t even notice it each time. So never a mandatory part of the experience for me. 

[ScottishGuy]

Really interesting question. I'm primarily a Cuban cigar smoker, but I find the aroma of the Warped Isla del Cocodrilo to be so aromatic that it adds to the smoking experience. Butterscotch sweetness and thick creamy smoke. They really are a wonderful NC option. 

[Tunkat92]

My sense of smell is terrible and I mostly smoke outdoors. When I am outdoors the aroma is usually barely noticeable for me so it is not very important. Indoors I can pick up the aroma off the foot much better and it does play a small part in my enjoyment. 

D4s, Libertadors, and QDOs seem to give me the distinct aromas.

[ha_banos]

Crucially important. It adds masses to the enjoyment. I don't sniff the burn line though. Avid retrohaler. If I can't retrohale I don't get that same pleasure. Tonight I had a Fat Fundy. The aroma was great. Best of these I've had after 18 months of sitting. I can still smell it a couple of hours afterwards.

[NYGuido]

I love smelling my cigars before I smoke them and love smelling the burn line during. For me, flavor is paramount, and I trust my palate more than my nose. That said, whenever I smell a Monte 4 it’s like inhaling a Hershey bar, and it just gets my mouth watering. And smelling a Sir Winston is almost arousing. 

But the single best aroma I’ve ever smelled is on a 2009 Partagas 8-9-8 I picked up around the holidays. I opened that box and INSTANTLY smiled. 

[Mr. DD]

To date, the most distinct sweet Cuban aromas I've experienced come from Cohiba (Lanceros), H.Upmann (Noellas), HdM (Epi #1), PL (Montecarlos), RyJ (Churchills) and Trinidad (Coloniales) cigars. (I've heard San Cristobal cigars smell/taste sweet. I have some singles but I have yet to smoke one.)

The most distinct "classic tobacco" aromas I've experienced come from from Bolivar (Belicosos Finos or PCs ), Montecristo (#2 or 3), Partagas (Culebras in particular) and Ramon Allones (RASS).  

My most distinct aromatic NC cigars include: Arturo Fuente (all Don Carlos), Paul Garmirian (20 Symphony), Warped (Isla del Cocodrilo; 2nd mention), Kelner Boutique Factory cigars (LE 80th Ani, Maximar 25th Ani) and Fabrica 5/Bond Roberts (Fat Fundy, Petite 109). 

By no means is this list all inclusive - what comes to mind & what I've smoked.

[Ford2112]

Pre draw I always smell the cigar. You should always smell things before they go in your mouth. 😏

When a Cuban cigar smells like cow manure and prunes I get excited! 

[JDoughty]

Incredibly important. I retrohale almost 100% of the time so I'm literally experiencing the whole cigar through my nose. The sensory experience of smelling the unlit cigar, inhaling the cold draw and smelling the burn line also adds a lot to the experience.

The most delicious cigar I ever smelt was the very first Bond Roberts #1 I bought as a single to try. Opening the pack and smelling that cigar was literally mouthwatering. Smoking it was even better than that. I can't wait for the new releases to come available. 😋

[Li Bai]

Smell and taste are too connected for me to say anything relevant on that matter once the cigar is lit. 

But smelling a cigar pre-light is a nearly sacred step, I can do it for 20 minutes and know almost everything I need to know about what's going to happen. At that point I can tell if a cigar is gonna be good or heavenly and if the construction isn't a problem, it's pretty accurate.

 

 

[david9985]

Aroma and taste are intertwined and I will regularly retrohale as well as enjoying the aroma from the head of the cigar. I don't actively try and smell the burn line though - never got anything from there but smoke up my eyes and nose!

[Habanoschris]

The flavors I get on my palate come first to me. I have had cigars with good aroma, but flat taste overall or vice versa. That being said, when the aroma is pleasant or better and the cigar tastes is great, well that can't be beat. I do also retrohale.   
 

[JPark3]

The aroma is a pleasant bonus, but taste will always take priority for me.

[BrightonCorgi]

A strong barnyard aroma is a good indicator when opening a box. Ammonia, not so much.

[Astro70s]

Humble RyJ Puritos smell fantastic IMHO. They have that classic, pleasantly rich 'cigar' aroma that even my non-smoking F1 meet up buddies appreciate. Also, I really like the aroma of Partagas. 

[Montezüma]

Sometimes a cigar smells like cat piss, I think this is ammonia, meaning it needs rest. Usually, it goes away after a few months. I keep them under 60 RH for best results but then again my Celsius temperature is a bit high. So pre-lit aroma for me is extremely important to make sure that cigars are ready to be lit. As for distinctiveness, Trinidad can turn heads even three tables away. Even in a cigar lounge, they cut through the room, just gorgeous.

[joeypots]

A good cigar smells like cow shit and chocolate, more or less. I haven't sniffed the burn line but I do think a Cuban cigar is best enjoyed in doors so the smoke from both ends can contribute to the experience. The cigars I remember with the greatest aroma were Bolivar Gold Medals, the ones that were lLonsdales, not the new ones that are fat and overpriced. Right now in my desktop the best smelling cigar is a PSD#4. No contest. 

[Habanoschris]

37 minutes ago, joeypots said:

 but I do think a Cuban cigar is best enjoyed in doors so the smoke from both ends can contribute to the experience. 

I agree this can add to the experience 

[Mike Mecklenburg]

Aroma means a lot and we all have our favorite flavors. When you light-up outdoor and other people make a positive comment about the aroma it makes you concentrate. Montecristo comes to mind first, for positive aroma feedback.

[david9985]

1 hour ago, joeypots said:

A good cigar smells like cow shit and chocolate, more or less.

That it does.

1 hour ago, Mike Mecklenburg said:

Montecristo comes to mind first, for positive aroma feedback.

And this I also affirm: probably for the cow, chocolate and coffee notes.

[El Hoze]

Aroma is everything. I smell the burn line constantly…it is unconscious at this point. I probably smell it 4-5x in between each draw at various distances from my nose. The aroma in a room with controlled air flow is a huge part of it for me. I retrohale a bit too. I am the same way with wine and spirits. Nose in the bowl constantly. 

Lusis are a regular rotation smoke I would point out as striking my senses as unique. The most unique aroma in a box of cigars I ever had was a box of San Cristobal Mercaderes that to me smelled like the inside of a Catholic church when the priest is burning incense, which I love. I bought two other boxes chasing that aroma and I didn’t find nearly the same level of aroma. Man if you were in the mood those were good.