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Evolving Tastes

PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
I have been noticing lately that I like a lot wider range of cigars than I used to and enjoy wrappers that I wasn't impressed with early on in my smoking hobby. When I first started out I pretty much just smoked Maduro cigars, but as I have become more experienced and tried more things I've found myself really enjoying Cammeroon wrappers and EcSu wrappers. I don't smoke near as many Maduros as I used to. I still am not a huge fan of Connie wrappers but I can appreciate them a lot more now than I could before.

I'd like to hear some about how everyones taste in cigars has evolved since you started this hobby, or if you are a Newbie, what are you finding that you enjoy at the moment.

Comments

  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    I have actually been noticing this with myself also. When I started, I usually stayed with the mild cigars such has Macanudo Cafe and Maduros. I remember smoking a Mac. Robust which is a medium bodied smoke and not liking it too much. And now after about a year, I find myself smoking and enjoying medium to full bodied cigars. I smoked another Robust and loved it. I guess it's the natural progression of things, start with mild and just work your way up to more full bodied cigars. I still have to take it easy when smoking a cuban, I am pretty much done smoking cigars for awhile after smoking one of those.

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • Dude LoveDude Love Posts: 315
    My range is still pretty broad due to the lack of smoking weather...come on spring time!
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    My tastes have evolved exactly the same way that you described, Puro.
  • PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
    dutyje:
    My tastes have evolved exactly the same way that you described, Puro.
    Wow, soooo different, yet so alike... haha
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    PuroFreak:
    dutyje:
    My tastes have evolved exactly the same way that you described, Puro.
    Wow, soooo different, yet so alike... haha
    im with you on that one too.
    we may think differently economically, but we are still people. we still love cigars.
    side note
    thank you, duty, for a spirited debate while keeping it respectful. nothing is better for the mind than thought about a difficult and complex problem.

    well, maybe a good cigar is better.
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296
    I can say that my tastes have changed a lot of the past year. However, I am still not very good at picking out flavors. I can detect different flavors and more of them now but I can't say "Wow, that is chocolate or Pecans, etc..."
  • dutyjedutyje Posts: 2,263
    kuzi16:
    PuroFreak:
    dutyje:
    My tastes have evolved exactly the same way that you described, Puro.
    Wow, soooo different, yet so alike... haha
    im with you on that one too.
    we may think differently economically, but we are still people. we still love cigars.
    side note
    thank you, duty, for a spirited debate while keeping it respectful. nothing is better for the mind than thought about a difficult and complex problem.

    well, maybe a good cigar is better.
    It beats settling our differences the way they do in the South Korean parliament
  • bbc020bbc020 Posts: 1,422
    dutyje:
    kuzi16:
    PuroFreak:
    dutyje:
    My tastes have evolved exactly the same way that you described, Puro.
    Wow, soooo different, yet so alike... haha
    im with you on that one too.
    we may think differently economically, but we are still people. we still love cigars.
    side note
    thank you, duty, for a spirited debate while keeping it respectful. nothing is better for the mind than thought about a difficult and complex problem.

    well, maybe a good cigar is better.
    It beats settling our differences the way they do in the South Korean parliament

    my tastes have changed....I actually like people with opposing points of view. This forum has been great for that. To see that it doesn't have to get personal.

    Now a bit more on topic. My tastes have evolved very similarly. From milder smokes in general to a love for the fuller bodied experience. I still enjoy a mild cigar as a change of pace, but generally my preferred flavor/body profile lives in the medium to full categories.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i didnt talk of my own evolution...
    when i started smoking cigars i was into mild very lightly earthy cigars. then i smoked a Baccorat and i noticed that it had pepper to it. so i started looking for more spicy cigars.
    then on a lark i picked up a sancho panza double maduro. this is where i had my first true taste of honduran tobacco. since then ive learned to appreciate the taste and body of different cigars for what they are. In general i now like stron hondurans such as camacho, but there are times when a good mild cigar like a fuente 8-5-8 candela is just right.

    I think that my evolution is more or less an opening of the mind and palate to a wider range of cigars.

    i still have a harder time with many nicaraguans...
  • PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
    I think it is kind of interesting. There are a bunch of people who move from mild to fuller bodied cigars and there are people like me. I started out with med-full Maduro cigars and still prefer them, but I do appreciate a mild cigar, but love the variety of other wrappers. I have really grown to appreciate Cammeroon wrappers and would be tempted to say that is my favorite cigar wrapper...

    I wonder where my tastes will evolve from here...
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    I'm a newb! Only been smoking for a few years but really started to burn money last year. hehe. I too have noticed my likes and love change. Before I was very strict on what cigars I like and enjoyed. But over the last couple of months I have really been noticing that I like stronger cigars and even several cigars which I at one time didn't like, but now love. The most recent cigar was the triple ligero and beast. I first had them about 3 years ago or mabye 2.. but I really didn't like them. Too strong but now They are on my top 5 list. I'm also able to detect subtle tastes that I didn't before.
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    PuroFreak:
    I think it is kind of interesting. There are a bunch of people who move from mild to fuller bodied cigars and there are people like me. I started out with med-full Maduro cigars and still prefer them, but I do appreciate a mild cigar, but love the variety of other wrappers. I have really grown to appreciate Cammeroon wrappers and would be tempted to say that is my favorite cigar wrapper...

    I wonder where my tastes will evolve from here...
    swisher sweets? The special edition maybe.
  • PuroFreakPuroFreak Posts: 4,131 ✭✭
    phobicsquirrel:
    PuroFreak:
    I think it is kind of interesting. There are a bunch of people who move from mild to fuller bodied cigars and there are people like me. I started out with med-full Maduro cigars and still prefer them, but I do appreciate a mild cigar, but love the variety of other wrappers. I have really grown to appreciate Cammeroon wrappers and would be tempted to say that is my favorite cigar wrapper...

    I wonder where my tastes will evolve from here...
    swisher sweets? The special edition maybe.
    I can only hope my tastes will be that high class in the future my friend... I can only hope...
  • gaberoxgaberox Posts: 824
    I started out really liking mild cigars.Romeo and Julieta's.Ashton classics.Now Im a fiend for rich maduros.Havent smoked to many cameroons.Had the Oliva G cameroon and didnt like it.Also dont like pepper to much but am going to try more to see if I develop the taste.But for now I love very rich smooth smokes.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i think its fairly common to mover from mild to medium to fuller cigars.

    what i am now starting to find (after 3-4 years of cigaring) is that i am craving mild/medium cigars more and more simply to try and discover the subtlety of them. I find myself looking for more complex rather than fuller body. I have a few notebooks full of my cigar catalog and this has helped me develop my palate quite a bit. even though im just starting down the road of seeking complexity, i think that this is my next stage.
    I always liked complexity, but i was always looking for it in full bodied cigars. i think i was missing out on some
  • Jetmech_63Jetmech_63 Posts: 3,451 ✭✭✭
    I started off on RP 90 & 92. From there i tried diffrent things but still in the same realm of body and flavor (5 Vegas Classics, REO, Other RP, Oliva...) Now i go into the b&m humidor...sht the door...look around and do a Dr. Evil impression of putting my pinky to my mouth LOL. I'll smoke ANY cigar i havent tried before but really like smoking cigars from diffrent regions and makers with the same wrapper or filler just to see the diffrence. I dont smoke as many milds as i used to but i dont mind them at all. I love wine so i approach cigars like wine. A Cab from one winery in Napa tastes diffrent than one from a diffrent winery....though they both still have Cab characteristics...all in all it's really fun!
  • gaberoxgaberox Posts: 824
    Jetmech_63:
    I started off on RP 90 & 92. From there i tried diffrent things but still in the same realm of body and flavor (5 Vegas Classics, REO, Other RP, Oliva...) Now i go into the b&m humidor...sht the door...look around and do a Dr. Evil impression of putting my pinky to my mouth LOL. I'll smoke ANY cigar i havent tried before but really like smoking cigars from diffrent regions and makers with the same wrapper or filler just to see the diffrence. I dont smoke as many milds as i used to but i dont mind them at all. I love wine so i approach cigars like wine. A Cab from one winery in Napa tastes diffrent than one from a diffrent winery....though they both still have Cab characteristics...all in all it's really fun!


    I agree.Even though I prefer rich cigars I still get a craving for a mild stick.I love the nutty,toasty flavor of some.Sometimes they can actually be very refreshing if youve been smoking rich sticks all day.Im going to try the CAO MX2 as I heard that has a good combo of sweet and spicy to see if I can get on board with spicy.Im a craft micro beer lover and it took me quite some time to develop the palate for India Pale Ales or Double IPA's.Now I love em so I figure it may in the same context.Still give me a Belgain quad anyday.
  • Jetmech_63Jetmech_63 Posts: 3,451 ✭✭✭
    MMMMM IPA. We got a brand here called Lagunitas...deeeelightful
  • gaberoxgaberox Posts: 824
    Jetmech_63:
    MMMMM IPA. We got a brand here called Lagunitas...deeeelightful


    Ive had their Cappaccino stout.Pretty good.That brewery has a pretty good rep around the craft brew world.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    im not sure why but i never liked the IPA's


    ...and i call myself a beer lover.
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296
    kuzi16:
    im not sure why but i never liked the IPA's


    ...and i call myself a beer lover.
    I don't like them either. I like a good Belgian beer.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i agree with this.
    I find that most IPAs celebrate the bitter end of the hops spectrum. I tend to like the floral end. I also prefer my Malts to be a bit more caramelish.
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    Yeah, to me the IPA takes a good thing and carries it much too far. If I want something that bitter, I'll just chew an aspirin.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    urbino:
    Yeah, to me the IPA takes a good thing and carries it much too far. If I want something that bitter, I'll just chew an aspirin.
    nice.

    i think that even guinness takes it too far. i dont mind how thick it is but the bitter coffee in that just doesnt work for me.
  • urbinourbino Posts: 4,517
    True. I have to be in just the right mood for Guiness. I'm not much of a beer person to start with, so it's pretty rare for me to want to visit that far end of the spectrum.
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    urbino:
    Yeah, to me the IPA takes a good thing and carries it much too far. If I want something that bitter, I'll just chew an aspirin.
    lol, wow. Some IPA's are too overboard... Though I do love them. I've had a lot. I like stouts myself. Guiness is one of my favorite beers. Sam Adams makes a great few beers. I have however figured out that I do not like combining beers with cigars. Though a mocha stout sometimes works.
  • SmokeRingSmokeRing Posts: 61
    I also don't generally care for beer with cigars, when having an "adult beverage" with my stogie I prefer good single malt scotch or bourbon. >< Back to the topic, I have been smoking cigars and pipes for a long time. I started with pipes and didn't care for cigars until years later. In a way I think this helped because I was able to decern the different flavors in the blends of cigar tobacco right from the start (I just didn't know what to refer to them as) I started with mild sticks, predominately dominican and almost everything I smoked was by Arturo Fuente. I gradually moved up the fullness scale but it took a number of years before I could stand maduro blends. Now maduros are my mainstays. In the last year or two I have found myself getting a bit fatuiged by them and came to the realization that what I want in a cigar is complexity since then I have been working more variety, both in terms of strength and blend, into my rotation. I have to confess that it still takes an act of will to not automatically pick up the darker selection of a blend, but I'm improving!
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