Who are you and what do you taste? Part II, by Adam Estrem

As cigar smokers, I believe we are more in tune with our mouth than most people. That is not saying that we talk more, or have more interesting things to say (trust me, I have met my fair share of cigar smokers who can't talk, or are as boring as hell...), I am saying that we tend to pay more attention to how things taste and what they taste like. Smoking cigars, many different cigars, gives us a glimpse into two things. One, we get a volume of tastes coating each taste bud on our tongue, kissing each of our lips with a flavor profile unique only to what we are smoking. No other cigar is going to taste exactly alike. And two, we get to taste a piece of history. We are actually tasting what the earth had to offer during a certain period of time, during the tobacco plant's life. Think about that. Just like any other food, we can taste not only the flavor of each thing we put in our mouth, but we are also getting a glimpse into time. Like wine, we can often taste the difference in a food or cigar from year to year, depending on what the climate was like. Take a cow for example, I bet you can taste an extraordinary difference between a cow that has been confined it's whole life (cheap meat), or a cow that has spent it's life in a pasture, having little to no stress and being fed well. Like food, cigars are a glimpse into life during the time period of the tobacco's life. That is why it is so hard for a cigar manufacturer to produce the "same" exact cigar year after year. You might smoke a stick from brand "A" in 2003, and decided you really liked the smoke. Lets say you run across brand "A" again last week, pick up a stick and smoke it. After the smoke you think, "hmmmm, that is not the way I remember enjoying that smoke!" Have your tastes changed? Probably little to none. What has changed is the tobacco used in that smoke. Cigar manufacturers spend huge amounts of time and money to make cigars that are consistent year to year. In my opinion, it is a futile effort. No one is going to be able to capture the exact same taste year after year, because we have something called climate change. No one can control the climate and it is ever changing. Much of what we taste is yes, climate controlled. But what the major cigar bands might call their plight, it is the redeemer of the boutique cigar brands. The boutique cigar brands are not trying to produce the same cigar year after year. Once they have run out of a certain tobacco, they can blend a new cigar and release it, calling it a different name. This can be good and bad for cigar smokers. Unless you are able to put boxes away for later consumption, you may never be able to taste that cigar again. On the other hand with a boutique brand, chances are they will be releasing something new shortly, that may recapture your interests. Over all, as a new cigar smoker, taste as many different cigars as you can. Once you have decided on what you like, purchase more. But how can you know if you like something, if you don't try it first?