cigars getting weeker, or am i smoking way too many?

Joined Mar 2005
109 Posts | 0+
zelienople. pa.
had a don lino "africa" couple monthes back. first cigar in a while that was noticably different. tried several since then, and they didnt taste the same. tried cao "brazil" at first, it was too strong, but got real good about an inch in[wished they came a foot long] best i had in a very long time. bought 2 more and nothing special. all my favotites are now becoming average, and my connys and el cred's are tasting comparable at 1/3 the cost. are my tastes changing? or is cigars getting worse? i evan bought some more expensive cigars last week and nothing special.
 
Cigars will change over time, and I belive tobacco strands will inevitably change with time too, but the more you smoke, the more your palate adjusts and changes.
 
smoked them all in past month. first brazil was incredable, cant get another to come close. aging help? maybe the first sat around at store longer
 
Although you may display some tendencies toward a sophisticated palate early on in cigar smoking, I dare say it probably takes most smokers three to five years to have a truly developed palate. That would definitely mean that over time your palate will "change." Also, not every cigar in a box or of a brand will strike you EXACTLY the same. The best that any cigar manufacturer can do is try for consistency. Because of occasional market fluctuations, blends will occasionally change, even if only temporarily. This may also affect how certain cigars of a label may taste differently from each other.

One interesting case in point is a discussion I started on this forum about how based on my most recent tastings, that the Hemingway line made by A. Fuente and Co. are "back." By "back" I mean they taste good and bold again, and have gotten some of their "kick" back. Did the Fuentes change the blend at some point a few years ago, prompting many to say they tasted flat? Was there a couple of "bad" years in the tobacco crop(s) used for making this line? Only Carlito knows for sure, and I'm sure he ain't tellin' much, and if he is, great. If not, that's great too, because I'm sure he's always trying his best to do his best.

Smoking too many cigars will also dull your palate, but that's a very personal matter, based on your own personality and biochemical tolerance. Some people can tolerate five cigars a day, while I have a problem with five a week.

Take your time. Learn about yourself. Smoking cigars can teach you a few things about yourself and life. You can learn patience and greater attention to detail. Be patient with yourself and the cigars you smoke. Take time. You may only live another five minutes or another 80 years. Savor each cigar slowly and thoughtfully. Time and circumstance will lead you to the cigars that become part of your own personal collection. That will reflect your personality and the hobby will bring you its own special rewards.

Don't treat them like cigarettes. Don't smoke cigars because you "need" one or it's "time" to smoke one. Don't smoke them expecting something of an orgasmic experience, and then feel let down if it doesn't happen.

Time and circumstance, and everything will fall into place.
 
It depends on the duration of time between smoking. If it is few months then it is most likely your palate or an inconsistency in the tobaccos aging.

However, cigar masters will make a blend and use it for several years. Because seeds continue through generations and climate and soil conditions change so does the tobaccco but they use the same blend each year. After several years it can taste much different from the original. Once the aroma really starts to divert from the original it will be reblended. A case in point is the camacho corojo which is being reblended and will be "back" as bloofington puts it in late april. So hypothetically, all aging aside, if you smoked a 2004 next to a 2003 at the same age you might not be able to tell the difference. But ifyou put a 2001 next to a 2004 again age constant you probably would see a diffence. The occassional overhaul typically brings the cigar back to its roots.
 
I some a lot of cigars , 3 to 5 a day is average.10 is not out of the question, but I do like to skip a few days a week with out a cigar just to allow the taste buds to return to a nutural field , right now I have the flu & I havent had a cigar since last Friday , it is Wed. evening & I have been to the cigar shop yet this week, maybe Friday , I will start out light, a Fonseca 2-2 natural will be the first cigar on the come back, I will be in the Opus X box buy next weekend !hahaha, Enjoy, Vince