Does Cut Matter or is it Just Aesthetics?

[saltedplug]

** Part 4 of 4**
And none of this speaks to whatever physiological differences exist between smokers. Does my tongue and upper esophagus have the same number and type of taste buds as yours? Are they found in my oral cavity in the same locations as yours? Does my thalamus encode this information the same way as yours? Does my gustatory cortex process the information from the thalamus the same as yours? Whatever the variation, and surgeons will tell you that it exists, how do we account for these differences in our conclusions about the pipe world?
In blind testing even those with an experienced wine palate fail to duplicate the results of their fellows.
In the realm of the palate we can make useful distinctions, but only if we had the instruments capable of the measurement and the knowledge of all the variables involved could we replicate the exactitude of the results of science.

 

[brass]

Terrific post, Mike of 4 Noggins.
Thank goodness everything isn't subject to science. Taste and sensory perception are affected by many variables that can be tested but the combinations and permutations are in the hundreds if not thousands. And while science could be predictive and valid for some variables, some are not easily measured. Mood, personal chemistry, environment, crop variances, the company, anticipation and expectations formed by the opinions of friends and colleagues, as well as hype, marketing - all can have significant impact on one's appreciation of a particular blend.
I can reliably say that I like most Virginia's or English blends or that I don't like Lakelands or aromatics but I still can't say with certainty that I will like a particular blend until I try it myself, no matter how accurate the tin description.
I can come to general conclusions after time and experience but those are subjective. So, I will need qualifiers. For example, for me, based on my experience, I will argue that flakes and plugs are generally richer and more complex in taste than ribbons. Are there exceptions? Certainly.
All which can be summed with the adage, "Smoke what you like, like what you smoke."

 

[cigrmaster]

I smoke flakes exclusively because for my tastes, I get a cooler more flavorful smoke than from any other cut. For example I recently received some tins of Mac Baren Modern Virginia and as a gift I also received a pouch of their reaady rubbed version of the same blend. When I smoked the version of thee ready rubbed, it burn fast and hot and had little flavor compared to the flake. The flake is also interesting in that it is a very soft one and does not lend itself to cube cutting because it falls apart. I therefore only fold and stuff this blend as for me it is the only way to get a cooler and more flavorful smoke. It would be intersting if this blends came as a hard dense flake as their Old Dark Fired comes.

 

[disinformatique]

Yes it does matter.