"Earthy" Flavor?

[elnoblecigarro]

Can someone explain to me what "earthy" means? I see this in reviews all the time. I have no idea what this means.

Some say Cuban cigars are "earthy" or burley is "earthy". What on Earth does this mean?

 

[anotherbob]

tastes like earth like the smells you get from the soil. Or reminds one of such. Once you get it you'll feel like it should have been obvious.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Can someone explain to me what "earthy" means? I see this in reviews all the time. I have no idea what this means.

Some say Cuban cigars are "earthy" or burley is "earthy". What on Earth does this mean?

Pretty much what it sounds like, tastes like dirt, wet carbon, is one of the most common flavors in smoke.
I've always found it bizarre that people would pursue this flavor but with most types of tobacco that's just what you get, and I guess it's better than just puffing on empty hot air.

"Earthy" flavors are the reason I mostly avoid Burley, and I usually smoke Latakia or Aromatic blends.

 

[jewman22]

I dont think too many people go around tasting dirt, I could be wrong.
But the sense of taste is very closely linked to your sense of smell, and yes it is just that, like rich soil.
Cuban Cigars are fantastic, only some are "Earthy", Montecristo comes to mind. Most I find to be a little brighter.

 

[elnoblecigarro]

So it's like I was thinking. Soil and dirt.

Apparently this is a desired taste.

I have smoked plenty of cigars (Cuban and others) that were described as earthy, but this "earthy" thing still eludes me. Some taste full and robust. Some are smooth and some are peppery. Some have coffee or cocoa like notes. This I get, but "earthy"?

Is it like fresh soil one can buy for plants? Deep musty odor?

 

[elnoblecigarro]

On a side note, I once read a whisky review where one of the terms used to describe the taste was: decomposed leaves.
I was perplexed. Has this person been eating decomposed leaves and if so, is it a good taste?

 

[bullet08]

Never been sucker punched and dived head first into a mud pit? It tastes like that minus a bit of blood. Blood tastes like iron.

 

[fireground_piper]

Yes, the aromas of soil, vegetal compost, moss, peat, mushroom. I put wood and nut almost like a sister category to earth…..they tend to go hand in hand in my limited experience.

 

[pantsBoots]

So it's like I was thinking. Soil and dirt.

Apparently this is a desired taste.

I have smoked plenty of cigars (Cuban and others) that were described as earthy, but this "earthy" thing still eludes me. Some taste full and robust. Some are smooth and some are peppery. Some have coffee or cocoa like notes. This I get, but "earthy"?

Is it like fresh soil one can buy for plants? Deep musty odor?

If you're talking commercial potting soil, then no, as those (to me) usually smell of humic acid and various fertilizers. I've farmed and gardened numerous locations and am one of those people who smell dirt regularly to get an idea of soil health and general composition, so when I started cigars back in 2005, I immediately knew what "earthy" meant as it's nothing more than a representation of terroir. If I'm not looking for earthy notes in tobacco, however, they usually pass me by.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

On a side note, I once read a whisky review where one of the terms used to describe the taste was: decomposed leaves.
I was perplexed. Has this person been eating decomposed leaves and if so, is it a good taste?

In the Fall, the leaves , especially after a rain, remind me of a tea.

 

[didimauw]

Let's ask the king himself. @jiminks

 

[ncshawn]

Let's ask the king himself. @jiminks

Good idea!

 

[sablebrush52]

It means that your tobacco has gone bad as it now tastes like dirt and that you should send it to me so that I can dispose of it humanely.

 

[NomadOrb]

Earthy to me means loamy. Almost like certain mushrooms.

 

[elnoblecigarro]

In the Fall, the leaves , especially after a rain, remind me of a tea.

Definitely sets me in the mood for tea.

 

[DAR]

Being fortunate enough to never having tasted what the earth literally tastes like....... earthy with tobaccos means an aroma, sort of, like what it smells like after a rain on soil and ........ earth I guess?

 

[anotherbob]

In the Fall, the leaves , especially after a rain, remind me of a tea.

Tea is basically wet leaves.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Tea is basically wet leaves.

Really?? Wow!! Thank you ?

 

[mso489]

The language in tobacco blend reviews often teeters between an analytical taste profile and how the blend makes you feel. In fairness, the senses of smell and taste are often connected to associations and memories, so evoke more images than data. So earthy maybe denotes woods, produce, minerals, creeks, and other aspects of the earth. How does that taste? Don't ask.

 

[anotherbob]

Really?? Wow!! Thank you ?

o.k. now let us see how far we can take this. Did you also know that like most leaf tea leafs come from a plant?