Observations About My Cigar Palate After Picking Up The Pipe

[deuce26]

Mates, I've smoked cigars for years. I moved predominately to pipes the last three years and have noticed that my cigar palate has completely changed. I used to love full body powerhouse cigars, but now find myself enjoying mild to medium cigars much more. I'm wondering whether sipping pipe tobacco for the intricate tastes of my Virginias and Va/Pers has allowed me to appreciate the same flavors as they exist in mild to medium cigars. Wondering if anyone else has had this experience?

 

[orobusto]

I agree. I have also found that I can notice a greater profile of flavors in cigars after becoming a pipe smoker. I never had the opportunity to smoke the single leaf cigars they make for tasting events so you can learn how to pick out the blends better. To me, smoking different varieties of pipe tobacco has the same effect.

 

[cigrmaster]

When I smoked cigars and pipes together, I always felt that one took away from the other. For example if I smoked a cigar then smoked my pipe, I couldn't distinguish the components to my pipe tobacco, then when I smoked a pipe first, it messed with the cigar flavors. I would decided in the morning what I was smoking for the day, my pipes or my cigars, and stopped mixing the 2 in one day.
In terms of milder cigars, I always smoked them in the morning and went up the strength ladder. The strongest cigars I smoked were Opux and VSG's. I loved a Diamond Crown or Ashton Cabinet for first of the day. I would then smoke mostly Cuban cigars the rest of the day and night. I was not that big an Opus or VSG guy, maybe one a week. I never smoked those real strong Camacho's or any other cigar that was designed to be super strong. One of my favorite non Cubans were the Padron Anniversary Maduro's.

 

[mso489]

Pipes somewhat preempt cigars in some way. Cigars are engineered and you go along for the experience, in which you are a sort of passenger or observer. The taste(s) are somewhat pre-ordained and provided by the cigar maker. Blenders have a role with pipes, but the pipe smoker has a lot of say as well, and can even mix their own leaves or blends. Pipes are more participatory.

 

[philobeddoe]

When I smoke a cigar I usually smoke a Macanudo Cafe series, pretty light, but I get a lot out of them. I've tried stronger Robusto and Maduro cigars but they never seem to taste right, they generally taste too earthy. I would love any recommendations for cigars similar to the Cafe's.

 

[deuce26]

Philo, I recently had an Asylum Insidious. Don't let the name fool you, it's a mild to medium Connecticut wrapped cigar with a lightly sweetened cap (honey I believe). It was a really great cigar.

 

[ophiuchus]

I would love any recommendations for cigars similar to the Cafe's.

You may like Romeo y Julieta 1875s. Similar strength, profile, and price. Maybe a hair heavier than Macanudo Cafes, less earthy than the Maduros (though I really like the latter).
And, yeah, I've been better appreciating milder cigars since becoming a more pipe-forward smoker. Often improvements in technique in one (cadence, for example) instigated improvement in the other, as well as recognition of a variety of flavor components.

 

[andrew]

Oliva series O Connecticut reserve would be like a cafe. Just look for mild cigars, read the flavor profiles in reviews and go from there. I haven't really been steered wrong yet doing that, and every cigar I've bought using this method I have not been dissapointed with. You want to look for coffee, nuts, and mild/medium in the flavor profile.

 

[didimauw]

@cigrmaster. I thought I read in a post you said "when I used to smoke cigars" Does that mean you don't any more?

 

[cigrmaster]

didi, I might smoke 3 cigars a year now when at one time I was smoking 4-6 a day.
Another nice cigar that is not to strong but really flavorful is the Hemingway line from Arturo Fuente. I always liked a Cameroon wrapper and no one has a stash that equals Fuente.

 

[philobeddoe]

Thank you all for the suggestions, the next time I'm at my local B&M I will pick these up.

 

[haymarket]

I noticed that I have been smoking more medium strength cigars and less full strength ligero cigars.
More importantly, at least to me, is that I now pay attention to what the cigar and my senses are telling me, and adjust my smoking rate/cadence to adjust the flavor and temperature of the experience.

 

[freakiefrog]

I smoked cigars for years as well. What I found was that after smoking the pipe and mostly Va and VaPers I can taste more in all my cigars, where as before it didn't see spending 15-30.00 per stick when they all tasted the same to me. Now I have no problem telling the difference between a good Habano and a crappy(not quality) Connecticut. So now I know when I'm smoking a Opus-X Don Carlos or Liga T9 or Gurkha 15 year reserve.