Tobacco flavours and nuances

[admin]

Here's a great blog post by schmitzbitz, "Tobacco flavours and nuances"

 

[romeowood]

Great blog post, schmitzbitz! I've actually been in the process of refining my own palate skills for specialty coffees and teas lately, and have tried (often unsuccessfully) to communicate to others that it is not trickery, a propensity for verbiage, or a special innate talent that one possesses, but rather a skill set that nearly everyone (except for a few extreme clinical cases that can be referenced in the DSM-5 :crazy: ). The only "trick" is to work on acquiring the vocabulary, both sensory and olfactory, and getting yourself comfortable with putting it into words. Sadly I think that the more frivolous of wine reviewers--who shall remain nameless--have cast aspersion on the exercise with their efforts to search for ever more esoteric descriptors, mainly in the interest of marketing swagger. I'm personally more in the Hemingway camp, if it could be said that there is such a thing--simple words, strong story.

Down to basic mechanics, the best advice I've gotten from my coffee & tea training has been to clear your mind & palate, and let that first, dominant note hit you--there will always be one--and focus on it, rather than immediately seek secondary characteristics. It's akin to the concept of the optical illusions that can only be perceived by focusing on one point in the center, for lack of a better analogy. By focusing on one, rather than trying to force your senses into directions against their will (as it were), you then are able to allow the other impressions to filter in and be catalogued.

I'm forwarding this article to several friends and staff, and look forward to further installments schmitzbitz!