Where does the cream come from?

[Dean]

In a Cuban in certain brands I get some nice cream taste in the mouth. Cheaper cigars like punch don't have it but there is a hint in a H. Uppmann and even more in a Romeo y Juliet's no2 my go to smoke. Dearer and here we a re talking 25-60 dollar range usually have more again.

i don't smoke non Cubans if I can help it. I plan on changing this in the next few seasons and Todd graciously helped me out.

So I am wondering if it is a varietal or locational like Turkish or processing kilning thing and can I get there with my home grown.

cheers

 

[Matty]

From my (limited) experience in blending cigars thick leaves give a creamier feeling smoke, also the higher leaf positions like ligero. Thin leaves tend to smoke more on the "dry" end of the spectrum. Whenever I roll a mostly ligero cigar they tend to smoke quite creamy.

 

[deluxestogie]

I really have no idea what "creamy" means, with regard to a cigar. "Cream" flavors in beverages and even aromatic pipe blends are created with vanilla. Light-colored claro (blond) wrapped, mild cigars are often advertised as "creamy." Of the many Cuban cigars that I have smoked, none brought to mind "creamy."

Is light CT shade "creamy?" Is a musty, nearly black Nicaragua Habano ligero "creamy?" Is my Vuelta Abajo oscuro wrapper "creamy?"

I suspect that the term itself is so open to differing interpretations that it's not likely to conjure the same meaning from one cigar smoker to the next.

Bob

 

[Mad Oshea]

My son said that to Me last week. So I took a puff or three on the same cigar. what I think He ment was ;A thick,smooth tast on the palet not a flavor but a thickness. Maybe a type of tobacco. Not sure My self as well?

 

[webmost]

Creamy is more a feel than a flavor. Think of the Cameroon wrapped cigars you have smoked versus habano maduro, or corojo. The cam is not a thick leaf; but has a creamier feel to the smoke. So many maduro cigars have a espresso flavor to them. But some maduros, like these little Punch Champions I have been saving for a contest among us, have a definite creamy overtone, so that the coffee doesn't bite. Like coffee with cream in it. I drink my coffee as espresso, mixed half and half with half and half. It doesn't have a cream flavor; but it sure is way creamier than espresso.

Yes, ye committed relativists, we all already understand that taste is a personal matter. Nevertheless, in any question such as this, it's all about listening to other opinions. Therefore, simply saying "it's all a matter of taste" doesn't forward the conversation. Give us your own best analogy, it might strike a chord.

There are a few vanilla flavored cigars. Like the Tatiana. I'm sure Acid must offer some fine ones. Even my friends at FX Smiths make a vanilla infused cigar. Personally, I have never smoked an infused cigar I enjoyed. Given a vanilla infused cigar with a sweetened tip, you might approximate a cream soda cigar. God help us all.

I have smoked cigars which were not infused but which had a vanilla note to them. I wish I could remember the name right now. When my smart phone died it took all the rating notes I collected and I have been at sea ever since.

 

[Mad Oshea]

Creamy is more a feel than a flavor. Think of the Cameroon wrapped cigars you have smoked versus habano maduro, or corojo. The cam is not a thick leaf; but has a creamier feel to the smoke. So many maduro cigars have a espresso flavor to them. But some maduros, like these little Punch Champions I have been saving for a contest among us, have a definite creamy overtone, so that the coffee doesn't bite. Like coffee with cream in it. I drink my coffee as espresso, mixed half and half with half and half. It doesn't have a cream flavor; but it sure is way creamier than espresso.

Yes, ye committed relativists, we all already understand that taste is a personal matter. Nevertheless, in any question such as this, it's all about listening to other opinions. Therefore, simply saying "it's all a matter of taste" doesn't forward the conversation. Give us your own best analogy, it might strike a chord.

There are a few vanilla flavored cigars. Like the Tatiana. I'm sure Acid must offer some fine ones. Even my friends at FX Smiths make a vanilla infused cigar. Personally, I have never smoked an infused cigar I enjoyed. Given a vanilla infused cigar with a sweetened tip, you might approximate a cream soda cigar. God help us all.

I have smoked cigars which were not infused but which had a vanilla note to them. I wish I could remember the name right now. When my smart phone died it took all the rating notes I collected and I have been at sea ever since.

Ya- What Webmost said. I however smoke My hand rolled cigars (don't like store bought) Good post.

 

[webmost]

I thought up a good analogy while riding home from work yesterday. Typed this all up then when I clicked the button it disappeared.

You like Indian food? I know I do. These Hindi, they don't buy McCormick cumin in a 2 gram can and sprinkle it on their mutton for flavor. They buy fresh and strong by the 55 gallon drum and throw it in with a snow shovel, then garnish the result with a shred of mutton. Spice is the food, to them; the rest is oh by the way. So much spice you can smell their apartment soon as you open you car door in the motel parking lot. Heck, their skins turn curry color. Great people. Smart people. They know how to eat some spices.

Does it bite? Not even.

Cause they stew all this spice up in yoghurt. Creamifies the whole deal. Yum.

So the question here is: What kind of leaf is a flavor creamer in a cigar?

It would be great to have a list like : "Leaf X adds leather, leaf Y adds nutmeg, leaf Z adds pepper," and so forth; along with "leaf Q mellows them out"..

Any of you guys seen this http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?brand=1819 custom cigar kit? The company ships out 25 puritos. Each purito is one kind of leaf rolled into a crude little cigar for tasting purposes. Then you light this and that and figure which leaves you want to include. Then you send your recipe back, and they roll you 25 custom blend cigars. Really not such an exhorbitant price when you consider the 25 sample sticks, the two shippings and handlings, and all the fiddling around required.

Wonder whether our affable leaf merchant host could make money on a similar deal... take a fat sum in advance, ship out one or two leaves each of everything on the shelf, you return the recipe, and he assembles enough leaf of each kind to roll a hundred.

 

[webmost]

Mad Oshea: Why don't you like store bought cigars, dude? Is it just the price?

 

[Mad Oshea]

Well, That and I'm particular to The ones I roll is all. They won't tell You what is in the store bought. If the box is wood and has a clasp or If it's a pastboard box. Same results. I know what I roll in Mine is all. I wont shop for a kit. However will buy leaf that I don't have that I like. Good question.

 

[webmost]

Well of course they do. They always tell you what's in a premium cigar blend. That's how they sell them. I don't get that at all.

The price is too high, I agree with that. Your sin taxes are a lot of that.

 

[Ashauler]

Well of course they do. They always tell you what's in a premium cigar blend. That's how they sell them. I don't get that at all.

The price is too high, I agree with that. Your sin taxes are a lot of that.

Really? I don't think so. Unless, of course, the country and/or region of the tobacco's origin is considered "telling you what's in a premium cigar blend".
I enjoy the hell out of "commercial" cigars, and also grow my own for a very specific purpose....and it's not to save money.

 

[jekylnz]

Personally I think the big name $ cigars..add more than they would be willing to admit.(flavours.etc.) .they would all like to say it's just the great quality leaf they use..but I don't think thats the only thing that makes their cigars taste that way.imo

 

[Indianamac]

From my (limited) experience in blending cigars thick leaves give a creamier feeling smoke, also the higher leaf positions like ligero. Thin leaves tend to smoke more on the "dry" end of the spectrum. Whenever I roll a mostly ligero cigar they tend to smoke quite creamy.

I agree with you on the ligero cigars Matty. I have one that is all ligero filler and it has a "creamy" like smoke to it.


Dean by chance, does the Cubans that you smoke have ligero filler?

 

[Dean]

I'll do a bit of research into what's in them if I can find it.

cheers guys for the responses, good food for thaught.

 

[jekylnz]

It's usually the sugars and food stuffs that make commercial cigarettes smoother and tastier. .but thats because they are also trying to sell us a crappier product to start with. Recon..expired cigarettes. .crap off the floor. .and only approx 40-50% lamina

 

[Indianamac]

I'll do a bit of research into what's in them if I can find it.

cheers guys for the responses, good food for thaught.

By no means am I trying to come off as an expert or aficionato but I know exactlywhat you are saying about the "creamy" taste Dean. At this point, I can only assume that it is the ligero. Please, if anyone can confirm or dispute this, can you shed some more light. Personally, I like the "creamy" taste and will dupllicate my blend from here on out. Does anyone else notice this with thier blends???

Good post Dean! Very interesting topic.

 

[Southern Planter]

Maybe the creamy taste comes from the infused poppy sap they mix with the tobacco.

 

[webmost]

Maybe the creamy taste comes from the infused poppy sap they mix with the tobacco.

No, that would be the dreamy taste.

 

[FmGrowit]

Maybe the creamy taste comes from the infused poppy sap they mix with the tobacco.

Am I using too much?

 

[jekylnz]

Some one else has told me that before about cuban cigars having opium in them...I don't think so. .but that would explain the price. Lol