Are you tasting what you think you are?

[bobarian]

Originally Posted by Addiction

I disagree with TheRiddick but I do know what he means. However if you smoke enough and your blessed (because some of taste more than others) you can develop a palette. I think I've smoked enough cigars to tell the difference between green cigars and pepper as a flavor.

However when he talks about ripening tobacco as far as I know only fruits can continue to ripen after they are picked and only some of them.

I think the use of the word "ripeness" refers to the chemical changes that continue to occur as a cigar ages. While most fermentation occurs while the tobacco is in bales(for wine its barrels), after the cigar is rolled or the wine is bottled, chemical changes continue to occur. Often a freshly rolled CC will show signs of sickness or the off gassing of ammonia. This is not usually found in NC's as most times the tobaccos are aged for a longer period before rollin. In both wines and cigars its the tannins that give that "bite" on the back of the tongue, some tasters like that others do not. As a cigar or wine ages these tannins change chemically and smooth or mellow in flavor. Not all the pepper notes are an indication of "greenness" in a cigar, but as The Riddick said, many with less experienced palates do make this mistake.