54 Flavours – Jean Lenoir
The Blue Smokers originally came from the world of wine: Lea has been working in the field of wine tasting for over 20 years. It was therefore driven by this sensitivity to aromas and tasting that they turned their attention to the world of cigars. And the similarities are (very) numerous. When tasting a cigar, identifying the aromas and aromatic families follows the same ‘path’.
This essential reference work is regularly used for introductory wine-tasting sessions and for discovering new wines. It is Jean Renoir’s *Le Nez du Vin*. The book explains the origin of wine’s aromas and their classification: Where do wine’s aromas come from? What do they reveal about the grape variety or varieties, the winemaking and ageing methods, or even the wine’s age? …
The flavours of a cigar
Before lighting a cigar, it is important to understand that the tasting experience begins long before you take your first puff. Just like wine, a cigar is first and foremost a sensory experience – and, more specifically, an olfactory one. Our ability to appreciate a cigar depends not only on its strength or origin, but above all on our ability to recognise, categorise and describe the aromas we perceive.
Classification of flavours
🍋 Fruity notes
- Lemon – Tangy, lively, very fresh, reminiscent of zest and juice.
- Grapefruit – A more bitter citrus fruit, zesty, with a hint of herbaceousness.
- Orange – Sweeter and rounder, sometimes slightly sweet.
- Pineapple – Exotic, juicy, somewhere between fresh and ripe.
- Banana – Sweet, sometimes fermented, typical of certain esters.
- Lychee – Both floral and fruity, very aromatic.
- Melon – Fresh, watery, subtle yet elegant.
- Muscat – A very expressive grape, sweet and floral.
- Apple – Crisp (green) or ripe, clean and fresh.
- Pear – Juicy, melt-in-the-mouth, sweet.
- Quince – Ripe fruit, slightly jammy and floral.
- Strawberry – Fresh red fruit, light and delicious.
- Raspberry – Tart, delicate, very fragrant.
- Redcurrant – Lively, very tart, almost sharp.
- Blackcurrant – Intense, deep, sometimes slightly vegetal.
- Blueberry – Sweet, rounded, more subtle than blackcurrant.
- Blackberry – Ripe, juicy and fleshy black fruit.
- Cherry – Sweet with a hint of kirsch.
- Apricot – Sunny, pulpy, sometimes candied.
- Peach – White or yellow flesh, supple and elegant.
- Almond (frangipane) – Sweet, pastry-like, with a hint of vanilla.
- Prune – Dried fruit, rich, often associated with ageing.
- Walnut – Dry, sometimes oxidative, reminiscent of mature wines.
🌸 Floral notes
- Hawthorn – A delicate, slender white spring flower.
- Acacia – A soft, slightly honeyed floral scent.
- Linden – Fresh floral with a hint of greenery.
- Honey – Sweet, rounded, floral and warm.
- Rose – An elegant fragrance, sometimes powdery.
- Violet – Delicate floral, slightly sweet.
🌿 Herbal and spicy notes
- Green pepper – A distinct, herbaceous note typical of certain grape varieties.
- Mushroom – Humus, damp earth, a note of maturation.
- Truffle – Terroir, noble, deep and complex.
- Wine lees – Fermentative, fresh bread, yeast.
- Cedar – Dry wood, noble, slightly resinous.
- Pine – Resin, forest, balsamic freshness.
- Liquorice – Bittersweet, aniseed, deep.
- Blackcurrant/boxwood buds – Intense vegetal notes, very distinctive.
- Cut hay – Dry, rustic, reminiscent of a barn.
- Thyme – Mediterranean herbaceous, aromatic.
- Vanilla – Sweet, rounded, often associated with oak ageing.
- Cinnamon – Warm, sweet spice.
- Clove – Spicy, powerful, slightly pungent.
- Pepper – Dry, pungent, sometimes fresh.
- Saffron – A rare, warm spice with a slightly medicinal quality.
🐾 Animal notes
- Leather – A noble, dry, animalic scent that evokes evolution.
- Musk – Intense, warm and enveloping.
- Butter – Milky, rounded, often resulting from malolactic fermentation.
🔥 Toasted notes
- Toasted bread – Toasted, dry, warm.
- Toasted almond – Roasted, sweet and lingering.
- Roasted hazelnut – Rounded, toasty, elegant.
- Caramel – Sweet, brown, slightly burnt.
- Coffee – Strongly roasted, intense.
- Dark chocolate – Bitter, deep, pure cocoa.
- Smoky note – Burnt wood, fire, sometimes mineral.