A Note on Tobacco Reviews

Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:45 am

Conventional wisdom says you need to smoke at least two ounces of a tobacco before writing anything about it. While I think there is some merit to that because your opinion changes as you've smoked something over and over again, I also disagree.

I find that with tobacco and cigars both, your palate is never more analytical than when it is unfamiliar with something. You tend to tune out nuances with repeated exposure. The flipside of this is I've been stuck with boxes of cigars I didn't love because I was chasing flavor notes I got from the first couple sticks that I never encountered again. I think pipe tobacco is more consistent and tends to be repeatable under ideal conditions.

Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:44 am

Imho , I think making thinking aloud notes during the first few bowls is fine . A true review should really be done when you know a blend front, back and sideways ... or maybe not , lol , because there's always those folks that say everything is subjective any Way

kb7get · Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:13 pm

Why I don't do reviews. To me a smoke is either OK, Meh, I can smoke it or Yuck. That covers all the bases of what I have tried so far.

Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:47 pm

kb7get wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:13 pm Why I don't do reviews. To me a smoke is either OK, Meh, I can smoke it or Yuck. That covers all the bases of what I have tried so far.

Agreed . If someone has similar likes and says is great , good or crap .. I pay attention . The last thing I'd want to listen to is some latakia bomb lover who hates aromatics give an aromatic review , as an example

Bamarick · Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:41 am

kb7get wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:13 pm Why I don't do reviews. To me a smoke is either OK, Meh, I can smoke it or Yuck. That covers all the bases of what I have tried so far.

You sound like me. I tell folks that I know good from bad.

Middle Earth · Sat Dec 07, 2019 6:38 pm

I have very much enjoyed tobacco reviews
I find it useful
For example, it led me to Tudor Castle which is as good as it get for me
I have not put up any reviews
Love to see Father Tom's reviews
There are about seven reviewers that I look for
Since I am unable to tolerate heavy N blends, I look for guidance
For me, a great resource

Sat Dec 07, 2019 7:00 pm

I have always enjoyed the reviews, but I know mine are a lot more basic than some. I don't get the things others do sometimes, but I try to give an accurate description. In terms of the strength, I am always trying to think where it rates compared to other blends I smoke. If I say something is med->strong, it is in the same range as OJK for example.

I am still working on the Amphora sampler and the C&D Burley Flake #5 I got for my birthday, so I will have some fresh ones posted in the next week or so.

Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:03 pm

I like reading reviews from the people I feel I can trust. The others I scratch my head, "Olive Oil!?", I mean c'mon really? Then there's the whole "earth" thing, like what's that supposed to mean? It tastes like dirt?

Houtenziel · Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:21 pm

Bruyere_Royale wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:03 pm I like reading reviews from the people I feel I can trust. The others I scratch my head, "Olive Oil!?", I mean c'mon really? Then there's the whole "earth" thing, like what's that supposed to mean? It tastes like dirt?

Earthy to me means tastes like dirt smells. At least.. I hope someone wasn't munching dirt to try and see if things tasted like it. I am guessing Oregon dirt tastes a little different from the clay soil of say Texas.. so that could really confuse folks going out in the yard to see if that thing they were tasting in tobacco was "earth". Dirt munching wouldn't surprise me though.. nothing really does anymore.

Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:31 pm

houtenziel wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:21 pm
Bruyere_Royale wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 8:03 pm I like reading reviews from the people I feel I can trust. The others I scratch my head, "Olive Oil!?", I mean c'mon really? Then there's the whole "earth" thing, like what's that supposed to mean? It tastes like dirt?
Earthy to me means tastes like dirt smells. At least.. I hope someone wasn't munching dirt to try and see if things tasted like it. I am guessing Oregon dirt tastes a little different from the clay soil of say Texas.. so that could really confuse folks going out in the yard to see if that thing they were tasting in tobacco was "earth". Dirt munching wouldn't surprise me though.. nothing really does anymore.

It's too vague of a word to describe tobacco especially if your getting into geographic's. It's a tuff one, at least for me.