Flavor Wheel & Taste Calibration

[chain_gang]

This weekend I'm going to try to taste everything on this wheel to get a good calibration of specific tastes.

I'm gonna try to do it in the six sectors, make one post per sector, and describe everything in my own words.

Feel free to join. If I can find everything, and you don't feel like purchasing everything - I'll send you a kit.

This will be a prerequisite to the Rojas Cigar Specialist, that TJ most generously MAW'd me, so I can be on-point when it comes to the sticks.

Nutty Notes:
https://www.cigarbum.com/forum/gener...ost217168.html

Herb & Spice Notes:
https://www.cigarbum.com/forum/gener...ost217178.html

Coffee Notes:
https://www.cigarbum.com/forum/gener...ost217193.html

Sweet Notes:
https://www.cigarbum.com/forum/gener...ost217289.html

Wood & Floral Notes:
https://www.cigarbum.com/forum/gener...ost217315.html

[Emperor Zurg]

Sooo... Barnyard... that's manure you understand. You really going to take a mouthful of manure? And 'earthy'... that's dirt. Better than manure maybe but even so...

[SoCal gunner]

Not sure I'm capable of detecting all those flavors.
Funny thing is barnyard is definitely one I can. Its more of a smell (though most of taste IS smell) with sweetness and I don't find it offensive at all.

[chain_gang]

Sooo... Barnyard... that's manure you understand. You really going to take a mouthful of manure? And 'earthy'... that's dirt. Better than manure maybe but even so...

Thought 'barnyard' was more of a general livestock smell along with whatever's in or near a barn - not just poo specifically. I always thought 'earthy' goes beyond dirt - like vegetal and floral.

[SoCal gunner]

This weekend I'm going to try to taste everything on this wheel to get a good calibration of specific tastes.

I'm gonna try to do it in the six sectors, make one post per sector, and describe everything in my own words.

Feel free to join. If I can find everything, and you don't feel like purchasing everything - I'll send you a kit.

This will be a prerequisite to the Rojas Cigar Specialist, that TJ most generously MAW'd me, so I can be on-point when it comes to the sticks.20210325_190845.jpg

I'm totally down for this- think it should be interesting

[Old Smokey]

I think this is a cool endeavor and will watch with interest. But I gotta tell ya, I don't indentify very many flavors in tobacco, so I quit trying to identify flavors a long time ago and just enjoy the smoke. One that does surprise me and is distinct when it occurs is cinnamon. And the barnyard I seem to detect if I pay attention. But my old taste buds just don't seems to give a shit most of the time.

[Emperor Zurg]

Thought 'barnyard' was more of a general livestock smell...

I figure livestock smell the way they do mostly because they are covered in sh!t.

...along with whatever's in or near a barn...

again... sh!t, that smell would be manure mostly... tho I will say I do find the sweetish smell of cow manure somewhat pleasant from a distance

I always thought 'earthy' goes beyond dirt - like vegetal and floral.

I always figured 'earthy' for the smell of freshly tilled garden dirt or a freshly dug hole. I'd not be a fan of 'earthy' straight up neat but there are 'earthy' flavors (imo) in a medium well steak and also in sauteed mushrooms - probably why they go so well together. Good excuse to head out the local steakhouse if you ask me

Anyway, I'm interested to see your take on all these. Should be an interesting thread.

[chain_gang]

*Will edit and update as I go.

Method:

First, I ate some of each to get the overall difference. Then came back to each individual nut and made notes. Chose unsalted, raw, and untoasted nuts to capture the true taste. Gargled water in between.



Nutty Notes sector (pic attached):

1. Walnut
Unchewed:
Sharp, dirty, gritty, acidic
Chewed:
Not oily, acidic, less dirty, slightly pasty, not so much creamy, residual taste lingers longer

2. Peanut
Unchewed:
Slightly oily, not sharp, not acidic - probably more basic (pH-wise), neutral tasting besides oil
Chewed:
Much more oily, clean, creamy, softer than walnut, not much residual taste


3. Chestnut (not tasted yet)

4. Cashew
Unchewed:
Slightly tastable, neutral pH
Chewed:
Slight sweetness, more fatty than oily, neutral pH, clean, soft taste, slight residual taste lingers

5. Almond
Unchewed:
Slight taste, neutal pH
Chewed:
Probably more basic pH, meaty, gristley, more earthy, more of a residual taste lingers

Nuts not on wheel:

6. Pecan
Unchewed:
Not as sharp as a walnut but close, gritty, acidic, slightly metallic
Chewed:
More acidic, more earthy, more woody, slight sweetness, more sharp, residual taste lingers



Additional notes:
-It will be hard to discern between walnuts and pecans - maybe that's why pecans aren't listed
-Believed ease of detection (greatest-least): walnut/pecan (tied), almond, peanut, cashew

[chain_gang]

Herb & Spice Notes

Method:
Gonna tackle this sector slower - one at a time with some recovery time in between. Smell first, then let it rest in the mouth, and then chewing. Maybe I'll cycle through them again without waiting to see the immediate differences.

Edit 1 Method:
Freshly grinded each peppercorn - couldn't get much smell from ungrinded peppercorns.

1. Black Pepper (fresh ground peppercorn)
Smell:
Tad sweet, pretty floral (more than the cloves probably), not so much pungent but more bold, good spice amount on first smell - first whiff made my nose and back of neck tingle, smells afterwards - not as much spice (nose may have become acclimated)
Unchewed:
Good burn - a bit more than the cloves (this was after cloves), salivating more
Chewed:
Spice uptick and more burn throughout mouth - mostly noticed on palate and of course where I'm chewing, dark tasting, a sharp lingering and consistent burn

2. White Pepper (fresh ground peppercorn)
Smell:
Faint, subtle sweetness, spice smellable but faint, kinda aromatic/floral
Unchewed:
Slow burn buildup, intense of tip of tongue
Chewed:
Probably more intense than black pepper inside the mouth - more fiery maybe, burn seems to not be concentrated in one area, feeling a subtle burn through nose.

-Probably what a good majority of cigar "pepper" tastes/sensations are.

3. Green Pepper (fresh ground peppercorn)
Smell:
Thyme, kinda zesty/tangy, little to no boldish spice
Unchewed:
Subtle hint of sweetness, slightly cool to the taste, slight burn, kinda zesty/tangy, bit lemony
Chewed:
Burn mostly noticed on tongue, bit thyme-y, kinda refreshing taste, intensity of spice/burn is much less than black pepper, burn lingers on tongue

4. Red Pepper (crushed - pizza packet)
Smell:
Tomato paste, somewhat-fiery spice tingles the nose
Unchewed:
Diluted tomato paste, intense burn on tip of tongue
Chewed:
Burn spreads and itensifies around entire mouth, less burn on tip of tongue - more mid tongue burn, burn felt slightly in nose; burn residual lingers more on palate, rear tongue, and cheeks; hot pepper 'heat'

5. Cayenne (ground)
Smell:
Tomato paste, slight cinnamon-sugar, slight spice
Unchewed/Chewed: tomato paste, slow burn build-up, much more intensity on tongue tip, very fiery, intense 'heat', burn trickles down to tonsels, sinus clearing, residual burn on mid tongue and palate - ends on palate

6. Cinnamon (ground)
Smell:
Accidently snorted some, pretty good on the retrohale - LMAO! Soft smell, powdered sugar sweetness and smell
Unchewed/Chew (same since powdered):
Slow burn builds up to a low intensity, tongue burn, slight linger to burn, there was something that made me think 'blood' - iron possibly?

7. Clove (full bud)
Smell:
Aromatic, sweet, pungent, brown sugary, decent level of spice
Unchewed:
Nothing
Chewed:
Dry, very acidic, noticeable burn, not sweet, potpourri-ish, burn picks up here and there, cool to the taste, nictoine-ish, strong, deep

[josh lucky 13]

Herb & Spice Notes (pic attached)

*Will edit and update as I go.

Method:
Gonna tackle this sector slower - one at a time with some recovery time in between. Smell first, then let it rest in the mouth, and then chewing. Maybe I'll cycle through them again without waiting to see the immediate differences.

1. Black Pepper (NYT - not yet tasted)

2. White Pepper (NYT)

3. Green Pepper (NYT)

4. Red Pepper (NYT)

5. Cayene (NYT)

6. Cinnamon (NYT)

7. Clove
Smell:
Aromatic, sweet, pungent, brown sugary, decent level of spice
Unchewed:
Nothing
Chewed:
Dry, very acidic, noticeable burn, not sweet, potpourri-ish, burn picks up here and there, cool to the taste, nictoine-ish, strong, deep

I have smoke a few cigars where I have picked up a floral flavor. I am not a fan of this but your description of chewed clove makes me think this is that flavor I am not a fan of. When I think clove I think of ham and sweet. The only time I know I like clove taste is pumpkin pie.

Thanks for this gives me something to try to pin down next time I pick up those floral hints.