I think that the two categories are similar but not completely related, the PTC taster/non-taster test is used to find out whether or not you have the particular genes that allow you to taste that chemical and other closely related ones, whereas if I understand it right, the non-taster, taster and supertaster categories of the other article refer to the concentration of tastebuds you have on your tongue and therefore how sensitive your sense of taste is to all flavors. That article breaks breaks the distribution down as 25% non-tasters, 50% tasters and 25% supertasters, so that trend basically just follows the bell curve.
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Looking forward to watching this thread. Thanks for taking one for the team Dan. :-)
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According to the first article:

It is only those who "have a much denser distribution of taste buds than medium and nontasters." And that amount is 25% which falls in line with all of the research and articles I have found. If you question which one you are personally, do either of the two tests that the first article recommends.


I don't want to continue to thread jack Dball's thread. If you want to discuss it more, let's start a new thread or PM. I am fascinated by the sense of taste. And to add to it, some will tell you that no matter how many tastebuds you have, if your sinuses are messed up, you won't "taste" anything.
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Haha, I think we're both right, but that means that one of the articles has some inaccuracies. One states that 25% of people are supertasters and that a positive on the PTC test means that you are a supertaster, whereas the other states that 75% test positive for PTC, so either more people are supertasters than the first claims, or the PTC test is either unrelated, or only differentiates between non-tasters and "oher" tasters, lumping tasters and supertasters together. :-)
I think I've muddled up your thread enough for now Dan, you had better hurry up and smoke another NC:-):-)
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Well, I don't expect Dom sent crap.
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Never heard this reason for it before, but it is one of the main reasons I also smoke primarily CCs now. I seem to also notice it much more when it is there now that I am not smoking NCs very often. I have gotten it from Tatuaje, especially the newer blends/lines but never from any Padron, Oliva or Fuente product. Explains my preferences there. Interestingly, I also sometimes get it from espresso, especially when it is cheap espresso - one of the reasons I avoid most retail coffee places here in the states. When I still smoked them, I would also get it from some brands of cigarettes, but not all.
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Cigar #2

This beast looks maduro and is 50rg x 6 7/8” (read: nowhere near anything I smoke size-wise).


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1st/3rd:

Prelight draw shows perfect construction, great draw and no flavors to really write home about. Lighting it up… smoke really isn’t too strong, which is good. That said, I just found out that it’s not a good idea to push all the smoke out my nose.

Out the nose, however, when I look past the fire ants in my nostrils, I do get a very woody flavor that’s agreeable. No real bitterness or anything as of yet… the smoke is a good flavor. I just sneezed thanks to my fire ant friends.

There’s something fruity in the aftertaste of this cigar which is very pleasant… like some sweet stewed fruit. This is a decent cigar so far… the size is a bit much, but I think the reason I resist cigars of this size is because I like change. I’ve had some cigars that chance frequently throughout the smoking of it. This experience primarily occurred with CCs… NC’s could have decent flavors, but didn’t really change drastically enough to keep me interested. Perhaps it’s ADD…

As another note, I’m pairing this with coffee… now I’m going to grab some Pellegrino as well.

2nd/3rd:

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That tasty fruitiness is so far in the background it might as well not even be there... the predominant flavor now is back to the woodiness, but there is also a sweetness. I’m really enjoying this cigar and, oddly, I believe this would be a good cigar with some age on it. The reason I find that odd is that I haven’t really seen many NCs that benefit from age. I know that’s an unscientific and likely unfair blanket statement, but I’ve had 02 Anejos and just didn’t dig them (and this was when I was smoking NCs predominantly).

After the half, I’m getting a little… something. How’s that for specific, eh? This cigar has some of that muddled-ness I noticed in the last cigar, either that or my palate is just weak. That’s just as likely. Still, though, I’m enjoying it.

I have gotten no bitterness from this cigar, in fact, there’s been a sweet undertone (at times an overtone) throughout the entirety of this stick.

3rd/3rd:

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Not really pulling many particular flavors at this point, but still enjoying it. I’m really curious to find out what this is. There a little glue-type taste in the distant background… not enough to make this a bad cigar by any stretch. Strength is definitely picking up at this point, which is typical.

I have picked up the habit lately of finding stems in cigars and tearing them out, often to the detriment of the cigar, but it’s a habit I can’t seem to break. I’ve been holding off on this cigar, but I couldn’t hold off anymore:

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Now, it’s simply become a cigar. I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly up to this point… now though, it’s getting a bit rough. At this point, I’m calling the game. The strength at this point is much more than I enjoy.

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I’d rate this cigar an 89 and am curious as to what it is.
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Dan you smoked a Los Blancos Nine Toro

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Dan, your rating # on #2 took me by surprise. Based on the text of your review, I was expecting smaller digits.
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I felt the same way.
Maybe he didn't want to come out and say I smoke dog rockets :-)
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I thought I gave it a pretty positive review... I mentioned about 5 times how much I was enjoying it.
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I'll have to try one of these sticks. If it's an NC and Dan likes it, it must be pretty good.:-)
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Cigar #3

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This cigar is a f***ing beast. 52 RG, over 6” long. The people I meet with weekly would get a huge kick out of me smoking something so uncharacteristically large…

1st/3rd:

Pre light draw is pretty much too easy… this thing is like a straw. A really, really fat straw. Lighting it and starting out, I’m really not getting anything from this flavor-wise at the very beginning. Just smoke. Blech… at this point I wonder if I’ll even be able to finish this thing. It’s the flavor of burning leaves being sucked through a big, fat straw.

Oh god… this is bad. I swear I just got chlorine, like I accidently got water in my mouth at a YMCA pool.

If it weren’t for the awful flavors that occasionally appear, there would be none.

2nd/3rd:

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I figure this can’t get much worse, so I decided to pair it with a nice tall cup of bleach. The burning in my gullet and the feeling of corroding esophageal lining and stomach tissue offsets the pungent, acrid smoke this atrocity spews forth.

I am wondering if the Mr. Yuk sticker is on the box this came from. Smoking this makes me feel like Kermit in the “Sad Kermit – Hurt” video (look that up on youtube at your own risk… if you have a truly demented sense of humor, you may laugh quite a bit. I’d almost call it NSFW, but it is a muppet, after all…).

My throat feels like I swallowed a pitchfork. I don’t hate myself enough to finish this.

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Score: -5,452,805,013 out of 10. This should be used as a method of torture… it tastes like unbridled sorrow.
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I could not stop laughing.....but the end picture finished it off perfectly....

Thanks Dan...:-)
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Great thread DBall! I will be following it closely.
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I could not stop laughing. I'm sorry your misery brings me such joy. Keep the blind reviews coming. :-)
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Rofl...
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Perhaps I spoke too soon. :-)
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I don't think he sent 'crap', I just think everyone's tastes are different. Mine, clearly, are not in line with people who enjoy that last cigar... :-)
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I don't know, man... I know you're having fun with language and presentation here, but that one sounded tres harsh. As I try new (to me) things, I occasionally encounter a stick that does little or nothing for me, but I really can't recall the last time I had anything that made me want to bleach my mouth! :-)

I'm contemplating pleading with you to accept a second blind bundle from me, for fear of NCs being too narrowly represented (no offense, Dom!). I have some things I'm pretty confident you'll enjoy and find appreciable flavors in... after a suitable break for you, of course. :-)
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