Ok gang,

I have been wondering about this for some time and have not found a definitive answer...so...what is the difference between spice and pepper as they relate to cigars? Would I confuse spice/pepper as harshness, as a noob? (I think I am)

Does spice also include things like nutmeg, cinnamon, ect, or just a spicy burn, tingle on the tounge? How do I tell pepper from harshness?

I hear a lot of talk about the DGP smokes (DPG Ho tread), they mention a typical spice/pepper. I want to try some of these smokes as a LOT of you seem to like them. I am a little afraid of the pepper/spice 'blast' as I don't really like the 'harsh/hot' thing. It kept me from enjoying cigars for a long time, as I was trying to avoid this harsh/hot smoke thing.

Skool time!!
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spice includes nutmeg, cinnamon...but read between the lines. i think its important to go into a little detail when you review a cigar. you can differentiate between sweet/"hot"/exotic spices...
i have never had a dpg but from the reviews that i read they have typically a pepper note in them.
Go to your b+m buy one and decide if you like it or not. If you dont like it revisit dpg sticks after a couple of months.
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Personally, I tend to get black peper from a lot of DPG's sticks. Some sticks are more heavy with this flavor than others. A good tip for someone new into cigars is to try and slow down your smoking. Taking longer breaks in-between puffs, and sipping instead of trying to get a ton of smoke on each draw might help with the harsh/hot factor. It took me a long time to actually apply that technique. I still tend to smoke cigars I really like too fast, but it gives me an excuse to practice smoking more cigars. :-)

Other cigars that just mention pepper could also be refering to red peppers, green peppers...etc.

I tend to pick up some red pepper taste from Taboo special forces blends that will leave a tingle on the lips.

Bottom line is taste are subjective, and eveyone will enjoy different cigar profiles. The sweetness of maduros, the black pepper of DPG's, they all depend on what your in the mood for.

Enjoy the adventure, and try as many differnt cigars as you can. A cigar you hate today maybe your best friend a year from now. :-)
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When I write 'spice' in reviews I mean green spices like parsley, coriander and so on. When I write pepper, I mean pepper like black pepper or white pepper. Sometimes, when the flavor is easy noticeable, I even write which kind of pepper I taste. If I taste cinnamon, I will write I taste cinnamon, I am unable to notice the difference between the green spices, so when I taste them I name them "spice"
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I would have never guessed that. herb might be a better word to describe these flavours!
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Wow,

Who knew how many flavors the word spice might encompass. I never considered the green/red pepper thing also. Hmmmmm.... or the green spice-which I believe I have experianced before, think I called it grassy. So much to learn...need to smoke more!!

My nearest B & M has not had any DPG's for several weeks. Guess I'll have to keep stopping in to check. I'll let ya all know how the lessons progress.

Tim L.
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He said herb. hee-hee
Thats not a flavor I expected. :-)




Actually, I never considered this either
Tim L.
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my 2 cents:

I do not like peppery tastes in cigars....I consider pepper to be the harsh taste that hits the back of my throat... Itell people, "this smoke is peppery". Sometimes i confuse a peppery taste for a a fuller body, soemtimes the peppery taste makes me feel like i did the first time i smoked a full body smoke.



Now,

I DO like spicey notes in a cigar. Spice (to me) usually takes place on my actual pallate. Like PMWZ said, spice is more of a nutmeggy-cinnamon taste and a lot of the times when i smoke a spicey cigar the spice is usually preluded by a leathery taste (which i love) or followed with a leathery tastes. this is purely a correlary (sp). I love those types of cigars in general. Bucanero has a double maduro house blend that is to die for that exhibits what i consider to be the "quintessential" spice (accompanied by leather) taste.

If you would like to try one just let me know, I'd gladly buy you a couple and send them to you.

Regardless, all of our pallates are different.
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Just my two cents.

For me I never use the word spice in describing the tastes of a cigar. I use more exact descriptors because typically my European friends mean spice to be nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper and my American friends mean it to mean peppery or heat based tastes. At least thats the distinction I've noticed.
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I break it down to two groups:
"Black spice" pepper, ect.
and "sweet spice" cinnamon, ect.
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All good answers so far. I would say there is a big difference between harshness and pepper/spice though... Harshness usually means its burning too fast but pepper/spice are natural flavors from tobacco

aj
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WELLLLL, we must all just lack the sophistication you possess!!















Just messing with you!
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:-)

That is almost exactly how I would describe it.

Spice can mean different things to different people. And what one person tastes is not a guarantee of what the next person will taste. I am learning more and more to go ahead and try a cigar for myself, because no one has my tongue and someone's review is their opinion of that cigar.
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Baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) vs. Pepper spices (white, black, Habanero :-) )
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Here is the infamous Flavor Wheel. This may help define other flavors you may find.

http://img256.imageshack.us/i/flavorwheel1.pdf/
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When I think of spice in a cigar, it's that peppery or cayenne flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever else is not spice to me, in a cigar anyway. Kind of like how when someone talks about spicy food, they're usually referring to heat and not something like paprika.
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I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack. I think of it as...

Pepper: Tat T110
Spice: Monte #2
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Not sophistication at all, it simple effort. When I write a review I always go back and remove spicy as descriptor. The site where I mostly post reviews has a high percentage of Europeans and the term spice carries a different conotation for them.
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One must flow to keep the universe intact, the other is apart of a 2 girl duo that was frankly horrid.
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+1

Also, I get the baking spices on the back or sides of my tongue/throat, while most pepper I get is more distinct and usually covers my whole mouth and burns my nose. I can snork "spice" more easily.
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