Blending

I've read in a lot of reviews about the flavor profiles changing in each third of the cigar and I have experienced changes in the flavor in each third of a lot of different cigars. However, I have noticed with some smokes that the flavor profiles doesn't really change and stays consistent throughout the smoke.

Does the blender try to achieve a general flavor profile for the whole cigar or a unique flavor profile for each third of the cigar?

Just curious.

Thanks!

For Cubans, I read somewhere that it is a general profile that is aimed at, and the thirds varied due to change in temperature, buildup of tars, and that the leaves are all arranged the same way - the tips of the leaves in the filler all point to the same end (I don't remember which end :smiley29:).

I'm sure that every possible variation on the above is being used elsewhere.

This is a really good question, denver24. Is the 1/3 convention just a reviewer's metric to standardize the taste test process, or is there more to it? I think your observation worthy of discussion.

Criag - I have a sneaky suspicion you may know more than you're saying on this topic.

My take on it is, most cigars attempt to have a consistent flavor. If you sense anything other than consistency it could just be a fluke or all in your head. However, some cigar blends call for a changing flavor as the cigar is smoked. Makers may blend certain cigars to start out mild and then become more full (or vice versa?) or some other flavor change. They do this by adding shorter leaves to the top and bottom that are different than the bulk of the tobacco that makes up the cigar.
I don't know if there is any way to know if the cigar you are about to smoke is supposed to change flavors or not but I am guessing there are far more cigars that are supposed to have consistent flavor than those with crafted flavor changes.