The cedary flavor, natural or from aging in wood humidor?

[Kenyth]

I was wondering. Many of my favorite smokes have a slightly sweet, spicy, cedary flavor to them. Is this a natural flavor found in certain tobaccos, a function of the fermenting process, or from aging the cigars in wood humidors/boxes? Anyone know?

[Bubba -NJ]

I really don't know . Some of my favorite cigars come wrapped in a cedar sleeve , so I'm pretty sure that this would add a little something to the taste . How much is anyones guess . Is the Château Fuente just a Fuente Rothchild with a cedar sleeve on it ? That could be one way to discern the difference . I'll check back so maybe I can learn something new on this one . It might be where the sweetness comes from .

[Island Epicurean]

Hey;

A while back I posted about some absolute dog-rocket cigars which I aged in a wood humidor. I found they developed a wood-like taste which made them quite pleasent. I actually wondered the same thing.

[nhcigarfan]

I have found that cedar does a bit of spice sometimes and certainly aroma over time. This past weekend I smoked a anejo #77 in the morning and a anejo #55 in the evening. The 55 is cedar wrapped and I notices an inital cedar spice/essance in the #55 that wasn't there in the #77. Also I should mention that the #55 and the #77 have been in the #77 box for a few months now.

Also the Opus perfection X is cedar wrapped.

[CoventryCat86]

Hey;

A while back I posted about some absolute dog-rocket cigars which I aged in a wood humidor. I found they developed a wood-like taste which made them quite pleasent. I actually wondered the same thing.

You're letting your imagination run wild again....

There is no difference in "aging" cigars for 20 years in a cooler or a spanish cedar lined humidor.

[Kenyth]

CC

So do you think it's a natural flavor found in certain tobaccos, or do you think the fermentation produces it? Since the wood container aging doesn't have anything to do with it, it must be one of or a combination of the other factors.

I know that say, in beermaking, different yeasts produce different flavor profiles. The cultures used in fermenting cheeses are also used to produce different flavors. Does the same hold true for the microbes used in fermenting tobaccos? Even if they don't use cultures, but rather naturally occurring microbes to do the fermenting, I'll assume different geographic areas would have a unique flora.

Maybe I can find something on the internet.

[Island Epicurean]

Actually CC, using the wrong type of wood to line a humidor could cause foul tasting cigars. For example, I wouldn't want to taste a cigar that was stored in a Douglas Fur made humidor. The Fur has a very bad or strong smell and I think it would pass through to the cigar. The same is true of ALL natural materials. Leave a cotton shirt in a smelly environment, and it will soak up the smell. Full spanish cedar lined humidors have a very distinct aroma.

Why wouldn't a cigar be any diffent? It is just dried tobacco. A cigar will absorb the smell of practically anything. While the smell might not be pronounced, when you put the cigar to your lips and suck air in, you are bound to taste any odour it has absorbed. Why else would many quality cigars come with a thin slice of spanish cedar?

It is just common sense that some cedar flavor will be absorbed, while the actual ability to taste such a change is questionable.