Taste Profile

Taming the Leaf From A Solo Act to A Choral Sensation For An Unforgettable Taste Profile

To the cigar connoisseur the enjoyment and taste of a cigar is very personal. Fellow brother-of-the-leaf Mark Twain said it best:

“Each man’s own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.”

When it comes to describing the taste of a cigar it is as personal as the individual. It is even more challenging when you try and put the physical sensations into words.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel the world and meet with true cigar masters.

During our travels passions for cigars were shared. Stories were exchanged. And believe it or not, many insider secrets from these cigar masters were shared.

It never ceases to amaze us how cigars have a way of bringing people together in a spirit of brotherhood, camaraderie and openly sharing.

It was through this process that the cigar masters took us into their inner circle and shared with us their methods, secrets and traditions of creating, blending and enjoying a cigar.

For our cigar family, a cigar is not just a cigar. A cigar is a way of life. A cigar, and the enjoyment of a cigar, is steeped in deep tradition that goes back for generations.

When Art Meets Science To Create A Remarkable Experience

From the beginning our cigar family made it clear that to enjoy a cigar one must look to three categories:

• Aroma
• Flavour
• Taste

Each category on its own is important. When combined, however, the sum of the whole is greater than the parts.

This is where we saw first hand, how art and science are blended together to create a truly remarkable experience.

The art of making a cigar is knowing which combination of cigar leaves are the perfect union, the kwan, that will move the heart and soul.

The science of making a cigar is knowing how to get the most out of the cigar seed, soil and growing process in order to produce the highest quality leaf.

The best tobacco in the world means nothing if the combination of leaves does not respect the basic principles surrounding aroma, flavour and taste.

The Personality Of A Cigar, Up Close And Personal

Time and time again our cigar family spoke to us about how a cigar is more than a cigar. We learned that every cigar has a personality waiting to be discovered.

Watching our cigar family and the cigar masters get to know a cigar was like watching a time honored ritual that had been passed down through the generations.

First, start with looking over the cigar. Notice the finish on the wrapper. Feel it with your hands. Is it smooth? Are there cigar leaf veins? All of these characteristics play a role in the overall taste profile.

Next, deeply inhale the unlit tip of the cigar so that your senses are introduced to the raw aroma. Every cigar, like a person, has a story waiting to be told.

A cigar shares its personality with the connoisseur when the cap that is cut off from the closed end of the cigar is put in your mouth. This interaction allows for the cigar oils and leaves to impart their distinctive personality on the senses.

What came next was a surprise to us. When inhaling the cigar, a true cigar master will hold the smoke in his mouth and proceed to pass it through his nasal system and out through the nose.

This, we were told, is the only way to get up close and personal with a cigar and experience the depth, the hidden notes and flavours waiting to be discovered. That said, inhaling once and no more than two times is more than sufficient to discover and appreciate the full aroma, flavour and taste.

From personal experience this method is uncomfortable at first and easier said than done. But once mastered there is no other way to truly enjoy a cigar. The personality of the cigar is ever present and it is a beautiful experience.

The Taste Profile Of The Corban World Connoisseur Cigar

In our travels we met many cigar masters and brothers-of-the-leaf who shared their life passion, stories and secrets with us. We learned that through the proper selection of cigar leaves a cigar can have soft and subtle notes on the surface as well as powerful and rich notes below the surface.

It was with this knowledge that we made it our passion to craft and create such a cigar. Finding cigar leaves that are distinctive on their own and even better when properly paired is no easy task. The combinations are endless. It is an exercise of melding art and science.

Nearly a decade later we achieved our quest to create such a cigar.

Seven Distinctive Leaves From Four Different Countries

Each leaf has its own unique story. The country it came from, the soil it was grown it, the number of years it was aged and the part of the plant that it came from all play a role in the personality of the leaf.

The Corban cigar builds upon the strength of each leaf so, when it is properly paired, it shines and is compensated for its weaknesses.

The best analogy we can give is listening to one talented artist sing a song and listening to that same song performed by an entire band of artists. We instantly transform from a mono sound to hi-definition audio.

It is the same for the Corban cigar. Each leaf on its own is great. The seven leaves combined, however, are hi-definition in every respect.

The Corban cigar is a blend that is soft, smooth and subtle enough to enjoy over a morning coffee yet rich and complex enough to compliment a steak dinner.

At the surface are aromatic floral tones of lavender and rose. Just below the surface is a treasure waiting to be found. Rich, complex and powerful notes of earth, wood and spice combine to form a symphony on the pallet.

The years of aging mix with the special ‘yin-yang’ combinations of cigar leaves for an aroma, flavour and taste that is unique to the Corban cigar.

Within the Corban cigar is a symphony of country attributes — strength and richness from Nicaragua, depth from Honduras, softness and subtleness from Mexico that is combined with sweetness and elegance of the Panama.

Truly a world blend for connoisseurs.

The very existence of the Corban cigar is to enhance and enjoy life’s special moments. In our books the Corban cigar moves our heart and soul.

From a victory cigar, to wonderful memories with life-long buddies, to special times with family, to sacred moments of reflection and solitude, the Corban cigar is truly a celebration of life.