Final Word on Finish

You often refer to a cigar's 'finish' in your tasting notes. Can you define this term for me?

Posted: January 30, 2012

Finish is a tasting term.

A common word used by wine tasters, it refers to the taste that lingers on the palate after you've swallowed, or spit, a sip of wine.

In wine, one of the factors in determining complexity is the length and depth of the finish. The same is true for cigars. Take a puff, swirl the smoke around in your mouth, and blow it out.

Concentrate on the taste in your mouth after the smoke is gone. Sure, some mild cigars aren't going to have much finish, either in terms of length or complexity. But stronger, more full-bodied cigars will have distinctive flavors that linger for quite a while.

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Comments 2 comment(s)

Derek Campbell — Portsmouth, VA, USA, — February 18, 2011 7:45am ET

I'd like to expound on this by recognizing there is a difference between finish and aftertaste. A cigar's finish is a relatively short term bouquet of flavor. Aftertaste is a lingering residual component of the cigar. A "less than desirable" cigar can leave a bitter aftertaste long after you've pitched it into the trash. The ideal cigar exhibits a pleasing, savory finish that subsides without leaving any unpleasant remnants.

Taylor Franklin — February 1, 2012 6:48am ET

The next morning can be enjoyable too when the aroma is still lingering in the beard.

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