Blind tasting in the afternoon high above Lake Lucerne! At the legendary Bürgenstock Resort, 17 curious aficionados gathered - all relaxed, in a good mood, some with this view of the lake. „I know exactly what I'm doing here“ - to embark on an adventure: a Gordo Vitola blind to taste. No brand, no label, no hint. Just pure senses and the naked truth. And it was precisely this moment of not knowing, this tingling sensation, this „What am I actually smoking here?“ that made the experience so marvellous. A photo gallery at the end of this article brings back memories.

👉 Before we go any further: Get exclusive cigar stories, insider tips and background knowledge - for subscribers only. No advertising. Just pure enjoyment. Now free of charge Become a cigar.zone INSIDER. ONLY IN GERMAN LANGUAGE.

Photos: Christian Schmid, FOTOWERK132

Contents of the blind tasting

You could tell even before the first move: It's not just a tasting - it's a festival. The spark was ignited during this blind tasting. The panel was completely enthusiastic about the mixture of informative insights, entertaining moderation and a good pinch of humour. One participant put it in a nutshell: „It really makes learning fun!“

The cigar was awarded the Cigars.zone Tasting-Tool, which once again showed how precisely and intuitively impressions can be captured.

Cross-generational - from young to experienced

One of the most beautiful elements of this afternoon: The mix of generations. Younger aficionados also sat next to older aficionados with decades of experience - and conversations ensued that Outlasting generations. Experiences were shared, anecdotes told, tips passed on, and suddenly it was noticeable:

A cigar can connect people who might otherwise never have met.

It creates space for dialogue, respect and curiosity - and that is exactly what makes such events so special.

Guests from the Palatinate - what an honour!

A special highlight for me personally: participants even travelled all the way from the Palatinate! I was deeply impressed by this appreciation - and it shows how important well organised, independent tastings are today. Anyone who travels this far just to taste a mysterious Gordo with like-minded people is now officially part of the Cigars.zone Tribe of Honour. I was really touched when I was presented with a Pinot Noir at the end.

Thumbs in and suck it!

„So, and now everyone: Thumb in the mouth ... and suck!“

The looks were priceless.

A mixture of „Is he serious?“, „I'll just do it...“ and „Please don't tell anyone I'm doing this right now.“

But:

The whole thing had an absolutely professional, enjoyable and highly aromatic background!

Why we did this

At the retronasal smoking The smoke is expelled via the nasal passages, where there are considerably more odour and flavour receptors than in the mouth. However, many aficionados only do this straight Standard version.

With the Thumb technique I demonstrate what I „Retronasal PLUS“ call:

The thumb briefly closes the airflow in the oral cavity
This creates a minimal negative pressure
If you then suck slowly, you „draw“ the smoke directly through the nose in a more controlled manner via the much more sensitive sensory areas
The result: more intense flavours, clearer perception, more structured flavour, more depth

In short: the thumb is just the „trigger“ that ignites the sensory turbo.

What actually happens?

The flavour molecules are distributed more finely
More contact with the retronasal receptors
Hardly any mouth space, everything through the nose
The flavour suddenly seems broader, rounder, more complex

Hence the reactions in the room: „It's like a secret superpower!“ -„Why didn't I know this before?“

The effect

Many experience for the first time how intense a cigar actually tastes. can, if the smoke is deliberately passed over the nose - correctly guided.

And once you've experienced it, you'll understand why I say: 👉 Come to the next Zigarren.Zone event - your palate will thank you.

The curiosity of the evening: the big cover page puzzle

But then something really strange happened:

The wrapper of 15 cigars burst - some just a little, some like a mini volcanic eruption. Haptically, the cigars were impeccable, optimally stored and transported, perfectly prepared.

The theory of the evening:

The height of the Bürgenstock (almost 900 metres above sea level) could have played a role. Perhaps the cigars needed a few weeks to acclimatise?

But this assumption was shaken: some participants took cigars with them for later - and these cover sheets did not burst.

The mystery remained unsolved. A real cigar curiosity.

As for the wrapper phenomenon, I have already smoked several examples of this cigar myself. never with such anomalies. It remains a curiosity. A mysterious moment in an otherwise perfect tasting experience. But the participants took it in their stride. I was able to detect most of the cracks and cover sheet detachments with the „Ciglue“ repair.

The resolutionWhat did we taste?

Despite the wrapper phenomenon, the cigar arrived:

Mild
pleasant
uncomplicated to smoke
Cleanly rolled by hand
Linear from the start to the last move
For a handful of participants, the cigar developed slightly and showed a little more wood and leather notes during the course of the smoke

At the end, each participant received a sample of the cigar they had tasted for the way home.

And then came the unveiling:

Villiger 1888 Nicaragua - Gordo.

A cigar that has shown how exciting blind tasting can be - and how much pleasure a shared moment of enjoyment can bring.

An unforgettable afternoon full of flavours, surprises and a great passion for cigars.

Acknowledgement

A heartfelt Thank you to the Bürgenstock Resort and the Cigar lounge teamThe service was perfect, attentive, friendly and professional. The ashtrays were emptied regularly - something that is unfortunately not a matter of course at many events - and the guests were looked after excellently throughout. A truly excellent experience.