Taste, flavor, savor, tang, relish, smack can all mean the property of a substance which makes it perceptible to the gustatory sense.
Taste not only is the most inclusive of these terms but it gives no suggestion of a specific character or quality.
Flavor applies to the property of a thing which is recognized by the cooperation of the olfactory and gustatory and to some extent tactile senses. The term therefore usually denotes the combination of tastes and smells perceived when eating or drinking a thing. Usually, also, it suggests the blend of tastes and odors and textures that give a substance a distinctive or peculiar character.
Savor stresses sensitiveness of palate or of nose and may refer to the odor of something cooking as well as to the flavor of something eaten.
Tang applies chiefly to a sharp penetrating savor, flavor, or odor; it usually implies a live, pungent quality.
Relish and smack are comparatively rare in this sense; relish (see also TASTE 2 ) comes close to savor and usually suggests enjoyment of the taste.
Smack comes close to flavor but applies usually to one that is added to or is different from the typical flavor of a substance. In extended use these words usually call up one or more suggestions from their basic senses.
Taste usually denotes a strong impression or a heightened sense of the quality of something.
Flavor implies a predominant or distinctive and pervasive quality.
Savor differs from flavor largely in suggesting a stimulating or enlivening character or quality that, like salt, spice, or other seasoning, gives life or pungency to a thing.
Tang , relish , and smack come still closer to their basic senses.