Cohiba Gran Reserva Performance


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So if I understand what you're saying, Rob, people who did not have a good experience smoking a CGR, IF it was a single, could be because the cigar was a fake or, at the least, maybe, from the "worst" box.

Does the fake issue hold true for CGR purchases from LCDH?

The fact is some -many of the singles being purchased are fake. This cigar is/was a top seller of some of the worlds worst net fake dealers.

So yes, there have been plenty of fakes blended in with real CGR in the world of singles. I doubt this surprises anyone.

That does not mean that a CGR single with a so so review is a fake. I have had one so so CGR (87/88). In the main they have averaged 94 which is a good effort but the average is skewed by two 98's.

Back to my point, you are just going to see more "average" CGR reviews on the net from singles buyers than box buyers.

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A few notes on this excellent thread...

I think it is fine to bundle value with overall score. We are scoring the consumption process (one way or another) so if I think 10 Trini Robo T's are a greater value than one Cohiba GR and are therefore going to be a better transaction (for me)....so be it. It is a personal decision for each consumer based on their relative economic situation, beliefs on diminishing returns, etc. Personally I would have ten 92s than one 94. That is just me.

Scoring cigars in general (as various Cubans pointed out to Rob at the Habanos festival) in so subjective as to almost be farcical. That being said, I love the video reviews and I love to see how different people rate certain cigars. These ratings have little bearing on my personal tastes or consumption patterns. I just like to know what is smoking well relative to 'what it is.' This intrinsic quality is related to marca, vitola, historical patterns, and many subjective factors. Some flavors are more preferable to others. I don't personally care for the Ramon Allones blend. That is just me. I find it a bit sour and I prefer other profiles. Etc.

I also want to point out that we are not 'sampling machines.' I know that others allude to this from time to time, but I think it is worth stating explicitly. The physiological and psychological processes underlying taste are complex and beyond our human capacity for full comprehension. Who knows how good a cigar sampled a few times really is? I understand that this is partly why we have smoker communities (to exchange tasting notes and share experiences), but sometimes I am not convinced that variability is merely a function of Cuban quality control. If my mood is foul or I am drinking an overblown red wine with my cigar, I am much less likely to find all the complex notes that I seek from a favorite vitola. Good mood and an excellent cup of tea? I might just have a 'nirvana experience.' I also tend to have more 'nirvanas' when first getting to know a flavor profile. The first Lusitania I had years ago was unforgettable. Others from the same box were less so as I became accustomed to what the Lusi had to offer. Was it quality control or physiology/psychology? I am not sure.

Just a few notes on cigar tasting. Not sure if I should have started a new thread. Anyway. Embrace complexity. Or not. Either way. Enjoy your next smoke.

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. . . Back to my point, you are just going to see more "average" CGR reviews on the net from singles buyers than box buyers.

Yes. And it seems to me that that is a big point.

What I am trying to understand is, does that singles/box difference apply to a larger universe? Or not?

-- Does it only apply to CGR?

-- Does it only apply to cigars that are widely faked?

-- Does it only apply to expensive cigars that buyers are more likely to pick up a couple of singles to try versus an entire box?

-- Does it apply to all singles to the extent that, as you say, " unless there is a conscious effort of the dealer to break great boxes he will always break his worst." (I am very happy that you've chosen to break great boxes for singles.)

-- Some combination of the above?

Now, I won't ask anymore annoying questions -- on this thread.

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