Rating Cigars?

[Blakes]

I'm Curious to know how you all give a cigar a rating.. What you base your point system on, how many points you allocate to certain areas etc..

Would love to hear from Rob a Smithy on this one too!

[nikesupremedunk]

I think it's totally upto the reviewer. Most review the cigar out of a 100. The closer to 100, probably it's one of the better cigars they've had.

For me, I used to just rate a cigar on how it tastes. But now, I take everything into consideration. How well it's constructed, how good the draw is, the burn, the flavor, and even cost.

[maverickdrinker]

My rating system is

Would I buy singles/ fiver

Would I buy a box

Would I buy multiple boxes

Would I never buy it

[dvickery]

sucks

dont suck

derrek

[Fuzz AI]

Fuzz's rating system:

Good, okay, bad... Cuaba.

[PigFish]

I too find descriptive cigar rating more sensible than ambiguous numerical systems. However if people are all using the same tasting sheet then the ambiguity lessens. Like some late members here, I can find no reason to rate an awful cigar at 75 points... where as the only cigars that are worth smoking are rated by a 1 to 10 system where 91 is the lowest score!

Cheers

-the Pig

[cigcars]

As far as these magazine raters of cigars who describe "nutmeg" and "chocolate", etc. hmmm But then I describe "honeyed brandywine and toasted bread from the hearth with love" when I'm perusing observances of our beloved Habanas! I do appreciate past observances of these same raters in these cigar publications who describe a cigar as if it was just awful all around - then giving it a 93 or higher rating!! Then they'll describe one as if it was sent by Heavenly Hosts upon Earth for a life well lived...and they'll rate that cigar an 86 or less!!! Gooooo figure!

[ramon_cojones]

goddam

fecking excellent

excellent

good

pretty good

s'aight

i'll smoke it

terrible

[Rushman]

I have done quite a few reviews but have never put a numerical rating to them.....no real reason other than lazyness i guess

[brazoseagle]

I choose my own 100 point scale:

20 points max for construction

20 points max for smoke viscosity (chewiness)

20 points max for first half taste and burn

20 points max for last half taste and burn

20 points max for overall complexity and balance of flavors

[Blakes]

I just found online what method Cigar Aficionado uses to rate cigars:

Appearence/structure (15)

Smoking characteristicts (25)

Flavour (25)

Overall impression (35)

But really judging by everyones elses response there is no "standard" method to use? So one persons 92 could be anothers 85 etc..

[LGC]

Cigars are so subjective that applying a universal scoring system is absolutely useless IMO. I would rather just describe the draw, construction, flavors, etc. Here is my scale:

-couldn't finish it

-time waster

-decent smoke

-need to get a box

-creamed my pants and MUST stock up

Of course, the availability, cigar price, and financial situation greatly influence my motivation to purchase as well.

For any category, I can't see using more than a 1 to 10 pt scale rating. For my needs, a 1 to 5 overall rating is sufficient. I don't keep a journal, log book, etc. I've been trying to get my stuff put into my phone app, but I know it will take hours to get it done.

[canadianbeaver]

Matthew:

Very nice

Not bad

What else you got?

[beamer]

My rating system is

Would I buy singles/ fiver

Would I buy a box

Would I buy multiple boxes

Would I never buy it

Ditto

[PigFish]

It does appear, for the pragmatic smoker, that a 5 tier system is all that is needed. I too prefer the 5 tier system.

Sublime

Good

Average

Below Average

Poor

Different words will be used by different people and number by yet others.

Poor... 75

Below average... 80

Average... 85

Good... 90

Sublime... 100

We are all skinning the same cat! Cheers! -the Pig

[Colt45]

I'm another who feels the body of a review is much more important than a numerical score regardless of the system used. As has been discussed here

previously, it's also important to take into consideration how a reviewer's palate jibes with yours. To use a wine analogy, if you are a fan of big,

fruity, monolithic wines, you would probably not enjoy wines I would personally rate highly.

Another example - Ken's and Rob's recent video review of the Partagas Piramide 2000 EL. Both rate the cigar 93-94, but I personally find their words

much more telling. Without having ever smoked the cigar in question, I'd be fairly impressed with the numerical scores. Going by their descriptions,

I'd be more apt to feel that this cigar has past it's peak.

The relativity of a numerical score can also be tricky or a bit confusing - is a 95 point Cohiba Robusto the same as a 95 point Rafael Gonzalez Corona

Extra, etc?

[mk05]

Some believe Robert Parker destroyed the Bordeaux market.

[demiurgic]

goddam

fecking excellent

excellent

good

pretty good

s'aight

i'll smoke it

terrible

think that's my new rating system. Especially "Goddam" and "S'aight" lol! lol! Perfect!

[coblos]

I just found online what method Cigar Aficionado uses to rate cigars:

Appearence/structure (15)

Smoking characteristicts (25)

Flavour (25)

Overall impression (35)

Overall impression (35) ... This may be where they consider how much was spent on advertising in their magazine.

[AlexOk]

Currently I have no points system. I have 6 categories in which I make "reviews":

- Optics and construction

- Coldsmell

- 1st third

- 2nd third

- 3rd third

- Burning and ash

In each category, I try to describe my impressions

Sent from my Smartphone

[Hash]

It is that level of enjoyment you recieve from a cigar at a particular moment.