CA Top 25 thoughts

[PaulP]

The Cubans bought the #1 rating. LOL

[Smallclub]

So if a CC was rancid and un-smokeable, you would still take it over a NC that's smokeable and more pleasant?

Are you saying that peso cigars are rancid and unsmokable?

[b4z00k4]

So true. Always evolving. Things always changing. Just like life. Seems I always have different favorites.

I think this is what I love most about CCs. They vary so much and whereas NCs work hard to keep a consistent flavor year after year, CCs seem to differ greatly from year to year. Then the prospect of aging really excites me to think that the cigars I'm enjoying now could get even better.

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[sw15825]

I think this is what I love most about CCs. They vary so much and whereas NCs work hard to keep a consistent flavor year after year, CCs seem to differ greatly from year to year. Then the prospect of aging really excites me to think that the cigars I'm enjoying now could get even better.

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I agree and would add that the 2 points that made me love cubans are the unique flavor and complexity. It is not that nc tabacco is inferior but not as enjoyable to me personally. In my experience, I rarely get this in a non cuban cigar it can bore me. I still smoke about 1 nc a month or so over past years and my thoughts remain the same.

[orangedog]

I don't care what CA does so I'm ambivalent to their list. It wont stop me from picking it up and perusing through it while im sitting and smoking at a B&M. Articles can be interesting and it is interesting to see the ratings as I enjoy knowing other's opinions about cigars. Just like how I can spend hours just reading reviews on cigars whether it be on FOH, cigars-review, ICC, dirtyashes, etc. But i wont ever bash anyone's take on cigars or their rankings on them. After all, who am I? I'm just a cigar smoker who has no stake in ratings or lists. Should I ever buy any cigar off the list because the list did a great job of selling it, and that cigar might be a dog **** of a cigar, yah I might be little miffed. But, caveat emptor is what I believe and I can't blame that author of the list if my opinion of the cigar is not theirs.

At the end of the day, CA does serve a purpose in the cigar world to a lot of people, so do your thing Mr. Shanken and do it well.

I think the issue you will find people holding up on the top 25 list is that the reviews... the opinions... for this list are not genuine... not honest. When you look at dirtyashes, you are getting a view to that cigar... at CA, the charge is that the opinion of the cigar is not the deciding factor, rather that is trumped by considerations such as advertising.

I don't mean to detract from the philosophy of your post, rather to provide a different perspective on the tangential nuance.

For my $0.02... I enjoy CA. The writing and editing are below what I would expect, but the content is fun and things like the Top 25 are quite a spectacle.

[Jah]

I think there has always been civility here in regards to CC and NC discussion. We should always ensure that continues.

The thing about Cuban Cigars is that you will one day hit that "brilliant cigar". You will then hit a series of "brilliant cigars" that no other source country comes close to matching. You then spend the rest of your life chasing that holy grail experience, sometimes hitting it, but mostly not and having to settle for in the main a good cigar experience.

It is a little like golf for hackers. You always remember that glorious shot of the last round or last year.....it keeps you coming back!

Quoted for truth.

[Pilsner14]

Alot of passion out there. Thats what we are all here for aren't we.........everyone here knows and feels what is right and true.....don't let this distraction bother us over our holiday season!

Merry Christmas and smoke a cuban on me!

JD

[laficion]

So if I was given 2 cigars, one horrid CC vs a smokeable (but still bad) NC, I'd take the NC and not the CC, just because it's a CC.

There,Is the big difference,I'd rather not smoke then smoke badly,Life Is too short. !!!!!!! No offence, I hope, saying that.?

[Colt45]

I think there has always been civility here in regards to CC and NC discussion.

I guess for the most part, at least between members - smoke what you like, like what you smoke. But the good will seems to get left at the door when it comes to most producers - crappy this and that includes everyone - from farmers on up.

Crap on the conglomerates and their marketing? Perhaps. But is not HSA the marketing arm of the Cuban cigar industry? Cigar jars, cigar books, ELs, REs, special humidors - marketing - buy 'em up.. The cigars may be OK, maybe they aren't. Maybe we just get a bad box, or maybe they just need more time, perhaps our storage conditions aren't perfect, or maybe we just have poor palates. Or maybe a boatload of poor cigars come out of Havana every year.

The "I'd rather smoke a bad Cuban than a great NC" is pretty ridiculous. Imagine you were acquainted with someone who considered producing cigars in, let's say, Ecuador, and members were less than enthusiastic, and felt free to treat them as crap on the forum.

Anyway, I look forward to the yearly CA list ****-off next year........