Assessing Cigar Quality

[Mel]

Hell of a thread about date codes going on here and much has been mentioned about quality of cigars and what that should mean to a buyer. That said I would like to know how one goes about assessing the quality of a cigar.

If allowed to smoke a specific cigar things like taste, aroma, burn and draw can easily be evaluated but, how does a person grade cigars that he can not smoke?

When buying or recomending cigars what do you all look for? Prez. you had better respond strongly after all the "yackin you bin doin".:-D

[Shiba]

I look for Quality, Price, Shipping Methond as well as Box Codes.

Quality is #1

Box Codes #2

Price #3

Shipping Method #4

Even though this can vary from time to time :-)

[raney]

Good points for a consumer, Shiba, but I think he was asking how vendors (El P, for example ;-) ) might assess the quality of cigars before sending them out to clients (or members, as the case may be)...

[The Privateer]

I'm sure vendors with enough ground experience handling cigars can judge the quality of a box simply by sight and touch. Hell, many of us try to estimate quality when buying from a B&M store by doing the same...

Wrapper condition, correct firmness, smell (ammonia, mustiness etc) play a part in the evaluation I'm sure. I've read that veterans can tell the tobacco quality simply by examining the open foot....quite beyond me certainly!

[Mel]

» I'm sure vendors with enough ground experience handling cigars can judge

» the quality of a box simply by sight and touch. Hell, many of us try to

» estimate quality when buying from a B&M store by doing the same...

»

» Wrapper condition, correct firmness, smell (ammonia, mustiness etc) play a

» part in the evaluation I'm sure. I've read that veterans can tell the

» tobacco quality simply by examining the open foot....quite beyond me

» certainly!

Yes this is where I am going with this quality thing, I mean that's all the Prez. was talking about in the date code thread.

Loki, what do you mean by the word "quality". I do want to here what the other members look for as quality and especially how do you determine it without smoking it?

[El Presidente]

Mel.

Not an exact science but I will take you through the process.

Let's talk about Monte 2's.

1. Client wrapper shade preference. If we know in advance we take it into account. If we are looking at Monte 2's we will open 4-5 boxes to locate the closest we have to accomodate.

2. Construction. Overfilled, underfilled, knots and hard spots. weight in the hand (when you handle so many cigars you get pretty bloody good at picking a plugged cigar just by picking it up and feeling the weight). We will check 5 - 8 cigars from every box.

Lancero's and Lonsdales are harder than the larger ring gauges and take more time.

3. Aroma. If we have 2 or more boxes of the same standard then we apply the aroma test which is essentially close your eyes and take a whiff from each open box you are considering. In an 05 box I am looking for barnyard powerfull aroma's, horse **** and forest floor. If I smell amonia or an absence of barnyard I put that box down and go for the other. Not every box goes through a sick period and we have found that where stock levels allow, the whiff test certainly is a usefull tool as long as you know what you are looking for.

4. Final determining point for me is wrapper sheen or wrapper oil. Assuming I still can't make up my mind as I have two or more of the same boxes which are equal to the prior tests then I will use wrapper sheen as the determining feature.

Green or white spots on the wrapper are not a concern. Cracked caps or feet eliminate the box from contention.

Lisa and Smithy also use the above proceedure.

[genevapics]

Outside of walking into the FOH humidor, what more do I want? How many other shops around the globe do this? I don't know and don't care. Friends of Habanos is my one and only shop. In Rob, Lisa and Smitty I trust!

[gehrig24]

» 4. Final determining point for me is wrapper sheen or wrapper oil.

I know the boxes that Prez has selected for me he made this comment in the live chat process and they do look good and taste even better.:-P

[Shiba]

Oooppss... Sorry guys... LOL!!!!

Well those are the things I look for anyway even though nobody wanted to know... LOL :-P

[wasch_24]

Very cool Rob. Most of those things are exactly what I, and I assume others, would do before purchasing if we only had the chance. Unfortunately for us we have to do that once they arrive.

I guess it is a US fascination, because after all that, if you had two boxes of equal quality and one was an '05 box and the other is an '03 box I would ask you to send me the '03 box. Mainly because I am not a big fan of the "in your face" flavor and strength of fresher cigars. That is why date codes are important to me. And if I am alone in that so be it.

[josie67]

» I look for Quality, Price, Shipping Methond as well as Box Codes.

»

» Quality is #1

» Box Codes #2

» Price #3

» Shipping Method #4

»

»

Quality is #1

Customer Service #1

Price is #2

Box codes -I couldn't give a rat's a$$ other than I like to have a year or so on the cigars before I smoke them. If they are young I just hold them a bit longer, but box codes play NO PART in my decision.

[josie67]

» Outside of walking into the FOH humidor, what more do I want? How many

» other shops around the globe do this? I don't know and don't care.

» Friends of Habanos is my one and only shop. In Rob, Lisa and Smitty I

» trust!

I couldn't agree more!!!

[spsurfin]

» Mel.

»

» Not an exact science but I will take you through the process.

»

» Let's talk about Monte 2's.

»

» 1. Client wrapper shade preference. If we know in advance we take it into

» account. If we are looking at Monte 2's we will open 4-5 boxes to locate

» the closest we have to accomodate.

»

» 2. Construction. Overfilled, underfilled, knots and hard spots. weight in

» the hand (when you handle so many cigars you get pretty bloody good at

» picking a plugged cigar just by picking it up and feeling the weight). We

» will check 5 - 8 cigars from every box.

» Lancero's and Lonsdales are harder than the larger ring gauges and take

» more time.

»

» 3. Aroma. If we have 2 or more boxes of the same standard then we apply

» the aroma test which is essentially close your eyes and take a whiff from

» each open box you are considering. In an 05 box I am looking for barnyard

» powerfull aroma's, horse **** and forest floor. If I smell amonia or an

» absence of barnyard I put that box down and go for the other. Not every

» box goes through a sick period and we have found that where stock levels

» allow, the whiff test certainly is a usefull tool as long as you know what

» you are looking for.

»

» 4. Final determining point for me is wrapper sheen or wrapper oil.

» Assuming I still can't make up my mind as I have two or more of the same

» boxes which are equal to the prior tests then I will use wrapper sheen as

» the determining feature.

»

» Green or white spots on the wrapper are not a concern. Cracked caps or

» feet eliminate the box from contention.

»

» Lisa and Smithy also use the above proceedure.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[CIGARHead]

» Mel.

»

» Not an exact science but I will take you through the process.

Obviously. You think we take you as a man of science??

»

» Let's talk about Monte 2's.

»

» 1. Client wrapper shade preference. If we know in advance we take it into

» account. If we are looking at Monte 2's we will open 4-5 boxes to locate

» the closest we have to accomodate.

Personalized service..the Czar difference!

»

» 2. Construction. Overfilled, underfilled, knots and hard spots. weight in

» the hand (when you handle so many cigars you get pretty bloody good at

» picking a plugged cigar just by picking it up and feeling the weight). We

» will check 5 - 8 cigars from every box.

» Lancero's and Lonsdales are harder than the larger ring gauges and take

» more time.

Don't know about you guys, but the only person I want fondling my cigars is Lisa. Sorry Rob ol' buddy ;-)

»

» 3. Aroma. If we have 2 or more boxes of the same standard then we apply

» the aroma test which is essentially close your eyes and take a whiff from

» each open box you are considering. In an 05 box I am looking for barnyard

» powerfull aroma's, horse **** and forest floor. If I smell amonia or an

» absence of barnyard I put that box down and go for the other. Not every

» box goes through a sick period and we have found that where stock levels

» allow, the whiff test certainly is a usefull tool as long as you know what

» you are looking for.

Again, Rob keep your bloody nose out of my cigars. I thought I found a booger on one of my Siglo III's.

»

» 4. Final determining point for me is wrapper sheen or wrapper oil.

» Assuming I still can't make up my mind as I have two or more of the same

» boxes which are equal to the prior tests then I will use wrapper sheen as

» the determining feature.

After gently appllying a nice shiny coat of what Rob calls his "cigar lacquer" does he pick the cigars.

»

» Green or white spots on the wrapper are not a concern.

Is that what the doctor told you to make you feel better about those pesky re-occuring spots?

»Cracked caps or

» feet eliminate the box from contention.

..And go straight into the "Ken Gargett Bin"

»

» Lisa and Smithy also use the above proceedure.

Sure they do..when your in the office.:cool:

[Ginseng]

Funny stuff, CHead!

Wilkey

[raney]

Nice to have that rundown of your method Rob - I suppost this is why you are the only vendor I've never had a hint of complaint about.

(well, that and the fact that Ken is apparently quite willing to "take one for the team" so to speak when it comes to the plugged cigars...)

[Mel]

Thank you all. Now I will admit the whole truth about me.

I Probably have never seen a poor quality Cuban cigar.

99% of all my cigars have come from Czars. I had one box of tight Mag 46 one time and Rob corrected the matter completely. I just wanted to know how he does it. Since this is mail order I can never see my cigars before I order I let him and Lisa help me select.

I know this looks like the ultimate suck up but when an operation is class they deserve recognition. I do prefer the idea of Lisa handlding the sticks;-)

The next question is what does happen to all the "less that stellar" stock? It would be unlikely that a vendor would recieve nothing but top stuff. Certainly Ken can not smoke that many cigars.

Varnish on barnyard ****, oh yeh!:-P

[Shiba]

Lisa fondling cigar sure does sound much better then Prez doing it... LOL :-D

[Loki]

» Loki, what do you mean by the word "quality". I do want to here what the

» other members look for as quality and especially how do you determine it

» without smoking it?

Mel, as I sit here pondering, you know scratching my head and picking my ass lol, I chose to look up the definition of quality.

Quality- degree or grade of excellence.

I'm with Prez on this one. I like the Lighter shade cigars with a nice oily sheen.

When I open a box for the first time I take a good sniff, pick up a few and sqeeze them to check for fill, and I also look at the open foot for variations in the color of the bunch. I'm no expert just an average cigar smoker like yourself.

This is or seems to be for most of us a passion and when I'm passionate about somehting I tend to look deeper and notice more of the subtle nuances of cigars.

I do agree with you Mel that 99% of the Habanos that I'v smoked did not suck.

[CIGARHead]

Most of my Habanos experience has been positive also. All from Rob has been exceptional. Not brown nosing, but give credit where it is due.

I once fell into the "the darker the better" mindset. No more. Good example: the Partagas SP2.

I have 3 boxes and by FAR the lighter of the boxes are better in everything. Burn, smoke volume, taste etc.

[El Presidente]

CIGARHead

Lisa will from this point on be the only person to handle your cigars

Mel....below stellar cigars go to our wholesale area. Bars, clubs, casino's....anywhere dark and dingy

We aim for a complaint rate of 5% or lower. You can't improve on what you do not measure. We (by we I mean Smithy and Lisa) do make mistakes.

Beatification is still a long way off