Grading Your Cigar Knowledge

[tugboat]

When is someone considered a Cigar Aficionado?

Is it a personal acknowledgement or one announced by your peers?

Is it a self promoting title?

If there was a test for such a title what would it consist of or its requirements be?

Other than the time and cigars smoked element what would the written part consist of?

My question is what would be the questions for say three stages or degrees of aficionadoship.

Beginners, Intermediates and experts. (to keep it simple)

Since I consider myself a Beginner what would…say the 5 questions one should be able to answer to hold the Beginner, Newbie etc. title? Whatever you think such as history, definitions, sizes, purchasing etc.

Have some fun with it and thanks for the suggestions.

[jeromeroselli]

To me the term aficionado is not the term that everyone thinks that it is.

It's true meaning is simply put.. to be a fan of something.

You don't need to be in the top 5% of any type of hobby to be considered an aficionado, and there is no governing entity to declare such a thing.

"Cigar aficionado" means anything from a guy with his 25 count humidor up to the cigar shop owner who lives and breathes cigars every day.

Beginner, intermediate, or expert, that's a different story. One that I can't answer. I don't know where I stand, but I know I'm not an expert.

Aficionado does not equal expert. To me it's a love of continuously learning..

[El Presidente]

Great question.

Coming from an egalitarian background, classification into tiers of expertise doesn't sit well.

I have met people who have 1000 + box collections who have little idea. We have members who are Taxi drivers with sensational palates who at no time hold more than 15 sticks in the home desktop but understand the rich tapestry which is the passion which bonds us all together.

Instead of "Aficionado" I prefer "Learned"

To me a Learned person in the world of cigars is one whom has spent considerable time immersing himself in both the history, geography and composition of the Leaf. That person has an understanding of NC and Cuban tobacco, their features and nuances and what each brings to the table.

A learned person puts less learned people at ease in discussions on tobacco. He/she seeks to educate when asked but in the main remains humble knowing full well that this passion is a life long journey of which he/she is still on a mission of discovery.

Learned people in this passion normally talk less, not more. They are generous to a fault with their time and hospitality. They are patient, thoughtful, the first to say they "do not know" but a the same time an intense desire to find out.

The great men and women whom I have met in this pursuit share the above traits. To an individual they also recognise the creed that it is not about the cigar, it is about the people you share them with.

I really haven't answered your question have I

[Trevor2118]

Great question.

.

I really haven't answered your question have I

Yes.......and no!

[Ginseng]

"Learned" actually fits well with a European (German?) term that I've heard used: "amateur." For me, this exemplifies the aspect of always learning and, more importantly, always wanting to learn.

Wilkey

[Guest rob]

Great reply, Prez!

[sounddust]

Sun Wukong, the legendary monkey from the Chinese epic "Journey to the West", had the moniker of "Sun the Novice."

For some reason, I thought it would apply here.

[Padrino]

Learned people in this passion normally talk less, not more. They are generous to a fault with their time and hospitality. They are patient, thoughtful, the first to say they "do not know" but a the same time an intense desire to find out.

Perfectly put. (ie. you don't have to be a pretentious a**hole )

[Ken Gargett]

To me the term aficionado is not the term that everyone thinks that it is.

It's true meaning is simply put.. to be a fan of something.

You don't need to be in the top 5% of any type of hobby to be considered an aficionado, and there is no governing entity to declare such a thing.

"Cigar aficionado" means anything from a guy with his 25 count humidor up to the cigar shop owner who lives and breathes cigars every day.

Beginner, intermediate, or expert, that's a different story. One that I can't answer. I don't know where I stand, but I know I'm not an expert.

Aficionado does not equal expert. To me it's a love of continuously learning..

i agree with jerome.

[laficion]

"Learned" actually fits well with a European (German?) term that I've heard used: "amateur." For me, this exemplifies the aspect of always learning and, more importantly, always wanting to learn.

Wilkey

Yes, Amateur, Latin from the word Amator, " He who loves ".

I think that Amateur fits perfectly, " Amateur de cigare "

[Smooth]

Jerome and Prez nailed it...

Being a cigar aficionado to me is the love of sitting down with a cigar and truly enjoying and appreciating the moment. If you can sit down and have a smoke and a chat with a fellow smoker from any walk of life, to me you are an aficionado. Thats what cigar smoking is all about. Its the passionate love for the moment, the people and the smoke, not the number of stick/boxes that makes a true aficionado.

[Colt45]

Echoing sentiments already expressed, I never cared much for the term and it's snobbish connotation, whether intended or not.

I like the amateur idea, and in it's most basic form, I'd say you can't ask for much more than having a great enjoyment of cigars

and what they can bring - camaraderie for one.

Having said that, when you can ****** the pebbles from James Suckling's hand, you shall be an aficionado.

[jeromeroselli]

Its the passionate love for the moment, the people and the smoke, not the number of stick/boxes that makes a true aficionado.

That's the idea I think.

[PointSource]

I consider myself a promising newbie! LOL!

[Torontonian]

. . . when you can ****** the pebbles from James Suckling's hand, you shall be an aficionado.

I agree with most of the sentiments expressed so far. Aficionado does sound a little bit haughty and aloof, perhaps connoisseur is a better term. There is certainly a difference, however, between cigar cognoscenti and general cigar enthusiasts. I fall into the latter category, personally speaking: I enjoy cigars but am no connoisseur.

[dicko]

Great question.
Coming from an egalitarian background, classification into tiers of expertise doesn't sit well.
I have met people who have 1000 + box collections who have little idea. We have members who are Taxi drivers with sensational palates who at no time hold more than 15 sticks in the home desktop but understand the rich tapestry which is the passion which bonds us all together.
Instead of "Aficionado" I prefer "Learned"
To me a Learned person in the world of cigars is one whom has spent considerable time immersing himself in both the history, geography and composition of the Leaf. That person has an understanding of NC and Cuban tobacco, their features and nuances and what each brings to the table.
A learned person puts less learned people at ease in discussions on tobacco. He/she seeks to educate when asked but in the main remains humble knowing full well that this passion is a life long journey of which he/she is still on a mission of discovery.
Learned people in this passion normally talk less, not more. They are generous to a fault with their time and hospitality. They are patient, thoughtful, the first to say they "do not know" but a the same time an intense desire to find out.
The great men and women whom I have met in this pursuit share the above traits. To an individual they also recognise the creed that it is not about the cigar, it is about the people you share them with.
I really haven't answered your question have I

What a great thread and reply from Rob. No bloody doubt Rob is an expert, he is a legend!! I Reckon a few of my Perth crew mates are experts as well but humble about it.

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[LordAnubis]

Knowledge can be graded. I have more knowledge of cigars and their industry than my brother and my cousins who enjoy cigars, have never bought one in their lives and freely take cigars from my humidor when they please.

 

Am I an aficionado? No. We all are.

 

Knowledge and aficionado, to me, are not the same subject matter.

 

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[joeman]

It's a journey that requires passion.  The knowledge aspect isn't as important, though it's always increasing.  When it comes to things like food, cigars, drink, it's important to realize that like art, it's enjoyed by the beholder.  There aren't many rules, just smoke what you enjoy and smoke how you enjoy.  To some that may be riding in the car on the way to work with a cup of coffee, for others it may be on that perfect beach with a drink in hand, still to others in groups and others in solitude.  It all works.

[BrightonCorgi]

The more you know about cigars (or anything) the more you realize how much you don't know.

[ayepatz]

Semantics, and, like all things to do with taste, highly subjective.

I’m a musician, and regularly meet people who can quote chapter and verse on which composer wrote what when, and which date such-and-such a performer played that piece in a particular place. They can analyse the piece of music to death, and will leave me looking like a dunce in any intellectualised discussion of the music.

But they can’t play it, and I can.

So who’s the expert/hobbyist/aficionado/connoisseur?

With cigars, like anything else, you can seek to acquire all the factual knowledge, and this may enhance your smoking experience. Or you can learn nothing, and simply enjoy the pure pleasure of smoking.

It’s entirely up to you.

But, to back up what @El Presidente has said, don’t forget to enjoy the journey and the company. That’s the good stuff.