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Some interesting facts from CA's Insider just released today

-No Cuban cigars in the Top 10 for the Cigar Insider's Best Cigars Of The Year

-Partagas Salomones was the highest scoring CC

Read some other facts summarizing their testing this year

https://wwws.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Grap...E112310U331.pdf

Thanks,

Bart

**Mods, feel free to delete this thread if it is inappropriate**

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Another interesting point I took from my brief review of the "2009 Humidor Selection" relates to a serious topic that has been discussed here over the past few weeks:

The first cigar rated on the list thinner than a 48 ring gauge comes in at number 21: The 38rg Bolivar Esp. No2 RE from Germany. In that top 20 of pure obesity, the average RG is 53.45. Of the 54 cigars on the list, it is the only one below a 44 rg, and there are only a few below 48.

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Interesting read, one which I will continue witha coffee (Wish I had a stogie at work!)

Interesting also that Cuba averaged 89.8 from the 45 cigars tasted.

Do you believe CA is biased in any way towards non Cubans as they always seem to favour Dominicans and Nicuraguans?

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Do you believe CA is biased in any way towards non Cubans as they always seem to favour Dominicans and Nicuraguans?

Yes, most definitely. I often wonder whether it is a cultural/political thing as well as a commercial one.

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Personally, I don't find the results surprising. I know a lot of people think that CA favors their advertisers, but regardless of the merit of that claim, that isn't the reason I am not surprised by the lack of high ratings for Cubans.

For me, it all has to do with their testing methodology. CA tasters are only smoking the first inch of the cigars they rate. While I prefer Cuban cigars, I think that they develop throughout the length of the cigar. You can't judge them based on the first inch. For my palate, they don't start off in spectacular fashion. On the other hand, a lot of non Cubans are very impressive in the first inch or two. They usually start off with a strong spicy kick and then taste like an ashtray in the second half. The good non Cubans hold out longer than the bad ones, and their initial spice is more layered and nuanced, however they usually end up in the ashtray with 2 or 3 inches not smoked.

Brad

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Do you believe CA is biased in any way towards non Cubans as they always seem to favour Dominicans and Nicuraguans?

I have had this impression from the very first read of a CA magazine. I don't know if its some sort of marketing ploy where someone at CA are receiving quite back handers or what, but all it takes is for one to read an article or two to get the inkling they are in favour of all NC's. Hence why I don't read the rubbish to begin with.

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Personally, I don't find the results surprising. I know a lot of people think that CA favors their advertisers, but regardless of the merit of that claim, that isn't the reason I am not surprised by the lack of high ratings for Cubans.

For me, it all has to do with their testing methodology. CA tasters are only smoking the first inch of the cigars they rate. While I prefer Cuban cigars, I think that they develop throughout the length of the cigar. You can't judge them based on the first inch. For my palate, they don't start off in spectacular fashion. On the other hand, a lot of non Cubans are very impressive in the first inch or two. They usually start off with a strong spicy kick and then taste like an ashtray in the second half. The good non Cubans hold out longer than the bad ones, and their initial spice is more layered and nuanced, however they usually end up in the ashtray with 2 or 3 inches not smoked.

Brad

Agree. Good observation.

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I personally feel they are a bit biased in favor of non-Cuban cigars. I know they rate more of them because there are more of them, but I definitely get the impression that they cater to their advertisers. At the same time though...they are a magazine that is predominately read in the U.S. and therefore need to cater to their readership. Let's face it...while many of us in the U.S. obviously to enjoy and buy Cuban cigars...the vast majority of U.S. cigar smokers do not. I think that CA is therefore trying to appease their readership.

As for a large number of Cuban cigars ranking highly...it comes down to a question of numbers. Yes as a group they score well, but the Top 100 are individual cigars, and while DRs or NCs may have a lower overall average as a group, there are a lot more cigars in this category, meaning that within this category there exist a lot of high scores.

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Now who in their right mind smokes 1 inch of a cigar? That is not a review it is a crime. Now I know why of course; smoking more than an inch of a NC makes me wretch as well!!!

If anyone can scan it and email it to me I would appreciate it. I don't know if forum rules allow it as a post, anyone? I personally would not grace these bone heads with a dime of my money. All they write is pulp!

Thanks in advance, Piggy

EDIT: helps to open the eyes and see the link... Talk about bone heads, maybe I should write for the rag!!!! -P

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Another interesting point I took from my brief review of the "2009 Humidor Selection" relates to a serious topic that has been discussed here over the past few weeks:

The first cigar rated on the list thinner than a 48 ring gauge comes in at number 21: The 38rg Bolivar Esp. No2 RE from Germany. In that top 20 of pure obesity, the average RG is 53.45. Of the 54 cigars on the list, it is the only one below a 44 rg, and there are only a few below 48.

Thanks for pointing this out BigGuns... depressing as it is.

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Some interesting facts from CA's Insider just released today

-No Cuban cigars in the Top 10 for the Cigar Insider's Best Cigars Of The Year

-Partagas Salomones was the highest scoring CC

Read some other facts summarizing their testing this year

https://wwws.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/Grap...E112310U331.pdf

Thanks,

Bart

**Mods, feel free to delete this thread if it is inappropriate**

Not sure I understand. Based on what I see, two Cuban cigara are tied for third, albeit it with several others. Ties are ranked alphabetically.

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... back at harping again!

Dear H SA,

After reading my Cigar Insider from December it has been made clear once more that you cannot compete in an arena where bland fat cigars are rated per advertising dollar. Why don't you go back to making cigars for people that can and have taste and stop trying to convince the door man at Cigar Aficionado that you are members of the Padron family?

How does it make you feel that your $100/stick Cohiba is well down on the list? Makes me feel fine!!!! -Piggy

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Average Score by Size

1. Double Corona 4 cigars 91.3

2. Figurado 52 cigars 89.6

3. Miscellaneous 9 cigars 89.0

4. Corona Gorda 82 cigars 88.9

4. Robusto 36 cigars 88.9

6. Churchill 26 cigars 88.8

7. Corona 16 cigars 88.5

8. Lonsdale 10 cigars 88.3

9. Panetela 3 cigars 88.0

10. Petit Corona 8 cigars 87.9

Average Score by COUNTRY

1. Cuba 45 cigars 89.8

2. Dom. Rep. 44 cigars 89.4

3. Honduras 41 cigars 89.2

4. Nicaragua 104 cigars 88.9

5. U.S.A. 12 cigars 86.8

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Average Score by Size

1. Double Corona 4 cigars 91.3

2. Figurado 52 cigars 89.6

3. Miscellaneous 9 cigars 89.0

4. Corona Gorda 82 cigars 88.9

4. Robusto 36 cigars 88.9

6. Churchill 26 cigars 88.8

7. Corona 16 cigars 88.5

8. Lonsdale 10 cigars 88.3

9. Panetela 3 cigars 88.0

10. Petit Corona 8 cigars 87.9

Average Score by COUNTRY

1. Cuba 45 cigars 89.8

2. Dom. Rep. 44 cigars 89.4

3. Honduras 41 cigars 89.2

4. Nicaragua 104 cigars 88.9

5. U.S.A. 12 cigars 86.8

Ok, this is a bit off topic, I guess, but does this list take into account the lack of accuracy of the vitola names used by non-cuban manufacturers; for example, I recently had the 6"x46rg "corona" in the Casa Magna line, or consider all of the 50+ ring gauge "churchill" cigars on the market now. I've seen 4"x52rg cigars called "robusto", and so on. So just going by what the manufacturers call a vitola can be misleading.

And did they really review more than twice as many Nicaraguan cigars as Cuban?

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