Let me explain how I approach a cigar review.
First of all, I write this blog in real time, as I am smoking the cigar. Therefore, my descriptions are written in a very unstructured, bulleted format that records my thoughts as they occur.
At the end, I judge the cigars on the following items:
Strength – mild, medium, or full.
Construction – Construction is one of the most important things that can affect the cigar smoking experience. Draw problems, tunneling, and burn problems can create a stressful and frustrating cigar smoking experience. Rated on a scale of 1-10
Aroma – This kind of encompasses two things including the smell of the pre-lit cigar and the smell of the cigar smoke. Pungent cigar smoke can be off-putting to bystanders and may impact the smokability of the cigar in social settings. Rated on a scale of 1-10
Taste – This is probably the most important component of the cigar experience. Rated on a scale of 1-10
Value – While all cigar ratings are subjective, this is probably the most subjective aspect. I try my best to weigh the overall quality of the cigar with the price of the cigar. I do this by comparing the cost of the cigar experience to other sources of entertainment that I enjoy. For example, if a cigar costs $12, then I compare that to other activities that cost $12 such as the price of a movie ticket. If the 1.5 hours that I spent smoking the cigar was more enjoyable than watching a movie, then I would give the cigar a favorable rating. However, if I would have rather watched a good movie at the theater, then I must award an unfavorable rating. Again, I realize how subjective this system is but I’m okay with that. Rated on a scale of 1-10
Overall – The overall cigar rating is NOT some kind of complex calculation from the other ratings nor is it any kind of amalgam of the other ratings. It is, simply, my overall impression of the entire experience, understanding that all the other components play a very important role. Rated on a scale of 1-10
In order to simplify the seemingly arbitrary numbering system, here is exactly what each number actually means:
10 – Perfect
9 – Near perfect
8 – Excellent
7 – Very good
6 – Above average
5 – Average
4 – Below average
3 – Not very good
2 – Terrible
1 – Revolting
As you can see, utilizing this system, mediocre cigars will often end up with 4’s, 5’s, or 6’s and bad cigars will be much lower. That being said, I will probably focus the majority of my reviews on premium cigars since no one really cares to read reviews about cheap cigars that cost a dime-a-dozen. Which means, hopefully, I won’t have the need to post a lot of 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s but we shall see, won’t we?
Also, one more thing, a perfect 10 is not an unobtainable score. In my mind, a perfect cigar experience is one in which I have no complaints nor can I think of any reasonable way in which it can be better. I have smoked a number of perfect 10’s in my lifetime and I expect that there will be many more.
Oklahoma Cigars 