Cigar Place

There are many different factors that can be taken into account when rating a cigar. These include appearance, flavor, effect, finish, ash, tobacco quality, the feel in your mouth and overall quality.

Cigar Aficionado magazine have a systematic approach to determining their cigar ratings, using the following categories:

• Appearance and Construction. How does it look and feel to the touch? Is it too moist? Is it firm enough? The look of a cigar plays a very important part in the cigar smoking experience. A cigar should feel smooth when you roll it in your fingers. Soft or hard parts can cause inconsistent smoke draw or harsh burning. 15 points are assigned to this category.
• Flavor. Taste and aftertaste of the cigar should be smooth, but still full. Does it taste too bitter? This category takes up 25 points.
• Smoking Characteristics. This category covers how well the cigar actually smokes. How easy is it to light? How well does it burn? Does it burn evenly? How hard do you have to pull to draw in smoke? How firmly packed is the ash? While loose ash doesn’t necessarily mean you have a bad cigar, ash that can retain it’s shape for up to an inch can be an indicator of cigar quality. There are 25 points in this category.
• Overall Experience. This final category sums up the reviewers overall impression of the cigar. Flavor is counted highly in this category, but judges are mostly looking at a final judgment on the cigar – is it worth the money? This category makes up the remaining 35 points, bringing the total score for the cigar ratings up to a possible 100.

The overall quality of a cigar can also come down to the quality of tobacco leaves, the way the cigar has been stored or even the aging process.

Cigars Magazine suggests that smoking a single cigar isn’t the best indicator of quality, so the best way to get an overall cigar rating for a particular cigar brand would be by smoking a box of 25. (Cigar Place doesn’t recommend smoking all 25 in one sitting!)