Cigar Review Guide: Cigar Ratings Explained

Cigar ratings and reviews became popular in the 90s. Wine Spectator Magazine Publisher Marvin Shanken decided to create a similar rating system for premium handmade cigars. Cigar Aficionado is considered today to be the leading cigar publication and advocate of the Cigar Good Life. Perhaps the principal source of cigar knowledge for Smokin’ Joes everywhere. Have you ever wanted a cigar rating guide and ratings explained? Here is how their rating system works and influences a smoker’s choice when selecting a cigar.

In a blind tasting, Cigar Aficionado’s tasting panel smokes cigars anonymously. By removing cigar bands the members of the tasting panel are unaware of what they’re smoking. The cigars are rated on a 100-point ranking system based on specific criteria: appearance & construction, flavor, smoking performance, and overall impression.

As our tastes, the process is subjective, so why do we place such importance on what “experts” tell us? How do these ratings influence a smoker’s choice when selecting a cigar? At Cigar Country, we believe these rating systems have done wonders for the industry and the quality of cigars being made. Manufacturers nowadays make the best possible cigars aiming to achieve those coveted high ratings.

We believe these ranking systems to be a good guide for consumers, BUT, we also believe purchasing decisions must not solely depend on ratings. Here is why:

1. Cigar Aficionado tasting panel members smoke 6-12 cigars a day!

This means that only full-bodied cigars will reach the top ratings because panelists simply won’t appreciate the subtleness of a mild or medium-bodied smoke. They need something powerful to get their juices flowing. We mortal smokin’ joes can only afford or have time to enjoy 2-3 cigars a week if we are lucky.

2. Tasting panelists rarely smoke a cigar in its entirety.

They simply don’t have enough time when they have to rate hundreds of cigars. A legendary panelist once told us “I rarely smoke more than ¼ inch of a cigar”. At Cigar Country we believe that a great cigar is meant to be smoked completely to appreciate consistency in construction and flavors. Smoking characteristics may vary inch by inch, so judging a cigar by ¼ inch makes no sense to us.

3. Some industry insiders consider that cigar ratings are influenced by advertising.

While most publications defend their nonbiased rating system and values; there is little proof of the nondiscriminatory selection of the cigars that make it into the hands of panelists.  Please do not misinterpret these facts to mean that rating systems are unreliable.

What we would like for you to take away from this article is that a cigar rating is a good guide, but that you and you alone must decide the best for you. We encourage you to print out and try our CIGAR REVIEW TOOL and begin to figure out which cigars and price points suit you best.

For further information please reach out to Cigar Country via the contact form or live chat.