Originally Posted by maninblack:
If you read Cigar Aficianado, ignore the scores for the most part. They are a joke IMHO. Smoke what you like, like what you smoke!
I like the way they score tho, it's a pretty comprehensive process, better than most companies that have a single person make the decisions. That said, I agree that the scores mean nothing. I've had some solid 90+ cigars that lots of people enjoy but I personally don't care for at all. It's all about what you like yourself.
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The smaller the better usually for me. More chances to light up and don't feel like I'm wasting as much if I don't finish. I've read tobacco wrappers are more expensive than fillers so you are getting a higher wrapper to filler ratio with smaller smokes; however, this does not always translate to a better cigar. There are a few blends that I prefer a larger ring guage; for example, I like the figurados better than the No.4s on the Oliva Serie V. My advice is to smoke everything you can and see what you prefer.
Additionally, reviews are pretty subjective and I don't like how most tally up their scores.
For me, FLAVOR should be worth much more than draw, consistency, and appearance; however these are all scored equally using Famous' setup. I'd pick a rustic looking cigar that tastes awesome over a perfectly constructed turd any day.
:-)
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When I am trying a new cigar, I usually buy a robusto first, and then kind of branch out into the other vitolas. For me, the robusto is an ideal base-line size.
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