awesome..good to see Viaje on that list.
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I don't put stock into it either but the La Aroma Mi Amor is fabulous.
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Personal preference. :-)
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WayneR provided a link where one of the reviewers in, Mott Gordon, might be the head of the panel, took offense to all the accusations about them being influenced by big dollar advertisements. You should take a look. He explained in details how they buy the cigars themselves, smoke unbanded, and in the same environment as much as possible.
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Did you wonder the same about Casa Magna?
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Its odd that Aficionado proclaimed 2010 as the "Year of the Cuban Cigar," but only three cigars from Cuba mad it onto the top 25.
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They claimed that because the cigars that did make the list had a touch of the wonderful Cuban taste of the '90's. Apparently things are looking up for Cuba.
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They MAY be buying some cigars since price wise it may allow them the luxury to do so IF THEY BUY SINGLES. Wine wise, there is no way in hell they can purchase 2 bottles of each (their minimum requirement) and stay in business. No one can. Parker and his similar claims included...

I can check, but I am sure that cigar manufacturers send them boxes of cigars instead of singles for easier and safer shipping (damage wise). Look at their back pages' "old stock" reviews. Do you really think they buy singles? It would create a nightmare for them just to store singles and keep track of and if they store boxes (as I bet they do to keep the whole thing sane, alpha system of storage, easier handling with no damage to cigars when they re-stock/buy new cigars, etc.), then same as with wine they cannot afford to buy cigars they test.

No, I do not produce cigars and no, I have no proof of their cigar review process, but based on my PERSONAL experience with their wine side (which cigars' side is based upon), I can assure you that their claims are questionable, at best, no matter what they say in public.

For example, their claim of "unbanded" cigars. As I already pointed out somewhere above, there is a good number of cigars that don't need a band to be easily recognized (Padron anyone?, some perfectos, there are other shapes and wrappers that easily give out the cigar), so their claims are half valid to begin with even for unbanded cigars. Cigars are not like wine, when they pour some in glass and place it in front of you, and you only see the color of wine and that's it (and vintage as well, which is usually given up front). For someone looking at cigars daily as a job, band is not much needed to recognize a stick in many cases.

I've observed their main wine guy in a blind tasting. Not impressed at all and his TRUE blind scores (since I controlled the tasting set up and made really blind with each and every wine decanted into same shape/size bottle prior) were pretty much opposite to what was printed in the magazine for same wines and producers. He later admitted to that in his wine blog, kudos to him for coming clean, that took guts.
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You seem to know a lot about wine tasting process and very convinced about it's similarity with cigar tasting process. I have no experience with both (blind tasting) so I won't debate you about it. However, I have no reason to disprove of what Mott Gordon said either besides the "they give high marks to advertisers" theory.
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I think they got it right this time.... well at least close.
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Never going to please everyone. I agree with some but not others. I was pleased to see Viaje finally getting some attention. I don't think any Camacho belongs in the top 50. :-)
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I really don't get all the Camacho hate. Its fine if they're not to your tastes, but they're certainly very high quality cigars. I get that Honduran tobacco isn't everyone's favorite, but to those that enjoy it the Camacho Corojo is a great cigar(imo).
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I use to love Camachos. Not sure what happen. It's probably my taste buds but they taste flat now. Maybe I should revisit the corojo.
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their top 10 isn't bad, but their 11-25 is horrendous
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50 different people would have 50 different lists.

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke....who gives a rat's ass about CA's list anyway? :-)
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Is that said tongue in cheek? I'm not sure with the ROFL smilie and all.

The majority of people who would smoke a cigar would care about the CA list. Vendors, B&M's and the manufacturer's themselves care greatly about it.
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Not sure who the majority is. But at least in my circle of cigar friends, very rarely someone is influenced by what is on the CA list. They are set on what they like to smoke. They might try another cigar once in a while, but most of the time, they will smoke their regular cigar.

The cigar shop I hang out will see a few new comers asking for the cigars from the CA list. Being a small shop, the owner will rarely deviate from his best seller and go out stock boxes of what's in the CA Top 25 list.
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I used to, when I first started smoking and was trying everything. Now I see it and laugh most of the time.
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I can understand why vendors, B&Ms and the manufacturer's themselves would care greatly about it, Wayne.

Cigar smokers? Not so much.
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While I agree that some and most who participate on forums will care less, we are in the minority as far as the overall cigar market is concerned. Furthermore, most B&M's that I have been to will display ratings from cigar mag or CA on the box itself.
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