Yep, you did answer and you answered telling him what he'd think of them. I guess there's no sense in letting someone make up their own mind about a product.

I've worked in a cigar shop for years, I've heard a thousand times people telling other customers what they'll like and not like based on their opinions. They're doing that customer a disservice by not finding out what THEY like instead of trying to push their favorites. Gurkha hate...stupid, if someone doesn't like their cigars, don't buy them, if someone doesn't like their business model, don't buy them, but why try convince someone else who's not as familiar with them that their bad without letting them try one with an open mind. Someone posted regarding a blind taste test, I'd love to see some of the haters do this.

People hate on Rocky Patel because he comes out with a new cigar every month, does this make his cigars bad? People are so in love with Pete Johnson (who is a good friend of mine and I'd tell him this to his face) yet he's also guilty of coming out with very limited hard to get cigars, yet he's a God? Shilala said he can't stomach a Tatuaje...should we all gang up on him and tell him his tastes suck because he doesn't like the hottest cigar brand on the planet. Hell no. He likes what he likes and he's right.

It'd be interesting to see how many on this forum cut their teeth smoking cigars on Acids and then see how many of them have smoked one after two, three or four years into cigars. How many of them honestly bash Acid now? Drew Estate makes a freakin' good cigar, their tobaccos are very good, their construction is top notch. Their VP Fabien is a VERY good friend of mine, would I smoke an Acid, no phucking way, I don't like them, but nobody comes close to selling as many of them at my store than I do because in the end, my job is to get every guest THE cigar that I think they'll have the best chance of liking, unless they come in with a selection in mind and know what they want.

Most of the hate comes from newer smokers, 1-5 or 6 years or so, once you get past that point, you just start to understand that in the beginning way to much is made of cigars, HTF's and LE's. what you like what you don't and trying to push your agenda on someone else. I chased HTF Opus for years, and you know what I found, they taste like Opus, so I'll stick with my Fuente Fuente's, No.4's and No.2's. I could care less if someone likes the cigars I smoke, they're not smoking them, and I could care less what someone else is smoking. Do I like to sit next to someone smoking a Kuba Kuba, Moontrance or Java Mint, no really, but if the conversation is good I could honestly care less...they may not like the smell of my AF13 either, but who am I to judge.
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Very well stated Wade. Hit the nail on the head.
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Well said Volusianator.
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I agree with what you are saying but in all fairness to 44stampede he simply told him to keep smoking them and he would find out which I am sure he will. He never told him they are garbage cigars give up on them now and smoke something else.
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Being rather green, I was sucked in by the names/labels. I had five or six and did not enjoy any of them. I even tried to infuse a couple of Ninjas with jager. Disaster.

To be fair, I recently picked up a cellar reserve at the encouragement of a local b&m owner here in Charlotte and it was quite good. Even at $7.95, I would buy it again.
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I agree with what you are pointing out about tainting someone's perception of a cigar or brand. But the value I find in a website like this is we can share our opinions and thoughts of cigars and the cigar lifestyle. Cigar reviews/ discussions are all part and partial as long the are done in a respectful way. Although I may not always agree with it, I respect and value the opinion of my fellow BOTL. I would rather tell me "you may not want to spend $15 or 20 on that stick" and I can consider myself warned.

As a side note more of an observation, our join date to the site does not always correlate with our individual knowledge or length of history with cigars. Something some time I see in threads as an undertone. I am willing to earn my stripes on this site, but my history/love of cigars started long before I joined.
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And I'll keep giving my opinion as long as this forum exists for that purpose, notwithstanding anyone else's opinion of my opinion.
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And Gurkhas taste like dogshit smells.
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Im either going to smoke the one gurkha ive got left tonight as i cant taste a thing.

While this one looks nice though i have no idea what one it really is it just dosnt have any dakka
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That's the cool thing about cigars. There are SO many different flavors and types that everyone can find something that they like. Smoke what ya like, bro!
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Here alone lies the issue with internet "suggestions/opinions" (an honest review is different, and I'll get to that in a bit), If I were to ask a forum, "what do you guys think of cigar XXXXX? I'll get responses from "dude, they're awesome", "my all time favorite, you can't go wrong", "dog rocket", "these suck, just ask anyone", "read the threads man, nobody likes these." Which one of those replies asked me, "what do you like in a cigar", "do you prefer mild, medium, strong, spicey, more smooth & creamy", "have you found cigars from a particular country to be more favorable to you", "what flavors do you typically find you enjoy most"? Until some of those are asked, an opinion is no better than reading the companies promotional material itself, regardless if the suggestion/opinion was good or bad. So telling a guy, "go ahead try some more, the answer will become evident" is just a way of saying, "hey, go waste more money on these because you're never gonna like them" How does he know what the OP's preferences are? Same as just blindly following a members opinion here unless there's information on the cigar to back it up as I mentioned above. If someone is just saying, "hey, you'll love it" or "hey, you'll hate it", it means nothing.
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Spot on.
The only exception/caveat to that is that if a member I know and have smoked with who knows my palate (likes and dislikes), I can take them at their word.
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I couldn't agree more!
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By this logic you shouldn't ask or answer any questions about cigars because the people who answer your questions don't know you. I disagree, Forums are a great way to guage cigars.

For example Gurkha, I've had 2, there are 100,000,000. I wasn't disgusted or impressed by either Gurkha I had, BUT I know that most people either find them mediocre and overpriced or downright hate them. It may be that if I tried a bunch of Gurkha I'd become the biggest Gurkha fanatic ever, but probably not, and I won't be spending money trying to find out.
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Not even close to what I said and I'm not here to argue the point.
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I think you missed the point.

The problem is not when people describe the cigar (briefly or in a review) but when they draw conclusions and tell you they are good/bad or you will love/hate them. That is pointless.
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:-) :-)
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That's why I never tell anyone "You will hate Gurkhas". I just tell them that I hate Gurkhas. Hell, I hate IPAs too, but they must be the best selling microbrews around and lots of people love them.
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I disagree, again, when someone tells you a cigar (or anything for that matter) is bad the fact that it's an opinion is obvious. "I hate Gurkha" and "Gurkha sucks" mean the same thing basically. No matter how the opinion is expressed it is still an opinion and most thinking human beings will weigh it against other opinions they have heard.
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Going with Peter on this one. Palates vary widely and what is one person's trash is another's treasure. That I don't like the Gurkha cigars I've tried means nothing and should mean nothing (exception, of course, to mkarnold1). To dissuade someone else from trying a cigar because I dislike it would be a disservice and possibly keep them from trying something they may love.
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