I like to smoke cigars and I like to write about my experiences. As mentioned elsewhere on this blog, I have always felt that much of the cigar smoking experience is subjective: I can smoke the exact same cigars from the same box yet have varying results based on a number of factors. I try to enjoy three or four premium cigars a week and have been doing so for almost three years. (Note: I have never smoked cigarettes.) Some of the cigars I expound upon I have smoked in the past; others I am sampling for the very first time. And while I do not claim to be an expert, I feel I can convey a reasonable evaluation to guide anyone from the neophyte to the recreational enthusiast.
Also, you may note in my prose-laden writings I attempt to capture the essence of that coveted "cigar moment"; most certainly, the friends we are with, the places we travel, the all-around atmosphere in general can enhance the smoking experience... Even a mediocre cigar can become a smoke to remember given your mood and a confluence of the right circumstances.
With that in mind, here then is my totally unscientific ratings scale.*
Also, you may note in my prose-laden writings I attempt to capture the essence of that coveted "cigar moment"; most certainly, the friends we are with, the places we travel, the all-around atmosphere in general can enhance the smoking experience... Even a mediocre cigar can become a smoke to remember given your mood and a confluence of the right circumstances.
With that in mind, here then is my totally unscientific ratings scale.*
A: Outstanding. An out-of-body experience. Well-constructed and a pleasure to smoke. Worthy of humidor space. Buy them by the box and add these to your Christmas list. Enjoy on a special occasion.
B: Good. All-around decent value. Keep several in the humidor at any time and share with your fellow enthusiasts. Nice for the weekends.
C: Average. An okay cigar. Pick them up if you can find a good deal. A weekday smoke or something for the yard.
D: Substandard. If given as a gift, smoke it to be polite. Maybe let hibernate in the humidor for several years – some time in solitary confinement might change its temperament.
E: Poor. Steer clear of these unless free. Maybe keep one or two in the back of your humidor to pawn off on those poseur friends of yours for those rare times they think they want a cigar because you are having one.
F: Terrible. Avoid if possible. Re-gift to an enemy or add to the compost heap. Do not insult your other cigars by placing these in the humidor next to them.
[*Note: pluses or minuses (+/-) may be added at my discretion.]
