[shopkins82]

Had an Oliveros Platinum Sweet today... mediocre in general, neither displeasing or impressive. I probably won't buy these again unless I come across some extremely cheap. I'm also less inclined to try and track down a Vanilla Fudge.

I've started noticing an interesting way of gauging how much I'm enjoying a cigar in general... by how much of my drink (usually a 12oz Dr. Pepper or Root Beer) is left once the cigar is finished (usually Robusto or Corona size). If I finish my drink before the cigar, I'm not enjoying the cigar much and will pitch it at that point regardless of how much is left. If I finish the cigar and drink at roughly the same time, I'm enjoying the cigar an average amount, enough not to pitch it early. If I have a lot of drink left when I finish the cigar then I've thoroughly enjoyed the cigar. The drink acts as a gauge of how much of my positive attention the cigar is demanding as well as how frequently I feel the need to cleanse my pallet.

Obviously the above wouldn't apply directly to longer (Toro or Churchill) or much larger ring gauge (54+) sticks, but adjusting to a 16oz or 20oz drink might keep the general comparison in-line. Also, as a baseline, the drink needs to be vending-machine cold (around 38 F I think)... if it's warmer (fridge temp or room temp) then I drink much faster to begin with.