Cigar aficianado best of 2011...

[jjmitchem]

I have a Casa Magna Colorado Diadema sitting in my humidor I need to try. The Casa Magna Domnus Magnus has also made a few top 10 lists and it is an excellent cigar. Just picked up a few more of these at my local B&M. I'll write a review for the next one I light up

[Dunkel]

I smoked a Warlock and thought it was alright, not worth another look IMO.

[ktblunden]

There are some people whose reviews I trust on cigars, but that's based on past reviews that line up with my own findings on those particular cigars. I don't trust CA's (or really any publication that rates the products they sell ad space to) objectivity enough to put much of any stock in their findings.

This has nothing to do with CA, but I was reading a European cigar magazine that I don't remember the name of. They rated the Cain Daytona something like a 96. Absolutely blew me away.

[Remo]

Originally Posted by ktblunden

There are some people whose reviews I trust on cigars, but that's based on past reviews that line up with my own findings on those particular cigars. I don't trust CA's (or really any publication that rates the products they sell ad space to) objectivity enough to put much of any stock in their findings.

This has nothing to do with CA, but I was reading a European cigar magazine that I don't remember the name of. They rated the Cain Daytona something like a 96. Absolutely blew me away.

[awsmith4]

If they are going to rank a cigar as the best of 2011, shouldn't it at least have a 2011 box code

Punch Double Corona

Box Code: June 2010

MADE BY: Habanos S.A.
FACTORY LOCATION: Cuba
WRAPPER: Cuba
BINDER: Cuba
FILLER: Cuba
PRICE: £20.76
RING GAUGE: 49
LENGTH: 7 5/8"
RATING: 93

[BigAsh]

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by awsmith4

If they are going to rank a cigar as the best of 2011, shouldn't it at least have a 2011 box code

Might not have hit the retail chain until 2011.

[replicant_argent]

I tend to think Cigar Assianado's ratings and "top 10" lists are....


...ahem....



somewhat ad revenue dependent.

But then again, I am a bit cynical.

[Doctorossi]

Interesting- and thanks for the pointers.

Sounds to me like he's saying something more along the lines of giving anything at least half-an-inch's chance (I know, not saying much) before discounting it, as opposed to how they might review the stuff they like enough to put in their 'best-of-the-year pile'. In the same way, if a movie reviewer acknowledged sometimes walking out early on a POS rom-com, I wouldn't be suspicious that the reviewer's year-end top 20 contained movies s/he had only seen the first 15 minutes of.

Am I defending Cigar Aficionado?


On an entirely OT note, I'm loving Halfwheel so far, Brooks!

[Brooks W]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

On an entirely OT note, I'm loving Halfwheel so far, Brooks!

Thanks dude, you have no idea how much work has gone into it in the last 6 months...But we think it is the best out there (at the moment)

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Brooks W

Thanks dude, you have no idea how much work has gone into it in the last 6 months...

I may not know the extent of it, but I can see it's at least a few metric tons.

Originally Posted by Brooks W

But we think it is the best out there (at the moment)

Early days yet (ie. I'm not putting it in the top 25 based on the first half-inch alone ), but I'm leaning that way, myself.

[Bill86]

To think of the cigars they waste.... 700 cigars is less than 2 a day. Why can't they smoke the full cigar?

They don't need to resmoke the first inch of a bunch of cigars either.

[weak_link]

Originally Posted by Bill86

To think of the cigars they waste.... 700 cigars is less than 2 a day. Why can't they smoke the full cigar?

They don't need to resmoke the first inch of a bunch of cigars either.

How do you get 700 hours + of cigars into 80 hours?

I'm not a fan of their testing methods either but I don't see how you could smoke full cigars with that kind of deadline. Which begs the question- why not give themselves a larger window?

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by weak_link

Which begs the question- why not give themselves a larger window?

... or more man-power.

This makes me very curious just how unimpressive something has to be for them to pitch it in the first inch or so. I could understand if it was simply terrible and irredeemable, a la my rom-com analogy, above. However, I've experienced MANY a stick that simply did nothing to impress or differentiate themselves until well into the second third and then proceeded to really come alive. I don't know if anything with a mediocre first third could end up in a 'best of' running, but it certainly does call their entire review methodology and scores, 'best of' or otherwise, into question.

... further question, that is.

[Brooks W]

I have a problem with anyone deciding anything definitive about a cigar after only smoking 20 minutes of it. How can it be a review of a "Cigar" if the whole cigar is not smoked?

There have been plenty of cigars I have reviewed that I wish I could put down after 20 mins, and there have been plenty of cigars that I was glad I did NOT put down after 20 mins.

I understand their deadlines (I really do), but not smoking the entire cigar is not acceptable review practice, IMHO, esp when the people who are taking your reviews as gospel ARE (supposedly) smoking the entire cigar.

Just my $.02.

~brooks

[Zeuceone]

So they rate a Nub cigar by just toasting the foot?

[Bill86]

Originally Posted by Zeuceone

So they rate a Nub cigar by just toasting the foot?

Predraw

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Zeuceone

So they rate a Nub cigar by just toasting the foot?

On the contrary- if their policy is applied evenhandedly, Nub is getting the fairest shake.

[Bill86]

For their purposes in deciding the top 10-12 or whatever. If a cigar SUCKS for the first third....put it down. I dont care about that. But if its going good finish it and then score it.

I also believe they give high ratings way too easily. Everything to them is a classic

[DaBear]

Originally Posted by Bill86

For their purposes in deciding the top 10-12 or whatever. If a cigar SUCKS for the first third....put it down. I dont care about that. But if its going good finish it and then score it.

I also believe they give high ratings way too easily. Everything to them is a classic

Yeah, I dislike how their rating system makes it impossible for a cigar to get less than a 70(I personally haven't seen less than a 75, but I'm sure there were a few out there), and damn near impossible to get higher than a 95. If you're only going to rate something in a 25 point range, just make it a rating out of 25 instead of adding to each rating to make them seem higher.

Brooks basically states my opinion here, more or less, so I won't make you all suffer through another explanation of the same exact thing