Ratings Rant

[wolfie]

a comment touched on by a few members is " age "

it can be a major factor

like giving points on a ripe fruit and an unripe fruit

more relevant if based on say under 1 year as BNSP quoted , or 3-5 year , would have more meaning IMO

[tippexx]

more relevant if based on say under 1 year as BNSP quoted , or 3-5 year , would have more meaning IMO

Works if you're Min Ron Nee Wolfie, but mere cigar mortals can only rate on what they've got.

[wolfie]

Works if you're Min Ron Nee Wolfie, but mere cigar mortals can only rate on what they've got.

i totally agree , think thats part of my point , we dont know what theyv got or rather the age of what theyve got their giving points on

eg say CoRo 93 points ( not knowing its 5 yrs old ) beautiful cigar , run out buy one ( less than 1 year old ) just ok , wondering what the fuss is about .

if points are to have any relevance for me you need to know the age of the cigar that the points are given to .

[tippexx]

eg say CoRo 93 points ( not knowing its 5 yrs old ) beautiful cigar , run out buy one ( less than 1 year old ) just ok , wondering what the fuss is about.

Which unfortunately highlight's another problem. Let's say I reviewed a 2010 CoRo and awarded 93 points encouraging a few Newbees into wanting to try one. Finding a CoRo is easy, finding a 2010 not so easy.

[Matt Wall]

This is where it gets tricky as not everyone knows the box code of the stick they're smoking so it's hard to tell if the cigar is at the right age. For example I have never smoked a cigar from which I know the box code as I only afford to buy single sticks.
Maybe the rating rule should be that the cigar being reviewed has to have at least 3 years age on it to try and keep it fair on all cigars?


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[tippexx]

Maybe the rating rule should be that the cigar being reviewed has to have at least 3 years age on it to try and keep it fair on all cigars? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which is why Si Bolivar and I put the codes with our reviews and where allowed the source.

[Matt Wall]

Yeah that's a good idea that


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[Matt Wall]

That's to the guys that replied with the ratings, here's what Cigar Aficionado are saying about the cigars I randomly picked out:

Hoyo 92
CoRo 96
Padron 93
Boli 93
Vegas 94
Party 94
Monte 94
SLR 94

You can see my point now, our little survey gave us a much wider view of these cigars, most of them certainly were not 94 cigars as Cigar Aficionado says. I'm a great fan of CA however I do just think their rating system needs improvement over time.
Hope everyone enjoyed this little rant, I'm glad to see at least a few people agree
Thanks,
Matt


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[tippexx]

Well that's CA for you. Which is just as well because I've never rated the PSD4 beyond -4. It's rubbish.

[Matt Wall]

Same here! I hate the things personally, too spicy and one dimensional imo


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[wolfie]

and i love them ................... at the right age lol , which varies from box to box

SO , i guess its back to square one

tell us at what age you gave the points at and the factory code .....ie more information

personally if its a commercial point of view id take the points system as entertainment

id take more notice of flavour profiles .... eg any mention of almond and i wont try , spicy , im in there ...

narrow it down , buy and try , dont believe the hype Cubans are ready to smoke , they get much better with age

enjoy your cigar journey Matt

[ValeTudoGuy]

I dont consider standard production Cohibas ready to smoke. They are the single brand i personally think is a Jekyll and Hyde when compared young to aged.

[Matt Wall]

We are exactly the opposite then Wolfie haha, I hate anything spicy but love almond flavours I think the CA system does need work but it's going to be an overnight thing, someone's gonna have to sit down and really think hard about how it should be done, but thanks for the manly comments guys, very pleased that a lot of people feel the same


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[Niela]

That's to the guys that replied with the ratings, here's what Cigar Aficionado are saying about the cigars I randomly picked out:

Hoyo 92
CoRo 96
Padron 93
Boli 93
Vegas 94
Party 94
Monte 94
SLR 94

You can see my point now, our little survey gave us a much wider view of these cigars, most of them certainly were not 94 cigars as Cigar Aficionado says. I'm a great fan of CA however I do just think their rating system needs improvement over time.
Hope everyone enjoyed this little rant, I'm glad to see at least a few people agree
Thanks,
Matt


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I think I know what you wish for but I don't think you have a point. The rating system by CA is clearly regulated. As you can see from your own survey, tastes differ and everybody rates it a different way. But why I think you don't have a point is simply that you wish for something that can't be delivered. Let me explain.

Aside the point that 100 reviewers will come up with 100 different results, you simply have to take into account that there are hundreds of cigar brands and a very large number of them produce rather decent results. So no matter what system you have, you will always end up with a large number of cigars that have a similar rating. You can stretch this out to 1000 points if you like so one cigar then has 930 points and another has 920. The difference is still marginal.

I think your focus on points is understandable but misguided. What matters is your personal taste. So when you look at reviews, look at things like flavor profiles, strength and construction. These are the thing that matter. Who cares how many points a cigar got if you love the taste, you love the taste.

As for choosing the right cigar for a small budget if you want to try something new, go for some of the more affordable non cubans. Padrons can be great, but need time in the humidor. Try some Alec Bradley or Brick House. Dag and Nicarao are also very yummy. You will buy plenty of cigars that you wish you didn't buy, but then you will never find the ones that you just LOOOOOVE to if you don't try them yourself.

[oskihen]

I think I know what you wish for but I don't think you have a point. The rating system by CA is clearly regulated. As you can see from your own survey, tastes differ and everybody rates it a different way. But why I think you don't have a point is simply that you wish for something that can't be delivered. Let me explain.

Aside the point that 100 reviewers will come up with 100 different results, you simply have to take into account that there are hundreds of cigar brands and a very large number of them produce rather decent results. So no matter what system you have, you will always end up with a large number of cigars that have a similar rating. You can stretch this out to 1000 points if you like so one cigar then has 930 points and another has 920. The difference is still marginal.

I think your focus on points is understandable but misguided. What matters is your personal taste. So when you look at reviews, look at things like flavor profiles, strength and construction. These are the thing that matter. Who cares how many points a cigar got if you love the taste, you love the taste.

As for choosing the right cigar for a small budget if you want to try something new, go for some of the more affordable non cubans. Padrons can be great, but need time in the humidor. Try some Alec Bradley or Brick House. Dag and Nicarao are also very yummy. You will buy plenty of cigars that you wish you didn't buy, but then you will never find the ones that you just LOOOOOVE to if you don't try them yourself.

Well said

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