Why arent you writing reviews?
 

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17129

This thread got me thinking, why don't we have more people writing reviews on CA. This is such an great place, but our available info is still so limited.

I faced a similar dilemma with whether or not to buy some REs recently. It's really tough to lay down $20+ a stick blind, but luckily enough there was one review here and it helped me spend my money :r

I'm just as guilty of not writing reviews. In my whole time on CS and CA I've only written two I think, and one of them was one line. :D

Personally I don't write many reviews because I feel like I cant discern all the different nuances and flavors like some with a more refined or sensitive palate. I can only tell you if i liked it or not. Also, most of the time when I'm smoking I don't take notes on a particular cigar. Oh, and also because I'm not sure that somebody really gives a chit about what I have to say.

However, when somebody is looking for information like the thread linked above, a review or two might really help in their buying decision.

Why don't you write reviews? Uncomfortable with people criticizing it, or disagreeing with your "taste"?

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Critizism I am not to concerned about..but sometimes I feel people only want to read the more uncommon smokes. I pyro'd up a Cohiba Secretos last night and figured no one wanted to hear my thoughts of this little cigar so i just continued to smoke and enjoy.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

see, most of the time I could care less about what you're saying, but I actually would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this particular cigar :D

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

As I've heard someone else say here, I have the palate of a goat. My reviews consist of either, hated it, loved it, or nothing special.
:)

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Too lazy... :lv

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I think those specific comments on cigars, backup up with what you could/could not detect would be helpful.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I was thinking this same thing last night while smoking a stick I've heard nothing about here. I lack the refined palate, and flavor vocabulary to do it justice, but now I might have to throw something together.

Thanks for the kick :tu

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

they dont pay enough. I smoke to enjoy it. I'm not a fan of writing or reading alot. Call me ignorant or what not but i'd rather light up another smoke than write a page about the one I just smoked. :2

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Honestly, non one is goign to tear you apart for posting a review. Most people will say "nice review" or "dem's some purdy pictures!" but not "Wow, you suk." LOL. Reviews are to offer YOUR impressions on a stick. It's YOUR palate, which is different from everyone elses, so no one can honestly say you are wrong. It's fun to see reviews of the same cigar on varying maturity of palates- you might even taste a new subtlety in the cigar you;ve been smoking for years that you never had tasted before or identified.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Hey MJ "wow u suk!" :r


My growing concern is that I'm only picking up certain flavors in sticks now..and am thinking "Wow all my reviews sounds the freakin same" :(

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I hear you Bao, it's just that most of the time I'm unaware what it is that I'm tasting. Now yesterday, I was smoking a Noella Reserva and, boom, there was chocolate, I got that. But I love Cabaiguans, and for the life of me I can't tell you what I'm tasting. I just know I like it.

:tu

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Beat me to it, Bao. ;):r:r

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Good to know Richie :D



;)

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

This is point one^^^.Point two is I'm too darn cheap to buy Regional Editions :D

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

you did a pretty good job here Dave!!

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16948

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I just don't make the time to do them anymore. For a while on CS I would try to do one per week but now with my little one getting older (21 months today), I am smoking a little less and definitley online less.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Well if you must know my palate has evolved beyond what our current vocabulary can describe. :D










JK sums it up nicely for me.

I still believe you have to smoke the cigar yourself, preferably two, and make your own assessment.

A review is like movie critics, just because you don't like it doesn't mean I wont and visa versa.

Enjoy.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I disagree. This happened in another life BEFORE the change over. The words "shill" and "whore" were used in reference to the reviewer. I slowed down my reviewing after that. A little gun shyness.:2

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Not funny.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I've only written a few reviews; none of them on CA. The reason why I don't write reviews is because

1) I consider my palate to be crap.
2) To do it right I need to have my full attention on smoking the cigar without any outside interferences and that happens almost never.
3) I don't enjoy writing reviews - it feels like work and I smoke cigars to relax. The words don't "flow" when I'm writing a review and it takes a long time to proofread and correct/clean it up.
4) I'm too lazy to do it.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Thanks for the backing Pops!!!


On a side note, let this not distract from those that do write reviews. I fully respect and appreciate those that take the time to share their experiances regarding those certian smokes that pertain to my liking, current and future collections.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Well those guys were stupid poo-poo heads. We are a lot nicer!!

...and slightly insane.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I tend to not write reviews because most of the sticks I like have the same general characteristics. In other words, my reviews would be repetitive and monotonous, like the marketing descriptions.

The exceptions to that would be sticks that I really don't care for, so the reviews would be negative. I fear that I would then be viewed as a negative person, more so if it's someone else's favorite cigar. That may not be rational, I know, but it is what it is.

I will soon be posting a few, however, because some brothers have sent me some sticks with the condition that I review them, and I intend to honor them in that.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

And the main reason I will avoid offering any thoughts is it leads to exchanges like this.

Every review is just an opinion. I don't have the desire to argue my opinion.









I was asked once on another site how I describe floral as I was looking for more "floral" type cigar suggestions.


Quote:
Originally Posted by ********* View Post
Well that opens wide the flood gates, in a 'sense' (pun intended). There are many different flowering plants. Each one has it's own smell and can run the gambit from musky to sweet. I am not trying to be difficult here, I love making a study of the senses. I just wanted to know how the OP defines "floral" as that can have many different flavors/scents. If we go off of floral just meaning 'relating to a flower', then ANY cigar would fall into that category as tobacco is a flowering plant.


My response:
Frankly I wouldn't want to spend my smoking time trying to pin down a flavor to a specific plant even if I could. It seems that the general cigar smoking world is OK with generalities as long as they tie to a cigar flavor wheel.


Up until a couple of years ago I was a casual cigar smoker of NC's. Over the past year and a half I have found (thanks to many) that I like CC's much, much more. So much so thats all I smoke now. With that I will explain "floral" as it is to me.

Last year I had a Partagas from the 1970's that really had a "taste" that I fell in love with. I couldn't put my finger on it but it reminded me of flowers. Talking with one BOTL and explaining what I found he said, "like potpourri?". BAM! That was it! That was what I had in my head that I couldn't put my finger on! It tasted like potpourri smells! After that I found the flavor wheel and the BROAD category of "floral". Since that seems to be an accepted term that's what I have used. So since that Partagas from the 70"s I have been forever in search of "floral" cigars.

In one of Docs posts he said it was, "perfumy...like smoking a bouquet of flowers. " So it seems I'm in good company with my use of the term.
http://www.internationalcigarclub.co...ghlight=floral

I could spend a lot more time on this but I think this covers it more than enough.

Between reading your avatar and this post I am way behind on things that need to get done around the house.

To all that have posted their thoughts here I truly appreciate it.

Some of my favorites :


Partagas 1970's
One of the top two cigars I have ever had

Rey Del Mundo Lunch Club
Draw perfect / Burn perfect / Great floral flavor with tons of smoke / Note to self, buy a box

Quai Dorsay Corona Claro
One of my favorites, first box purchase has NEVER let me down

San Luis Rey Petit Corona
Draw perfect / Burn perfect / Floral clearly evident. Note to self, buy a box

2000 La Gloria Cubana Medaille D'or #1
Great cigar Draw was perfect / Burn was perfect / A lot of floral from start to finish.

Sancho Panza Corona
Great cigar Draw was perfect / Burn was great till the last two inches and got a little rough / not an overwhelming floral presence but one I would love to have around!

Ramone Allones Specially Selected
This is a cigar that has won a spot on my favorites of all time list. Just a truly enjoyable smoke from start to finish. Not to light and not as heavy as a Cohiba.

San Cristobal de la Habana El Principie
Wonderful cigar - Great draw - Even burn - Tons of creamy smoke / Floral

Ramone Allones Small Club Corona
Always room in my humidor for this line! RASS has to be one of my most favored smokes. Creamy floral this guy fills the bill again! Great draw, burn and taste!



********* Response:
Thanks. I now know what you mean when you say floral.

I think your list goes to show that taste is VERY subjective. I would never put some of those on your list into a "floral" category as defined by you. Furthermore, when I think of potpourri, I think of a horrible type of smell. Like a craft store might smell. Personally, I can't stand potpourri (and yes I know there is practically an endless variety of potpourri scents)

I think that Fauntleroy has a great point. When describing "floral" most are going off of the notes of well known flowers. And of some thier definition's may have a wider or smaller range depending on the list of flowers they are referencing in thier head.

For my personal list of cigars that taste like a 'bouquet of fowers':

Vegueros #1 and #2
LGC Mdle #4
ErdM PC

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

:tpd:

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Me, I like reading and writing reviews. I enjoy seeing pictures of cigars that people smoke and also hearing about and seeing the setting they are smoking in. The setting does affect the experience, right? ;)

I don't consider myself a connoisseur at all, just a cigar smoker who enjoys the hobby so why not share the experience. :tu

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

.
LOL Just changed that for ya!

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

While doing a good review can be a bit of work, and my palette is nothing close to refined,I find that writing reviews actually helps me with my sense of flavor.

There was a time when I would just grab a stick and smoke, not really taking the tme to enjoy it. Writing a review ensures that I focus only on the stick.

Many comments on my reviews actualy help my confidence with my flavor sense. And I hope that my reviews are doing the same for someone else. I once put in a review that I tasted gingerbread, I was leery of putting that down, bt I did. It was nice to hear in the comments that other smokers had tasted the same thing.

Reviews are a little like a golf caddy. They give you direction, let you know what you should expect, but in the end, you still have to do the work, whether it is smoking the cigar or playing the hole.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Amen brother. Even when you are trying to do something good, there is always someone who reacts in some bizarre way, then you take a shot at them, and before you know it, you are in the principal's office. I love smoking cigars and reviewing and sharing with others, but no good deed goes unpunished online.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

My #1 reason is that most of the time I don't have a camera with me. I really enjoy reviews much more when there are pictures. This thread has inspired me. New reviews are soon to come especially since I got some sticks I haven't tried yet :D

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I really enjoy doing reviews. When doing them I find that I concentrate more on the flavors and possibly even enjoy the cigar a bit more.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

It's a lot harder than it seems lol

I will admit that after a long string I really enjoy just kicking back with one at the bar, not having to concentrate on it, just enjoy it!

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I review anything I have the time to go outside and sit to smoke. I have no problem reviewing a cigar in my newb way. I can tell if it is harsh or bitter, and and it has good flavors. I may not be able to tell you exactly what flavors they are, but I know the difference between bad and good. I havent done a real review since like november because of the cold weather and then I just got lazy, but I'm getting back into the swing of things with reviews. I just posted one actually, and I'm about to do another in a couple hours. :)

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I like thinking about the cigar I am enjoying. I will also echo the sentiments above and say that my palate will tell me what I like, but it doesn't communicate it well enough to my brain for anything more than "this is a very nice smoke" to come out of my mouth. I am trying to smoke cigars while looking at a review sheet or tasting wheel to see if I can put my finger on a flavor, but it is very difficult for me.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

On the subject of not getting alot of appreciation for reviews, I can understand both sides. I tend to write alot of stuff people don't give a crap about it makes my reviews long and for some people, hard to read, and certainly hard to appreciate. Nothing in reviews pisses me off more than reading 3 sentences posing as a review that say "all in all it was pretty good, I liked it." The supporting comments are about what color it was and how the pre-light draw tasted. I would rather bore somebody with why I selected the cigar and where I was when I smoked it than not give them enough information on the taste. People look for reviews to get an idea of whether or not a cigar is worth an investment, or to see if it matches the taste profile they like.
Sometimes people read a review and it is seems like more of an application to novelist school than a cigar review. 'How to bore the crap out of people in one paragraph or less 101'. But the writer thinks he is going to be thought of as the best reviewer ever. You see it alot on sites where they have a monthly review contest, and you get reviews that start off as some pirate fantasy and are three paragraphs in before the freaking cigar is clipped. People VIEW it, and get so mad, that not only are they not helped by the review, but the only comment they would leave is anger or sarcasm anyway, so it's best to move on and forget about it. Also, if the review contains the word "trusty", I just stop reading it. I am sick of hearing about people's TRUSTY PALIO. Or their Trusty Xicar. Or their trusty double ended rabbit with rotating beads.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

i only used that term ONCE, and it was on a different forum!!! I was drunk and lonely! :lv

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I mostly dont because Im too lazy or just dont think about doing it. If I smoke something that really wowed me, then I will do my best to review it.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Moe used the term once, but the actual item, still in, uh, rotation. ;)

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I was at home and bored..geesh..

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Thank you!!! That is very much appreciated!!!:tu

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

because I hate writing reviews :ss

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I tend to be less critical of the cigars I am smoking so I am not too objective of a smoker.
I should review sticks as I do not have a particular brand, vitola or wrapper I prefer.

Usually if the cigar draws well and is medium to full bodied I am happy.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

we noticed :r:r:r

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

When I smoke something that bowls me over I post it up. Did one on Camacho Select. Owe one on Montecristo Reserva Negra. It's been so freakin' cool and rainy here that I don't get to smoke much even though it's Spring and almost Summer

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

#1

What he said.

Darrell, I do believe we are brothers from different mothers.


And...

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

#2

What he said.

My additional thoughts & opinions in a minute...

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

Here are the two I've posted today.
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17143

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17155

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

#3

Most of the reviews I have done in the past 6 months are in the Blind Taste Test thread in the MAW/PIF forum, I just don't usually port them over to other category once the stick is disclosed. I could probably start doing that.

I really like that thread--I think it's about my favorite thread in the whole forum. Why? Because it's fun, kind of "mysterious," and something of a game. It also gives me the opportunity to smoke some cigars that I might not purchase otherwise, and to share the same kind of cigars with folks. Between the smoking, taking notes, taking pictures, editing & uploading the pictures, the writing & posting up the reviews, it does take time. But to me that's part of the hobby. What I especially like about this hobby is discovering new flavors, tastes and aspects of a cigar. Sharing them with people is what I think this forum is about.

So I'll continue to do it, because it's my way of contributing to the board. Even though it's just my opinion, I figure it might be helpful to someone else. Folks seem to be more appreciative of the rare or the new cigar reviews, but I hope that someone can find something helpful in all the reviews that I post.

Re: Why arent you writing reviews?
 

I love the BTT thread. I have two reviews in there so far, that I have not ported to the review forum.