How much stock do you really put into the CA reviews and top 25?

[pektel]

As with any reviewer - be it cigars, wine, food, guitars, cars etc - I find someone whose tastes/interests/preferences are in line with my own, and place their reviews higher than others.


That being said, I've never placed any stock in cigar aficionado's reviews. I do find some of their other articles interesting though.

[pkny1]

Originally Posted by pektel

As with any reviewer - be it cigars, wine, food, guitars, cars etc - I find someone whose tastes/interests/preferences are in line with my own, and place their reviews higher than others.

That's what I do too.. now if I only knew what my tastes are... I might be more successful in finding reviews to take stock in !

[heavyd]

Originally Posted by pkny1

That's what I do too.. now if I only knew what my tastes are... I might be more successful in finding reviews to take stock in !

So true Everyone is an expert these days, that kinda makes the honest folks feel foolish.

[icehog3]

Like many have said, I am not influenced by CA reviews, though I read them every issue.

Myself and others have mentioned it before, but over time on the site here you will often find an inmate or two who seem to have very similar tastes you, and it is those friends whos reviews I will be most interested in reading.

[T.G]

I don't go out of my way to read the magazine, although when I do, I find their interviews to typically be well put together journalism. As for their reviews, I might pay attention to their profile notes, but I couldn't care less about their ratings numbers.

[BHalbrooks]

Read it, interesting...

With me I have found a couple Guys on C Asylum have similar tastes as me, so I'll keep their Reviews in mind. I like to try new Cigars as often as possible. I've been smoking for 3ish years, and I haven't smoked 1/20th of the Cigars out there. Always try new things

[Remo]

I put stock into some CA reviews.....Cigar Asylum

[ApexAZ]

Just playing devils advocate here and not necessarily endorsing the CA top 25, but they are just that, the top 25. This implies that there are dozens, or hundreds below these, so a range of 85-96 seems appropriate. One would assume that those below the top 25 should automatically score lower.

For those who said that the reviews here on this CA are more valuable, I would have to agree with. Cigar reviews in terms of taste are entirely subjective though, which is why many reviewers break the scores down into categories, such as build, draw, etc.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

Just playing devils advocate here and not necessarily endorsing the CA top 25, but they are just that, the top 25. This implies that there are dozens, or hundreds below these, so a range of 85-96 seems appropriate. One would assume that those below the top 25 should automatically score lower.

Yet look at their regular reviews, I can't remember seeing more than a handful of reviews under 84 in all the years I've read their magazine.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Yet look at their regular reviews, I can't remember seeing more than a handful of reviews under 84 in all the years I've read their magazine.

This is true, but I can't imagine that it's advantageous for them to take up valuable print real estate for dog rockets. I see how it can skew the image of the scale though. My thought is that they don't necessarily give high grades to every cigar, rather, they focus one those that they deem deserving. Maybe it would lend them extra credibility to throw in some low rated, truly awful budget cigars as a benchmark for comparison.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

This is true, but I can't imagine that it's advantageous for them to take up valuable print real estate for dog rockets. I see how it can skew the image of the scale though. My thought is that they don't necessarily give high grades to every cigar, rather, they focus one those that they deem deserving. Maybe it would lend them extra credibility to throw in some low rated, truly awful budget cigars as a benchmark for comparison.

Or even some expensive dog rockets....How about a 42 for theTatuaje Lil Drac?

[forgop]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Yet look at their regular reviews, I can't remember seeing more than a handful of reviews under 84 in all the years I've read their magazine.

Do they avoid smoking Gurkhas?

I did have a patient Friday in the ER mention he smoked cigars-he exclusively smokes Gurkhas from Cigars International. It didn't end up being much of a cigar discussion after that.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by forgop

Do they avoid smoking Gurkhas?

I did have a patient Friday in the ER mention he smoked cigars-he exclusively smokes Gurkhas from Cigars International. It didn't end up being much of a cigar discussion after that.

[oldforge]

Originally Posted by forgop

I did have a patient Friday in the ER mention he smoked cigars-he exclusively smokes Gurkhas from Cigars International. It didn't end up being much of a cigar discussion after that.

You missed a great opportunity to ask him how kept the wrappers from exploding after the cap was cut.

[FUEL]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

Just playing devils advocate here and not necessarily endorsing the CA top 25, but they are just that, the top 25. This implies that there are dozens, or hundreds below these, so a range of 85-96 seems appropriate. One would assume that those below the top 25 should automatically score lower.

For those who said that the reviews here on this CA are more valuable, I would have to agree with. Cigar reviews in terms of taste are entirely subjective though, which is why many reviewers break the scores down into categories, such as build, draw, etc.

Sorry for post whoring today but moms day is a tough day for me and trying to not be stuck in my head about it.

I agree but also thought about other comments in that article about what the differences in a few bucks for a cigar with similar ratings to the top 25 landed them on the "best budget or value" sticks in the same issue. That does not make sense to me.

Not to mention taking the full advice of just a handful of guys as "experts" just does not make sense in this industry. Whether or not you love or loathe him I love Brian at Cigar Obsession and his vid reviews (which I normally do not like) as I find his opinion more in line with the "average joe" not to mention he is quite humors IMO. I'd take his reviews or Seth's Humidor, Cigar Coop and forums like these over CA any day.

This years #1 one after trying a few and reading about how they are judged blew me away. Its a very good cigar IMO but knowing they smoked only 20-30 mins of it they did not even allow that cigar to show its full potential as it starts out very good and IMO, and not that I am trying to validate it, I've smoked it differently and mentioned to people about smoking it a bit differently and got a overwhelming positive consensus on it, it blooms into a excellent stick. I guess what I'm saying is any cigar can start off with a bang and turn to sh!t and many many can start off good and turn to excellent in just 20 mins which they could never account for due to their ratings.

A recent example is the over priced hyped RP 50. What a dud. And I'd like to try the new RP birthday stick but sorry not paying $18 for one from a company that puts out cigars like Walmart does stores.

[BHalbrooks]

Yea, I won't go super crazy whenever I go into a BM. I do like to try and get different vitolas as well.

[Coach Deg]

As a lot of people have said I respect the reviews on the Asylum more then anywhere. Every once in awhile I'm still disappointed. I know my likes and stick within that range, unless I read a good review or I'm gifted something then I give it a shot.

[AdamJoshua]

I tend to trust people over reviews written for the masses, when I say people I mean people I know and smoke with, I know that if Peter and Angel like a stick I will like it, their pallets are similar to mine, I am sure they are much more refined but I haven't been let down by asking their opinions on a particular stick I'm interested in.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by AdamJoshua

I tend to trust people over reviews written for the masses, when I say people I mean people I know and smoke with, I know that if Peter and Angel like a stick I will like it, their pallets are similar to mine, I am sure they are much more refined but I haven't been let down by asking their opinions on a particular stick I'm interested in.

Ya think?

[AdamJoshua]

Just a smidge In all seriousness, even when I'm looking at a box of something I haven't tried or that has a few years on it, I always ask peter first, steers me away from the real dog rockets. I am just not comfortable buying a box on some person's word that I don't know or have trust built up in. (and well my pallet might be a bit more refined than Angel's )