What's most important when rating a cigar?

[akumushi]

Originally Posted by mmblz

flavor 100%

construction is important - i hate a tight cigar - however, i find that a tight draw actually makes the flavor worse - so it doesn't have to be a category in and of its self, as the flavor is directly correlated. That is, I've had tight cigars where I could catch a glimmer of awesome flavor, and knew that it would taste good if only it would draw - but until (if) I can get it to draw it just doesn't taste good. I've never had a cigar that was tight enough to hardly allow any smoke, yet the tiny bit of smoke that did make it through tasted just as good as an unplugged cigar... Just never works that way IMHO.

Price is important when I go to buy, but doesn't change what the cigar is or is not.

Absolutely! The effect poor construction has on flavor is such that I've found that if I rate solely on flavor, the construction is already included in the rating.
I don't include price in a rating at all, because finances between smokers vary so much. What is prohibitively expensive to me might be an appropriate special occassion cigar for you, or what is a reasonably priced go-to smoke for me might be too expensive for you. The idea of "value" varies so much from smoker to smoker that to include that in the score is to make the rating effectively worthless, IMO. Just look at all the anger about Casa Magna winning cigar of the year last year at cA. They made the mistake of thinking you can use price point to rate a cigar. I say rate the cigar on its own merits, and let other people decide whether or not it's worth that price tag