Cigar Aficionado ratings question

**sushiboy** · 03-31-2009, 10:30 AM

i think it was some cuban hoya cigar that got a 99. the rocky patel decades got a 95.

i have to agree though that the CA ratings dont mean much. i was talking to a guy who used to go purchase the cigars for the CA guys. for their blind smokes, he would take the rings off, so that they dont know what they are smoking. trouble is, he said these guys smoke so much that they always knew exactly what they were smoking even though there was no ring. so their "blind" cigar smokes really arent totally "blind" and because of that they are probably at least a little biased. and yea, it seems to me that the ratings are rigged. certain companies who advertise with them seem to get better treatment when it comes to reviews. if you ask me, the CA ratings are a sham.

**sushiboy** · 03-31-2009, 10:31 AM

i dont think any cigar ever got 100 from CA, but i might be wrong

**logan37** · 03-31-2009, 08:43 PM

No ratings from anywhere mean anything. Trying for yourself is the only way to go.

**bigwhiteash** · 03-31-2009, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by logan37

No ratings from anywhere mean anything. Trying for yourself is the only way to go.

I agree.. A review or rating is based on a personal experience.. What's the only way to experience something personally?

That's right... try it yourself!

I read reviews only for a basis to compare notes with, and ratings never really enter into the equation when deciding on a purchase.

**prostartjr1738** · 04-02-2009, 09:30 PM

What if we started a type of rating system here. It would be less biased since theres no advertising money or anything like that. It could work like an average. Ratings could be taken in a poll type situation and the average rating is displayed for each cigar listed. Would be alot more helpfull than any of the other rating systems out there becuase it will be the average rating of usually probably more than a handfull of people. It would be nice for the newer guys to see what exactly is more liked and less liked.....anyone think it will work?

**JFellows** · 04-02-2009, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by sushiboy

i dont think any cigar ever got 100 from CA, but i might be wrong

I think I've seen a few perfect 100 cigars in their "vintage cigar" section towards the end of the magazine.

**pmp** · 04-04-2009, 03:21 PM

I wrote a rating system for another board that I'm very proud of. Its unbiased and an average cigar will actually rate a 50%.

score out of 10 for appearance and construction
score out of 20 for flavor
score out of 10 for smoking characteristics
score out of 5 for price

then divide the total of the categories by 45 and multiply by 10 to get the percentage.

A few of us on blowinsmoke have used it for some time with good results.