Cigar Aficionado magazine

**cigarsarge** · 08-24-2005, 08:39 PM

I reviewed cigars for Smoke Mag. They skewed my reviews to support whoever placed ads in that issue. Whoever pays the bills gets good reviews. I slammed a few cigars and guess what..They changed my words to sound favorable.

Believe nothing you read about cigar ratings in a for profit mag. Let your taste buds make your decsion.

**SuperChuck** · 08-25-2005, 09:47 AM

To echo the sentiments of most, Cigar Aficionado is like a watered-down version of the Robb Report with a small cigars section shoved in the back.

I just subscribed to a year of Smoke, is it any better?

**Jonsey5484** · 08-25-2005, 11:15 AM

I am not big into reading, so the only cigar magazines that I get are the catalogs from CI, and JRCigars. That is enough reading material for me.

**CoventryCat86** · 08-25-2005, 12:11 PM

I have every issue of cA since 1992 which is only because they offered a free Volume 1, Number 1 to everyone who had a subscription to Wine Spectator, another Shaken publication. I subscribed and have renewed every year since. I actually don't even really enjoy the magazine that much.

European Cigar Cult Journal is far better than any other cigar magazine out there.

**hevyboy** · 08-26-2005, 04:44 PM

The older issues of CA go for some $$ on ebay.

**TheSilentChamber** · 08-27-2005, 10:49 PM

Guess I'm kinda alone here, I enjoy the articals in Cigar Magazine. As for ratings showing favortism... well you have to pay the bills somehow you know.

**JakeKnight** · 09-13-2005, 09:50 AM

I love Cigar Aficianado mag!

Are the reviews spot on? Well, they claim that they're double-blind taste tests, with neither the reviewers or the note-takers knowing what's being smoked or reviewed.

Are they lying? Well ... I dunno. I've never seen a bad cigar ranked highly, and I've never seen a good cigar ranked badly. That's good enough for me.

But the rest of the magazine is awesome ... great articles, great interviews. However, it really IS a lifestyle mag. Lots of Viper and Jaguar ads, lots of talk of expensive wine and liquor and women. (And this would be a bad thing?)

It's basically Playboy ... except the women have morphed into cigars.

**King of Vagabonds** · 09-14-2005, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by SuperChuck

To echo the sentiments of most, Cigar Aficionado is like a watered-down version of the Robb Report with a small cigars section shoved in the back.

I just subscribed to a year of Smoke, is it any better?

You nailed it there, superchuck...and yes, I find Smoke a lot more practical and down-to-earth. Smoke's online reviews offer different opinions for a single cigar, rather than a short blanket statement from Cigar Aficionado.

**Island Epicurean** · 09-15-2005, 11:38 PM

I am absolutely addicted to CA magazine! The Euro Cigar Journal is also good. But I would steer clear of Smoke.... It is not as "meaty" as the other two. But this is just a matter of personal opinion.