How to Rate Cigars

There is more to a cigar than just smoking it. The making of the cigar itself is an art form in its own right. Smoking a cigar involves all of your senses, and most important including taste. All cigars have their individual tastes, smells, and textures. There are some that you will hate, others that you can tolerate, and some that will become your favorite. You can tell which ones you like by rating them. Rating a cigar lets you explore the many aspects of it such as taste, burn, tobacco, and other things. You should rate everyone you smoke because even the same type of cigar can taste different because external factors can affect how you feel about it. Here is how you rate cigars.
There are different factors you should record when smoking a particular stick. The taste can depend on external factors such as what you are drinking, what you are eating, or the last time you had something to eat. There are certain types of alcohols that accompany them. It is not unusual for cigar shops or lounges to have alcohol and cigar tastings together.

After you have recorded anything you are eating or drinking at the time, you can move on to the next step of rating a stick. It is important to look at the cigar and examine the leaf and wrapping. How does it look to you? Are there any tears in the wrapper? Is the color light or dark? Does the stick appear to be smooth, have ridges, or veins from the leaf? Keep note of the appearance of the cigar.

After you look at the cigar, take time to smell it. The scent of the cigar will often hint at the flavor it has. Some sticks may be too potent or stout for you. Smoking them and enjoying a certain type is such a personal preference. Usually you will be able to tell if it is going to be spicy, bitter, or bland.

After examining the cigar you are going to rate, now the best part comes in and you smoke it. Smoking cigars will affirm what you have examined or smelled about them. There are certain things that you can record about smoking the stick to help you rate it. What is the burn like? The cigar should stay lit easily and have a good draw. The burn of the stick should also be consistent. When you are smoking pay attention to the burn, draw, smoke, ash, and flavor. Does the smoke sting your mouth or is it smooth? Can you ash the cigar easily and does it stick together when doing so?

Rating a cigar can be based on a scale you make or on a 100 point scale. If you are rating on a point scale, give each category a 1-10 rating and then add up the points. Maybe you like to rate them on a more flexible scale of your own. Smoking them is a personal enjoyment, and so should be rating them. So spark up an Oliva cigar and give it a rating!