I found this while surfing. Most may already know, but I thought it would be helpful.
"* CIGAR RATING CRITERIA DEFINED *
Is it possible to include definitions of the terms used in cigar rating?
I've been smoking cigars for years and I just recently found out what a "short finish" means. It would be nice to know what the raters really mean.
Thanks. - Lenny L Hom
When rating cigars, there are five primary categories and several additional factors:
1. OVERALL APPEARANCE: The consistency of wrapper color, uniformity of the wrapping, oiliness and/or sheen of the wrapper leaf.
2. DRAW: How easy or difficult is it to draw smoke through the cigar.
3. BURN RATE: Too slow, too fast, uneven. Did it "canoe" or "tunnel"?
4. CONSTRUCTION: (too loose, too tight, wrapper unwraps during smoking)
5. TASTE: Smooth, bitter, creamy, light, powerful. At what point did these "tastes" present themselves?: 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 or throughout the entire smoke. For instance: The cigar may have started out with a light pleasant taste but turned bitter halfway through smoking. Some cigars, like the Fuente Don Carlos or Joya De Nicaragua Antaño 1970 start out very spicy and eventually "round out" to a very smooth smoke. But wait, there's more!
6. AROMA; Mellow, burly, sweet, woody, spicy. How did the aroma affect the "taste" of the cigar and/or your experience?
7. COMPLEXITY: This factor would also be part of the Taste criteria. Some cigars have a "rich, complex taste" from start to finish, while others build in complexity as they smoke. The complexity is primarily determined by the blend. How many "flavors" or nuances you taste in the smoke and/or the "finish" helps you determine how complex, or not, the cigar is.
8. FINISH: This is determined by the flavors left on the palate after taking a puff. Lighter cigars tend to have very little finish or what's sometimes called a "short finish," whereas cigars made with richer tasting tobaccos have a very distinct or "long finish," in which the flavors linger on the tongue. For example, a "spicy" finish doesn't necessarily mean spicy in the hot-sauce sense, although it can. In many cases it can mean spices associated more with baking like cinnamon or nutmeg.
Note that AROMA, COMPLEXITY and FINISH have more to do with the sensitivity
of your taste buds than anything else. This is also why some cigar smokers can taste flavors like nutmeg, toast, leather, wood, berries, etc. in their cigars."
*Cut & Pasted from Famous Smoke Shop news letter
M. Gipson
"* CIGAR RATING CRITERIA DEFINED *
Is it possible to include definitions of the terms used in cigar rating?
I've been smoking cigars for years and I just recently found out what a "short finish" means. It would be nice to know what the raters really mean.
Thanks. - Lenny L Hom
When rating cigars, there are five primary categories and several additional factors:
1. OVERALL APPEARANCE: The consistency of wrapper color, uniformity of the wrapping, oiliness and/or sheen of the wrapper leaf.
2. DRAW: How easy or difficult is it to draw smoke through the cigar.
3. BURN RATE: Too slow, too fast, uneven. Did it "canoe" or "tunnel"?
4. CONSTRUCTION: (too loose, too tight, wrapper unwraps during smoking)
5. TASTE: Smooth, bitter, creamy, light, powerful. At what point did these "tastes" present themselves?: 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 or throughout the entire smoke. For instance: The cigar may have started out with a light pleasant taste but turned bitter halfway through smoking. Some cigars, like the Fuente Don Carlos or Joya De Nicaragua Antaño 1970 start out very spicy and eventually "round out" to a very smooth smoke. But wait, there's more!
6. AROMA; Mellow, burly, sweet, woody, spicy. How did the aroma affect the "taste" of the cigar and/or your experience?
7. COMPLEXITY: This factor would also be part of the Taste criteria. Some cigars have a "rich, complex taste" from start to finish, while others build in complexity as they smoke. The complexity is primarily determined by the blend. How many "flavors" or nuances you taste in the smoke and/or the "finish" helps you determine how complex, or not, the cigar is.
8. FINISH: This is determined by the flavors left on the palate after taking a puff. Lighter cigars tend to have very little finish or what's sometimes called a "short finish," whereas cigars made with richer tasting tobaccos have a very distinct or "long finish," in which the flavors linger on the tongue. For example, a "spicy" finish doesn't necessarily mean spicy in the hot-sauce sense, although it can. In many cases it can mean spices associated more with baking like cinnamon or nutmeg.
Note that AROMA, COMPLEXITY and FINISH have more to do with the sensitivity
of your taste buds than anything else. This is also why some cigar smokers can taste flavors like nutmeg, toast, leather, wood, berries, etc. in their cigars."
*Cut & Pasted from Famous Smoke Shop news letter
M. Gipson
