Philosophizin'

I'm sitting here, enjoying a fine cigar, just thinking out loud:

As much as they can try to make them the same, no two hand-rolled cigars will ever be EXACTLY alike. There will always be subtle variations in the fillers, wrappers and construction, even in the best cigars. Each cigar should be both enjoyed and judged as if it were a unique individual.

Reviews are a funny thing. If a cigar tastes good or bad to an individual is really secondary for me. What I'm tuning in for is overall quality; was the cigar well made, with care and craftsmanship. If a review is negative, I'd like to know how many the reviewer smoked before rendering judgment. Any cigar maker can have a poorly rolled cigar slip out, but if 2/3 are too tight, or fall apart, that's worth noting.

Ratings are a funny thing too. While I don't put much creedance into any one source, like Cigar Aficionado or Puff.com, I do pay attention to the aggregate, especially in the cigar's contruction quality area. Taste is one thing, but if a good number of reviewers notice that the cigar puffs up and splits after 30 minutes, I pay attention.

I don't chase after the expensive brands, or the latest hits, unless I've got some decent reason for doing so. A good reason might be that I like many of the maker's previous releases, so I give the new stick a shot, especially if it's in my price range. If it's not in my usual price range, I may buy one or two for a very special occasion, and then only on recommendation from a mate whose palate reads similar to mine. I'm not gonna blow $15 on a cigar if I'm gonna hate it after the first inch. That's just stupid.

I don't smoke all the time, only 3-4 per week, which lets me smoke slightly better cigars than if I smoked every day. I also spread it out a bit: cheaper smokes($2-3) mid-week and Friday nights, better cigar ($3-5) on Saturday night, and something nice ($6-10) on Sundays. Something that the cheaper cigars and the premium sticks have in common: I manage to enjoy them all. I am just as excited to hit the garage with a 5 Vegas Series A and a cup of coffee, as I am with a Fuente Hemingway or Camacho Triple Maduro. Well, okay, I may be a LITTLE more excited to get the Triple Maduro smoking.