[CgarDan-cl]

ok here is my dillema:

When doing a review there is a question would you reccomend this cigar or not. Now this question throws me off quite often. My logic might be convoluted but here it is.

A cigar I liked and think is well priced ( below $8-$9) -- I would def buy = reccomend

A cigar I really liked which is not cheap ( $10 and above ) Opus, VSG, etc - I would splurge on every once in a while = reccomend

A cigar that I liked but think is priced too high for what it offers to the senses ($10 and above) CAO Vision, Partagas 160-- I would only buy if I find at what I believe is the right price, I think MSRP is not what this cigar is worth and would pay only once to try something I have not tried before. = don't reccomend

A cigar that is OK and is reletivelly cheap ( $2-$5) but I think there are others in the similar price range that do a much better job with similar or superior flavor profiles - I would not buy this again, there is too many better cigars out there = not reccomend.

What do you think? My biggest problem is that I think almost all cigrs are worth trying once just for the hell of it but not be a repeat purchase so where do they fall ?

 

[JohnR]

You are right, Dan, that is a dilemma. I smoke mostly $2-$3 (price paid) sticks and I ALWAYS factor the value of the cigar into my review. That made it really hard to give the blind cigar reviews a grade because I don't know what they cost. A lot of cigars I rate a 7 or an 8 are not super-premiums, but they are a great bang for the buck.

 

[JohnR]

You are right, Dan, that is a dilemma. I smoke mostly $2-$3 (price paid) sticks and I ALWAYS factor the value of the cigar into my review. That made it really hard to give the blind cigar reviews a grade because I don't know what they cost. A lot of cigars I rate a 7 or an 8 are not super-premiums, but they are a great bang for the buck.

Ashton VSG is a great example. A really nice cigar, but its hard to find one for less than about $9 or $10 bucks a stick. At that price, a 5 Vegas Classic at less than $2 might be more recommended, even though the Ashton is clearly a far superior stick. I buy probably less than ten sticks a year in the $10 category, but hundreds in the $2, $3, and $4 category.

 

[bobbyg29-cl]

I agree this is a tricky question to answer, especially for blind reviews. My dilemma is that I don't know anything about who I am making a recommendation to. Do they have a lot of money to spend or are on a tight budget? Are they an experienced smoker or relatively new to the hobby? Do they like flavored cigars or not? Do they appreciate mild cigars?

Myself, I take the very broad approach to this question by asking myself "is there anyone that I would recommend this cigar to?". So, for example, if it is a flavored cigar I would probably give it a poor review (b/c I don't like them) but if it were well constructed and burned well I would definitely recommend it to someone out there. I realize it ends up that I would recommend almost all cigars but I agree with Dan that unless it's a complete dog rocket everyone should try a least one to judge for themselves. And I think the detail of the review allows others to judge if it is a good recommendation for them (i.e., it fits their tastes).

 

[forgop-cl]

Like John, I'm pretty frugal when it comes to cigars. Sure, I don't mind buying a Cuban cigar for a special occasion, but to recommend a high dollar cigar, I just don't like doing it. Not everyone likes to spend upwards of $10/stick. I've focused my buying more on cigars that are great values and offer more bang for the buck in my opinion.

It would be nice if money were no object to all of us, but I'd hate to be recommending cigars that were really out of reach for a lot of people on here. I could recommend a 5 vegas torpedo or famous nicaraguan 3000 torpedo to virtually anyone because if you're in the hobby, you can't help but enjoy them given they're well under $5/stick. I'd buy 3-4 of them all day long over spending the money on vsg, opus x, etc. Of course, I have yet to ever even try any of them.

 

[bobbyg29-cl]

I should add that I think there is really no way around this problem of price b/c if Stogie included the price for blind panel cigars it would potentially bias our reviews...

 

[jitzy]

What do you think? My biggest problem is that I think almost all cigrs are worth trying once just for the hell of it but not be a repeat purchase so where do they fall ?

thats it right there all cigars are worth trying at least once no mater the cost

 

[Newfie]

thats it right there all cigars are worth trying at least once no mater the cost

Agreed.

 

[ashauler]

I should add that I think there is really no way around this problem of price b/c if Stogie included the price for blind panel cigars it would potentially bias our reviews...

Yep, evidence of this can be found in the blind review pass thread, along with the blind review panel. The experience is different when the bands are removed. I have only been smoking cigars regularly for about a year.....but I really have found no compelling reason to buy the high$ sticks regularly though every once in a while I will pick up a $10 stick just because I can. But simply based on enjoyment and value, I don't feel the need to go beyond the 2-5 $ range either.

 

[discdog-cl]

When doing a review I always factor in the price/value and if the stick is good but over priced, I try to add a dollar figure to watch for. In the Blind reviews, price is never brought into play, I'm evaluating just the cigar. I tend to be a little more critical in these reviews as I don't know the value, only if I enjoyed it or not. I agree with all above, when making a recommendation you have to take into account budget, but that is generally one of the first questions I will ask. One of the great things about our hobby is there is something out there for everyone. And the majority falls in the $5.00 & under class.
Since I don't smoke on a daily basis the cost is secondary to me, I smoke as a form of relaxation and so when I do get the opportunity, I'll pick up what ever looks good at the time. It's funny to think of how many times I pick a Brazillia, Cusano, or a Nic 3000 over everything else that is available.
Great topic!

 

[xavier_chino]

Hey I know what your talking about. In blind reviews (I haven't posted any of mine yet.) I like to try and put something regarding price as in if this Cigar is under $8 dollars I'd buy again. or someting similar. just my $0.02

 

[Dogwatch Dale-cl]

I think the key is to focus in on the flavors and smoking characteristics of the cigar when doing a review. Then you can recommend it to those who like those flavors. For example, "this cigar had a dark earthy flavor, a little spice in the last third and had a woody long finish. If you typically like that flavor profile, I recommend you try it if it's $9 price is in your budget."

As long as a review has lots of descriptive text, I think people can decide for themselves if it sounds interesting to them or not based on your review and their budget.

 

[GoinFerSmoke]

Maybe remove the would you recommend question as it adds nothing to the review itself...

 

[bmagin320]

just an idea
if yes, add three sub-categories to "would recommend as..."
the sub-c's being something like
1 - as a bargain/every day smoke
2 - as a special occasion/top shelf smoke
3 - as a collectors/rare find piece
also, on retail sites there is a "people who smoked this also enjoy..." section where people can edit the specifics like price, ring gauge, etc.

 

[bobbyg29-cl]

Maybe remove the would you recommend question as it adds nothing to the review itself...

Yeah, I think this might be a good idea..