Rating Cuban Cigars

Many new cigar smokers often wonder on what basis are Cuban cigars rated, and how different are they really from one another. How come judges or aficionados determine that a particular cigar should be given a rating of 70 and another 90?

When it comes to taste, the same cigar can taste different to different smokers. It can also taste different to the same smoker at different times of the day. Despite the many varieties of Havana cigars, finding the best cigars or even rating them is based on a few factors listed as below:

• Physical appearance - the first and foremost factor is the overall shape and length of the cigar. All premium cigars are found to have a uniform shape. This includes the uniformity of the wrapping, sheen of the wrapper leaf as well as its color.
  
  
• Cigar Construction - the construction of the cigar looks at how the cigar was made, if it was loosely rolled, too tight or if the wrapper loosens up while smoking. Cigar construction has a huge influence on the next two factors.
  
  
• Burn rate - the burn rate means how fast and how even a cigar burns. Fine cigars will always burn uniformly from start to finish.
  
  
• Draw - how easy or difficult is it to draw smoke from the cigar. The best Cuban cigars allow you to draw smoke effortlessly.
  
  
• Taste or Flavor - this, of course, has to do with the taste or flavors a cigar leaves in your mouth. To distinguish the taste, categories such as mild-to-medium or medium-to-full flavored are applied to cigars.
  
  Cuban cigars are unique in that they are made from tobacco grown exclusively on the island. Havana cigars tend to have medium-to-full flavors. However, the wide variety of tobacco available can produce surprisingly mild flavors, even in the larger sizes.
  
  

Just like wine, every new harvest of tobacco is different from the previous year. Although some brands of cigars can maintain an amazingly high level of consistency, year after year, it is also understandable why some cigars are found to be inconsistent and get wildly different ratings.

Cigar reviews can provide insight into why cigars are rated a certain score. Although they can be somewhat inconsistent, their valuable guidance will certainly help you distinguish the best Havana cigars.