2 – What makes a good cigar?

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No 2 – November 30, 2000
What makes a good cigar?

Just last Saturday I was again asked how to assess a cigar: “What makes a good cigar?”
The answer is of course that apart from the technical side it is pretty much subjective, and to find out what is “good” for you, you need to experiment.
Try different cigars – different sizes, different tastes, different methods of construction.
Keep the bands, make a list and start your own personal evaluation notes.
Start a cigar discussion group with friends.

The most commonly used criteria are:
Aesthetics – How does it look? How does it feel? How does it smell? Does it make your mouth water?
Now you’ve lit the cigar, and savoured the first few puffs:
Flavour – Do you like the taste? Is it right for this occasion? Too light? Too rich?
Aroma – Part of the sensation of taste.
Construction – Does it burn evenly? Is the draw right for you – neither too tight nor too easy? Have you chosen the correct form of packing for the occasion – indoors/outdoors?
Aftertaste – When you’ve finished the cigar, does the good taste continue?
Value for money – On this occasion was the total experience worth the price of the cigar.

How do you begin?
Well, you could of course just go and buy 5 cigars. But you may not choose a balanced assortment, so we’ve put together 4 selections, each with its own focus:

The Introductory Selection – when you’re starting out;
The Corona Selection – the classic parallel-sided cigar;
The Robusto Selection – short and thick;
The CG Selection – smooth, light, flavourful cigars.

Available in wooden travel cases, with pamphlets describing the cigars in each particular selection and about cigar smoking in general.
The Corona and the Robusto Selections are also available in cardboard boxes.

There are so many cigars on the market at present that experimenting, besides being fun, can help you to avoid choosing the wrong cigar.

PS – A “Special” on our Selections is coming up soon, AND you could enter the free Sweepstake Draw right now and maybe win a Travel Case containing 5 CG cigars and a cutter.

Colin Wesley

You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Library.