All too often, professional cigar reviewers write from on high — as if their evaluation processes were flawless, and thus questioning their judgment would be foolish.

By contrast, I get a real kick out of your honest, upfront, well-contextualized reviews. You’re not afraid to call a cigar “boring” when you don’t like it. You’re not afraid to draw upon past experience with a brand in order to make (usually justified) assumptions about what you’re presently smoking. Your reviews connect a lot of the dots that most reviews don’t. They show readers how a given cigar will smoke in the real world, and not just under the strict, scientifically monitored conditions of some hermetically sealed Cigar Afficionado laboratory.

When I read a George Edmondson review, I know that I’m not just getting an opinion; I’m getting an education. I really mean that.

Then I saw an article in Cigar Aficionado about Alex Wong, a legendary cigar collector in Hong Kong, and he mentioned that he only drinks Coca-Cola when he smokes. So I guess I at least have one compatriot out there.

By the way, you should try it. If you’re calorie conscious, use Coke Zero. If you absolutely have to have an adult beverage with your stogie, try adding some dark rum to your Coke.