Stogie Commentary: The ‘Cigar Aficionadoization’ of Cigars

Not long ago I heard a radio interview with famous wine critic Robert Parker. Parker’s influence is so great that wines rated above 90 in his Wine Advocate, and particularly above 95, can increase in value many times because of the rating. According to one Bordeaux shipper, “The difference between a score of 85 and 95 [for one wine] was 6 to 7 million Euros” and a “bottle rated 100 can multiply its price fourfold.”

Because of this extraordinary influence many people have bemoaned what is called the “Parkerization” of wine. Some winemakers, including in the famous Bordeaux region of France, reportedly blend wines to Parker’s palate—which is described as favoring robust, fruit-forward wines. The huge influence wielded by Parker has resulted in stories of him being offered sexual favors of the daughters of two chateau owners, and also being attacked by a winemaker’s dog in response to a poor rating.

With such a singular palate exerting such influence over the wine industry, one can’t help but wonder might there exist a similar “Parkerization” of the cigar industry?

If there is, surely the source of such influence is Cigar Aficionado. By far the most widely read cigar magazine, CA is widely cited as one of the driving forces for the cigar boom of the 1990s that brought premium cigars back into popular culture and drastically increased the number of smokers.

One well-respected industry source told me that he thinks that some cigar makers actually design cigars with the preferences of Cigar Aficionado’s tasters in mind. And there is no doubt an extremely high rating in CA can drastically increase the demand of a cigar. One retailer told me the 95 rating for the Rocky Patel Decade earlier this year led to a serious shortage of the cigar, as consumers scooped up the highly-rated smoke.

But such influence isn’t necessarily bad if it accurately reflects the good and the bad. The problem is that cigars are so subjective. One must wonder if a tasting panel of a handful of people can rate cigars without their personal biases effecting the rating. My own take is that CA seems to place too much value on bold, forward flavors while discounting the subtlety that I believe differentiates the best cigars.

This subjective nature of rating cigars means that it is unwise for someone attribute much to the difference between an 88 and a 90-rated cigar. And quite frankly I’d feel sorry for the person who only smoked 93 and up rated cigars as determined by CA, as they would be missing out on so many fantastic smokes.

So whether reading our reviews, Cigar Aficionado‘s, or any other publication’s ratings, it is important to use the ratings only as guideposts—not gospel. Identifying a truly poor cigar isn’t all that hard, but separating the good from the exceptional is not nearly as easy and is far more subjective. We try and deal with that here at StogieGuys.com by giving not just a cigar’s name, a sentence or two, and a numerical rating, but by providing the depth that gives an insight into our thinking about the cigar we’re reviewing. (We also attribute every review to a specific writer so, over time, you might learn how a particular reviewer’s palate and tastes corresponds to your own.)

Ultimately, there’s a reason we have a saying around Stogie Guys: “The best cigar is the one you like best.” And to find the cigars you like the best, there’s no substitute for educating yourself about cigars, being willing to try new smokes, and learning not only what you like, but why. Cigar Aficionado may be a piece of that puzzle; making that publication the only piece, however, does the true cigar aficionado a disservice.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Cigar Aficionado