Cigar Reviews

[Hoshneer]

So I listen to a ton of podcasts and read a lot of reviews on cigars, I think we all do. So here is the question. If you're a podcast or blogger and receive your cigars free from the company is there any possible way your review is not biased? I see a ton of reviewers on YouTube and such that get tons of cigars from companies and I can't help but wonder if they know where the bread is buttered.

We have all been gifted cigars and are asked for opinions but that is on a friend level. I am asking about people that do this for a full time hobby. What is your opinion?

 

[ChuckMejia]

Only good review is your own review.

 

[danmdevries]

Unless it's a blind review, it's going to be influenced.

which is why I love doing live blind reviews. Learned a lot more about what I like doing it that way.

 

[bdc30]

Cigars are such a subjective thing. I learned long ago not to put much stock in anyone's reviews since people have vastly different tastes and preferences. Is there such a thing as an unbiased review? I'm sure there is, but who is to say. If a guy says he enjoyed a Rocky Patel or Gurkha that was provided to him free of charge, who am I to say he's not being honest?

 

[3/5King]

Yes their is influence but in my case it's because I am aware of the price point and manufacturer, not because it was free and I want to continue to get free cigars. If they want a good review, make a good cigar. There is a difference between a cigar blend that is bad (or poor tobacco/roll) and a blend that just isn't right for me. Unless I think the cigar is an utter turd, I will keep my review positive, even when stating something negative. It's all in how you say it but I'm sure there are a lot of people that milk it.

 

[StogieNinja]

Blind reviews eliminate that bias, for sure. I don't look to a singular blog for a review; I look to them collectively for a consensus on flavor profile, and a general idea of the overall impression. If most guys were down or ambivalent, it's an easy pass. If most are really on about it, and the flavor profile seems in my wheelhouse, it's probably a safe bet and worth a try.

 

[Cigary43]

Count me in as one of those who have smoked a ton of cigars over the years and have been given cigars to smoke from some famous and infamous Manufacturers....I've since stopped accepting them only because of it being uncomfortable to review any that come banded. I use to review a ton of cigars because I was so excited to try them...it just seemed that over time the reviews were repetitive in nature as I'd smoke them...then research what others found and saw a disparity of what one BOTL would sense in it and what I took away from it...yes, I know that everybody's tastes can be varied but some were saying that it held floral notes that it was so extreme in nature that it seemed as though they were throwing darts at a flavor wheel..didn't make sense to me how off some opinions were. Subjectivity is for real....some are so off that it's not even in the same galaxy and I attributed that too those who wanted to "fit in" with others who were really coming up with exotic tastes as they reviewed cigars...nobody likes to feel left out so in one cigar you read from one person that it had black licorice to woodsy then back to nutmeg with a hint of pepper...wth????

I haven't reviewed a cigar for over a year only because I didn't want to confuse the next generations psyche of cigar smokers that cigars are like a food source of flavors.

 

[daleo8803]

There only one guy I watch vids from, and I think he gets several sticks free. But he never says I like this stick or I hate it he just tells you what he's getting out of it( flavors, burn performance etc). He's done really cheap sticks ($1.25 each) and high end stuff ( Padron, opus) and even the highest end sticks ever( Gurkha lol my foot) but you get the idea.

But some reviews I've read get overly nice to sticks so you get the feeling they are just saying what the company wants...

But I take all reviews with a grain of a salt because I have never gotten what others have out of the same stick, taste is all you

 

[Craig Mac]

I think the smaller blog/review sites that get free cigars have a hard time being completely honest. I can imagine there is a fear that if they say they don't like a cigar that the free cigars will stop coming from a manufacturer. And most of these places rely on the free cigars as their review source. They all try to find a nice way to say a shitty cigar was decent. Its seems like a lot of cigars fall between 80 to 90, when really that scale should be 60 to 90 but they are probably afraid of upsetting someone if they rated it a 60ish. It's unfortunate, but I think in this day and age you have to take most things in life with a grain of salt, especially these reviews.

In my experience, I haven't seen much bad tobacco in cigars, but I have smoked a lot of blends that just didn't work for me at all. With that in mind I tend to take that in to consideration when reading a review. I tend to look at guys who have similar tastes as me on BOTL as my point of reference. Guys like @WB @hdroadglide @BigFoot @L8A and even my boy @jolietilfire, whom we don't necessarily smoke all the same cigars, I value his take on certain cigars and know how that pertains to me. Those are just a few guys I trust more for my specific preference.

I enjoy cigar talk and reading about cigars, but I also know what I like and what I prefer. I've been curious about certain new cigars based on reviews, comments on blogs/forums/social media or just general buzz/hype, but I think I take a different approach when trying a cigar than I do if we're just enjoying a cigar. At the end of the day I think many of us here are always wanting to see what else is out there and if there is anything new we may like and that search involves a lot of different influences, but you end up digging through a lot of shit to find a little Shinola.

 

[BrandonD]

I like the type of reviewers that @daleo8803 hit on. Those that don't really give much of their personal opinion on the taste but rather just describes what they're experiencing. I'd imagine it's easier to be unbiased with free cigars this way as well.

 

[StogieNinja]

IMHO, I think the brand/band is harder to overcome than whether the cigar was free.

 

[herfdog]

I vote for the ninja. But on the other hand, I have never received any sticks from a manufacturer to know for sure.

I'd think one would at least have the intention to make the review as honest as possible.

When I post up, my main concern is that I hope my experience with the stick will be as close to what anyone reading would have if they try the same.

In my opinion, good reviewers gives impressions more than grades.

 

[Hoshneer]

I vote for the ninja. But on the other hand, I have never received any sticks from a manufacturer to know for sure.

I'd think one would at least have the intention to make the review as honest as possible.

When I post up, my main concern is that I hope my experience with the stick will be as close to what anyone reading would have if they try the same.

In my opinion, good reviewers gives impressions more than grades.

I actually did a review once for a manufacturer on here and he Facebook messaged me and told me his cigar was better than what I described. lol

 

[MichiganSRT8]

This is the very reason, as a new guy I read reviews from 4-5 sources at least before I make any move. I am the kind of guy that does a lot of research before I buy anything anyways so its fitting for my nature, and just starting off I don't care how much a stick cost and i have noticed even trying some very expensive sticks that didnt mean I'd like them. One I really like is the el major espresso, i just picked a churchill 5 pack for 10 bucks haha, 2 bucks a stick. Reviews are good but be taken with a grain of sand, like said above cigars are very subjective and should just use reviews as more a rubric.