About Ratings

Here at Hedonism Weekly, we have decided to opt for a short, easy way to diagram the characteristics of the cigars we have had.

These characteristics are classified as:

1. Flavor: Pretty self explanatory; how the cigars taste. Maduros get rated for full-bodied, spiciness. Naturals and the like get ratings usually surrounding creaminess and consistency (of the few natural wrappers smoked here). A select few Maduros will also be rated on creaminess because a few are, well, creamy.
2. Aroma: Based on a combination of drawn smoke and what burns off the ember, aroma will be rated on the attraction or repulsion to the smells emanating from the cigar. A good aroma can generally be regarded as musty, earthy, with hints of pepper and various species of wood for maduros, and creamy, almost sweet scents from naturals and their brethren.
3. Ember: Rated on ease of maintenance, consistent burn temperature (weather notwithstanding) and evenness of burn around the cigar. Ember ratings are not to be overlooked because they can point to issues regarding the quality of the roll, and the age/maturity of the cigar in question. Uneven, fast burning embers can not only impact flavor, but symbolize a particular cigars’ age and care.
4. Draw: Here at Hedonism Weekly we prefer tight, smooth draws. Some people do enjoy loose or sometimes very loose cigars. As such, the draw rating will work by giving a “one” for very loose, basically intolerably loose draws (ones that actually impact the quality of the cigars), and a perfect “ten” being the perfect draw pressure for us, being tight and smooth. Anything tighter will be noted, especially cigars that are made un-smokable because of a overly-tight draw. We will be able to benchmark this rating by either using punches (which are consistent) or by cutting a rounded or torpedo tip to a generally reasonable “accepted” length. Draw pressure is important because it can also denote quality of the roll.
5. Maintenance: How well do the cigars fare in a well-maintained humidor? Do they easily dry out? How well do they resist changes in humidity through the opening and closing of the humidor? Acids and other infused/flavored cigars tend to do poorly in home-humidor environments, and as such, receive a lower rating than some maduros, which can be extremely tolerable and resistant.
6. Overall: This rating can be kind of difficult to understand. It is possible that a cigar could net a bad rating in “aroma” and “ember:” but be so consistent with “flavor” and “draw” that it might still score a decent “overall” rating. Overall ratings are the ratings that each reviewer decides is their “overall” opinion of the cigar, that may or may not be based entirely on all the other characteristics.

For discrepancies of 3 or more “overall” points between reviewers (Thirteenthcor, Weasel etc.) an extra sentence or two will detail the reason why maybe one of us liked that that particular cigar so dearly, while the other one may have hated it.

Also, we will rate on “Everyday Smoke” “Special Occasion” or “Budget”. This rating selection will compare the price/quality ratio. Everyday will be cigars of good to excellent quality, with an “everyday” price dependent on said quality. Special Occasion will be cigars of an exquisite quality, but carrying a hefty price tag. Budget cigars will be cigars of modest to poor quality, that carry a great price and are best used for humidor filling, and infusing/aging.

And the final rating is a simple “Re-Buy?” addition, letting you know that considering the characteristics, overall rating, and price, will determine if this cigar is to be purchased again. This comes in three levels of preference: Yes, No and Box, “box” implying that they were “so good” that after only a few, we would readily invest in a wholesale purchase of the same cigar.

All of these reviews will be done as objectively and candidly as possible, to give you a better representation of the cigars you’re considering trying.