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Tasting · 4 min read

How cigar ratings work: blind tastings and community scores

Cigario editorial · updated 11 October 2026
Robusto cigar resting on tobacco leaves

A number beside a cigar is useful only when you know who gave it, how they tasted, and how many opinions sit behind it. Professional blind tastings try to remove brand and price cues. Community ratings capture what smokers chose to buy and enjoy in real life. Read both as evidence, not as a verdict.

Key takeaways
  • Blind tastings hide the brand. Cigar Aficionado replaces original bands with numbered ones before its editors smoke independently.
  • Cigario shows community ratings on a 0–5 scale. These are smoker opinions, not scores from that professional panel.
  • Check the review count. An average from a few smokers is less settled than an average backed by many reviews.
  • Read the written context. Draw, burn, flavor, setting and personal preference can explain a number.

What a blind tasting actually hides

In Cigar Aficionado’s published method, a coordinator buys most test cigars at retail, removes their branded bands and applies coded labels. The coordinator does not sit on the tasting panel. Editors smoke separately and do not know the brand, price, origin or blend until their scores are final. The aim is to reduce expectations tied to a famous name or a high price. The publication describes the full method in the sources below.

The panel considers construction, draw, burn and taste. A blind result describes how that sample performed under the panel’s conditions. It does not guarantee that every cigar from the same line will burn identically or that every smoker will like the same flavor profile.

How community scores differ

Cigario members generally know which cigar they are smoking. They choose their own setting and can record their experience, tasting profile and rating. The public catalog displays those ratings on a 0–5 scale with the number of ratings beside the average. This gives you a view of smoker experience, including personal taste, rather than a controlled blind panel.

A community average is most useful when you read it together with its count. One enthusiastic review is a useful story, but it is not a consensus. As more independent ratings arrive, the average becomes a steadier summary of that community’s views. The score still reflects who chose to smoke and review that cigar, so it is not a random sample of all cigar smokers.

Why the whole smoke matters

A cigar can change after lighting. Draw and burn can improve or worsen, and the flavor may shift as the cigar warms. When you read a review, look for observations across the smoke instead of relying only on a single flavor word. The illustration below shows the three parts often used to organize tasting notes; our tasting guide explains how to keep your own notes.

How a cigar changes in thirds
First thirdLighter and settling in. Judge the draw and the burn.
Middle thirdThe blend opens up. Usually the fullest character.
Final thirdHeat and intensity rise. Slow down, then let it rest.

A practical way to compare cigars

Start with the scaleCheck whether you are reading Cigario’s 0–5 community rating or a publication’s 100-point professional score. They are separate systems; do not divide a professional score by 20 and call it a community rating.
Look at the countRead the number of community ratings next to the average. Be cautious with small samples.
Read the experienceFind notes about construction, draw and flavor that match what you enjoy. A lower-scored cigar might suit your palate better.
Compare like with likeSize, blend and storage affect the experience. Search the Cigario catalog by brand and format, then check the exact cigar page.
Browse cigars and their community ratingsCompare catalog entries by brand, origin and size, then open a cigar to read its reviews.Explore the catalog ›

Frequently asked questions

Are Cigario ratings blind tastings?

No. Cigario shows community ratings from smokers recording their own experiences. A publication such as Cigar Aficionado uses a separate blind panel process.

Can I convert a 100-point score into a Cigario rating?

No reliable conversion exists. The scales and the people behind them differ; dividing by 20 would hide that difference.

Why does the number of ratings matter?

An average based on a few reviews can move a lot when another rating arrives. A larger count gives more context for how settled the displayed average is.

Should I ignore a cigar with a lower average?

Not automatically. Read the reviews and consider your preferences for size, strength and flavor before deciding.

Sources
  1. How Cigar Aficionado Tastes Cigars (30 Mar 2020) Cigar Aficionado
  2. Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Selection Process (11 Dec 2025) Cigar Aficionado
  3. Cigars by the Numbers (100-point rating system) Cigar Aficionado
  4. Cigario cigar catalog (community ratings and review counts) Cigario

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