17 Points

I am not too keen on most cigar rating systems, so I have decided to write up my own. The reason I did so was that I have read so many reviews that vary way too much. A cigar's appearance weighs heavily with a band on than they do with a band off, construction problems were overlooked by reviewers if they like the cigar knowing what it was before smoking. A tight draw may not cause too much irritation if the cigar is an Opus X, but if it is a Helix, the cigar is deemed of poor quality. Flavor is subjective, spice and pepper are good some days, acidic grass is not a favorite. Sometimes a nutty coffee is enjoyed and others a dark mocha is just what fits the bill. A rating system should be as basic as possible. I see no reason to rate a cigar 30 points on flavor instead of 28 points. It all seems to be to easy to confuse and too in the gray. So without wasting more time, this is what I will be using from this time forward with my cigar reviews.

Appearance- 2 Points Total
0- Fugly
1- Average
2- I Liked It

Construction- 3 Points Total
0- Terrible, A Tunneling Canoe's Nightmare Unraveling Before My Eyes
1- Not bad, Draw is tighter then I like?
2- Good, why does the cap look like a toupe?
3- Excellent

Burn- 2 Points Total
0-Is It Burning? With friends I laugh, in public I am embarrassed
1- Uneven, No Touch up Needed
2- Perfect

Ash- 2 Points Total
0- Flakey and loose, my lap is on fire
1- Holds okay but falls easily
2- Wow

Flavor- 4 Points Total
0- Terrible, chewing on a tree branch is needed to removed the taste of this cigar
1- The perfect "yard gar"
2- Poker smoke, even flavor, not distracting, no thinking required to enjoy this one
3- Great smoke, lots of flavor, a staple in the humidor
4- Fantastic, flavor is awesome from the beginning to the end with no rough spots, highly recommended

Smoke Profile- 2 points total
0- Terrible, harsh, dry, and painful
1- Smokeable, maybe a harsh spot or two, but not distracting
2- Perfect, no harsh spots at all, smooth and nice

Aroma- 2 Points Total
0- Car exhaust is more pleasing
1- Smells like nirvana, where is the toilet match?
2- Nice and not overpowering, Aromatic, enjoyable fragrance

17 Points.

That's right, 17. Simple and easy to rate with not a lot of room to sway between the system.