srbbones Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think they pretty much admit the top 25 is biased toward NC by what they do: If you look at the regular rating features, CC are usually heavily weighted toward the top. In other words, they seem to give CC their due for routine scoring reviews, but snub CC in the top 25. Kind of a moral compromise, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptrthgr8 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I subscribed to CA back in the 90s, then stopped caring about it for several years, then subscribed again a few years back, but didn't renew after the 2nd year had run out. It doesn't do anything for me... I figure there's maybe one or two articles in an entire year that actually piques my interest. But otherwise I get nothing out of it, so I do not miss it. As for the forum, I started over there many moons ago and was also led to FOH through some friends over there. I never really *liked* the CA forums. The technology is so gimpy and clunky... it's like they've not upgraded their forum software since 1995. That and the drama, I suppose, were the two things that made me never want to return once I found FOH. Cheers, ~ Greg ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebender Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I subscribe CA magazine, and probably will continue to get it. I enjoy reading it, but I don't take the ratings seriously. Time to time, I use search function to see some NC ratings. CA forum has been very quiet these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeafLover Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I go on the forum if I want a good chuckle. So fun to read how they trash each other on the threads. So confrontational there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 I'll be honest I haven't used the rating search in awhile but I used to like it because almost every cc was on there and most nc were rated lower and the connoisseur corner is always cuban Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 but I still enjoy the magazine as they show many cubans in the top ratings on the general review sections. and even though I can't seem to enjoy a non cuban anymore I know many do and I certainly wouldn't bash them for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigaraholic Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I subscribed to the magazine when it first came out. When I found out Shanken was a friend of Flush's.......not another penny. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortFatHokie Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 A lot of people seem to think Tatuaje has some really good cigars (I've never had one I liked), but nonetheless, a general consensus among NC smokers, is there are several ones that you all seem to like. As for Tats, I favor Pete's La Seleccion de Cazador (Brown Label) and the Cabaiguan cigars. As for CA, their annual top however many ratings somewhat do coincide with whomever is the biggest advertiser in their mag at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I will take a quick look at it at the store from time to time. I go straight for the connoisseurs corner because they get the opportunity to smoke some incredible and interesting cigars. I always buy Cigar Journal which I enjoy immensely because it's about anything and everything about cigars, the culture and production of cigars, the people behind cigars etc. I love it that in each issue they spotlight a roller at a factory. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthson Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I go on the forum if I want a good chuckle. So fun to read how they trash each other on the threads. So confrontational there. Hell - you should go check out the cigarbid forum - there's truckloads of self-righteous POS who will order a bundle of Ramon Beso dogturds and $25 Opus X and then talk down to whomever doesn't have thousands of confirmed posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJP Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I live well without it. But it has a use for keeping BS artist in the one spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianbeaver Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I subscribe to CA. It is a nicely designed magazine, it is intetesting and there are very few cigar paper mags available. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squarehead Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I had it for about 15yrs.and I must say that in the 90's the mag was much better.Let my subscribtion run out last year but still subscribe to the Cigar-Insider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westg Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Majority??? Two habanos in the 2013 top 10, two in the 2012 top 10, two in 2011, etc. … Guess who knows there CA mag ....It is the only magazine I subscribe to, well they are coming as a gift ...I don't like it as much as I used to a few years ago and it looks as though they might be struggling to find people to put on the cover .The first one I purchased had the Blues Brothers on the front cover ($17 in AUS and that was 2008 I think) , that caught my attention, I would have probably mistaken the latest version as a bad cover for men's hair product and kept going . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Cigar Journal is miles away. It's not as good as was in the past but still million times better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 It's probably more of a nc issue, but without some kind of a guide how do you weed through the huge selection of nc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 When I first got into cigars I found it a useful resource. This was before I found all the cigar forums I currently browse, so it was my only source of info. It also helped me wade through the thousands of NC brands out there. These days I subscribe digitally to it as it's much cheaper and tend to only read the last quarter of the issue cause that's where the cigars are. If there is someone I'm interested in on the cover I find the articles about them to be in depth and well written, so it can be enjoyable. As to the top 25. I've tried a number of cigars from the top 25 over the years. Provided they are from a Brand I already enjoy but have yet to see rhyme or reason to thier ratings system. I know it's subjective so I don't worry too much about it. Most of the points awarded to a high rated cigar tend to come from things like appearance, construction and smoking experience. Only 25 of the 100 available points actually go to the cigars flavour. So a great looking, great smoking cigar that tastes like crap can still get a decent score. As I said, I'm not buying it as regularly as I used to but did subscribe digitally a whole ago cause it was cheap. I think it's fallen in to the trouble most print media currently has, there is so much more infromation available on the web for free rather than having to shell out $18 for a printed mag that may not contain anything I need to know. I still recommend it to newer cigar smokers though as I found it a good resource when I was still a newb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shlomo Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Magazine is fairly useless to smokers with any experience. Not much of interest in them at all. Occasionally they come out with a relevant article, like the Cuba issue, but the rest is pompous drivel. The site is pretty lousy as well, but it is free and they make zero profit from it, so they don't seem to care much. Very sad that what should be the single most important publication, web site and forum for cigars is such a massive failure on virtually every level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiquidGator Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 If you look around there are places where you can get it for free for one year. Got it for free about three years ago and still am getting it for free! That tells me they need to count me on their rolls for advertising dollars. Also, tells me they must be hurting a might. The ratings suck. Its good bathroom material. For free am not gonna complain, but I would never pay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 Just an observation, from the magazine July/August 2014, 77 cigars rated in six sizes, 3 of 6 are from Cuba. #1 Romeo Y Julieta Churchill (tubo) 94, #2 Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure Especial (tubo) 94, #4 Quai D'Orsay Belicoso Royal Exclusivo Francia 92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyfall Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 What's the observation? They smoked 1/3 of each of 3 cigars from Cuba and rated them? Any establishment that also puts a 9 in front of any number for a rating of the Monte Open should be immediately shut down, burnt to the ground and banished to a deserted island! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyfall Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 What's the observation? They smoked 1/3 of each of 3 cigars from Cuba and rated them? Any establishment that also puts a 9 in front of any number for a rating of the Monte Open should be immediately shut down, burnt to the ground and banished to a deserted island! Unless the rating system is based on the criteria of how much it tastes like the balled up paper that's stuffed inside a new pair of shoes inside a box . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soutso Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 They did once put Gina Gershon on their cover....hmmmmm Gina Gershon.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 What's the observation? They smoked 1/3 of each of 3 cigars from Cuba and rated them? Any establishment that also puts a 9 in front of any number for a rating of the Monte Open should be immediately shut down, burnt to the ground and banished to a deserted island! would you smoke more than a third if they taste like crap and if it was wonderful in a third would they get that much worse for the rest of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 further observation it was apparently a blind test of 77 cigars, in the top 8, 6 were Cuban. my observation is simply that it doesn't appear to be favoring non Cubans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now