Keeping Notes - Advice on a cigar journal


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So I'm relatively new to the CC world, but I have a bunch of boxes that I've purchased here over the course of this year.  All have been acclimating for at least 3 - 6 months, so now I want to start sampling and keeping track of how they develop.

My questions to those with more experience are:

1) How do you keep track of changes in a box? Do you use a notebook, binder, etc? Do you have a particular format you use? What information is important to note?

2) How do you handle sampling different marcas? I have a box of BBF, Monte 2 & 4, JL #1 & #2, PLPC, etc etc.  Do you use the same notebook and just leave extra pages for future sampling from each box?

Many thanks in advance for taking a minute to check out my questions!

Peace,

Tom :cigar:

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I’ll bet you could use a journal, sorting the Cigar, Factory Code, Date Code, when received all on the header of the page—then make an entry for each date tasted down the page.

I’d note some specific things each time—place, weather if outside, humidity kept at, cold aroma, cold draw, construction notes, draw, first third-last third noting taste-smell-draw-changes-strength. You can watch on one page the progression of the cigar, and also your progression as a taster.

Lastly, I found that state of mind mattered too.  If I was in a rush, stressed, annoyed, etc it impacted my cigar. 

Thats my .02!

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Guest Nekhyludov

I use an Excel spreadsheet for inventory, but a free blog for reviews. I got tired of searching for online tools or apps, only to have them removed, crash, or vanish altogether. I've set up the blog for my review notes only, but the tags could easily be used to track a box over time. 

https://cigaracquisitiondisorder.blogspot.com/

Or you could use OneNote. If I were starting from scratch, that's what I would do. It could easily be set up to track inventory, notes, pics, development over time, etc. 

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Cigar apps for your phone will help you. There is usually a form with the necessary parameters of the cigar, which you fill out when you bought the box. Then in the process Smoking, you can to do mark or write full-blown tasting. I use CigarRegister (iPhone only)

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Yes, users can contribute ratings to cigars based on Elegance, Balance, Strength, Complexity, Aftertaste and an Overall rating out of 5. Tasting notes specifying distinct flavours is also another facility of the database. As for other statistics such as year and factory code, you can put that into your own smoking diary notes, but that type of information is not currently collated.

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7 hours ago, nKostyan said:

That is intriguing... is there a database of information that users contribute? Can I see user statistics for a specific cigar (year, factory code, rating, appearance)?

It isn't a rating site so there are no reviews. It's Just a data base, but it is full of info and the collection and smoking diary are very good.

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13 minutes ago, joeypots said:

It isn't a rating site so there are no reviews. It's Just a data base, but it is full of info and the collection and smoking diary are very good.

I know this site and I often use it as an encyclopedia. Unfortunately this is something lacking in many diaries - rated cigars in the factories, shipments, years, etc. Some Cuban cigars are not popular because they were not tasty in years past, in fact there was just a bad harvest of tobacco and a bad mix. For example, in Russia Sancho Panza is not popular, because they brought a bad batch and then a few years these cigars were in the store, now no one wants to try new releases, because they remember the disgusting taste

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