In cigar smoking, as in almost every field, there are experts. Cigar Aficionado, one of the most well-known cigar magazines, is also one of the most trusted when it comes to cigar ratings. When they give a cigar a high rating — a 90 or higher qualifies as "high", though of course a cigar need not get a 90 to be enjoyable and worth smoking — that cigar will almost certainly become sought-after, and may even rise in price as a result of the increased demand and resultant scarcity.

The review process employed by Cigar Aficionado is designed to be as objective and as helpful as possible. The cigars are generally bought under normal retail circumstances, to closely simulate the experience of the average cigar consumer. Each cigar to be reviewed is given a number. The band is removed so that the cigar's brand will not be known to the reviewers, who are told nothing about cigar — no price, no maker, no country of origin. This prevents their judgments from being influenced by external factors. Each reviewer smokes the cigar privately and, without consulting the others, assigns the cigar a certain number of points in each of four categories.

Cigar appearance and construction is the first category. This is mainly an aesthetic concern but can be important to the overall smoking experience. Reviewers will look at the quality of the wrapper, the firmness of the cigar, whether it is moist or dry, and whether it looks, in general, appetizing. A maximum of 15 points is possible.

Flavor is the next category, and one of the most important. Like a good wine, the best cigars should have a taste, and an aftertaste, that is rich and complex, but also smooth and not overbearing or overly bitter. Naturally, cigar taste is partially a matter of preference, but a good reviewer is able to distinguish between his personal preferences and the objective quality of a cigar. A maximum of 25 points is possible.

The third category is smoking characteristics. This category has to do with several things: how well the cigar burns, whether it's difficult to light, whether it has a good draw, how the smoke feels on your mouth. A maximum of 25 points is possible.

Finally, there the cigar reviewer's overall impression is considered. This category includes, to some extent, the other three, but allows for a judgment on the less quantifiable aspects of the cigar — its overall desirability. This category has a maximum of 35 points.

Cigar ratings are a helpful gauge, especially for the inexperienced smoker, and they can also help to form your individual taste in cigars, and help you know what to look for in a high-quality cigar. In the end, though, the best judge of a cigar's quality is you: the point is to get something that you are going to enjoy.