Palm Shores, FL – We are just 5 days until the opening of the 86th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV. This will be the 5th IPCPR Trade Show that Stogie Press has attended and over those years, much has been learned and shared. One thing I learned is, numerical ratings are important to brand owners for their marketing, but the numbers have to be realistic and honest. I also learned that these ratings are followed by some but not all consumers. Essentially, it is a mixed bag. Now that we made the choice to go to a numerical rating system, there is no turning back so here it is….
Part 1 and part 2 of this article, defined the parameters we would use to rate review samples we receive or purchase. Today I will explain how the numbers will be arrived at in the new Stogie Press rating system.
Unicorns
OK, lets start with this. The proverbial unicorn, the cigar that is rated a 100. It is perfect in all ways and nothing is better than it. Do they exist? They may, but to get there with Stogie Press you must have a special cigar, so special that under the microscope there is not the slightest flaw and it will garner all extra bonus points. To do so, the cigar must be consistent from sample to sample. Of course, if only a single sample is offered, it will be impossible to ever score such a number as we can not check the consistency.
The Rating System (revised for 2020 and beyond)
Where we start
All review samples will start with a score of 94 prior to examination. As we examine the cigar both pre-light and burn, points may be deducted as we will explain below. If at the end of the journey minimal points (0 -2) were deducted then we go to bonus points, where we had multiple samples to review. The bonus points will add to the base 94 score and possibly increase it to a 95 and up.
5 thoughts on “Stogie Press Rating System Part 3 – The Numbers”
Allow this “Enthusiast” to complement you on a truly well thought out system for evaluating cigars and providing a reference point for consumers that are looking for a logical and consistently applied set of evaluation criteria to assist them in comparative decision making prior to purchase of a new cigar.
Thank you – we are trying our best to be open and transparent in all our reviews – thanks for reading Stogie Press
excellent fully detailed system , my compliments
Fouad
Hi nice rating system but when u recieve the cigars are the labels covered ? What I mean by that isn’t a judgement being made right off the off the get go on brand .One big major challenge is judging blindly without any prexpectation. Your thoughts.
Thank you
A good idea but no i have not dome that..but the thought is interesting. I am not biased by the brand but this could be an interesting twist. Basically take the bands off mark with a simple white band with a unique number and then review the cigar and then after look up what I reviewed
Allow this “Enthusiast” to complement you on a truly well thought out system for evaluating cigars and providing a reference point for consumers that are looking for a logical and consistently applied set of evaluation criteria to assist them in comparative decision making prior to purchase of a new cigar.
Thank you – we are trying our best to be open and transparent in all our reviews – thanks for reading Stogie Press
excellent fully detailed system , my compliments
Fouad
Hi nice rating system but when u recieve the cigars are the labels covered ? What I mean by that isn’t a judgement being made right off the off the get go on brand .One big major challenge is judging blindly without any prexpectation. Your thoughts.
Thank you
A good idea but no i have not dome that..but the thought is interesting. I am not biased by the brand but this could be an interesting twist. Basically take the bands off mark with a simple white band with a unique number and then review the cigar and then after look up what I reviewed