What's most important when rating a cigar?

[Brooks W]

1. Flavor
2. Flavor
3. Flavor
4. Flavor
5. Construction (Draw)

It is all about flavor with me...

Quote from my site (about how I rate cigars):

"The way I rate cigars is simple.

It is all about the taste.

While appearance, smoke quality, ash color and other physical aspects of a cigar are important (and I will comment on them, sometimes to distraction), I judge cigars by flavor, and flavor only. As far as I am concerned, while the other factors are something to comment on, I have seen butt ass ugly sticks smoke like a dream, and I have seen some of the most gorgeous looking sticks on the planet taste like a dog turd left out in the sun.

Having said that, the Draw and Burn of a cigar are definitely something that is going to effect a review, since the draw of a cigar will effect the TASTE of the cigar (ie, if it is not drawing well, you are not getting all of the flavors that could be present in the smoke)...

~brooks