Comments on: Does Cigar Aficionado Truly Represent Today’s Cigar Smoker?

By: JackR

JackR — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:13:33 +0000

Much ado about nothing!
I subscribe to “Cigar Magazine”, “Smoke”, “European Cigar Journal” and “Cigar Aficionado”. And I thoroughly enjoy all of them! Each has its own personality, and that suits me fine. Every one of them provides me useful and enjoyable information of one sort or another.
I am much more concerned that all of us who enjoy good cigars are so busy taking potshots at each other that we will become fragmented, and the nanny state mentality will be able to divide-and-conquer us. I don’t drive a Lamborghini, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to. And if I run across someone who is fortunate enough to do so, I’d love to talk about it over a couple good sticks in the comfy lounge in my local B&M.

By: Sean T

Sean T — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Walk into any veterans post & you’ll find a good amount of cigar smokers. Being that they are a “Members Only” association it’s still a safe haven to enjoy a cigar.

By: Tom Martin

Tom Martin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:59:11 +0000

My comment on Social Cigar:
I canceled my subscription long ago. The ratings are suspect. For all the cigar smokers I have met over the years, cA does not represent them nor does it represent me.
I don’t begrudge people who can afford these expensive luxuries as long as they don’t flaunt it. I enjoy being a friend. Riches or lack thereof mean nothing to me.

By: Adam Snider

Adam Snider — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:50:13 +0000

I think concerns that CA’s reviews can be bought are unfounded. Selling good reviews to the highest bidder is simply not in CA’s best interest.

While it would provide them with a short-term financial gain, in the longer term it would only hurt them. Word would inevitably get out, and people would cease to trust CA reviews.

Lost trust equals lost sales, so ultimately, giving good reviews to companies who spend the most money on ads, or even outright buy a good review, would not be in the long-term best interests of CA.

Of course, I suppose anything is possible, so who knows what is and isn’t true.

By: PabloCruze

PabloCruze — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:30:59 +0000

I’m not sure if cA “represent’s” today’s cigar smoker,but it sure as hell influences today’s cigar smoker. To many people take the cA reviews as gospel rather then a guide line. Working at a B&M I’ve seen it to many times. A cigar may be selling fairly well,and be nothing more then an average cigar, but if it gets a 95 in cA you can no longer keep it on the shelf. Now if one publication holds that kind of influence, you can’t tell me that the scores are all straight and fair. I’m just not buying it.

By: Matt Caruso (The Daily Doormatt)

Matt Caruso (The Daily Doormatt) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:52:11 +0000

I think Cigar Aficionado serves a purpose by helping the “sell side” or the cigar industry. They give the companies a mainstream vehicle for them to sell their product. What has been missing from the equation was the “buy side” where store owners and customers can sort out the good from the not as good.

The thing is, Cigar Aficionado needs to sell as space. The cigar boom of the 90′s did many things and in respect to CA, it gave high-end products a new avenue. We are now, and have been for a few years, at a time when marketing budgets for cigar companies aren’t as they once were. So in order to fill the vaccuum in the magazine, ads are more focused on other items. Watches, automobiles, etc.

Bloggers and new media now are even greater stakeholders in the equation. They can be as influential as a high CA rating and they can serve as a cheaper advertising alternative (for those who sell their ad space).

By: mark j weinberg

mark j weinberg — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:09:55 +0000

I’ve been hearing a lot about CIGARPRESS Magazine but have been unable to find it in my regular NYX cigar store haunts. If anyone has a copy they would like to part with I’d be happy to pay the postage and forward a tasty stick form my humidor

Thanks

mark

By: BenArmato

BenArmato — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:02:43 +0000

If you noticed over the years the thickness of CA has dwindled a bit as it’s ad rates have skyrocketed. I think is serves a distinct sect, but perhaps not your mainstream smoker. For the novice it’s a source catalog of what the “hip” people are smoking (Do we even use the word “hip” anymore?).

Cigar Press is a small, recent magazine that I came across at the IPCPR show. I think this may be the next “big” magazine as it is geared toward this and the next generation. It’s worth a read or perhaps a review here.

By: Kevin D. Korenthal

Kevin D. Korenthal — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:16:25 +0000

nickey187

I think the problem you have with CA is not with CA at all but rather the mindset of most cigar smokers. I am not sure if you are willing to accept the fact that liberals (not conservatives) are responsible for the smoking laws that are making it increasingly difficult and unnecessarily expensive to smoke cigars. The fact of the matter is that cigar smokers tend to be small government type people, Rush being an example of that. It is certainly not CA’s fault.

By: ironmeden

ironmeden — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:35:29 +0000

I blogged out this a few years ago. My subscription was coming due and as I read through the magazine, nothing in the articles spoke to me. As others said, who can afford the watches, cars, vacations settings that they advertise. I found I was only going to the back of the magazine to read the reviews. And even the reviews I couldn’t relate to since half of them were from Cuba, but I could give that a pass since it is a international magazine. What really annoyed me was the Kurt Russell cover where he was promoting his new movie and halfway through the article he said he didn’t even smoke cigars…come on!

I found Smoke and Cigar magazine were more my style, articles relating to the B&M stores and stories about the cigar manufacturers.

If someone wants honest reviews about cigars and the lifestyle of cigar smokers, the online community has truly filled the void that CA has left behind.

As for right wing conservatism in the magazine, the right wing is the only establishment at times trying to save us from higher taxes. I’m all for anyone getting the word out regarding the people (mostly left wing) trying to tax us out of enjoying our hobby. They can kiss ass to who ever is promoting cigar smoking.