How VDG Cigars Reviews a Cigar — The Full Methodology Explained

There are thousands of cigar reviews published every year. Most of them follow the same formula. Someone lights up, jots down a few flavor words that sound impressive, assigns a score somewhere in the 88 to 93 range, and moves on to the next stick. The format has become so predictable that it has stopped meaning anything. Readers are left with a number and a handful of tasting notes that could have been written by anyone about almost any cigar.

I built VDG Cigars because I believed that approach was doing a disservice to the reader — and to the craft itself.

Premium cigars are not fast food. They are the result of years of agricultural knowledge, months of careful fermentation, weeks of skilled rolling, and in many cases decades of blending expertise passed down through generations. The people who make these cigars invest enormous care into every step of the process. The least a reviewer can do is meet that standard with an equally serious approach on the other end. If you are new to the world of premium cigars and want to understand the fundamentals before diving into reviews, our Complete Cigar Guide is the best place to start.

That is what we do at vdg-cigars.com. Every review is built on the same structured methodology, evaluated across the same categories, and written with one purpose in mind: to give you information you can actually use. Not to inflate scores to keep brands happy. Not to rush through a cigar just to publish content. And never to invent flavor notes that were not actually there.

This post explains exactly how every cigar review at VDG Cigars is conducted — category by category, step by step. If you have ever wondered what separates a serious cigar review from a casual opinion, this is the answer.

Who Is Behind the Reviews

Before explaining the methodology, it is worth being transparent about who is applying it — because a methodology is only as good as the person executing it.

My name is Peter. I have been smoking premium cigars for over ten years. Palate development is not something that happens quickly. It is built through repetition, through deliberate attention, through smoking widely and thinking carefully about what you are experiencing. That is what the last decade has been.

I am a certified cigar sommelier — a credential that represents a structured commitment to understanding tobacco at a level that goes beyond casual enthusiasm. It sharpened the tools I already had and gave me a formal framework for judgments I had been making by instinct for years.

The certification is a small part of the picture. What actually drives this publication is interest, curiosity, and a commitment to never stop learning. Tobacco is a subject that rewards research — the deeper you go, the more there is to discover. Every new cigar is a reason to ask questions. Every unfamiliar origin, every blend you have not encountered before, every flavor note that does not fit neatly into what you already know — these are opportunities, not obstacles. I read, I research, I smoke with intention, and I pay attention to what the cigar is telling me. I believe the moment you think you already know enough is the moment your palate stops developing and your reviews stop being worth reading. The goal is always to be better today than yesterday, and better tomorrow than today. That mindset is behind every review on this site.

I have also had the opportunity to sit down with some of the most respected names in the premium cigar world for exclusive interviews — brands like Escobar Cigars, El Septimo, and Stallone Cigars. Those conversations gave me a perspective on how premium cigars are actually conceived, crafted, and brought to market that most reviewers simply do not have access to. When I assess construction quality or comment on fermentation, I am drawing on knowledge that comes from both years of hands-on smoking experience and direct access to the people and processes behind the product. That context changes how you see a cigar. It makes you a more precise evaluator and a more informed critic.

VDG Cigars — which stands for Vision, Destiny, Greatness — was built on a simple but firm conviction: that cigar smokers deserve honest, knowledgeable, and genuinely detailed reviews. Not marketing copy dressed up as editorial. Not scores inflated to maintain brand relationships. Not flavor notes invented to fill space. Just the truth about what is in the box, told by someone with the experience and the framework to know the difference.

The readership of VDG Cigars is international — predominantly American, but drawn from across the world — and it spans every level of experience from newcomers still exploring their first premium cigars to seasoned aficionados with decades of smoking and a humidor full of age-worthy sticks. Writing for that range of readers means being clear enough for the beginner without being condescending to the expert. It means explaining what body means without assuming everyone already knows the difference between body and strength. And it means giving the experienced smoker the technical depth they are looking for without burying the casual reader in jargon.

Every review published at vdg-cigars.com is written with your time, money, and experience in mind. Premium cigars are not cheap. A box of quality sticks represents a real investment. Making the wrong choice at the humidor — buying a cigar that does not suit your palate, your experience level, or your expectations — is a frustrating and avoidable experience. Our job is to give you enough honest, detailed information that you can make the right call before you spend a dollar. That is the reader commitment behind every review we publish.

Why a Consistent Methodology Matters

One of the most common problems with cigar reviewing is inconsistency. A reviewer might be meticulous on a Tuesday and casual on a Friday. They might give a full assessment of construction one week and barely mention it the next. Without a consistent framework, the reviews become impossible to compare — and comparison is one of the most valuable things a reader can do when navigating unfamiliar territory.

At VDG Cigars, every review follows the same ten-category structure, evaluated in the same order, every single time. That consistency is intentional. It means that when you read a VDG review of a robusto from a boutique Honduran producer and then read our review of a Churchill from a well-established Dominican house, you are comparing like with like. The same standards. The same depth. The same honesty.

It also means the score at the end of a review is not an arbitrary feeling — it is the product of a structured evaluation process that you can follow yourself, category by category. If you disagree with the conclusion, you can trace exactly where and why. That transparency is something we take seriously.

This is the framework.

Construction

Before anything else is assessed, the cigar is examined as a physical object. This happens before the cut, before the light, and before any other evaluation begins. Construction is the foundation of everything that follows.

I start with the wrapper. The wrapper leaf is the outermost layer of the cigar and the one that makes the first visual impression. I look at its color — is it consistent across the whole stick, or are there patches of uneven shade? I check the texture — does it feel smooth and silky, or rough and papery? I assess its oiliness, which is often an indicator of how the leaf was aged and fermented. An oily wrapper is generally a positive sign. Visible veins are noted — a few fine veins are normal, but prominent, thick veins running down the body can affect the burn.

I then feel the entire length of the cigar with my fingers. I am checking for soft spots, which suggest gaps or uneven distribution of filler tobacco inside. I am also checking for hard lumps or tight areas that could restrict draw. A cigar that has construction problems before it is even lit has a significant disadvantage going into the review. It may still surprise, but the odds are not in its favor.

The cap work is examined closely. The cap — the small piece of wrapper leaf applied to the head of the cigar to seal it — should be clean, evenly applied, and clearly defined. A poorly applied cap can unravel during smoking, which is both frustrating and damaging to the experience. On figurados and other shaped cigars, the taper of the head is assessed for evenness and craftsmanship.

A well-constructed cigar is not just visually satisfying. It is a functional promise. Flawless construction signals that the blender’s intentions will be delivered as intended — that the draw will perform, that the burn will be even, and that the flavors will develop as designed. Poor construction, even on an otherwise strong blend, introduces variables that compromise the entire experience. This is why construction is evaluated first. Everything else depends on it.

Scent and Cold Draw

Before the cut, I smell the cigar — specifically the foot, the body of the wrapper, and the cap. This step is one that many casual reviewers skip entirely. At VDG Cigars, it is mandatory, and not for the reason you might think.

I am not smelling the cigar to preview its flavor profile. The primary thing I am looking for at this stage is fermentation. Specifically, I am checking for any trace of ammonia. If an ammonia smell is present — particularly at the foot, where the filler tobacco is most exposed — it is a clear and direct signal that the tobacco has not been fully fermented.

This matters enormously. Fermentation is one of the most critical processes in the production of premium tobacco. During fermentation, the raw, harsh compounds in green tobacco leaf are broken down. The complex flavor compounds that make a great cigar possible are developed. When fermentation is incomplete, those harsh compounds remain. The cigar will burn hot, taste acrid, and deliver a fundamentally unpleasant smoking experience that no amount of blending skill can fix. The leaf simply has not been ready.

Detecting ammonia before the light is one of the most valuable quality checks in the pre-smoke evaluation. It is a tool that comes from training and experience — you need to have smelled it enough times to recognize it reliably. After more than a decade of smoking and serious study of the craft, it is something I assess on every cigar before the review begins.

Once the cap is cut, the cold draw is evaluated separately. The cold draw is a mechanical assessment, not a flavor preview. What I am testing here is draw resistance — whether the cigar will deliver the smoking experience it promises before any combustion takes place. The draw should feel open but not loose. There should be just enough tension to suggest a well-packed, properly constructed roll. A draw that is too tight suggests a packing or construction problem that is likely to cause difficulty throughout the smoke. A draw that is completely unrestricted suggests the cigar may be under-filled and will burn too hot and fast.

Band Impression

The band is part of the cigar’s identity. I look at the design and artwork, and what it communicates about the brand. It is a first impression — a signal of how seriously the maker takes the full experience from leaf to presentation.

I also note whether the band is positioned cleanly and whether it removes easily later in the smoke without damaging the wrapper. A band that tears the leaf when removed is a small but avoidable detail that reflects on the overall quality of the product.

The Thirds

The smoke is assessed in three distinct sections. Each third is treated as its own chapter in the cigar’s story, because that is exactly what it is. Premium cigars are designed to evolve over the course of the smoke. A great cigar is not the same from the first draw to the last. Understanding how it changes — and whether those changes are intentional and well-executed — is central to the review.

The First Third

The first third is where the blend introduces itself. The cigar is lit with patience — a rushed light is one of the most common causes of an uneven burn, and an uneven burn introduces variables that compromise the review. I toast the foot slowly and evenly before drawing, making sure combustion is established across the entire surface before the first real pull.

Once lit, the first draws establish the dominant flavors and the initial character of the blend. The retrohale is especially important in the first third. Most of a cigar’s flavor complexity is detected through the nasal passage, not the palate. Retrohaling — exhaling a small amount of smoke gently through the nose — activates the olfactory receptors that your taste buds simply cannot reach. A reviewer who does not retrohale is working with an incomplete picture of the cigar’s flavor profile. At VDG Cigars, every review includes retrohale observations throughout all three thirds.

In the first third I am noting what is leading — flavors like pepper, sweetness, earth, cream, or wood, to name just a few possibilities — and whether the profile opens up quickly or takes time to settle. Some cigars front-load their most impressive notes and then plateau. Others start simply and build. Both are valid approaches, but knowing which one you are dealing with is essential for the reader.

The Second Third

The second third is where great cigars separate themselves from average ones. This is where complexity develops, where supporting flavors emerge, and where the transitions happen that define a well-designed blend.

A one-dimensional cigar reveals itself here. If the dominant flavor of the first third simply continues without development, without new layers arriving, without any shift in character — the blend has run out of things to say. That is a legitimate criticism and it belongs in the review. This is also one of the key differences between a boutique cigar and a mass-market one — if you want to understand why, our post on boutique vs mass-market cigars goes into that in depth.

A great cigar, by contrast, uses the second third to introduce notes that were only hinted at earlier. A pepper that dominated the first third might soften and retreat, allowing something like leather, cedar, or dark chocolate to come forward. A cream note emerges that was not present before. These are just examples — every cigar tells its own story — but they illustrate the kind of transitions that reward the patient smoker and justify the investment in a premium cigar over a machine-made alternative.

I document every shift in flavor I detect through the second third.

The Final Third

By this stage of the smoke, heat has been building for an extended period. Tar and oils from the tobacco accumulate in the final inch, and the character of the blend shifts once more. Every third has its own charm — the first introduces, the second develops, and the final third is where flavor complexity and development take their last turn. Some cigars save their most concentrated, intense notes for the end. Others mellow and soften into something more rounded. Both can be exceptional in their own way.

I smoke every cigar to within a finger’s width of the end. Stopping at the band means missing that final chapter of flavor development entirely. I note how the profile has evolved, whether new nuances have emerged, and whether the complexity has held, deepened, or faded.

Uniqueness

Once the full cigar has been smoked, I ask one final question about the thirds as a whole: did this cigar have something unique to say?

This is a qualitative judgment that goes beyond flavor notes and construction scores. Some cigars are technically well-made and competently flavored but ultimately forgettable — pleasant to smoke but indistinct from dozens of other well-made cigars in the same price range. Others have a character that is genuinely their own. A flavor combination that you have not encountered before. A progression through the thirds that is surprising in the best possible way. A finish that lingers in your memory long after the cigar is done.

When a cigar has that quality — when it stands out from the crowd rather than blending into it — that observation is in the review. And when a cigar is technically solid but does not offer anything that distinguishes it from the competition, that is noted with equal honesty. Both pieces of information are useful to you as a reader.

Draw

Draw is evaluated throughout the entire smoke, not just during the cold draw assessment before the light. This distinction matters because a cigar’s draw can change significantly as it heats. A cigar that draws well cold can tighten as the tobacco swells with heat. Conversely, a draw that felt slightly firm before the light can open up beautifully once combustion is established.

What I am looking for throughout the smoke is consistency. The draw should feel the same in the second third as it did in the first. It should require the same level of effort, deliver the same volume of smoke, and perform without requiring any compensation from the smoker — no pulling harder, no slowing down to let it recover.

The ideal draw has a specific character to it. There is enough resistance to feel substantial — you know you are drawing on something with density and quality. But it is open enough that full smoke volume arrives effortlessly. A draw that is too tight — plugged — restricts airflow and forces you to work hard for every pull. A draw that is too open delivers too large a stream of smoke and heat, burning the cigar too fast and too hot. This balance is one of the things that separates a well-rolled premium cigar from everything else.

A problematic draw affects everything downstream. If you are working too hard to get smoke, you are pulling more heat through the cigar, which accelerates the burn and concentrates harsh compounds. Flavor delivery suffers. Burn consistency suffers. The overall smoking pleasure suffers. Any draw issues encountered during the review are described precisely — where they occurred, how severe they were, whether they resolved — and factored into the final score.

Burn Quality

The burn line is one of the most reliable indicators of construction quality and proper humidification, and I monitor it from the moment the cigar is lit to the final inch of the smoke.

A straight, even burn — where the ash advances at the same rate all the way around the circumference of the cigar — is what you are hoping to see. It means the tobacco was packed evenly, that the wrapper is burning at the same rate as the filler and binder beneath it, and that the cigar was stored at the right humidity level before it reached you. An even burn is a sign of a cigar that has been made with care and handled with knowledge.

Burn problems come in several forms. A wave burn wanders slightly to one side and then corrects, sometimes on its own and sometimes requiring a touch-up. A run is more serious — one section of the wrapper advancing significantly faster than the rest, creating an uneven front that can cause the cigar to go out on one side or deliver uneven smoke. Canoeing is the most dramatic burn failure, where one side burns dramatically faster than the other, tunneling into the filler and destroying the structural integrity of the cigar.

I note every burn correction that the cigar requires — how many touch-ups were needed, where they occurred, and whether the cigar self-corrected after each one. Up to three or four corrections over the course of a long smoke is within acceptable range. Beyond that, it becomes a real problem that belongs prominently in the review.

Burn quality and construction are inseparably linked. You cannot have consistent burn quality without well-executed construction. When a cigar burns beautifully from foot to nub, it reflects skill at every stage of its production — from the farmer who grew the leaf, to the person who packed the filler, to the roller who applied the wrapper. When it does not, the review tells you exactly what happened and where. And if you have ever wondered whether it is worth relighting a cigar that has gone out mid-smoke, we cover that in full in our post on relighting a cigar.

Aftertaste

I note what the cigar leaves behind on the palate once the smoke is done — whether the finish is clean and pleasant, or harsh and lingering in a way that detracts from the overall experience. Aftertaste is a minor category in the overall score, but it rounds out the picture of how the cigar closes and gives a final data point about the quality of the tobacco and fermentation.

Smoke Time

Smoke time is recorded from the moment the cigar is lit to the moment it is finished. It is a simple data point on the surface, but it contains a great deal of information when you know how to read it.

The most obvious use of smoke time is practical. It tells you what kind of session a cigar is suited for. A forty-five-minute smoke fits comfortably into a lunch break or a brief evening window. A ninety-minute smoke demands the kind of unhurried time that not every occasion provides. Knowing this before you reach for a cigar is genuinely useful, and it is information that belongs in every review.

But smoke time tells you much more than that. It is a window into the tobacco itself — the density of the leaf, the quality of the filler blend, and how the cigar was constructed. High-quality, well-aged, properly fermented tobacco tends to burn slowly and evenly. The leaf is dense, the oils are concentrated, and combustion proceeds at a measured pace. Lighter tobacco — less developed, less aged, less complex — tends to burn faster and less consistently.

What I find particularly revealing is when a cigar defies what its size would suggest. A robusto is a standard-size cigar, typically 4.5 to 5 inches with a ring gauge around 50. Conventional expectations put a robusto somewhere in the 45 to 60 minute range. When a robusto smokes for an hour and forty-five minutes — without draw problems, without an excessively tight pack — that is a quality signal. The tobacco inside is dense, likely well-fermented, and selected with intention. That does not happen accidentally.

The reverse is equally informative. A robusto that is finished in thirty minutes was almost certainly rolled too loose, or packed with tobacco that was insufficiently aged. Smoke time is always recorded at VDG Cigars, and when a cigar surprises in either direction, that observation is explained in the review.

Body

Body refers to the overall weight and fullness of the smoke on the palate. It is the physical sensation of the smoke itself — how substantial it feels in the mouth, how it fills the palate, how dense and present it is as an experience. This is entirely separate from strength, which is about nicotine content, and separate from flavor complexity, which is about how many distinct flavor notes a cigar offers.

The difference matters enormously in practice. A cigar can be full-bodied — delivering a rich, dense, heavy smoke — while being relatively mild in terms of nicotine. Certain Connecticut shade-wrapped cigars offer exactly this: a creamy, substantial smoke that fills the palate beautifully without delivering the kind of nicotine hit that would overwhelm a newer smoker. Conversely, some Nicaraguan puros can be high in nicotine while offering a surprisingly thin, sharp smoke on the palate — strong, but not full-bodied.

At VDG Cigars, body is assessed and communicated clearly because it is one of the most useful pieces of information for a reader deciding whether a cigar is right for them. Someone newer to premium cigars who reads that a cigar is full-bodied needs to know that this refers to the weight of the smoke, not just its nicotine content. An experienced smoker looking for a substantial, palate-filling experience in a mild-strength cigar needs to know that body and strength are not the same thing.

I describe body in clear, practical terms — light, light to medium, medium, medium to full, full — and I explain what that means for the specific cigar in the context of the review.

Conclusion

The conclusion is where every category comes together. This is where I weigh everything the smoke delivered — construction, flavor development through the thirds, draw, burn, body, and overall experience — against each other and against the price of the cigar.

The comparison of price versus flavor versus quality is the core of the conclusion. A cigar can be technically well-made and genuinely flavorful, but if the price point is significantly out of proportion to what it delivers, that belongs in the verdict. Plenty of excellent cigars are available at accessible price points. Plenty of expensive cigars do not justify what they cost. The reader deserves to know which situation they are dealing with.

The reverse is equally important to recognize. When a cigar overdelivers relative to its price — when you are getting construction, complexity, and smoking pleasure that would normally cost significantly more — that is one of the most valuable findings a review can produce. Those cigars represent genuine value in a market where price and quality do not always correlate the way they should.

The conclusion also identifies who the cigar is best suited for — beginner, intermediate, or experienced smoker. Some cigars are genuinely accessible to newer smokers: approachable body, uncomplicated but pleasant flavors. Others require an experienced palate to fully appreciate. Telling you which category a cigar falls into is one of the most direct services a review can provide.

Why We Review the Way We Do

Everything described above comes back to a single commitment: the reader’s time, money, and experience matter.

A premium cigar is not an impulse purchase. It is a considered choice made from a position of trust — trust that the review you read was conducted honestly, by someone with the knowledge to evaluate it properly, using a process rigorous enough to produce reliable results. When you read a review at vdg-cigars.com, that trust is what we are working to earn and maintain with every single post.

We have no brand allegiances. When a cigar is sent for review and it underperforms, the review reflects that honestly and specifically. When a cigar from a lesser-known producer outperforms far more established competition, that story gets told with the same clarity. The score a cigar receives at VDG Cigars is determined by how it performed across the ten review categories — not by who made it, not by how much advertising the brand buys, and not by what the prevailing consensus says it should score. That independence is not something we take lightly. It is the foundation of everything this publication stands for.

We also believe that a great cigar review should make you a better smoker, not just a better consumer. When you understand why construction matters — what a soft spot in the roll actually means for what you are about to experience — you start noticing it yourself. When you understand the difference between body and strength, you start describing your own experiences more accurately. When you know what ammonia in the pre-light scent signals, you have a quality check you can apply at the humidor before you ever buy. The educational dimension of a thorough review is not separate from its consumer utility — it is what gives the review its lasting value.

The cigar world is a rich and endlessly fascinating one. There are thousands of blends available at any given moment, across dozens of countries of origin, at every price point from accessible to extraordinary. Navigating that world intelligently — finding the cigars that are genuinely worth your time and your money, avoiding the ones that are trading on reputation or packaging rather than what is inside the wrapper — requires reliable information from sources you can trust.

We also care deeply about the community of people who smoke premium cigars. Whether you are three months into your journey with premium tobacco or thirty years in, whether you smoke once a month or once a day, whether you are building your first humidor or managing a collection that runs into the hundreds — this publication is for you. The methodology is rigorous because you deserve rigor. The reviews are honest because your money deserves honesty. And every post is written with care because the craft of the premium cigar deserves to be taken seriously by the people who cover it.

That is the standard we hold ourselves to. It always has been. And it will continue to be the foundation of everything published at vdg-cigars.com, regardless of what cigar is on the table.

The craft of the premium cigar deserves serious attention. So do the people who smoke them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does VDG Cigars look for when reviewing a cigar?

Every VDG Cigars review evaluates ten categories: construction, scent and cold draw, band impression, the three thirds (first, second, and final), draw, burn quality, aftertaste, smoke time, and body. The conclusion weighs all of these against the price of the cigar to give an honest assessment of value.

Why do you check for ammonia before lighting a cigar?

Ammonia in the scent of a cigar — particularly at the foot — is a sign that the tobacco has not been fully fermented. Underfermented tobacco burns harsh and delivers an unpleasant experience. Checking for ammonia before the light is one of the most reliable quality checks you can perform before smoking.

What is the difference between cigar body and cigar strength?

Strength refers to the nicotine content of a cigar — how much of a head effect it delivers. Body refers to the physical weight and fullness of the smoke on the palate — how substantial and dense it feels in the mouth. A cigar can be full-bodied but mild in strength, or strong in nicotine but thin on the palate. They are two separate dimensions.

What does smoke time tell you about a cigar?

Smoke time is an indicator of tobacco quality and construction. High-quality, well-aged, properly fermented tobacco tends to burn slowly and evenly. A robusto that smokes significantly longer than expected signals dense, well-selected leaf. A cigar that burns out too quickly was likely rolled too loose or packed with insufficiently aged tobacco.

How many burn corrections is too many for a cigar?

Up to three or four touch-ups over the course of a long smoke is within acceptable range. Beyond that, the burn issue becomes a meaningful problem that reflects poorly on the construction or storage of the cigar and is noted in the review.

What does the cold draw test tell you?

The cold draw — taken before the cigar is lit — is a mechanical check of draw resistance. It tells you whether the cigar has been rolled with the right density and whether you are likely to have draw problems during the smoke. It is not a flavor preview.

How does VDG Cigars assess value in a cigar review?

The conclusion of every VDG review compares price versus flavor versus quality. A cigar that is well-made and complex but overpriced for what it delivers will be noted as such. A cigar that punches above its price point with exceptional construction and flavor will be equally recognized. Value is always assessed honestly.

Why does VDG Cigars smoke every cigar to the end?

Every third of a cigar tells a different part of the story — flavor complexity develops and changes throughout the smoke. Stopping early means missing how the final third evolves, whether the blend holds its quality, and whether unique or unexpected notes emerge in the closing chapter. A complete review requires smoking the cigar completely.