Blind Tasting Protocol
Learn to run a blind cigar tasting that produces trustworthy results, including how to band-strip without damage, control variables, and score in a way that survives scrutiny.
Why blind at all
Knowledge of brand, price and reputation reliably shifts perception. This is not a character failing; it is how sensory judgment works. Blind tasting is the only practical way to find out whether you like a cigar or like the idea of it. It is also the only way to compare a fifteen dollar cigar against a fifty dollar one honestly. Run one properly and two things usually happen: some expensive favorites lose, and some cheap cigars you dismissed place well. Both outcomes are useful, and neither means the ranking is definitive after a single session.
Preparing the samples
Remove bands carefully. Warm the band gently, ideally with a few seconds of low heat or by working a thin blade under the seam, and slide it off; do not tear glued bands cold. Then sleeve each cigar in a neutral opaque band, plain paper or foil, cut to a uniform width, and code it with a number that only the organizer knows. Match the sizes as closely as possible, because ring gauge and length are immediately obvious and will identify a cigar. Match the wrapper shades where you can, or accept that color is a partial tell and note it. Store all samples together at the same RH for at least two weeks before the session.
Controlling the session
Same room, same ventilation, no strong ambient smells, no food cooking. Neutral lighting, or dim lighting if you want to suppress color cues. Same time of day across sessions. Every taster gets water and plain unsalted crackers or bread. Cap it at two cigars per person per session; three is already beyond the point where notes are reliable. Fifteen to twenty minutes between cigars minimum. No talking about impressions until everyone has finished and written their notes, because the first person to speak anchors the room. Have a designated organizer who does not taste, if you can afford one.
Scoring
The hundred-point scale used by magazines is familiar but compresses almost all real judgment into a band of about ten points, which makes it a poor tool for small panels. A better approach for a group is to score a handful of separate dimensions on a one to ten scale: construction, draw and burn, aroma, flavor complexity, balance, finish, and overall enjoyment. Keep overall enjoyment separate and do not compute it from the others, because a cigar can be technically excellent and unpleasant. Rank order the samples at the end as well as scoring them; ranks are more robust than absolute scores across different tasters.
Interpreting results without fooling yourself
One session with three tasters is an anecdote. Repeated sessions, with the same samples presented in different orders, start to be evidence. Watch for order effects, since the first cigar of a session is systematically advantaged by a fresh palate and the last is penalized. Watch for the loudest taster's influence. When you reveal identities at the end, record the reveal reactions too, because surprise is informative. And keep the raw sheets. The point of a blind protocol is not to crown a winner; it is to build a personal record that is not contaminated by what you expected to find.