What makes a cigar the right cigar for you?

A famous name can make you curious. An award can give you a reason to try it. A friend can offer a recommendation. But understanding your own preferences begins with paying attention to what you actually enjoy.

That is the purpose of the Ashology Cigar Bracket Challenge, powered by CigarOfTheYear.com.

Two cigars. One comparison. What will you learn about your palate?

The Bracket Is the Beginning

The Connecticut challenge brings 16 cigars into head-to-head competition at participating stores. You smoke the contenders, complete their Ashology™ palate tests and choose your favorite in each matchup. Verified participant votes determine which cigar advances.

Following the bracket makes it fun. Each comparison gives you an opportunity to learn something about yourself.

You might discover that you enjoy a gentler cigar more than you expected. You might find that a bold cigar appeals to you when its flavor and strength work together. Or you might realize that a comfortable draw and consistent burn matter to you as much as the flavor.

Your choices begin to tell your story.

I’ll Be Following Along With You

As the Master Ashologist, I’ll introduce the matchups, explain the qualities worth noticing and share observations that can help you make your own comparisons.

Start with a few simple questions:

  • How comfortably does each cigar draw?
  • How does its flavor change as you smoke?
  • Does its strength feel enjoyable to you?
  • Which cigar holds your interest through the middle and into the finish?
  • Which would you choose to smoke again—and why?

You do not need to identify every flavor or describe a cigar like a professional reviewer. “I liked this one more because it felt smoother, stayed interesting and finished well” is a useful observation.

The goal is to become more confident in your own judgment.

Your Choice Can Be Different From Mine

Two people can smoke the same cigars and choose different favorites.

One may enjoy pepper and intensity. Another may prefer a softer, creamier experience. Someone else may value a clean finish above everything.

If you enjoyed a cigar more, that should be your choice—even when the Master Ashologist or everyone at your table chooses the other one.

Listen to other people’s impressions, but record your own. You may notice something they missed. They may help you recognize something you had trouble describing. Neither requires you to change your preference.

Look for Patterns as You Play

One matchup gives you a preference. Several matchups can help you understand it.

Are you repeatedly choosing similar flavor profiles? Do you favor cigars that develop gradually? Does a stronger cigar become more enjoyable when you slow down? Are your favorites the ones you would happily buy again?

The palate tests give you a record to look back on. Over time, that record can help you explain what you like to your retailer and choose your next cigar with more confidence.

Enjoy the Competition. Keep the Discovery.

There will be winners, close matchups and choices that surprise you. Your favorite may advance—or it may leave the bracket early.

Either way, you have learned something useful.

The Connecticut champion will reflect the combined choices of participating smokers. Your own results will help you discover what belongs in your humidor.

Visit CigarBracket.com for official rules, participating-store information and program details. Follow Ashologist.com for palate education and Master Ashologist matchup previews.

Follow the bracket. Trust your palate. Discover what you enjoy.