ASHOLOGY™
The Study of Great Cigars.
Ashology™ is the official evaluation methodology developed by CigarOfTheYear.com to identify, evaluate, recognize, and celebrate the world's finest premium cigars through structured competition and comprehensive performance analysis.
What Is Ashology™?
Ashology™ is a comprehensive evaluation system that combines craftsmanship, smoking performance, statistical analysis, tournament competition, and editorial review to identify the world's finest premium cigars. Every cigar advances solely on its performance throughout the championship.
Our Philosophy
Every cigar is judged on its own merits — free from branding influence and marketing bias.
The Six Pillars of Ashology™
Every Official Field cigar is evaluated across six equal categories — each worth up to 5 points — forming the foundation of the Ashology™ Score.
Construction
Evaluates craftsmanship, wrapper application, cap quality, bunching, firmness, and overall construction.
Draw
Measures airflow, resistance, consistency, and smoking comfort.
Burn
Evaluates combustion, burn line, ash integrity, and burn consistency.
Flavor Complexity
Measures richness, transitions, depth, and flavor development throughout the smoke.
Balance
Evaluates how well strength, body, aroma, and flavor work together.
Finish
Measures the lasting impression, smoothness, and satisfaction after each draw and at the conclusion of the cigar.
The Ashology™ Method
— Blind Evaluation
Every contender is presented without visible branding to ensure an unbiased assessment through the Ashology™ Evaluation Process.
— Construction Analysis
Each cigar is evaluated for:
- Draw quality
- Burn consistency
- Ash retention
- Smoke production
- Construction integrity
— Flavor & Complexity
Our panel evaluates:
- Flavor profile
- Complexity
- Balance
- Transitions
- Finish
- Overall enjoyment
— Statistical Tracking
Performance is tracked throughout the entire competition to identify consistency under pressure.
— Championship Competition
The highest-performing cigars advance through group play and elimination rounds until one cigar is crowned the Official Cigar of the Year — creating a transparent, performance-based championship designed to identify the finest premium cigars each year.
Ashology™ Rating Scale
Each cigar is evaluated in six categories. Each category is worth 5 points.
Reserved for truly extraordinary cigars that define excellence.
Elite cigars with remarkable consistency and craftsmanship.
World-class cigars demonstrating exceptional overall quality.
Premium cigars with outstanding construction and performance.
Superior premium cigars delivering consistently excellent experiences.
High-quality premium cigars worthy of Official Tournament recognition.
Excellent cigars selected for the Official Field of 32.
The Ashology™ Promise
Every cigar selected for the Official Field has earned its place through structured evaluation and championship competition. Rankings are determined by performance — not by advertising, sponsorship, popularity, or reputation.
Ashology™ isn't designed to tell smokers what to enjoy. It exists to provide a consistent, transparent, and championship-based framework for evaluating premium cigars while recognizing excellence across the industry.
"Ashology™ exists to celebrate craftsmanship, reward excellence, and honor the world's finest cigars through an unbiased and transparent evaluation process."