tobaccoreviews.com
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In my opinion, some people just want to say something, anything about whatever.
I've noticed that very thing on tobacco reviews and have wondered the same thing.
Same in some hobby forums, some folks may have never done it, or smoked it but they are going to get their post count up there one way or another. Just yaking to be yaking.
I've noticed that very thing on tobacco reviews and have wondered the same thing.
Same in some hobby forums, some folks may have never done it, or smoked it but they are going to get their post count up there one way or another. Just yaking to be yaking.
Good observation, dochudson. One has to wonder why they'd smoke something they know they don't care for and then tell you they don't care for it. I generally read the 3 & 4 star reviews to learn what is good about a blend. And just like with anything else there are some that are great and some that just plain stink. Love this hobby.
I usually try to read an equal number of both good and bad reviews so I can get an equal amount of pros and cons. I have found your issue on both sides. Those who are not a regular of the style giving a really high or really low mark on something they are not experienced enough with to give an accurate rating. To me this would be the equivalent of giving a book review as saying "The best or worst book ever written" by the author when they haven't read anything else by the same author.
I usually quit reading their review when they say something like "not my usual type of baccy" or "I prefer something completely different." They are already biased against it before lighting up.
I usually quit reading their review when they say something like "not my usual type of baccy" or "I prefer something completely different." They are already biased against it before lighting up.
How about the guy who says, "This is not my usual style, but I quite enjoyed it?"
The best way to use tobaccoreviews.com, IMO (and I have been using it for years) is find some people whose judgement you can trust - either because you know they are objective, or because you know their tastes agree with yours - and check out what they have to say about that blend you are interested in trying.Then you don't have to worry about the overall rating.
Jud is 100% correct. I have used tr since I got into pipe smoking and have found almost all my favorites because of that site. I read reviews by certain people and ignore the other 95 percent.
I read the reviews here only now days and only trust the ones from folks who have smoked many of the same blends I have tried already and can see we have similar tastes.
When I post a review on tobaccoreviews I do it for me, I use it as a memory tool. However, if you read my reviews and like what I like, for the reasons I like it, then it stands to reason that you would dislike what I dislike. That's also how I use it, there are several reviewers that have roughly the same taste as me and if they really like something I'll probably give it a try, conversely if those guys really dislike some blend I'll usually avoid it. I occasionally review an aromatic, because I'm still looking for an aro that doesn't taste like wet cardboard, I'm too stubborn to give up. Just because I'm not a regular aro smoker doesn't mean I don't have an opinion on them.
Tobaccoreviews is a treasure trove and a minefield at the same time.
It was one of the first things that drew me to pipe smoking, actually, because it taught me about the wonderful variety of blends in existence that I knew nothing about...
A lot of reviewers are great, but the majority aren't very helpful. Quite a few reviewers are terrible.
So you'll have to take that site with a grain of salt.
The worst part about TR.com is the large number of reviews and the widely divergent opinions.
The best part about TR.com is the large number of reviews and the widely divergent opinions.
As others have mentioned, find reviewers that you respect or agree with or "who have been around the block".
Off the top of my head, dubinthedam and Pipestud are two well known tobacco reviewers and I tend to give their opinions a little more credibility than that one-liner one star review from JoeBlow...
All in all, I think it is a great site despite its flaws.
It was one of the first things that drew me to pipe smoking, actually, because it taught me about the wonderful variety of blends in existence that I knew nothing about...
A lot of reviewers are great, but the majority aren't very helpful. Quite a few reviewers are terrible.
So you'll have to take that site with a grain of salt.
The worst part about TR.com is the large number of reviews and the widely divergent opinions.
The best part about TR.com is the large number of reviews and the widely divergent opinions.
As others have mentioned, find reviewers that you respect or agree with or "who have been around the block".
Off the top of my head, dubinthedam and Pipestud are two well known tobacco reviewers and I tend to give their opinions a little more credibility than that one-liner one star review from JoeBlow...
All in all, I think it is a great site despite its flaws.
simenon, funny you should mention pipe stud, I always ignore his reviews. His tastes are so inconsistent, and all over the place. The guys I look at are Tantric,Paddy, Eulenberg, Sykes Willford, noorrmm,pipepundit,newman, lustra and kilted1 to name a few. They all have a long body of reviews and my tastes are similar to theirs.
I've noticed that a lot...If you don't smoke aro's then why review it? why go out of your way and smoke one?
cigrmaster, perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned Pipestud because I don't specifically follow his reviews (or necessarily agree with them) but he was one of the only ones that I could think of off the top of my head. I do recognize his name as he is the "most reviewed" member and he has a consignment shop but other than that I don't necessarily place any special store in his opinions. I do perk up when I see a name I recognize, though, even if I am not in complete agreement with them.
(For that matter dubinthedam is not a member whose opinion I religiously consult, but rather I recognize him from Youtube. To be honest, I don't have any reviewers picked out in my head but if I find reviews that I agree with then I tend to look at their "body of work" for further reference)
(For that matter dubinthedam is not a member whose opinion I religiously consult, but rather I recognize him from Youtube. To be honest, I don't have any reviewers picked out in my head but if I find reviews that I agree with then I tend to look at their "body of work" for further reference)
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