Watch: The Consensus 2023 (12:00 P.M. CST)

ChatGPT wouldn’t do it, so I am having to do it again.

What would happen if you were to combine all of the Top 25, Top 10, best cigars, etc. lists from various cigar blogs, magazines, podcasts and YouTube channels? Well, it wouldn’t be The Consensus, though that’s close to what this is.

The Consensus is a Top 25 list unlike any other. All of those lists are placed into a single spreadsheet with the aim of trying to find if there’s a consensus amongst cigar media. This is the 13th iteration of The Consensus, with some minor changes made for 2023. As I’ve long said, The Consensus best serves as a window into the relationship(s) between cigar companies and the media outlets that cover them. It’s also not halfwheel’s list, you can find that here.

You can watch it on Facebook here.

The process of constructing The Consensus is pretty simple:

• Up to 25 entries were accepted per list. The best cigar was awarded 25 points, the second best 24 points, etc. Each publication can only award a maximum of 325 total points.
• Once all lists have been entered, the vitolas for each line nominated were combined into a singular entry.
• Publications that published multiple lists had their points of a singular entry split amongst them.
• New for 2023: people that work as retailers and also as media are included. Lists produced by people who own cigar companies or retail stores remain excluded.

This show is different than halfwheel’s live shows from last week. I will quickly explain and unveil The Consensus, then it will be a Q+A chat. If you would like, leave a question about The Consensus or something else, and I will try to answer it.

Shortly after the broadcast, The Consensus will be published in a separate post, including the spreadsheet with data.