Smoking the same cigar twice: what to record the second time
The second note is where a journal stops being a diary and starts being data.
Write about the difference, not the cigar. You already described it the first time; the second entry earns its place only by saying what changed — in the cigar, in the conditions, or in you.
Three things that could have changed
- The cigar. More rest, a different box, a production change.
- The conditions. Empty stomach, cold outside, second cigar of the evening, a strong drink.
- You. Palate drift, tolerance, expectations after reading a review.
The value of the second note is that it makes you name which. Most differences people attribute to the cigar are in the second and third categories.
What to compare, concretely
Three questions cover it: was the draw the same, did the middle still hold, and did the score move. If the score moved by more than a point, the note should say why — otherwise a year later you have two numbers and no explanation.
Do this: before writing the second note, do not re-read the first. Write from tonight, then compare. Reading the old note first tends to make you agree with yourself, and the agreement is worthless.
The pattern that emerges
After a few repeats you can usually see what a blend needs: some cigars are reliably better after another six months, some are best fresh, and a few are simply inconsistent from stick to stick. That is real information about how to buy, and it cannot be learned any other way.
It also exposes your own trend. If everything you re-smoke scores lower than the first time, you are probably scoring the novelty rather than the cigar.
Boxes versus singles again
Repeat notes are far more useful within one box, because production variation is off the table. This is the argument for buying a box of something you like rather than singles from three different shops: the second entry can only mean time when everything else is held constant.
The previous entry is one search away
The journal in Ligero is searchable by brand, line and the words in your own notes, so the last time you smoked a cigar is a search rather than an archaeological dig. Entries stay in order with their dates, which is what makes "the same one, six months later" a comparison instead of a feeling.
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