The Three Pillars
Published rubric: The KCS scoring system distributes 100 points across six dimensions with explicit point allocations and sub-criteria. The full rubric appears on a single printable page in Appendix N.
Calibration discipline: A 38-cigar reference sample is scored quarterly under blind conditions, with results compared against published values. Drift triggers methodological investigation.
Vintage markers: Every KCS score carries a vintage tag (currently 2026 Edition). Scores are not timeless judgments — they reflect the cigar as produced and aged through a specific window.
What the Methodology Excludes
The Kaufmann methodology explicitly does not weight rarity, scarcity, or price as virtues. A $150 limited release does not earn additional points for being expensive. The Value dimension penalizes overpriced cigars whose flavor delivery does not justify cost.
The methodology does not weight appearance independently of construction; visual signals are read as predictors of construction quality and flavor potential rather than as standalone virtues.
The methodology acknowledges its limits. Reviewer subjectivity is real. The calibration sample manages drift but does not eliminate it. The encyclopedia's editorial position is that transparency about these limitations is preferable to claiming an objectivity that no cigar scoring system can deliver.
