A luxury watch doesn't tell time better because of its logo. A luxury car doesn't feel faster because of its badge. Yet countless studies show that expectations can change how we experience products. Which raises an uncomfortable question for cigar smokers: are you tasting the cigar—or your expectations of it?

Two identical cigars. Same tobacco. Same construction. Same flavor. Yet one is presented as a legendary luxury cigar and the other as an unknown brand. Which one tastes better? According to psychology, most people already have an answer—and that's where things get interesting.