The Cigar(s) that Hooked You

[jonnylieberman]

A bit of late night detritus from last night, but myself and ERjaq and Drewvonah were talking and I was thanking them for dragging me kicking and screaming into the world of yummy ass cigars. The two of them were always puffing on sticks, and talking about different brands and vitolas, etc., and I'd ask for one just to be social and smoke about half of it, not smoking it right, not retrohaling, just hanging out and not getting it. Then, I got hit by three cigars that opened my eyes.

The first was a Tatuaje Noella Reserva that Erjaq gave me. First cigar that every tasted like anything besides tobacco to me. Also, instead of wanting it to be over so I could stop puffing on it and get back to good old cigarettes, I was disappointed when it was over. Spice, cream, cocoa, just loved it. Next, Drew gave ma an Illusione MK Ultra. Maduro wrapper. Dark, earthy, licorice, incredible. I had no idea that cigars could taste like that. Smoked it down to the nub. Really enjoyed it. Finally, Erjaq was smoking an H. Upmann #2, aged about 5 years. He was explaining to me how Cubans age well, and the difference in flavors, and I was stealing puffs. For the first time in my life I tasted that classic, aged Cuban flavor. Incredible.

Suddenly, everything clicked together. Not only were these three sticks night and day from each other, they were all delicious AND I realized I could buy them and smoke them whenever I liked. Now I'm way too hooked. Thankfully so.

What hooked you?

 

[Ducttapegonewild]

It is with great regret that I admit that I was hooked by Acids. Since then, I have, thankfully, found many other tasty cigars...

 

[UTvols186]

Sadly enough the cigar that hooked me was the cao la traviata. Another cigar that I remember smoking early on in my infancy was the tatuaje 7th reserve. The 7th reserve when I smoked it was the best thing I had had. I was probably 6months into smoking cigars and it just WOWED me. One that has recently WOWED me is the Monte #4 cc. I think that might be the best cigar I have smoked in my 4-5 years of smoking cigars.

 

[atbat82]

For me it was a CAP MX2 in college. 4-5 of my friends would buy them Friday afternoon from a B&M (none of us had storage for a box back then). We'd either smoke them really late Friday nights/Saturday mornings or, if Friday got too aggressive, sit down Saturday afternoon and bullshit for a couple hours.

I'm sure the cigars weren't anything special and I haven't had an MX2 in 5 years, but they were the perfect complement to that particular type of brotherhood.

 

[Ga Gator]

Circa 1996 pre Nicaraguan cigars, AVO got me hooked on premium smokes.

 

[TonyRome]

Padron 1964 Anny started me. The Perdomo line really got me into it. This place corrupted me lol. By corrupted me I mean showed me so many brands and vitola's to try.

 

[jfettlol]

started with my dad giving me a few to try. never really understood the point (i think they were mc cusano's) then i was given some cao's (brazilia/italia/etc) and still didn't get it. i think it was a cao gold maduro that was the first gar i actually "liked" at the time. then came his birthday, not knowing anything about cigars, i ordered a "super premium sampler" (AT FULL PRICE!) for him and eventually started researching cigars after the fact. that research led me to a MF Le Bijou 1922, my first cigar that really piqued my interest in the hobby. It is now me who gives my dad cigars to try, suffice to say...the student has become the master.

 

[rdomfoto]

Fuente Hemingway Short Story. In Vegas on my 5th wedding anniversary, last October.

 

[plumber1965]

Perdomo 10th anniversary hooked me. Brother had me try a cigar while vacationing in the DR and liked it enough that i had to find the B&M when i got back. Have no idea what cigar was i had before that. First One that blew my socks off was 8 months later, an eight month old LADC mi amor reserva coronoa. Black berries and spice came blasting out of it.

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

Cromagnon was my first brands I got that really wowed me. I was reading about best cigars etc and.they mentioned cromagnon knuckle dragger which was the only from the list I could find. Got it, smoked it, loved it...and it began.

Tony corrupted me

 

[sofc]

Started the love for cigars: box of early 90's cohiba esplendidos.
Smoked for a while, just regular crap.
LP T52 and could not go back to regular stuff.

 

[Craig Mac]

LGC Serie R #4 Maduro. After smoking a ton of mild cigars over the years I was in a humidor in Myrtle Beach with a buddy who smoked cigars regularly and he described all the differences in tobacco and went on about flavor profiles, etc. It was a bit of a "wow" moment that had me hooked on Cigars.

 

[Old Smokey]

Mine was a Monte #2 white band. Early 2000's and about every 2 weeks my youngest son and I would get a couple of cigars and smoke them. I would usually get a Monte #2, but tried about a dozen others. That practice died out after my son flew the coop. Started smoking cigars again Sept. 2013, have a nice selection of about 350 cigars and all the Monte 2's I have are not Domican.

 

[RamzaFreak20]

Hooked? My first was a macanoodle. Hated it. Tried again with a Bahia maduro. Still love that stick. It tastes like when you chewed on your glove in baseball (did that for ~13 years). Off and on with those, Gurkhas, RP stuff, but then I got an Oliva G maduro. Then down the rabbit whole.

 

[broadleaf]

Obsidian, and Carnios both of those brands were my two favorites that got me started

 

[ENV]

Used to smoke RyJ (NC) just as social with people 3-4 times a year. Then had an Anejo that got me hooked (now I think my pallette doesnt agree with it anymore) and Perdomo and Padrons got me to stick around. Don pepin turned me into a fanatic. Downhill ever since.

 

[Zmilin]

I went hook line and sinker once I tasted the Padron 1964 Pyramide Maduro.

 

[socalsailor]

Oddly it was a Dark Shark Churchill. A neighbor brought one over for me, I smoked it to be polite and found out cigars don't taste like dirt (when you spell dirt "cigarettes"). Right now my collection is around 150, but there's a 500 ct. box coming out for delivery on Monday. F*cking rabbit holes...

 

[Senor Perfecto]

I wish I could say it was initially a flavorful cigar that hooked me. Back in 96 I went to Spain and on a whim I picked up a box of Monte 2 and a box of RYJ #1. De-banded them & brought them back and smoked them along with others (including a box of Siglio VI that were either fake or just plugged, from Bogotá). I've always been into the ritual, cutting, lighting, slowly smoking.

I took a long break between 1999 and 2012, smoking a few a year. Then I got back into it-- still with the old Cuban marcas (Altadis) primarily.

It was going here to my B&M in LA, and then BOTL, that got me tasting. Retrohaling finally. Selecting blends that appealed to my developing palate.

Now look at me. Ruined, like the rest of you.

Good thread, Jonny. Cheers.

PS I still have two of the RYJ #1 resting all this time. Hoping they'll be ok when the right occasion presents itself!

 

[Argus17]

A little over 5 years ago, my brother invited me to join him for a cigar, my first real cigar ever (of course I'm not counting those Tijuana Smalls from my HS days). He gave me a Caballero churchhill that he had picked up from the local. I found it "interesting" but wasn't sold. So I did some research, dropped by the local, and grabbed a Punch London Club and a Hoyo De Monterrey rothchild. The proprietor talked me into an RP Edge Lite.

The next weekend I took the 3 cigars down to the RV. I couldn't get half way through the Punch or the HDM. Pitched them both, and thought "yuk, this cigar smoking isn't for me". Frugal as I am, I wasn't going to throw away the RP, so I eventually got around to lighting it up. Two puffs in, and I was hooked.

Five years later and I have over 7000 cigars under my belt, and three overflowing coolers. Ironic that I only have 1 or 2 RPs (the brand that started me on this journey) in my entire current inventory.