The First Cigar That BLEW Your Mind...

[riazp]

The first cigar that made me go WOW, and fully understand how magical, complex and tasty a cigar can be was my first PSD4 in 2007, the spicyness of it, the developing complexity, the flavours, it was hook like and sinker from there and my true love affair of cubans began

[Plato]

For me it was a H Upmann petit corona my brother brought back from Panama. So complex and my first experience with that salty flavor which I enjoyed so much. Seriously cried when it went out. Just kept staring at it asking myself how is it possible to pack so many different flavors in this little smoke.

Mine was the Siglo III. And thst saltiness was what had me hooked. That saltyness was perfectly interwoven with notes of sweet cream, cedar, and tabacco. A glorious symphony of those flavors. And at times the notes would come forward to do a solo, but all the while the other ones were still there in the background, singing in perfect melody across my palate. Although I have been serious into cigars for a few months, that experience, which was so emotional for me was practically a religous experience.

And that only happened three weeks ago. And that incredible experience is what brought me here with you guys. My first box is on its way as we speak, and I am counting down the days. When I open that box, I will be just excited as a young child is on Christmas morning.

In closing, I want to say Thank You to Rob, Ken, Smithy, Lisa, and anyone I might be leaving out.

Its good to be home

Mike

[rdb6]

The first mind blower was a Siglo 1 smoked in Jamaica, August of 1999. They have remained a favorite ever since.

[str8dog]

That "closed my eyes and put out the DO NOT DISTURB sign" cigar for me was a Hemingway WOAM, and the first CC that did the same was a Trini Reyes.

[ramon_cojones]

The first mind blower was a Siglo 1 smoked in Jamaica, August of 1999. They have remained a favorite ever since.

Love these too, pretty complex for its size.

[CigarAsh]

I really enjoy LFD. Have you ever had a chance to try the LFD Litto Gomez Small Batch series? I just had one last night from Series #3. It was INCREDIBLE. So Complex, so powerful, but with grace. I heard (dont know if this is true) that they only made 100,000 sticks. And that only 60,000 sticks went to the USA. I have five more sticks in my humidor. If you want to try it, shoot me a PM with your address. I love to share

I love the Litto Gomez Diez. I actually found a dozen in the bargain bin of a local store here a year ago. I cleaned it out as quick as I could. Never could understand how they ended up in the bargain bin (think I paid $5 a stick) but I didn't stop to ask too many questions.

What's the difference between the small batch and the "regular" diez? Are they the same thing? Can you tell the difference by labeling?

[Puros Y Vino]

I've had two distinct moments.

My first Mag 50. Then, my second one! I had them in a sampler. The flavours were just right for me. Lots of gingerbread, baking spice, caramel. I liked it so much..I....bought 50!!!

One Monte 4 that blew my mind. I was getting flavours like blueberries, blackberries and almond out of it. Never got that out of any preivous or subsequent Monte 4's ever again.

[Cambridge1]

The first cigar to blow my mind was a Monte Especial.

[thechenman]

My first cigar nirvana experience came about 3 years ago. It was a Padilla Miami 8 & 11 Robusto. Not the ones they make now, but the Pepin blended ones of youre with the black, red and gold bands. Simply stellar. I had already purchased a humidor and began dabbling with cigars, but that one literally pushed me over the edge.

My first Cuban Cigar nirvana experience came with the first Trinidad Robusto T I smoked. They had just been released by Habanos and it was amazing. I had enjoyed many a Cuban cigar before that point, but that cigar really opened my eyes as to what the true potential of these gems could really be.

[Plato]

Wow, thanks to everyone for sharing their special firsts stories. I Added a bunch to me cigsr hit list

[ZinZan]

Mine was a siglo iv. Shared with a friend a box of 3. Didn't even keep it in a humidor, left it out a couple of months maybe even a year but it was beautiful.

[jlacava]

Bolivar Petit Belicosos EL 2009!.. Blew my mind! Great balance, perfect construction.. spicy, peppery.. what a tremendous cigar!

[BobKincaid]

This is a two-parter for me, maybe three acts.

I fell in love with cigars with the first one I smoked. I was fifteen and the mall in Alabama had a TinderBox with a walk-in humidor. Things weren't so anal-retentive back then and when I walked into the humi, the aromas transported me. I picked out an Arturo Fuente Churchill and enjoyed it later that night while hanging out by the river. Doors opened.

A decade passes. My young 20-something pals and I were hitting our strides and I began ordering regularly from American suppliers and got my first humi. I was getting a nice paycheck and ordered every couple of weeks. I tried a LOT of Dominican and Honduran NCs. One day, I got a box of Butera Royal Vintage in the toro shape. I think they were the first NCs that ever arrived un-cellophaned in a nice cab. The wrapper was a fragile, silky, almost veinless Connecticut shade over a tasty dark binder and Dominican fillers. It was mild, but still a taste riot and I was utterly transported. I camped out on Buteras for a lonnnnnng time. I still hold them in significant regard.

Along the way, I'd get the occasional CC when a buddy would travel abroad on business. They were so freighted with "forbidden fruit" that I can't competently say whether they were as good as I thought or not. I recall Parti shorts and HUpp PCs. I knew beyond any doubt that I wanted more.

I smoked along through the first decade of the new century. Last February, however, I, myself, got a chance to go abroad. It was a cruise. The one and only stop we made in a non-U.S. territory was Grand Turk. In the few hours allowed to us on land, I went rushing about searching for CCs. The cruise ship port featured a palm-thatched stand in which "CCs" were offered for sale sitting on a plankwood bar. They looked dodgy at best and I went abroad on the little island, asking about while drinking the local brew, eating food at the local stands and generally revelling in the moment. I finally found my Holy Grail at the airport, in a properly maintained humidor. The boxes all looked legit according to the research I'd been able to do. So I went a little nuts. I brought about twenty smokes of different varieties back aboard ship: Monte 4s, Boli RCs, Cohiba IVs, RyJ Cedros and Parti Corona Srs.

For the rest of the cruise, I would sit out on-deck or on my balcony, a glass of stunningly good local rum in hand, making sure to settle myself down enough to actually appreciate the flavor profiles.

I guess I would say that THAT moment was the "Eureka" moment, since I had enough variety to really get my head around the Platonic "'ness-ness" of a CC.

Upon my return home, I began my search, eventually finding my way to this delightful oasis. I am forever changed as regards my cigar appreciation. I still smoke NCs, especially as an adjunct to increasing my CC stash, but when the moment presents itself, there's nothing more pleasant than considering the few marcas and vitolas of CC I presently possess, eventually choosing one and firing up the mic for three hours of broadcasting. What a joy it all is!

[jgbutler]

I'm not sure that there was ever a NC cigar that ever gave me that "Man...what a cigar" moment. I've smoked tons of many different brands but don't remember one specific NC cigar that just blew my mind.

BUT....when it comes to CCs.....I have three different cigars that changed my perception of cigars, my understanding of just how good and satisfying a cigar could be and my pursuit of great cigars from that point on. I also just happened to have smoked all three of them over the course of a couple of months which led me on a path of searching for another CC that as fabulous as those three. I haven't found one yet that gave me the same pleasure as those three did, but the search has been a hell of a lot of fun!

The first was a mid 90's Partagas Short that a friend had gifted me in the mid 00's. I had smoked several Shorts over the years but they had all been fairly young. This was the first one that I had ever had with some serious age on it. That single cigar made me and has kept me the huge Partagas fan I have been ever since.

The second was a 98 Trini Fundadore. Without a doubt the first of these I ever smoked is still the most complex cigar I have ever smoked. It almost seemed as though there was some sort of flavor nuance change that came with every draw. It was the first cigar that with each and ever draw I truly hated seeing the cigar get shorter and shorter. To me at the time it was just utterly mind boggling how amazingly good that cigar was.

Finally the third cigar was a 00 Monte Robusto EL. That cigar was almost like smoking a cup of cocoa. The chocolate/cocoa flavor undertones that came across in that cigar left me constantly hoping the cigar would never end and then once it had made me hope that the aftertaste would never go away. Of course they both happened!

Those three cigars will stick in my mind forever.

[Plato]

Butler,

Gret post!