what was your first CC

[NJP]

Half a Cohiba Lanceros. New years eve 1993/94. A mate and I shared. I was only 16.

[CBL]

My first cigar was a Cohiba Siglo II on the night 2007 became 2008. A friend and I both lit one up for the occasion and a tradition was born for me as I always smoke a Siglo II on New Years Eve.

The memory made was that smoking with friends can lift up an occasion.

[cottierm]

I did my cigar apprenticeship under the direction of the owner of the best tobacco shop in my home town. After having spent several months trying and enjoying non-Cuban cigars, he decided that I was ready for a dip into the CC world. However, and even before he suggested my first CC, he warned me that, after trying and maybe enjoying a Cuban cigar, there would be no return to the non-Cuban products (it was in 1990), and that it would probably become quite a costly habit! (As far as I am concern, he was right on both accounts). The first CC I had was a machine-made Partagas Aristocrat for budgetary reasons. I enjoyed the plenitude this cigar offered me and moved on with hand-made CCs from that point on.

I am interested in hearing, especially from those of you who have been enjoying Habanos longer than I, what your first CC was, and what memories have lasted as a result.

My first was a Vegas Robaina Unico. I had been smoking NC's in B&M's for years, but after I moved to SoCal is when I learned that most shops there had a "back locker". This was late 2005. It was my fave SoCal B&M, just one block from my office and not far from my house. It became a second home for me. Luckily, this shop's "back locker" was full of legit CC sticks. As it turns out, the supplier for this store, 6 years later, is now my wife - thats another story.

On to the stick - after almost 10 years smoking NC's, i was blown away by the complexity of flavors - not that the stick was overpowering, but that it had layer upon layer of flavors, almost like it was telling me a story from start to finish - something I had never had from NC's. Dont get m wrong, there are alot of high quality NC's, but at that time, i seemed to be smoking rather one dimensional smokes.

Well of course, this changed my smoking hobby immediately. I started smoking more CC's, up to about half or more of my smokes through the rest of that decade. It also made me much pickier about my chosen NC smokes.

Anyway, the Robaia Unico started it all off for me. It is still one of my favorite marcas.

[cigcars]

My first Cuban cigar was a Montecristo Especial No. 2 given to me from a Georgia tobacconist. But the one that stands out as most important to me is the one I was able to get on my own which was a Los Statos Deluxe I think Selectos which was in December of 1997.

[nick17]

my first was the RyJ cornitos en cedros and that was the beginning of the end for me

[Guest rob]

Monte 4... bought a whole box.

I think it was 1996 or '97

Didnt have my first NC till about 2005

[cigaraholic]

It's the third cigar on my first day of smoking I remember because my dad said " your going to get sick ", as I fired up a Monte Especial.

It never happened and I'm sure I had a fourth after dinner, Summer of 1970.

[kmagurk]

RjY churchill in Montreal when I was 22

[Pilgrims]

Sancho Panza Non Plus weirdly (given it isn't a "main" brand), loved it and have had a bit of loyalty to SP since

[winelover]

I had my first when I was 18 attending a ball as I thought I'd look cool in a tuxedo with something to chew on. I bought an unbanded Cuban stick from a central London B&M which I have never frequented since as I realised he charged me a fiver for a very cheap and nasty H&F cigar cutter which should been complimentary. I guess he saw me coming.

My first memorable cigar where my world opened up was an Upmann Corona Major tubos that was loaded with complex flavours and truly mesmerising at the time.

[brassie00]

First CC was the first time I went to Cuba 3 years ago .Didn't know anything about cigars at the time but I said you can't go to Cuba and not smoke a CC. So I bought a Siglo I and went down and sat on the beach around 12pm and just listened to the surf gently caressing on the beach.Been hooked ever since. Can;t wait until March to do it again.

[nubchin]

A bundle of farm rolled Churchills ( now I guess they were Upmmann wrapper leaf puros ) from Vinales tourist shop which I bought for now my father in law , both being cigarette smokers at that time , he rejected them preferred his cigarettes . After quitting cigarettes and married his daughter, one day I sat down and puffed one of those dried cigars in memory of my stay in Latin America . That became the reason to crave into cigars , first on pure NCs then coming back to CCs but always keeping the aroma and flavor of Latin America around where ever I go .

[nubchin]

My first CC was sometime in 1999. Im a plumber by trade and at the time I was working with a service shop. I got sent on a call for a plugged toilet! As I was walking into the gentlemans home I noticed a desktop humidor on an endtable in the family room. Now I was new to cigars but I mentioned it figuring it's always good to have an icebreaker when in a strangers home? He just went on and on about cigars and then pulls out a plastic bag from his luggage(he just returned from a business trip overseas) and hands me a RYJ Churchill!

Now as I was clearing the toilet with a closet auger I pulled back a bunch of Q-tips and a condom. The gentleman who was standing over my shoulder said "what the hell is that"? We don't use condoms!".

I thought it was a great smoke but what an uncomfortable situation.

-Karl

Thats what happens when one pays more attentions to cigars then there spouse .

[Hohenthal]

When I spent all my pocket money / allowance on a handfull of cigars as a teenie:

Montecristo Nr. 5 (never found that rich quality in a recent Montecristo even including Especial 1 and 2) and Hoyo Epicure Nr. 2 (before they changed the blend - an incredibly layered, sophisticated complex cigar back then).

My heart fell to CC's.

[ckile2012]

Cohiba Siglo II. I must say as of today it was a very good choice even being my first CC. As far as memories it was the fisrt cigar I smoked down to my finger tips and left me wanting another.

[canadianbeaver]

Think it was an R&J mille fleurs - one of those machine made cheapies, about 5 years ago

[dublin76]

RyJ short churchill, followed by a PSD4.

[Skitalets]

Someone gave me one of the Cohiba Siglo series years ago. Don't remember my impressions of it and wouldn't have known whether it was even real.

First real experience was a Bolivar Corona Extra. Great cigar.

[Michel1968]

I wish I could remember the marca. Only thing I know it was a robusto, aged for twenty years and was forced to smoke it. It gave me a feeling of pure bliss. Instantly had a very clear picture: I wanted to generate this kind of refinement myself. Never looked back... very complex taste, 'a dried field bouquet topped off with chocolate and grounded down to moleculair level' were my precise thoughts. A feeling as if everything inside of me was covered by this taste. Pretty hysterical! Never encountered that feeling/sensation again but I have high hopes!!!

[Onsto]

Monte #4 in 1997. Frederick Tranter & Sons, the B&M on the High St. in Oxford started me along the road: the manager even gave me a Monte Robusto from the jar to celebrate completing my finals in 2000.

I haven't been there in years - just took a quick look online and the shop appears to have closed down. One or two of the staff used to smoke pipes while they worked: they were knowledgable, welcoming, friendly and always offered the time to educate new smokers. Very sad to see them gone.

[charlesod]

Monte 3 on Grand Cayman 14 years ago. It was a good one, too. The Monte rush in spades. That was the end of Dominican cigars for me.

[Bolismoker]

RyJ Exhibition #4 started me down this path. I clearly remember the fruited, complexity of the smoke, and thinking I couldn't believe smoke could "taste" like that. About every second or third draw on the cigar I would just hold it in front of me and stare in disbelief. This was back in '01-'02 sometime and I quickly transitioned to 99%-100% Habanos. I may smoke one or two NC in a year, almost always on accident.

There are few things in life I enjoy more fully than a well aged CC.

[lostsoulcamero]

Cohiba Sig 6 in Vegas for my lil brothers 21 what a night

[danistalking]

Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios in Cuba.

It's actually my avatar pic...lol

[noreaster]

A simple romeo tubos gifted to me by a new girlfriend( now happy to say wife) in1997. Beat the Hell out of the macanudos that at the time I thought were the end- all smokes!