Your First Epiphany Cigar

[ThePolskiOgorki]

For me, I was early 20 something, I was golfing with some friends on a beautiful day and I had picked up some H Upmann Corona Juniors. Not exceptionally great cigars, but good enough to give me my first "Ah Ha!" moment. It was there I realized what people liked so much about smoking cigars. I wouldn't say I was hooked right away, but the appreciation certainly grew from there.  

[NSXCIGAR]

The first Cuban Cigar I ever had was my epiphany. 1994 Punch Churchill. I was blind, then I could see.

[Lasabar]

It was a Montecristo No. 2 from the Prez. Now I've had a box or two from grey market vendors and knew the cigar had some strong points, but I got the torpedo sampler from a 24:24 and had an LUB 14 No. 2 at a bachelor party... Holy sh*t that's when I began to look at codes and dates and pay attention.

Beautiful, to say the least

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[MIKA27]

I've enjoyed cigars for a number of years, I've enjoyed and loved many of them and I should have had an epiphany years before but I never did.

It was only a few years back with Steve (OzCuban) who came and visited me for dinner and drinks at my home, we were out back with wine and a Punch Double Robusto where my epiphany happened. Seriously was remarkable, both Steve and I still speak of it to this day and thus far, I am yet to enjoy another that had such a similar impact.

[StingMeadery]

Cohiba 1966

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[Goose]

New Years Eve 2014. Wife was visiting her Parents in Pakistan. Bought a single P2 from a retailer since the plan was to sit on the balcony and have quiet time after an extremely eventful year. I was hooked. It was my second Cuban ever. The First was a non descript Romeo no 1 or 2 a few days before graduating engineering school. 

Edited June 21, 2016 by Goose

[planetary]

PSD4, after months of occasional non-Cubans.  And of a sudden there was Shakespeare...

"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine."

[Corylax18]

Monte No. 2 Sitting on the deck at a freinds house in Lavalette, NJ. It was my 2nd cuban a Monte No.2 completely changed my perspective on cigars. So rich, so good. I still have 2 left from that original cardboard 3x5 pacl. They hold a special place in my heart. 

I had another serious epiphany last ngith, My dad and I were smoking some Monte 1s to celebrate fathers day. I got the box from Pres about 5 or 6 weeks ago. They are beautful cigars. I lit mine up and thought I was gunna have to toss it. The tangyest cigar ever. The first have and inch was more akin to battery than anything else. But,  stuck with it and it kept getting better, more Monte core with each puff, first the coffee, then the cocoa started to show up. More and changing flavors with each puff. I ended up nubbing it. Pres described these as having an "edge of citrus zest. To me that sour hit was a smack in the face followed by the Monte core lilting in an out, then back in. Really a spectacular cigar.  

[jwr0201]

After thoroughly enjoying Cubans for some 2 years, I had the pleasure of experiencing a phenomenal Wide Churchill.  That was my cigar epiphany. Up to that point, I had enjoyed quite a few CC's and found almost all to be so much smoother and satisfying than most NC's.  When I relaxed with the Wide Churchill, I learned just what a superb Cuban cigar is all about.  Still remember that cigar - simply amazing!  

[treberty]

A 1997 Epi 2... The smoke was dense and blue. Beautiful.  And the cigar itself was perfect: creamy, complex... just outstanding. I had been smoking Cubans for a couple of years at that time and that's when I realized how great they could be. Still refraining myself from smoking the last couple from that box every time I open the humidor.  Maybe this summer I'll cave in.

[demer]

Monte 2 from about 8 years ago. To this day that cigar is everything a cigar should be to me. I've had better cigars since then but nothing will ever touch that moment with that cigar.

[jdo2110]

Monte 2 from about 8 years ago. To this day that cigar is everything a cigar should be to me. I've had better cigars since then but nothing will ever touch that moment with that cigar.

Same cigar and just as long ago, 8 years.

It was the first Cuban I ever smoked, and it was perfect. The burn was off, but I've always had that issues with Monte 2s. And like you, I have had better cigars, but I find myself constantly trying to replicate the sheer satisfaction of that day

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[cigaraholic]

For me it was the first day I smoked a cigar and the third one I smoked. Funny how things lock something into your memory. We'd gone up to Vancouver for a family vacation and I said they have Cuban cigars up here. My dad was a pipe smoker but always enjoyed a fine cigar and my mom smoked cigarettes but also loved a fine cigar. So my mom and I went cigar shopping the next day. We came back from the tobacconist and I smoked one, can't remember what it was. After lunch I smoked another, no memory. Before we went out to dinner I thought I have time for another, so I grabbed a Monte Especial and my dad said "another one, your going to get sick". I lit that cigar and it was like smoking a snickers bar, chocolate, caramel and roasted nuts. I thought how could this ever make me sick. I'll never forget that cigar!

[leftimatic]

Ah the memories. I have two....

First a Punch Punch. My first true cigar ever. It was like smoking every cigar I watched the grown ups smoke when I was a kid. Tasted exactly like I imagined a cigar to taste.Still do.

Second a RYJ #3 tubos. I tasted cherries before I got to deep into flavour profiles or that stuff. Set my mind ablaze. One day I will just get up and grab another box.

Had some good ones since, but nothing compares to your firsts. 

[potpest]

A P2, I'd tried a few cheap and cheerfuls before that one and wasn't blown away but I can still remember that P2 to this day. I remember it was so good I went and got an RYJ Churchill, I'd bought at the same time, to smoke straight after. That was one of the most boring cigars I'd ever smoked. At least I found out early to expect inconsistency.

[Smiley]

A Partagas Charlotte from1999. It smelled like an old cellar but tasted amaaazing. Still got some left in the box.

[Akela3rd]

After a series of cheap short fillers my first proper cigar was a Davidoff Escurio Robusto - I sat there and thought "so, this is what they mean... ". Still like them and will get more now I've run out but the Cuban thang has me hooked. First Cuban - Monte 4 about 3 years ago. It was the chocolate that got me!

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[GavLew79]

2009 ERdM Choix Supreme in 2013. Up to then I'd been dabbling in CC singles and the occasional NC. This one was good enough to make me enquire at the vendor where it came from. "50 cab of ABC XYZ 09" (I don't recall the code). Sweet, creamy and so complex, yet fairly light bodied. Amazing.  I considered buying a 50 cab at UK retail, which was probably the equivalent of a mortgage payment. Thankfully I found "other means".

[joeypots]

Probably in'98, one of the HDM DCs that a friend used to bring me from Montreal. He used to bring me 5ivers of M#2s and HDM DCs every once in a while back then, seems like a long time ago. 

[JamesNYC]

I was on my voyage de noce (honeymoon) in Paris and I went to a tobacconist and purchased a R&J Churchill tubos. This was in 1987. I had smoked cigars a bit, mainly with my dad, and a few supposed Cubans (probably fake). I lit up the cigar with some cognac, and this cigar told such an amazing story from beginning to end and I realized I had to smoke cigars, and Cubans if I could get them. I took a few unbanded cigars home, and a couple of years later went to Montreal and found some OK cigars and then found the LCDH and scored big time. Still didn't smoke much though, I smoked cigarettes until 1991, and didn't smoke anything for a while, and only smoked a few a year. Even now I don't smoke much. But when I do, I want something good. Pres is a big help for me now. I have some great cigars that will last me several years.

[archosaur]

PLPC single from Rob in either '08 or '09, sometime in my first year of transitioning to Cubans.  Not sure of box year but it was the most beat up of the 5 PLPC singles I bought, probably had a little age.  Blew me away with palate coating flavors, both sweet and savory.  Incredibly complex little cigar, I haven't had a PLPC anywhere near that good since.

[Orion21]

2009 Upmann Mag 50.  Not the best Cuban cigar I have ever smoked, but the first where I could see the superior qualities in comparison to all the NC's I had been smoking before.

 

[earthson]

Original Release of the Gurkha G3 got me onto cigars.  A '06/'07 RASS opened my eyes to quality tobacco.

[MahDooRow]

In 2004 my boss turned me on to Cuban cigars.  He gave me a Monte #2 and I have been hooked ever since.  

[sactochris]

Dunhill Montecruz 210