Your Non Cuban to Cuban Journey

[Bri Fi]

@Kaptain Karl played at sac state from 08-09!

[Bmbroads]

For me the heritage and the (brand) stories/ history are just as important in CC as the flavors, complexities and intermittent frustrations- think plugs, available, storage etc.

i started with NC and continue to smoke those consistently.  My Father, Oliva, Herrera Esteli id highly recommend for people looking for a wide range and quality smokes that will not leave you disappointed from wandering from the CC rotation.

 

 

[Riverstyx]

I’ve smoked cigars for probably about 12 years. The first 6 years were primarily Ashton’s.  One year my wife got me cigar of the month club. What a mistake she made!  I started trying new things and wanted to try more new things. Some decent NCs and some bumps in the road but eventually I found CCs.  I try NC here and there but dislike peppery Nicaraguan cigars, and most of the rest are leaving me wanting a CC. But sometimes I have a NC that makes me happy.  That said, it has been at least a year since I’ve been happy with a NC. 

[parabola66]

In my late teens I smoked a random cigar here and there, maybe once a year when it was gifted to me or otherwise had the opportunity to smoke. By my mid 20's I was living in Florida and there was a liquor store around the corner from my place with a small walk in humidor. I bought Alec Bradley Prensado's, and other cigars I can't remember the names of once a week or so. My roomate at the time was getting into it as well, so we split a sampler from "an online vendor on NC cigars". The first cigar that I actually liked on a conscious level was the La Gloria Cubana Serie R Maduro (NC).

After some time I moved back to NJ and the cigar "buzz" subsided for years.....for years until I was gifted a Padron. My brother had gone to a wedding, which they gave out cigars. Not being a smoker himself, he gave it to me. From what I remember, it wasn't all too impressive...smooth, but the construction was shotty... and there's no way it was because I smoked it in a hottub ?.

Shortly after, I kind of got, "the itch". I bought a single here and there from a local shop and after a couple of months I said to myself, "I think I'm going to be a cigar guy.". So, I bought myself a 15" x 12" x 11" storage container to make a tupperdor out of. Cleaned it with baking soda mixed with water, smeered it on the inside, washed it out, stuffed it with newspaper, and left it out in the sun on a hot day (by advise of some forum I can't remember).

I bought premade and build-your-own samplers from an online NC vendor. La Gloria Cuba, Don Pepin, Gurkha, Diesel, Padilla, Julius Casear... no real direction, just trying different things, basking in the novelty of a new hobby. Drew Estate Undercrown was a middle-ground between "what I consider anyways" and low end an high end NCs. Eventually my taste found some direction, by the awakening experience of smoking my first Liga Privada No.9... or maybe rather just moved up in price cap, who really knows. I moved on to brands like Cohiba(NC), Fuente Opus X, Ave Maria, Liga Privada... My Father Flor  De Las Antillas and the like.

One day, I guess a year into my new hobby, I met a friend of a friend at a social event who was smoking a cigar. I struck up conversation by asking him what he was smoking... his response was "a cigar". "Well obviously man" I though to myself. It was a 8-9-8 if I remember correctly. We talked and eventually he turned me onto FOH. Having found this forum prior and was untrusting, in hindsight it was a rather fortuitous encounter...  I put in an order for a handful of singles a week or so later.... pretty much the rest is history.

Once in a while I'll go back to an old favorite NC, but find they lack in dimension and overcompensate with pepper-spice and always wind up tossing them halfway through. Sad they lost their glamour, but life goes on to better things when you let go of the past ?

[Çnote]

I fell into the wrong crowd in high school and started smoking Fuente Short Story in the late nineties. I worked alot of fine dining where it was traditional to have a small selection of cigars on hand. When I started in outside sales, there was always a cigar shop or lounge on my call sheet. I had the opportunity to visit London for an extended time and bought my 1st CC at Dunhill of London, I remember them being RyJ, something in the petite corona size. I honestly have no idea. I visited every few days the month I was in London, he associate there was very kind and gave me a 'older Dunhill' as he put it from his collection. I easily smoked 50 cigars that trip but only remember that one.

Fast forward a couple years of Davidoff and Fuente (that's really the only brands I ever remember being offered besides the NC of CC marques) and I find myself in Europe on the regular again. 3pk/5pk everywhere and a serious shop for singles if I look hard. Unfortunately these trips being work junkets, I'm eventually asked by my supervisor to take my cigar tourism off the agenda.

Due to other stuff, cigars take a seat way in the back of the bus for ten years or so. I would still see lounges on occasion and have the occasional wedding and birthday cigars, but nothing regular at all.

A couple jobs later I'm working retail again and people start to ask about Cubans, tip in (faux) Cubans, and show off humidors full of 'plume.' Well, lots of googling and FoH covers all questions asked. Prices are fair and quality is impeccable!

RASSC, Party Short, San Cristobal Principe. The occasional older MC#2 or double band. I really only smoke NC now when it's not convenient to smoke CC. I'll smoke 20 a week if I have time, lately I'm lucky to smoke 1 a month.

What I've really enjoyed most of my travel to CC is the generosity and enthusiasm of the people I meet!

[Kaptain Karl]

18 hours ago, Bri Fi said:

@Kaptain Karl played at sac state from 08-09!

No shit!!! Haha small world man! Where are you at now? 

[BeerPimp]

I started smoking NC cigars occasionally with friends.  A couple years later I purchased a humidor and would buy singles from a local cigar shop.   I also bought a couple bundles of seconds (Macanudo and Partagas both of which I actually have a couple left which are probably 15+ years old).  I would smoke the seconds and singles on my deck or at the bar.   I probably averaged 1-2 a month.  When it was cold I often didn't smoke any that month.   My favorites where Macanudo, Hoya de Moneterrey, Romeo y Julieta, Onyx, and Partagas.   There were several years where I didn't really smoke much.   My friend from paintball got me into cigars again and I started getting into Cohibas and CAO's plus my originals.   I tried a couple Opus X cigars.  Then I went several more years where I would only smoke a couple cigars a year.  At some point in that time I was gifted a Monte #2 and some type of Cohiba.   I am not sure they were if they were legit but from memory if I had to guess they were legit or really good fakes.   They were both excellent cigars.

Then 2 years ago that same friend got me back into cigars again.   I was purchasing singles mostly but he kept insisting we get into CC and order some online.   I finally agreed and last year we went in on two different boxes from our host of Monte 2's and H Upmann Connie 1's.  I also purchased a new humidor to store all my CC's in at 65% while keeping my NC in my old humidor at 70%.  We smoked a Monte #2 first and it was amazing.   It burned very good and the flavors were amazing.   I was hooked again on smoking cigars.   Then about a week later we got together and smoked the Connie 1 which was also amazing.   The first CC experience that blew me away was smoke my 3rd H Upmann Connie 1.   For most of the 1st and 2nd third that cigar produced that Connie 1 shortbread/coffee/almond flavors.  I picked up a sampler and started smoking through those to see what flavor profiles I like.   Before I could get through those I started buying quarter boxes. 

Currently I smoke 1-2 cigars a week.  I would say I smoke 95%/5% CC/NC.  I try to get together with my friend a couple times a month to enjoy a cigar and bourbon.   Last night we got together and smoked a Coro with some Blantons.  I am trying to do more weekend reviews now because I think that helps me really try to pick out flavor profiles in cigars.  If I had some advice to newcomers (i still feel like I am in this category) I would say buy quarter boxes from the 24:24.   It is frustrating sometimes trying to get the more popular ones but I feel like you get the best example of that cigar plus you get 6 so you have several to see how consistent they are.  You can also see how they are at different intervals after you get them.   In the end I think if you are smoking either CC or NC you should focus on enjoying the experience of smoking a cigar.  It is a way to relax and distance yourself from all the craziness of life.

[TTP21]

Great reading on this string. Thanks everyone for sharing. My story is a simple one. I started as an 18 year old kid in restaurants who'd bum a cigarette every few weeks because it pissed me off that smokers got breaks like 12 times a shift when I got none!  Never bought any myself, but it wasn't as terrible as the world made it seem. 

As for cigars, fast forward about 7 years later and my honeymoon took me to St.Lucia.  I wanted to have a cigar. Why? I don't know, something about my first cigar being a CC romanticized the idea for me. A Monte 5, on the patio of our suite overlooking the ocean on a beautiful evening. It was magical. Then, back home and 10+ years of NC's because that's what I had access to!

My NC journey was pretty stereotypical I believe. Started with Baccarat's, moved to Rocky and whatever was pushed by the guys at the store, then I got serious. As someone who went from poor to not so poor, I decided to stop being cheap and buy cigars that I knew I'd like. Padron, My Father, Tatuaje. Some more Tatuaje.  

At the tail end of 2017, the cigars I always liked just didn't appeal anymore. It felt like everything was a pepper and spice bomb.  I purchased a Tatuaje Cabaiguan on a whim and it roped me back in.  It was an incredible blend and helped me realize that I was no longer interested in fat, long, Maduro, heavy, spice and pepper bombs.  

In early 2018, I visited a small shop in Edmonton while on business.  I actually saw some CC in the duty free over the years and thought - why not give it a shot. I walked in, saw the prices, and damn near collapsed. To our Canadian BOTL - sorry!  That said, shop owner was a very cool dude and pointed to a box at the very bottom shelf - JL#2. Never heard it, I said, and thought to myself - great, fakes. Bought it because it was halfway reasonably priced, sat down, lit it up, and boom. Ever since then, I'm hooked. The flavors were just so unique, so different than anything I knew and I wanted more. 

It's a bit unfair that these 2 have set the bar for today, but most CC's haven't disappointed.  Today, I still average about 1-2 cigars a week.  I discovered FOH about 6 months back and have been pretty much exclusive to CC's since that point. 

I'm doing my best to accumulate a small amount of a wide range of Marca and vitola. My hope is that in 2 years or so I'll narrow in on 1-2 cigars each in the skinny range, 40-44 rg, 44-50 rg, and then 50+ that I'll settle on and buy more stock on.  

Advice to newbies is simple.

1. Learn how to store, dry box, and smoke slow.  This is critical. I ruined many CC's before doing my due diligence here.  I've also had others whose opinion has done a full 180 after listening to me rant on this one.

2. Resist the urge to buy boxes. Buy PSP 6 packs.  Learn what YOU like. 

3. Have patience. If you're a NC smoker, the burn and construction issues will drive you insane quickly. It just seems to me to be part of the territory. 

[FireMedic]

My journey started approximately 20 years ago when my dad gave me a macanudo while golfing. I basically fell in love with the cigar that day. Over the years due mostly to where I lived and cuban cigars not being available, I either smoked Dominican or Nicaraguan cigars. I had always wanted to try cubans for a bunch of reasons; history, mystique, tradition amongst others. It wouldn't take but a year or two before, while traveling abroad, that I would have that opportunity. I was in Puerto Vallarta on a trip when I was told of LCDH. I went the first chance I had. I remember feeling a bit like Charlie from Willy Wonka, when he sees inside the factory for the first time. I had never seen one in person, let alone an entire store. The salesman tried to sell me on cohiba but I wasn't interested. I had done some research and wanted my first to be a Bolivar, mostly due to the reported strength. I decided to go with a belicoso finos. I smoked it when I got back to the hotel. Sitting on the beach, drink in hand, waves crashing in the background. I was hooked. The way that the flavors were delivered were like nothing I had experienced before. It was a small sample size obviously, but I was ready for more research. Over the years my cuban purchasing remained much the same, buying a few while on vacation. At this point I was probably 80/20 NC to Cuban. Over this time I was able to sample some of the bigger marcas, the classics if you will. I then began buying boxes while on vacation instead of the self-made samplers of my past. Slowly began creeping to around 70/30.  I like to call these years before the forum, or BF. Then I found FOH, and things were never the same. I was buying from home, from a beyond trusted source, with all things considered quick turnaround and exceptional customer service. I now sit at 10/90, quite the change. I still have NC that I love, that I purchase and that I smoke but it isn't what it once was. The way that Cubans can change over time, subtle delivery of flavors, complexity of flavors, is in my opinion different from NC. I have found the journey through both Cubans and NC to be amazing and wouldn't want to have it any other way. My feeling is the desire to explore led me to Cubans. The only thing I wish is the Cuban marcas would take a page from NC and give me more lancero options. The NC market is very diluted with tons of options and new brands popping up every day it seems. Happy to be where I'm at currently!

First Cuban to blow me away: HDM DC

My advice to newcomers: variety, variety, variety. Sample the goods, as many as possible. Be your own detective. 

Edited August 28, 2019 by FireMedic
Added advice, and first cigar to be blown away by

[CrownN7eveN]

My journey to CC from NC started when my dad used to smoke the Hav-a-Tampa Jewel cigars.  I was too young to smoke at the time, but I was intrigued by the smell.  Not too long afterwards, he ended up missing 1 here and there every now and again, lol.  So my first cigars were those.  Not too bad since that was all I knew.  A couple of years forward I turned 18, and the local convenience store ended up getting a small humidor (mind you this was around the time of the 90’s cigar boom here in the states).  So I selected a white tubo with the word “Sublimes” from the humidor (Didn’t know or care at the time, but it was a La Aurora Sublime).  At the time I didn’t know anything about how to clip the cigar, so I used to just “peel” the cap off the head of the cigar and smoke it.  Well, the first time I lit one of those up, I fell in love with that cigar.  It tasted absolutely wonderful!  I couldn’t believe the flavors I got from that stick of tobacco.  So, I bought ‘em up until they ran out.  After that, I started going to a local B&M cigar store looking for those particular cigars, but they didn’t carry them.  So that’s when I started Really looking at all the selections available.  I may catch some heat from this, but I ended up spending quite of bit of money (for me at the time) buying those damn Lars Tetens Cigars.  Looking back now, I paid too much for them, but what did I know?  A young novice smoker trying to find his way through the endless cigar choices.  I did like the Lars Tetens “grass” cigars, so that’s what I predominately bought.  Now, during that time I was also interested in trying out other cigars, and I remember asking the owner, what he recommended that was similar to the “Sublimes”’ I used to smoke, and he recommended the Arturo Fuente “Curly Head” cigars.  Well, once again I found a great cigar that was up my alley flavorwise, so I started buying those along with the Lars Tetens.  Anyway, that lasted for a few years, off and on smoking those cigars on occasion.  Well, shortly after that I went to college.  So, with less time for cigar smoking, I started smoking cigarettes...I smoked cigarettes for a few years, then quit, (thank goodness).  Around the time I quit smoking cigarettes, the local cigar B&M closed down.  So I went without tobacco for a couple of years until I found cigars at Spec’s.  Since there were no more Lars Tetens, I ended up trying a bunch of flavored cigars, mainly Acids.  These I smoked on occassion unti about 2013.  During those years before 2013, my sister knew I had an affinity for cigars, and bought me a 20 count Perdomo Humidor (which I have to this day) for my birthday one year.  I never used it.  It just sat on my desk as a decoration for a few years.  It wasn’t until Christmas of 2013, where my brother bought me a 150 count desk top humidor, that I truly got into cigars.  However, that humidor too, sat in it’s box for several months.  It wasn’t until my brother called me one day the following year and asked how I liked the humidor, and if I bought some cigars for it.  Well, to not disappoint my brother about his gift, I lied.  I told him I loved it, and I had a few cigars in there already.  So in order for him to not catch me in a lie, I searched the internet for cigars, and found ALL kinds of cigars.  Little did I know, but my hobby would soon develop into a Multi-Humidor Hobby, lol.  Had my brother never called me inquiring about the humidor he bought  for me, and if I was using it, I more than likely wouldn’t be here at FOH today.  So, that one fateful day I started with an empty humidor, then a sampler here, a sampler there, a 5 pack here, a 5 pack there, a box here, a box there.  So, fast forward about 4 years of smoking NCs, I ended up getting interested in CCs.  How?  I don’t know.  I think I was perusing many a cigar forums, and started reading about people talking about CCs.  Well, I was wondering what in the world were these CCs, that these people were talking about.  Well, lo and behold I found out.  Now that I found out CCs were referring to Cuban cigars, I really did want to see what all the hype was about, so I made my first purchase blind.  I was also tired of being asked SO MANY times when smoking a cigar in the smoke shack at work, “Is that a Cuban?”  So that lit my fire, lol.  After my first successful buy, I did further research and saw people talking good things about FOH.  What in the world is FOH, I thought?  Well, after some further research and digging up I landed here, and I’m glad I did.  My first couple of boxes that I received blind, were crap boxes.  I didn’t even know too much about CCs at the time, but I knew the cigars I received were dog rockets by appearance.  BUT luckily, I did receive a good box too, and that box was none other than a fine box of Partagas D4.  Well let me tell you, after Trying to smoke those dog rocket Monte 4s I bought, I tried one of those D4s, and it absolutely blew me away.  It had flavors I never tasted before in NCs, and it was a flavor that I really enjoyed.  Today, I realize that just like Honduran, Dominican, Nicaraguan, and other tobaccos have different tastes and profiles, so does Cuban.  And I must say, although I still enjoy smoking NCs, I have a hard time not picking up a Cuban!

[lovethehaze]

Interesting thread.
For me I can remember going to my mothers parents my grandpa always had a cigar or pipe in his mouth, always !
He would take me to his office and had pipes displayed all over. Then he would take me downstairs to his work/utility room, all the while talking to me smoking a cigar. I can remember the smell calming me down and how much I liked it but obviously didn’t smoke at this point.
I know have some of his old stuff

With screws and nails and odds and ends like he did and

The 898 on the bottom is mine and the one on top has to be circa 1960’s-70’s.
As I grew older I started smoking cigarette and then would occasionally smoke a cigar maybe at the age of 16 or so.
I can vividly remember my first CC. It was a hdm dc and I “borrowed “ it from a client as I was a caddy as a young lad. He wouldn’t stop taking about how good these cigars were and asked if I wanted one. He said he would give me one but forgot, I however did not so I grabbed one....
As I drove home that day I smoked it and More than anything I remember how smooth and rich it was. It was like sucking on my mommas nip as a baby .. or so that’s how I remember it. I kept telling myself I had to find more but had no idea how to get them. From there I started smoking cigars maybe monthly always searching for that same taste and smoothness everything I smiled was very harsh that I could find.
Years went buy still searching and I then met a friend who smoked about 6-10 cigars a day yes a day. This guy spent money on cigars .. never bought a box b/c he said he would smoke even More. With him I got Into Hemingway perfectos still one of my favorites. Some padron but mostly hemmingway.
He since has quit for many years now so I started going and buying on my own. I got Into all types all NC of course living in the states. Aj Fernandez, don pepin long and skinnies, lots of Padrons , tatuaje lots of them, Fuente and opus x. Some davidoff and Ashton but they were always too light and not for filling to me, liga and San cristobal. Plus more to mention then we have time for. Pretty much the whole Spectrum of NC’s and liked many maybe diamond crown Maximus #3 made me fall in love again but still just wasn’t the same. My mother travels to Canada quite a bit so I would always give her money for about 5-10 every time she went. Mostly monti 2 and cohiba, this was all I knew and they always had them. The monti 2 has a soft spot in my heart to this day. Love that cigar.
Fast forward maybe until Sept last year and my buddy is smoking what look to be CC cigars ... I ask him what are those and where did u get them ?
He tells me they are CC and if I want some he has plenty ... he gave me about 6. I smoked 4 and said where can I get some .... he says check this place out FOH .... since then I smoke about 90% cc and maybe 10% NC. 
I now have every marca and style ( not in every marca just as a whole ) except Cuaba just b/c it seems to be not well Liked but one day I’m sure I’ll try those too. Not every time I smoke One does it take me back to that Hoya dc but more often than not it takes me close. The lack of straight pepper and harshness enable me to enjoy the cigars now. Every marca has slight nuances that I am trying to learn. Sometimes I just can’t tell the difference and I get sweet tobacco, ceder and wood. But this is ok. I am
Currently experimenting with diff humi/tuppadors and rh levels. I have a theory that certain marcas need to have a higher rh to smoke to their potential while others need a lower rh. It’s early in my testing and as of now just babysitting them but maybe next month I will dabble and see if it has any merit.
At the end of the day the twang, earth and just utter smoothness of a CC cannot be matched except from a CC and this is what I truly enjoy !
Thanks to FOH for bringing me back to my childhood time and time again

If I had any advice it would be to buy the 6’ers from 24:24 and see what one likes. I kinda went in much deeper justifying it’s cheaper to buy boxes. Of all the boxes i have bought maybe 35 or so I only dislike 1 and 1 just doesn’t smoke for me.. meaning they are all plugged and unsmokable but they are in the higher rh humi now ... maybe time will heal them, lol. 

Once you see what you like I.e. vitola and brand it becomes easier to make good buys but they all have something different to offer ...

enjoy the journey I know I am. 

Cheers 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Corylax18]

My Dad always had a 50 count filled with a lot of the standard NC's. Macanudos, Ashtons, Fuentes. This was the 90s, into the early 2000's. He only smoked occasionally. But I remember liking the smell when he did. I snuck my first Macanudo out of that Humidor when I was 15 or 16. I smoked plenty of normal and left handed cigarettes so I figured, why not try a cigar? I liked it and started smoking the occasional cigar with my dad soon after that first. 

I purchased my first NC on my 18th birthday, went home and smoked it with my parents to celebrate the day. Fast forward a few more years to 2008 and my journey had progressed to the point where I was more than just curious about Cubans. I had been researching online vendors for a few months and finally decided to take the plunge. My dad and I split 5 3 packs of Monte 2. We ordered late September and honestly, forgot about it. About 6 weeks later a box showed up with very little labeling and ALOT of internal packaging. By the time they arrived, it was too cold to smoke outside and we weren't aware of any good lounges at the time, so into the Humi they went and we, again, forgot about them until May of the next year. We packed a few up and brought them to the beach with us for our yearly family trip. Towards the end of the trip we finally got the chance to light a couple up and my Dad and I where both blown away. Rich, chocolatey goodness. Smooth as butter, great construction. I can still picture it in my head.

From that point, we where both pretty much hooked on Cubans. We split several more orders over the next few years, but still only smoked occasionally. Once I graduated college and got a real job (and therefore real income) my purchase and smoking rate has continued to steadily increase. I visited Cuba for the first time in 2016 and to bring the story full circle, brought my Dad for his first visit to the island last year.

 

 

[Cigar Surgeon]

I blame Bundwallah. Originally I started out exclusively smoking and reviewing NCs, just because of the price and availability. I met Bundwallah on /r/cigars a long time ago, and I was smoking Cubans but fairly rarely. Bundwallah stoked that passion by bombing me into submission. Later Bundwallah (and the rest of the Toronto crew) had at least yearly trips to Cuba to hang out at Partagas festival, or throughout the year.

Although I do review NCs and CCs, I would say more often than not if I actually have the opportunity to smoke for myself I'm grabbing one of my Cubans and an Irish whiskey or a Scotch to pair with it.

 

[Puros Y Vino]

2 hours ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

I blame Bundwallah. Originally I started out exclusively smoking and reviewing NCs, just because of the price and availability. I met Bundwallah on /r/cigars a long time ago, and I was smoking Cubans but fairly rarely. Bundwallah stoked that passion by bombing me into submission. Later Bundwallah (and the rest of the Toronto crew) had at least yearly trips to Cuba to hang out at Partagas festival, or throughout the year.

Although I do review NCs and CCs, I would say more often than not if I actually have the opportunity to smoke for myself I'm grabbing one of my Cubans and an Irish whiskey or a Scotch to pair with it.

 

@Cigar Surgeon  you're welcome. Another palate saved. ?. My journey started with NC's. Bought some stuff online. Punch Presidentes(decent) and Partagas  Black Label(abysmal). Had my first CC's thanks to @ebhead and haven't looked back. Sold/donated the majority of my NC's. Kept the few I was curious about. I'm very much a to each their own type of guy. People like what they like. I see nothing wrong with that. There will always be these two camps and some good natured ribbing will come with that. ?. Smoke what you like, like what you smoke I say!

[MoeFOH]

Great thread and very interesting to read everyone's journey... 

The three random draw winners are:

@CaptainQuintero - FOH Ashtray

@Corylax18 - Sampler

@dobbs - Sampler

Congrats! 

Please PM your details to me @MoeFOH and we'll arrange dispatch of your prize.

Thanks to all who contributed! 

[JoeyBones777]

Congrats!

[Corylax18]

HEEYYYOO!! I think this is the first time I've won one of these things. Thanks FOH Team!

[Çnote]

Congratulations!

[dobbs]

awesome, thanks!

and this was a great thread, i really enjoyed reading everyone's story.

thanks again,

-dobbs

[CaptainQuintero]

  Wowee awesome thanks! No more having to use my neighbour's plant pots for ashtrays for me!

[joey rockets]

I turned 69 last month and noted my romance with cigars has carried on for over 35 years.  I always worked commission sales; high pressure with plenty of cigarettes in the mix along with assorted snuffs and gum for the speedy nicotine buzz but cigars floated to the top, probably due to the quality of tobacco?  I live in Iowa, a cultural desert.  There was no intro to cigars nor anyone to show me how to smoke them.  My first love was the mild Macanudo.  I probably bought more boxes of Diplomats than any other cigar followed by their purito, Ascots.  As time passed, I moved to Avo and the Fuentes with Don Carlos and the Hemingways as favorites.  In 2003, I married a cigarette smoker and in deference to my bride, the social scene mandated cigarettes with the occasional cigar.  The doctor ordered her to quit in 2016 at which time I also quit cigarettes and renewed my interest in cigars.  I ordered more than 100 samplers, 90% were Robustos not by choice, and I got lost in this new cigar world.  Gurka used to be a house brand for Thompson but now they claimed a spot at the top?  There are 15 different Montecristo wrappers not including maduros?  And about the same for Cohiba with the DR red dot claiming the top spot yet none taste remotely like a Cuban Cohiba?  Rocky Patel also climbed out of the house brands and a bevy of new rolls are on the market.  Most are huge, one dimensional sticks ie Diesel, Ave Maria, Man o War with ring gauges up to 80 and none below 50.  I took the contrarian route and begin looking a smaller gauges spending lots of time on Cigar Auctioneer.  I found Tatuaje there buying numerous Skinny Monster assortments in various sizes but in this quest, I also discovered Cubans could be imported for personal consumption.  In 2019, I don't believe I've bought anything besides Cubans but I would and will look again, especially Fuentes.  I'm supposed to be retired but a younger wife still works so I also hustle and buy accordingly.  Lately, I've acquired larger Cubans primarily because my doctor ordered me to quit as well.  It's funny because this is my first acquisitions purchased thinking I may not smoke them but rather wish to beat a future perceived crush on stocks.