How did you happen to fall in love with Cuban Cigars?

[SpecialK]

As for myself,  I was a Fuente/Villazon smoker for the most part. I'd tried numerous CCs when on cruises around the Caribean  and was never wowed by anything I had smoked. My Canadian neighbor brought me back some HDM and HU coronas along with a RASS many years back. I tried the HDM and the HU and they were alright but nothing to write home about.. One day 2 years back I had this lonely RASS staring back at me in my desktop and I thought "what the heck ? light it up"  it had at least 4-5 years on it..

This was a game changer for me : strength with sweetness , fruit cobbler, raisin, cream, it was the best cigar I'd ever up to that point.. Up to that point I thought CC's were not as good as NC's or as consistent. 

I now know that aging (which is a problem for me as I'm impatient), proper humidity, and luck with a good box code are factors that I didn't know about or even to take into account. 

I still smoke NC's but almost all now fail to measure up to a good RA / MC/ RYJ  on it's best day.. 

 

[Monocle]

18 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

As for myself,  I was a Fuente/Villazon smoker for the most part. I'd tried numerous CCs when on cruises around the Caribean  and was never wowed by anything I had smoked. My Canadian neighbor brought me back some HDM and HU coronas along with a RASS many years back. I tried the HDM and the HU and they were alright but nothing to write home about.. One day 2 years back I had this lonely RASS staring back at me in my desktop and I thought "what the heck ? light it up"  it had at least 4-5 years on it..

This was a game changer for me : strength with sweetness , fruit cobbler, raisin, cream, it was the best cigar I'd ever up to that point.. Up to that point I thought CC's were not as good as NC's or as consistent. 

I now know that aging (which is a problem for me as I'm impatient), proper humidity, and luck with a good box code are factors that I didn't know about or even to take into account. 

I still smoke NC's but almost all now fail to measure up to a good RA / MC/ RYJ  on it's best day.. 

 

Pretty much the same, plus I don't care for the black pepper and one-dimensional flavor of many NCs. That said, there are some great NCs out there and I mix them in.

[NSXCIGAR]

I had only been smoking premium NCs for a couple years before my first CC. A Punch Churchill in 1996. What a difference! I immediately understood. They are two completely separate products. Especially in those days, the disparity was enormous. After that day I was 99.9% CCs. 

[mprach024]

1 hour ago, SpecialK said:

As for myself,  I was a Fuente/Villazon smoker for the most part. I'd tried numerous CCs when on cruises around the Caribean  and was never wowed by anything I had smoked. My Canadian neighbor brought me back some HDM and HU coronas along with a RASS many years back. I tried the HDM and the HU and they were alright but nothing to write home about.. One day 2 years back I had this lonely RASS staring back at me in my desktop and I thought "what the heck ? light it up"  it had at least 4-5 years on it..

This was a game changer for me : strength with sweetness , fruit cobbler, raisin, cream, it was the best cigar I'd ever up to that point.. Up to that point I thought CC's were not as good as NC's or as consistent. 

I now know that aging (which is a problem for me as I'm impatient), proper humidity, and luck with a good box code are factors that I didn't know about or even to take into account. 

I still smoke NC's but almost all now fail to measure up to a good RA / MC/ RYJ  on it's best day.. 

 

Much like you I was not blown away at first, I was an avid padron and opus smoker.  The occasional Davidoff millennium or Don Carlos here and there, mostly Padron though. I’m now positive that most if not all of those CCs I had in my naive years were of course fakes.  

My first legitimate was from an LCDH in Windsor Canada where the prices are just short of first born child.  It was eye opening, a simple MonteCristo #2 that I waited a couple months to smoke on a golf course on trip I had upcoming.  That twang, that indescribable twang, I knew right then everything before had been garbage.  Next round of golf, an HDM DC....and holy moly, than a Lusitania, whhhhhaaaaaat?  One after another I was blown away with the flavor, the depth, the class difference.  It was like comparing Japanese A5 to Choice meat, a Mercedeses to a Chevy,  Chateau Latour to a bottle of Yellow Tail.  It was luxury class quality to standard good quality.  Every time I would go back to NC from CC, it was always brutal at the start, there’s a harshness, a papery, peppery, harshness to NCs (not like mongrel).  Eventually I would adjust and then be happy with my NCs again.  But no premium NC could come close in class to the CCs.  

The hole in my heart grew larger and larger, my longing grew more melodramatic, and my satisfaction, my thirst could no longer be quenched.  Thus, I began my search, my chase.  The journey with no end and no ETA.

[Fosgate]

I was gettin bored with some NC's in a way that I was trying alot of variety and buying a box here and there. Locally they were expensive so I went to buying online and retailers were always wanting a subscription and bombed me with email, mail and phone call solicitations (Thompson Cigar) later Cigars International and several other places. With all these varieties I noticed they seemed to want to link or suggest themselves, their ideas or heritage in some way to Cuba and/or cuban tobacco. After searching for retailers and learning about the high rate of imitations and scammers I held off. All the boards were basically don't talk about fight club, (No talk about Cubans). After awhile trying to discover where to find Cubans and finally just posted about it and got flogged on a NC forum for daring to ask about lefit retailer info. An FOH memeber reached out to me and introduced me to FOH where I contacted Rob and ordered 3 of the same samplers from him. I instantly fell in love with the Partagas D4, San Cristobal Fuerza, HDM Epi 2, and the RYJ Wide Churchill as at they time they were fabulous young smokes. The rest is pretty much history. 

[Habana Mike]

In the early 90s. fishing off Cape Hatteras with a friend, he pulled out a Partagas. Cuban. Dark, oily, fairly small. Cello wrapped. Probably machine made.

Was the most intense and flavorful cigar I had ever smoked.

From there I became a confirmed cigar smoker. Searching for that through drug store to top end domestics (available in the US) until the late 90's.

Finally I found a group of folks that shared some sources. Stags, Gerard, some Spanish sites one could order from online.

So now able to source the ISOMs as we called them back in the day I was hooked.

 

[SmokyFontaine]

I wouldn't say I've fallen in love with them (I probably own 60/40 NC but in the past couple years purchased 90/10 CC) but the first one that struck me was a Siglo II which was AMAZING. I picked it up flying through Dubai. Since, I've smoked about 15 more and they've been anywhere from OK to not good. The inconsistency from Cubans is ironically what keeps me coming back. If I know I want a relaxing, reliable experience, I'll grab an NC because it will be just as good as the previous ones I've had. If I want to play cigar roulette and see if I'll have a phenomenal cigar or one poorly rolled and not old enough to be pleasant yet, I'll go with a CC. But that unpredictability can be fun. 

[La_Tigre]

Went to Cuba after a decade of wanting to go, then went again and...

[Tdm_86]

For me, it was the first time I smoked a premium cigar. I used to be a cigarette smoker in college and would, every now and again, have a domestic cigar at certain occasions. The Netherlands has many manufacturers that produce what’s known as the Dutch dry cigar. They’re almost always machine made shortfillers, very high quality for a machine made, but they never really did it for me. Cubans of course have always been legal over here, but I never really paid any attention to them for some reason (probably price).
Then one night, about 15yrs ago, a friend handed me a Monte 4. I thought, another cigar, sure. Then we sat down, lit up and something just clicked. This was something very different from what I’d previously considered a cigar. 

Since that night, I’ve smoked many different premium cigars. There are lots of NC’s I enjoy, but the true love is for CCs and especially Montecristo.

[Nino]

Genetics I guess - I was born in Spain and grew up in the 50's and 60's with the "Cafe, Copa y Puro" ritual tradition, my granddad smoked, my father smoked, my uncle smoked and I smoked my first cigar at age 14... 'nuff said 🙂

[westg]

I met a guy  called Rob. 

[TobaccoRoad]

I was smoking NC's and hanging out on a cigar forum that had a separate section for Hananos. Never had any desire or call to step over to CC's as I was perfectly happy smoking what I had. Bought a blind sampler from the classifieds on that forum and it came with some really nice NC cigars. Also an unassuming looking PL Picadores and an HU Connie #1. About half way through the Picadores and I was done. It was hands down better than any of the high end NC smokes I received and the Connie#1 wasn't far behind. Told myself right then and there that I was moving to CC's and I haven't looked back. My first box was PL Picadores. I got it in and was so excited to fire one up and relive my experience with the first one. I had no idea about different box codes, aging, proper humidity etc. Needless to say it did not taste like the original. I started digging in and learning and I'm still doing that. Still have (5) of the cigars out of that box BRO SEP 17. They are like old friends now even though I've found CC's that I like a lot better.  

[Tstew75]

10 hours ago, Habana Mike said:

In the early 90s. fishing off Cape Hatteras with a friend, he pulled out a Partagas. Cuban. Dark, oily, fairly small. Cello wrapped. Probably machine made.

Was the most intense and flavorful cigar I had ever smoked.

From there I became a confirmed cigar smoker. Searching for that through drug store to top end domestics (available in the US) until the late 90's.

Finally I found a group of folks that shared some sources. Stags, Gerard, some Spanish sites one could order from online.

So now able to source the ISOMs as we called them back in the day I was hooked.

 

Hatteras gives me all the feels. What a magical place, been there many many times.

[Arctic Dude]

Had a private meeting with former President Bill Clinton. The rest is history! He said that he felt my pain, but I’m not sure that he really did?!? ☺️

[SmokyFontaine]

If not on queue, I think I'm smoking a Quai D'Orsay right now, but I'm not entirely sure as it feels so spongy, and has absolutely no resistance on the draw that this one is surely missing a leaf or something. Maybe it's just a Quai D' and the Orsay is still on the roller's table. I would explain the flavors, but at an inch and a half in, three full relights, and pinching the thing down to about half it's diameter I taste a little tobacco, plenty of char, but more distinctly, ten American dollars evaporating. The first from my box of ten, but if any others in the box even approach the shittiness of this one, I've got no plans to ever purchase another Quai. It might actually be the worst cigar I've ever attempted to smoke. Correction. 4th relight now. It's dumpster-bound within the next ten minutes. This thing is an embarrassment to anyone who has ever rolled a cigar. 

[Cairo]

29 minutes ago, SmokyFontaine said:

it feels so spongy, and has absolutely no resistance on the draw that this one is surely missing a leaf or something.

Quai box code and date, please?

[SmokyFontaine]

1 minute ago, Cairo said:

Quai box code and date, please?

RAT JAN20. 

[Cairo]

25 minutes ago, SmokyFontaine said:

RAT JAN20.

It looks like this is another example of the RAT code living up to its name.  😞

https://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/search/?q="rat code"&quick=1

 

[puromaniac]

First trip to Cuba 17 years ago to fish. Fell in love with the fish, country, people, and cigars. All she wrote.

[GolfT3]

I was a consistent Padron and Fuente smoker, along with a few other assorted N.C.s, through college. Senior year I spent a month traveling with good friends in South East Asia and stopped at a LCDH to buy a D4, Petit Edmundo, Short Churchill, and RA Superiores. It seemed like a relatively good cross section at the time and was definitely a splurge. I can still remember exactly where I smoked each one of those cigars and what I thought about them, who was with me at the time and what we were doing. They were  great cigars and totally different from what i was used to but even if they weren’t I would still keep them all in the humidor just for the nostalgia and memories.

[RDB]

My sister bought me a box of Esplendidos back from Cuba in the late 90s, when I was in my early 20s. Astonishingly, they were real, and delicious. From then on I was always an occasional CC smoker. I went through the occasional cigarette and then vapes, now it’s only ever a puro, probably 4-5 a week.

(Postscript: she tried the same trick again a few years later, and they were garbage.)

[Chibearsv]

Been smoking cigars occasionally since I was 15.  I mostly picked up cheap cigars I could get at the grocery store, White Owls, Swishers, Dutch Masters, etc. mostly because I hated cigarettes and chewing tobacco but still wanted to smoke because it was so popular in high school.  Then weed was my go to smoke until I was about 20, it was easier to get since they delivered but I liked the taste more than getting high.  Then I got a job at a local golf course and one of the golfers gave me a Monte 2 to try.  That was it for me, I only sought out good cigars after that.  Tried NCs while travelling to Mexico or the Dominican Republic a few times that probably seemed better than they were because having a smoke in the Caribbean is pretty great.  Bought a lot of NCs online in the early 90s (since I got burned by a few online sites selling "Cubans") and only a handful were my kind of tasty, so that's all I smoked.  

Then I got my first Esplendidos from a bar owner friend of mine around the mid-90s that changed everything.  For me it was like switching from Chuck Taylor shoes to the original Nike Airs to play ball - a difference that is so wide that there was no going back.  I found a handful of legit sites and I've been buying CCs almost exclusively since.  That was and still is my absolute favorite cigar and there's no going back to NC unless I'm looking for something that I don't mind chucking on the ground while I'm playing golf.

[Digi]

I’ve been around cigar forums for a long time, starting in the early 2000s with cigar aficionado’s board.  Used to go by digital_demon or digi1d, depending on the board.  I found the secrecy around Cuban cigars irritating and the phrase ISOM to be pretty ugly.  As a result I didn’t spend much time in the Cuban cigar section or pay any of it much mind.

It wasn’t until 2007 on a trip to Cabo San Lucas that I purchased my first few Cuban cigars from the J&J store in town.  Ended up with an MC2, BBF, and a machine rolled something or other.  The MC2 and machine rolled were tossed before the first half.  I knew Cubans in particular benefited from aging and began to think it wasn’t going to be for me as the financial black hole that are cabinets wasn’t an option at the time. 

Last day there my departing flight was bumped, now I had several hours to kill. Decided to light up the BBF on the beach rather than flying a stick back that I was sure I wouldn’t like.  Lucky for me (unlucky for my wallet?) it was the epitome of a BBF, even burned perfectly at the windy beach.  

After returning home, I promptly messaged some friends on the board for leads and the rest is history.

I’ll be 40 this June and just ordered my first cabinet from Vigilant.  The first box will be Cohiba Lanceros (my all time favorite) – looks like this will require a fair bit of internet scouring based on a couple quick searches.  Can’t wait to put those guys down with this year’s release of Doubleback for the 60th bday.

[Hammer Smokin']

I think my experience was similar to most of you, but opposite. 

 

my first few cigars were wedding cigars. A RyJ Ex 4, a Monte 2, and a Monte MC. I enjoyed them all, but nothing 'blew' me away. Then I had a couple cigars that friends gave me...all non cubans. I realized very quickly I didn't like nicotine blasts, and harsh pepper. I'd rather chew on bark than smoke these non cubans given to me. Realizing I did like cigars, just not pepper nicotine blasts, I starting trying and buying various cuban singles at a local B&M. 

but wasn't really hooked until my first Cohiba Robusto. My first Cohiba Esplendidos was the best cigar experience I'd had to point. Then my first Lancero made me realize how good a thin cigar could be. Finally, last year I smoked my first Behike (a B52) and it was my most enjoyed cigar to date.  

I've smoked every Cuban brand out there, and enjoy just about all of them...but nothing brings me back to my original Cohiba experiences. Going in without preconceived notions, just purely an open mind, made me realize (unfortunately for my wallet) that I love Cohibas. (only Sig I and Media Corona don't fit my pallet). 

[Bijan]

Bought a box of fake Esplendidos (most of my friends got fake Robustos) on my first trip to Cuba and one real Esplendido and a Cohiba Robusto. Loved the real thing but due to Canadian prices mostly smoked when on vacation in Cuba, plus the occasional non cohiba CCs in Canada. Never more than a box or two a year. Only got serious about CCs with Covid work from home and then finding vendors online.