Have you found yourself going full circle?

[El Presidente]

If you have been around the world of cigars for a while, does the following ring true? 

You fall madly in love with Cuban cigars. Maybe it was a Monte 4 or a Dip 2 but you have found your nirvana and spend the next 5 years learning, collecting (everything within your means), trading, smoking. You are a cigar sponge in search of knowledge and cigar flavour experience. 

Years  later? 

You find that the first  cigars that blew you away and kickstarted your journey are the cigars that are still the core of your rotation today. You have chased the holy grail only to come back to what you first loved 

 

Does the above ring true?

If so, what are those 3-4 cigars 

[NSXCIGAR]

I started smoking CCs in the 90s so literally nothing I smoked then I smoke today. My rotation then was something like BRC, RyJ Ex 4, Punch Coronas, Partagas Lonsdales & Coronas, Party MMs, Cuaba Generosos. Yes, a few are discontinued but I don't smoke any of that list. And none of what I smoke today I smoked then--Connie 1, Famosos, Monte 3/4/5, RASCC, MdO4. 

[jakebarnes]

Wanted to edit a bit: 

Original Post:

Everything I love is gone (sort of). SdC, MdO, Lonsdale anything. 

That said, the Edmundo and Monte 4 do seem to persist for me. The Party 898 would if I could ever find them again. 

 

Addendum: 

The point I was trying to get across here is that it is sort of hard to go "around" when many of the things you started with are gone. The very gateways to enjoying the cigar experience are sort of a bygone thing. I wish I could go back full circle--not for nostalgia--but because those were the very things I enjoyed the most (particularly the 898, SdC adn MdO). 

I've tried to fill those shoes, but definitely hard to do.

[rcarlson]

Not for me.  I started in the 90s.  It was the Esplendido that blew me away.  Then I started ordering what I could afford.  Looking for 10 count bargains (Mags, HDM EE, Monte, D4).  Frankly, I thought all of them were awesome. 

Since then, I've explored and built up a small stash.  I like variety and still float around depending on what the Cigar Gods say.  One thing is that quality is all over the map through the years, so what might have been great then is on hiatus now.   Can't say I've gone full circle.   

[fisherclive]

While I've built up a little stash, I'm still exploring to see what I like

[Chibearsv]

My first cigar rotation in the 90s was Monte 2 and RyJ Churchills.  Then  Esplendido went straight to the top and has remained there since. I occasionally smoke the Churchills and the Monte 2 but they aren’t what I’d call regulars anymore but I don’t really have regulars.  I test everything I’ve got at least once a year and then enjoy the boxes that are nailing it for me at the time. Esplendidos are a little more precious now so they won’t see the action they have in the past for me. 

[NSXCIGAR]

15 minutes ago, Chibearsv said:

My first cigar rotation in the 90s was Monte 2 and RyJ Churchills.

Unfortunately I didn't get to try an RyJ Churchill before 1998 when they had become legendary for being plugged. I only heard about the pre-98s and they were regarded as right up there with the Esplendidos. In fact even the BCG was very highly regarded. At the time Sir Winston was not considered particularly special among Habanos. Plenty of Churchills with comparable quality back then.

[Chibearsv]

6 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Unfortunately I didn't get to try an RyJ Churchill before 1998 when they had become legendary for being plugged. I only heard about the pre-98s and they were regarded as right up there with the Esplendidos. In fact even the BCG was very highly regarded. At the time Sir Winston was not considered particularly special among Habanos. Plenty of Churchills with comparable quality back then.

Yep, they are definitely a crap shoot now and not the same as the old days but when you do find the ones that are not plugged, they still can knock it out of the park

[Bigkahuna]

That milk chocolate 93 Monte 2. It was literally chocolate tobacco. I’m still chasing that taste. But I think it died with my youth. 

[mprach024]

Oh yes.  Monte 2, CoRo, Bolivar BBF and BRC.  I fell in love with Coloniales the min they were released, and I remember the Sig VI release, they were sooooo good early days, still the best cigars I’ve ever had.

Sadly for CoRos and Sig VI pricing along with what I feel is a degradation in flavors has ended my buying.  Still, M2/BBF are still very much in my weekly rotation even though they have also changed quite a bit over the years.  

I don’t regret my search, as I found many cigars that found their way in the rotation and treats.  

[Bigkahuna]

1 hour ago, fisherclive said:

While I've built up a little stash, I'm still exploring to see what I like

Humatic ? Make sure to let your next of kin know values and how to disperse them. That collection is not little. 

[JohnS]

Yes, this all rings true. I find cigar smokers get quite sentimental with marcas and/or vitolas that they resonated with early on. This is certainly true of me. I find San Cristobal de la Habana El Principes, Montecristo No.4s, Romeo y Julieta Churchills and Cohiba Esplendidos never smoke as badly as my other Habanos cigars when they're not 'on'! 😄

[Tdm_86]

Well, this is partially true for me. I fell in love with the Monte 4, then diversified but never left the Monte 4. I like variety more than anything, been smoking CC’s for close to 20 years but haven’t nearly smoked ‘everything’. So I still like to try lots of different things. I did start out with mostly PC’s, then started buying bigger cigars in addition but I’ve noticed buying more of the smaller cigars in the last few years again.

The cigars that are full circle for me are:

- D4, smoked many of them in the early 00’s but lost interest a few years later. Only started buying them again a few years ago. 

- BPC, same story as the D4

- PLPC, bought a bunch of dress boxes for a discount when they phased out the dress boxes and SLB’s. Must have been around 2004 or 2005 that you could still find them since no one wanted them. They were CHEAP. Smoked them all religiously and then never bought them again, because I was in college and couldn’t afford to buy 50 cabs 🤷🏻‍♂️. Since I joined FOH that flame has been reignited and now I always keep a cab to smoke and a cab to age. 

[Bill Hayes]

Somewhat true here - Cigars that have been dropped are D4 and Reyes and Party SDC line got cut and SLR DC is hard to find. 

But still think Esplendidos is the hallmark. Others are the classic Monte 2, BBF and Lusitania. The first two Cubans I smoked was in Havanna and started with Monte 2 then Esplendidos the following day and also had one in Cienfuegos that knocked me for six and I was green as with wobbly legs. Ha ha!

Drifted away from the Hoyo line and haven't had a Punch Punch in a long time so maybe I'm at 10 o'clock in the circle.

[Edicion]

I wish... Because I started with CORO and Behikes!

[joeypots]

Doesn’t ring true for me. Early on I bought HDM DCs, Lusitanias, MC#2s, EPI 1 and 2s. As mentioned in the early 00s I bought indiscriminately and tried everything. I suppose I was a bit of a cigar board hype victim for 5 or 8 years. The MC#2 is the cigar I still keep around. My preference in vitolas,  the deletion and addition of cigars, and the change in the cigars themselves has informed my preferences. And of course, as I bought cigars than I smoked they began to pile up and the whole game changed.

[williamthewolf]

Full circle with D4. Started with those almost 20 years ago but quickly shifted more to HDM Epi 2 and Monte 2 in those early days.  Went back to D4's a couple years ago and like them more than ever. Monte's still remain in the stable but as PE's. Tried a lot of different stuff in between and I realised some flavours I just don't pick up from certain marcas. The wisdom gained is that it's okay to not really "get" a popular cigar. Palates vary. Also, with ring gauges, 48-52 is the sweet spot. Smaller or larger don't really do it for me.  As with anything there are occasional exceptions. 

[cigaraholic]

No circle for me, I’m a flat liner. Started out smoking everything and loving it, nothing’s changed 🌈

[Ford2112]

I smoke a lot of different Marques and vitolas. Started off with Monte and Cohiba. Still love em. But my favorites these days are Partagas 898s and Bolivar PCs. Like the bolder side of things.

[Groucho.]

I started out in the mid to late 90s, with only RASS being still in my rotation. My tastes have changed since then but I never abandoned the RASS.

 

[BrightonCorgi]

How funny.  I thought about this the other day about my "rush to buy before it's too late or expensive" cigars buys.  A few were also among the first cigars that I bought a boxes like:

Montecristo No. 3 - Can there be a cigar as big a classic as that?  Cannot claim to be into Cuban cigars without a box of Monte No. 3's.

Juan Lopez No. 2 - 25+ years and have never gotten old or suffered in quality.  Slight blend change, but just as good.

Bolivar BBF - One of my first box purchases and big one at that time. Not really the same cigar as it was back then, but I am hooked.

[Chas.Alpha]

I started as pedestrian as one could be with the Montecristo line and have never veered too far from it. I will always have two boxes of 1's, 2's and 4's on hand. My Churchill/DC favorite has always been the Lusi, and with the exception of a rather peculiar box I got in Havana that hasn't changed either. Maybe I'm just boring?

[topdiesel]

Bolivar Tubos No2 still the best and most consistent smoke.  Beginning, middle and hopefully the end of my journey.  searched the holy grail and it was right there the whole time. Everyone's palate is different, thankfully mine isn't too extravagant.  

Beyond the B Tubos No2 and Customs, the only smokes necessary to keep it interesting are:

Partagas 898 or Shorts depending on time available 

HU Sir Winston-if you haven't had these and they do pop up on the 24:24 soon, Just buy them.  You are welcome and future you is welcome too.

Bolivar Coronas Extra

Trinidad Reyes and Coloniales were starting to climb the list but they are not worth the current pricing.