....your "now I get it" cigars

[El Presidente]

We have all experienced the process of smoking a cigar that upon first try you "just didn't get".  Second try of that cigar and the result was the same..."meh"...experience. Perhaps even the third try was a frustrating one where this cigar that others talk about whistfully, just didn't resonate with you. 

...And then at a latter date you light one up and it is a "bloody wow hallelujah" experience 

I couldn't "get" the Quai d'Orsay Corona Claro for many years. The LGC Medaille d'Or No 2 was the same. However when I hit that one example that sang on my palate, almost every other cigar from the lineup did the same. 

Your "now I get it" experiences? CC and/or NC. 

[westg]

The biggest standout by far and always come to mind when this question is raised for me, the San Luis Rey Serie A. A decade down and they are glorious. Initially flat trackers at first. Give them some love for a decade and they will make you smile for the rest of their lives. 

[JohnS]

Bolivar Petit Corona. I don't know...it just took me a long time to develop my palate and come around to appreciating them.

[Habanoschris]

Cuaba was a brand that I had tried and had poor luck with. I kinda wrote the whole brand off. In hindsight boxes probably just needed more time or were unlucky.  

In time I have grown to appreciate the brand and their savory perfectos. Being able to buy singles or half boxes is what allowed me to give them another shot.  

[ElLoboLoco]

Here’s a NC variant. The La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel. Sounds tough? It is. Lol Reminds me of the RyJ’s profile a bit but cranked up like a Chimpanzee on a sugar bender.  Sipped on a full stomach and I loved it. Not your typical Nicaraguan Black Pepper but powerful in a Dominican punch. My palate couldn’t handle these on a frequent basis.

[gormag38]

While I've still yet to have a true 'now I get it' moment; I've come pretty close with RASS. The first few examples I've had were filled with 'this is what everyone talks about?' and 'this is one of the most popular habanos?'. It wasn't until the past year that someone gifted me a 2023 RASS from a cab that had 'made them a believer'. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! I was left thinking 'maybe I just needed to get a UBL coded 50 cab and they'll all smoke like this one'. Anyway, I haven't pulled the trigger on the cab purchase...mostly because I just cringe when I see the pricing now days. 

[Lucas Buck]

BBF - everyone raving about these and they just didn’t do it for me for years. Finally had that "one" - Once my least favorite Boli, now they are my favorite. 

The entire Partagas marca befuddled me for a short while, having me convinced that they just weren’t for me. It was a Lonsdales on a drive from LA to Temecula to see Donald Fagen that turned me around on Partagas and now I love them. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Montecristo Open Eagle. They are the butt of many jokes, but I did a trade where I got some in tubos and I'll tell you what; I am a fan. They taste like a vintage cigar and leave a clean aftertaste. I'd like to get more if I have a chance. 

If they were unbanded and I said it's a 40 year old Habanos, the same detractors would say this cigar is great.

[joeypots]

It was a HDM DC and it was at the beginning of my cigar love affair. It took me awhile to learn that Cuban cigars come alive at lower RH than new worlds. I was keeping my stash in a inexpensive humidor at like 70% using the old 70/70 rule. It was a true "Ohhhhh, that's what their talking about." Once I started to keep cigars at 62% RH or even lower I only bought Cuban cigars and until cigarmegeddon I didn't smoke a NW for 20 years or so.

[Goldeneye]

My last trip to Cuba I bought a 50 cab of PLPC without ever trying one before, based on reviews I had read. The first few were very unforgettable, but with patience and some age, I "got it" and now the remaining ones are smoked very sparingly. I went looking for a replacement for Trinity Reyes for shorter smoking times (mostly dog walks) and tried AF Hemingway Short Stories. It wasn't until about 3-5 that really began to enjoy and appreciate this cigar, now one of my favorites and regulars.

[LizardGizmo]

Juan Lopez Selección No. 1 was on the bottom of my list when I started smoking Cubans - just couldn't understand why people loved it so much. I was squarely focused on the other corona gordas like Magnum 46, Siglo IV and Epi 1 for quite some time. Then a few years ago I had a brilliant one - got a box from 24:24 and smoked through it very quickly. While I don't reach for them much these days, when I think about having a Cuban corona gorda for a treat, I'm often going JL1.

[Chibearsv]

It's happened for me with the Hoyo DC, RASS, and PD4. All it took was one good example and whether that was because of age or mindset adjustment or palate change, I don't know.  But I "get" those now.

Still waiting on Lusi and all VR cigars. Maybe some day there will be an epiphany but it hasn't happened yet.

[Havanaaddict]

Well I hate to say it but COROS way back in the early 2000s, I loved the I II III VI V but just did not get the CORO. It was all grass & hay no vanilla. Then one day it just hit me and they became my favorite cigar, and I was smoking 4 a week! Those were the days 😋

[Mike Mecklenburg]

Hoyo Epi 2 for me. In the beginning our love affair was rocky until I learned to treat them right. Currently, I'm a Hoyo fan-boy.

[Ford2112]

Sir Winston. Thought it was overrated and not worth the hype. Then I had one that blew my socks off. I can still picture everything about that cigar. Wish they weren't so unobtanium and pricey. I unfortunately I never stocked up on these 😞.

[LaoFan]

RASS.

The 'stewed fruit' ...

Never got it... 'til I did, about a year ago. Now it's all I taste. 

[abcd1234]

Started with Non-Cubans, all where pretty meh. Then a few RYJ and Hoyo, but then I had my first Juan Lopez No.2 and daaaaaamn.

[Fugu]

21 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Montecristo Open Eagle. They are the butt of many jokes, but I did a trade where I got some in tubos and I'll tell you what; I am a fan. They taste like a vintage cigar and leave a clean aftertaste. I'd like to get more if I have a chance. 

If they were unbanded and I said it's a 40 year old Habanos, the same detractors would say this cigar is great.

No need to explain yourself, absolutely. You’re in good company. AdC’s Havanoscope’s cigar of the year of ‘24!

[jackhammer]

For me, it was a Padron 1964 Family Reserve No. 45 in Maduro about 15 years ago. I bought a box and the first couple were just okay. I lit it up my third or fourth at a black jack table in Vegas. After the first few puffs I left the table, went and found a quiet spot, and enjoyed the rest free of interruption. It was at that moment I knew I was never going to financially recover from this hobby. 

[Stevieboy]

I've bought 3 or4 cabinets of PLPC and every single one has been so boring that I've sold them on. I bought a box recently that has been incredible. I've smoked six or seven out of the box and every one has been amazing. I can't believe the difference between them & those dogs that I had in the past

[Montezüma]

Davidoff! Just couldn't enjoy them except for their Nicaragua line. It used to be difficult for me to appreciate mild-medium body cigars but once I understood how, it opened the floodgates. Now a Davidoff 2000 is an essential part of my rotation.