Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

It was this exact moment...Carlos Torano. This is the moment that led me to CS to find out more about this cigar, the rest is history

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...d/IMG_0111.jpg

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Rockey Patel Vintage 1990 was the first hand made cigar I had ever had. I have been hooked ever since.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

You know, the 8-5-8 hooked me but the LGC Wavell definately set the hook! I smoked the LGC line almost exclusively for several years.

MCS

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Rocky Patel Vintage 90 hooked me. I was smoking a few things before I tried one of those and that one was the one that did it, that really got me looking for different things and wanting to learn. I still love that cigar, too.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

CAO L'anniversaire maduro c.2002. I remember smoking this and thinking WOW this is why I love cigars, I really got to smoke more:D I've tryed some recently and they weren't the same. I heard they changed their blend:fl

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Admittedly the first cigars I smoked frequently were Macundo crystal tubos, but the one that hooked me and changed my direction was the original Oliva "O" with the band made out of material. It may have been all of the hype at the time they were introduced, but I really liked them. I still have a lot of them as well. Maybe it is time to smoke one again and see how I feel about them now.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...t/IMG_5933.jpg

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

I was a two-sticks-a-year cigar smoker since age 18 because my pops smokes cigars, but never got on the slope. Back in December I had one (don't remember what) that made me say, "MAN! This is the first time I've REALLY enjoyed a cigar! This is GOOD!"... Then in March I was gifted a Fuente on my birthday from a friend and more-or-less repeated myself.

After that I took the plunge, bought a cutter, cheap torch lighter, a 5 stick Otterbox, and I still remember the 5 cigars I bought:

Don Pepin Garcia Vegas Cubanas
Gurkha Ancient Warrior
Arturo Fuente Chateau maduro
2x Coronado by La Flor

It was the Coronado that REALLY got me. I consider it to be the stick that ended it all for me.

Good times, good times.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

A Bolivar Royal Corona smoked in Nassau....it was all downhill from there. :)

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My first real cigar was last July -- a Oliva Serie G robusto. It was good, and opened me up to cigars as being something I might enjoy.
Then a friend who has been smoking cigars for years gave me a La Aurora 1903 Platinum. Holy crap that was a good cigar. That's the best I've had to date and the one that started me down this slope.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

It was my first cigar since the Swisher Sweets at tent camp outs in Jr. high--A DR Cohiba sitting at Corona Cigar in Orlando on September 8, 2006. I remember thinking: I will never be the same ;)

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

I had smoked a few cigars here and there, probably while drinking. Then, back in 2000, my wife and I went to a Sandals resort and I smoked some cubans:confused: and loved them. After I got home I went to the local B&M and tried some Padron x000 and the rest is history.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

I never picked up any White Owls or Swishers, so lucky I still continue to smoke cigars. The first cigar that I had was an old fabric red banded Oliva 'O' Oasis. :dr I still have one of my originals left. Yummy!

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Onyx Reserve Robusto was the first cigar that I had that wasn't a Swisher and it has been all downhill since.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My first one :tu

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Romeo y Julieta.. Don't remember what model... :ss

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My love affair started with a Monte White.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The night before our nephew's wedding in December of '06 a bunch of guys in the family were out on the back patio and they were about to fire up some smokes. Scott, aka TripleF, being the courteous botl that he is, asked if I wanted a smoke.

I floored them when I said sure. So they gave me either a Swisher Sweet or Black and Mild. I thought not bad. I think Scott was about to fall over when I said yes.

Scott offered to pick up some sticks for the reception the next night and several of us said sure. He showed up with some Perdomo Lot 23's. It has been all down hill ever since. :ss

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Hmmm - Have to say that would be a Mac "Petite Corona Cafe" :D ...been on a steady roll down slope ever since!

I use to manage a tobacco shop back in 2000, and didn't know much about cigars back then, but they had a small humidor full of dry ones and I chucked out damn near all of them as 'unsellable': Then it was a matter of finding out what to replace them with...so I started sampling cigars on my own (mostly small cigars in tins - Wintermans, Macs, etc), and asking customers what they would like to see in the shop.

Had a few customers from the store with a similar mind-set, and the next thing you know there are 3-4 of us buying & splitting up tins from different local shops over beers & BBQ-pits on the weekends comparing notes.

Grew a small but loyal following in the store over the next 6 months, before I left the company.... Eight years later I came back and bought the store: Now I'm back and trying more bands (got a 300 count chest that's packed full of various sticks, and I'm into some serious tasting both for my own habit & for my customers)... Have to say the best one so far, has been an early 1960's Cuesta Rey (got lucky on a well kept sealed 50 box of those): Smooth is just not enough to describe the it!:dr

Always looking for another stick to try though….and the down slope just keeps on rolling!:ss

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

I had played around with Swishers and chewing tobacco - being from rural Texas that is what we did - at Bonfire (Texas A&M) in 1992 a buddy gave me an H Upman, that really opened my eyes.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My first Padron Natural! Been hooked ever since!:ss

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The first cigar that really made me get serious about cigars was 5 Vegas Gold. Odd that now I hardly ever smoke them but that is mainly because I am a absolute Bolivar whore now...Bolivar PC was what really turned this from a hobby to an obssession.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My first actually favorite was a Montecristo White label. Have come so far since then :)

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Arturo Fuente Privada #1. Smoked one in 1972 and I've loved cigars ever since.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

First cigar that made me actually set up and say "oh ya I get it now!"

Drumroll.................................

CAO Brazillia Gol

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The one that made me know this was going to be an on-going hobby was the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Churchill, still my favorite.

Stomp'N'Rock,

Joseph

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

A Partagas Humitube.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Honey Berry Backwoods...seriously. I had not really smoked cigars. Went and saw my friend one weekend. He was smoking these. I had one, it was excellent. My wife said that she did not mind me smoking cigars at all. It smelled good. So that Monday at lunch I went to our local b/m and picked out a sampler of real cigars. Here I am today.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

AVO Classic :tu

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

A Partagas #10 (NC) -- it tasted like what I envisioned a cigar should taste like

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The first time I honestly can't remember what it was (back in the cigar boom). My friends and I had just graduated from college and we all got cigars to celebrate. We did it for quite some time till I moved to California and moved into an apartment complex that didn't allow smoking.

The second time around I'd have to say it was a Punch (NC) Rothschild Maduro I bought when I moved to Oregon. It still hold a soft spot in my heart for these. I don't buy boxes of them but I'll buy a single or two from time to time to relive some old (but good) memories.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

:tpd: And I don't smoke them at all now, I should try one again sometime.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

SLR serie A

Toddzilla, a few years ago.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The first cigar that really grabbed me and got my attention was a Tatuaje Especiales gifted to me at my first herf.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

padron 3000 Maddy... pre-light aroma is choco goodness

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Hemingway Short Story. Perfect intro: Not too long, not too strong, but great flavor and a perfect burn.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My First "Cigar" was a Dunhill Altimiras Tubo 4 years ago while Deer hunting... I had been smoking a pipe for about a year prior to that I stuck to the sweet Blends (Honey Maple, Blue Note, Vanilla etc...) about 2 years ago I tried an "AF Short Story" and down I went! The cigar smoking has crossed my pipe smoking over to the english blends and I have never looked back.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Well, I was North of 40 and on my first "real" vacation in years, when I ambled into a beer store just outside Ocean City, NJ. I had been wanting to try something other than the turds you usually get at weddings, etc. So I grabbed a Romeo Julieta 1875. From there I hit CAO, Carlos Torano, Helix, Fuente, Pepin, Padron. I rate them all on an Excel sheet and will continue enjoying.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Cusano 18 paired maduro was the first higher end cigar that I really enjoyed, I have not had one in over a year, maybe I should pick one up and give it another try and see if I still enjoy it

EDIT: I should also add the Padron X000 series, those and the cusanos were my first cigar favorites (padrons are still)

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The cigars that actually hooked me were the RPV90 and Gurkha Regent Warrior box pressed.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

The first stick that hooked me was coincidentally the first non Phillie Blunt I ever smoked :r
It was an AF 858. Ironically, I'm not too big of a fan of these anymore.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

padron 3000 and partagas short

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

I had swiped some of my dad's stogies when I was a kid and tried them...and of course having no smoking etiquette, I tossed my lunch. Tried some sticks in college at parties but it was just a prop to look cool in front of the chicks, I still lacked the knowledge of how to enjoy a cigar.
Then, one year for Christmas, unplanned, almost everyone gave me cigar paraphernalia...I guess because I drive vintage cars, drink scotch and play golf everyone assumed "he looks like a cigar smokin' kinda guy!"
So here I am with all this awesome cigar stuff...and not a single cigar.
Went to the local B&M, reluctantly admitted my noobness and asked about cigar etiquette and what's good for a budget noob.
Got my questioned answered and left with 2 Punch Rare Corojo Rothschilds...
...bought a box of them the next week.
So like many of you, concerning the friendly well informed B&M owner...should I thank him or curse him?:ss

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

First one I feel in love with was a CAO Odyssey.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Started out about 30 yrs ago on HavaTampa's then it was an occasional Mac or Punch, Then 14 yrs ago I picked up a box of AF 858s for my sons birth, would pick up a box every once in a while. About 5 yrs ago a friend turned me on to CAO Brazillas, well bought my first humidor 3 yrs ago, 100 count that now has morphed into a end table cabinet. And there's a box of 858s in there along with a lot more (dam Cigar Monster):banger

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

It was winter of 2007 and I wanted to get into cigars. I figured it was going to be like wine with different tastes, hints, notes of flavor like wine. I worked at the airport and my supervisor was flying overseas. The plan was to have him pick up a box of cigars for me at the Duty Free store.

I joined CigAff and decided that I was gonna pick up a box of Davidoff Short Perfectos. A lot of the members on there were skeptical that someone with no real cigar exp. would pick up a box of said cigars. I did, I enjoyed them and passed a few around to other members of that forum. Then I found the old forum and found the BABOTL. And as they say the rest is history.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

For me, it was an Opus #4 that I fired up the first time we used the fire pit after we moved into our current house over 4 years ago. I'd been smoking for almost a year before then, but that was the one that truly got me hooked into this obsession. :)

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

A buddy gave me a baccarat on the golf course and I really enjoyed the experience of it while playing golf. A few months later the same buddy got me a part-time job at the local B&M when I was laid off from my full time gig at the time. It was all down hill from there.

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

Licenciados was one of the very first cigars I ever smoked! it's been over 10 years...maybe even longer, like 15 or so..anyways my wife and I were out camping and I smoked one of them at the campfire...I thought it was awesome!! of course my tastes in cigars have evolved since then...

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

For me it was a Padron 2000 Maduro

Re: What cigar hooked you?
 

My first premium hand rolled cigar was an Arturo Fuente Spanish Lonsdale. My second was a Padron Maduro Londres. I have not had a Spanish Lonsdale in a long time but I still buy Londres frequently.