That's a tough question, brother. I got some Calle Ocho's from Cigars International or Famous Smokes a few years back that were really good. A fancy band would have easily made them an $5.00-$8.00 stick and they were $15 for 24 sticks.
Try cigarbid.com and see what you can pick up. There's a lot to be had for $1.00 a stick, and some aren't bad.
All I can really say is to watch what they're made of. If you can find a cigar that's all nicaraguan or all dominican or part of each, they can't be too bad. Lots of times you'll see a filler and binder from those places with a Mexican or Ecuadorian wrapper. Those are fairly gross, it's a toss-up. Honduran tobacco is sometimes not bad, too. It just depends.
I can't suggest a particular brand, because these kinds of cigars aren't usually brands in themselves, but "house brands" or rebanded overruns, or stuff that the chickens were living in.
All you can do is what you're doing. Keep trying stuff, just add "try to look for tobacco from Dominican and Nicaragua" and you should bump into some stuff you'll enjoy.
