[Mark]

Okay I'll try to answer a few of the questions - first, what to smoke and what to stay away from? This one is easy. Smoke what you like and stay away from what you dont like. Simple as that. This hobby is about relaxing and personal enjoyment, not ratings or the "look at me I'm smoking something expensive/new/hard to find" factor.

Now for the NST, send what you like! I would advise against sending flavored cigars (like the acid) because some people are especially averse to them, but the point of the NST is just to trade with some other newbies things that are ticking your palate at the time.

Now for what to try, I would say if you see a deal that looks too good to be true, it usually is. Don't be afraid to ask someone you trust (in a PM preferably) what they think about a particular cigar, and get a few opinions before you make a decision. Buying online can be great, but if you have a local B&M I would say, especially when you are first starting off, go there and ask the employees what they like, buy one of each of those, and save your bands. I tell my customers to write if they liked a cigar or not on the back of the bands, then bring them back in and I can help them narrow down what their palate seems to be like.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions - I am more than willing to help out where I can.

Welcome to the asylum brother, and to a wonderful hobby!