[benjamin831]

Hi,

I’ve been browsing this forum for quite some time now and only until recently I have taken the initiative to register as a member. And so, I just want to say my hellos.

I’ve been introduced to cigars by my father 4 years ago. At that time, he was very much a newbie himself, traveling from cigar shop to cigar shop, gathering suggestions. I would follow him around, admiring the ambiance and aroma of each store. By age 15, I smoked my first cigar, a RyJ No. 3 Tubos de Luxe. It was everything I expected from a cigar; strong and aromatic. But it was too flavourful and much too strong; I ended up wheezy, nauseous, and unsatisfied. Monte No. 2 was next on the list and it became the cigar I fell in love with. The draw was light, the smoke was smooth and it came to be the benchmark by which all cigars were judged.

Growing up in Hong Kong meant that just about every cigar I have smoked were Cubans. Unfortunately, this then became a problem to me. For every cigar I smoke, I can only rate it’s smokability on a very superficial level; that is, the lightness of the draw, the construction, the burn, and whether it made me feel like puking or not. By jumping straight into Cubans, I don’t believe I had the chance of developing my senses to evaluate a cigar’s flavour at depth.

Now that I’m in college here in the US, I discovered a world of non-Cuban goodness. I would like to ask for a suggestion or two for a good newbie cigar. It would be great to have a brief tasting note, so I would know what to look out for.

Thanks for reading.

*I’m down to my final 3rd of my Monte White Toro. It’s a beautifully constructed cigar, perfect burn, perfect draw. It has been a very smooth smoke, but its turning rather acrid now. Its time to put it down.