Where to start?

[MrMusicMan1]

RP=Rocky Patel

[92hatchattack]

^ im sorry, i did see this, just not the particular Vintage 1990 that you mentioned.

[92hatchattack]

Lol, i think i need to go to bed. HAHA. Thats all just an overload of information so far! I cant wait! Theres even so many samplers to pick from its hard to choose. Id like to find something that takes me all the way from mild creamy cigars to full bodied dark cigars. I supose the hunt is half the fun!

[s.tyler]

get some Arturo Fuente, Punch, and Macanudo. all great cigars and many are reasonably priced. if you want a wider variety take a look at samplers from the big online sites.

[MrMusicMan1]

This is a heck of a sampler to get you going and figure out what you like for a good price. CI's 'Kitchen Sink' Sampler - Cigars International

[92hatchattack]

Originally Posted by MrMusicMan1

This is a heck of a sampler to get you going and figure out what you like for a good price. CI's 'Kitchen Sink' Sampler - Cigars International

Man, that does look like a sick sampler within my budget. I was thinking of looking for something that had like two of each so i could smoke and compare with a friend, but looking at this my friend may just have to go buy his own.

Is the wrapper color and indication of flavor strength? It looks like thats a good range from mild to wild?

[92hatchattack]

Well, off to bed for me, but that doesnt mean you guys have to stop sending the info. LOL, jk

Thanks kitchen sink combo looks like a really sweet deal! I cant wait for my humidor to get here!

You guys are TOP NOTCH! Thanks for all the help so far!

[MrMusicMan1]

Originally Posted by 92hatchattack

Man, that does look like a sick sampler within my budget. I was thinking of looking for something that had like two of each so i could smoke and compare with a friend, but looking at this my friend may just have to go buy his own.

Is the wrapper color and indication of flavor strength? It looks like thats a good range from mild to wild?

Well no. As a general guideline the darker wrapper (maduros) are a more full bodies. There are so many exceptions to every rule. This does have great mix in range of smokes from creamy to spicy to strong. You can't go wrong with this one. Yes, your buddy should get his own!

[MrMusicMan1]

BTW (by the way) look around Puff. Your bound to find a free shipping link somewhere.

[ghost]

Originally Posted by 92hatchattack

Man, this is going to be one HELL of a process. LOL.

Can anyone comment on the diffrent sizes of cigars? Does this really change the flavor of the smoke at all, or is it just a preferance as to size, and the diffrent draw?

Oh and yeah, i know the 20 is small, but im going to be doing some traverling and just thought, well i can start off with this small one, and even when i get a larger one i can still use this one to travel with.

Yes the size (ring gauge) does influence different aspects of the cigar. In general, the smaller the ring gauge the more you pick up hints of the wrapper. The larger the ring gauge the more you get the flavors of the filler. This is all a matter of preference.

The more you smoke the more you will find that you enjoy a particular size. When I first started I kept trying robustos and then larger ring gauges. Now I seem to also enjoy and be drawn to coronas. The key is to find a cigar you like and then try different sizes in that blend and decide for yourself. You may want to try Brazillia's in a few different sizes (I love the Gol) or the Graycliff's and see what you think.

[PerpetualNoob]

Full Disclosure: I'm officially a 5 Vegas whore. They make a very wide variety of smokes, I've tried a lot of them, and I have literally never yet found one that I didn't like.

Last year, I bought two of the CI Motherload samplers, and have never regretted it for a minute. There are things in there that I like more, some less, but none of them are 'bad' cigars.

It's hard to go wrong with anything from Fuente. Their 'budget' smokes are better than some companies' top-line. I love the Hemingway Short Story, for a relatively quick smoke, 45 minutes or so.

Try lots of stuff, buy variety, small quantities. Keep a notebook of what you like and don't like about each one. When you find a few that you like, take that list to your local shop and see if they can recommend others that are similar that you might also like. Unless you totally hate something, 2-3 cigars is generally a good number to decide whether you like something or not. Remember, you're dealing with a product of nature, processed and assembled by a dozen or more humans, so there's going to be some amount of variation, even with the best QC in the business. It's unavoidable. Your plugged or loose roll might be the only one out of 10,000 good ones.

[Herf N Turf]

Lots of great suggestions here from many caring people. I knew you were gonna get blasted with information as soon as I saw your thread title, hah! TMI is better than TLI when it comes to these things, so take your time, dissect and ask more questions.

My two cents is regarding the CAO Brazilia. You already know you like it and in truth, it's a fantastic cigar. The Amazon, for me, it the best vitola but the Gol! is great too. Jump on a fiver of these. Again, you know you like them and they will make a great source for comparison along your journey. The Brazilia is an indication of CAO quality. They are some of the best constructed cigars in the industry and notoriously consistent. Try several of their bands. Most are grade AAA wonderful.

Also, since youre brand new to this, start keeping a journal! It's a great habit to get into and will help a lot a year from now when you've forgotten most about these early smokes you're discovering. It will not only help you with future shopping lists, but also be a great reference for how your palette will develope and change over time... and IT WILL! Be sure you annotate date of purchase, brand, vitola, wrapper, price paid, where you got it and your impressions. It will also help in keeping track of how long you've had something in your humi. Trust me, 5yrs from now, you'll have no idea whether that random La Gloria Cubana has 2yrs or 4yrs of age on it.

Try to smoke most of your early experiments with water, rather than anything flavored. While some cigars are mountains better when paired with the right beverage, you will never really know the essential character of the smoke unless you keep your palette neutral. If you absolutely must drink something else, wait til at least half way through the smoke before you switch from water.

Create good habits from the start. Savor the prelight aroma, smell the wrapper and foot. Wet the head slightly, tasting the wrapper as you do, before you clip. Clip shallow, taking off about 1/8th inch of the cap, making sure to never remove, or interrupt the whole cap. Dust the cut surface gently and smell the freshly cut tobacco. Take a good prelight tug and savor the flavors of the unlit tobaccos. In time, this will tell you a lot. Thoroughly toast the foot. Char it, without actually lighting, making sure to get it even. When you light, hold the flame vertically, well in front of the horizontal cigar and rotate the cigar in your mouth as you puff gently. When you get a mouthful of smoke, inspect the light by blowing out the smoke onto the foot. If it's not complete, repeat the process until you have a perfectly even light. Sit back, relax and let yourself be amazed.

Try not to hit the stick too often. A good rule of thumb is to wait about a minute between puffings. It helps to keep the stick running cool and enables it to deliver maximum flavor. Check for temp periodically by feeling about an 1/2 to 1" behind the burn ring. If it's too hot to hold comfortably, slow down. Don't become an ash snob, but also bear in mind that leaving a little ash on the end helps keep the temps cooler.

[MrMusicMan1]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Try to smoke most of your early experiments with water, rather than anything flavored. While some cigars are mountains better when paired with the right beverage, you will never really know the essential character of the smoke unless you keep your palette neutral. If you absolutely must drink something else, wait til at least half way through the smoke before you switch from water.

Excellent advice.

[Snomoskier]

I didn't see a lot of specific suggestions so I will list some of my favorits for you. All of the following are non-Cuban.

Don Pepins are usually great. Blue, Cuban Classic, 601 green and blue, Cubao, Tatuaje, etc.

Favorite short smokes: 5 Vegas Shorty, CAO MX2 dagger, Don Pepin Cuban Classic Perla

Favorite bargain smoke: Slow-Aged 826 Maduro(the natual is garbage if you ask me)

Favorite Conneticut: Laurato is incredibly smooth and mild but expensive.

Padilla 32, 48, 68 and Miami.

Call the guys at Taboo and have them make up a sampler for you. If the wrapper on these looks dry or normal it is ready to smoke, if it is moist and oily give it some age and or dry box it before smoking. Limited Reserve Havana, HSG, and Special Forces OB and BC have been my favorites so far.

Fuente Hemmingway line is very tasty.

J Fuego makes good smokes.

Camachos are good Honduran smokes.

Oliva G, O, and V.

AJ Fernandez Cuban Cabinet.

And so many more. Take this last bit of advice with a grain of salt. Go to cigarbid.com Judging from your enthusiasm and interest you will probably end up with coolers full of cigars and a lot of money spent but I always justify as an investment that will get better with age.

[tx_tuff]

Where to start? I like your idea of 5 packs, gives you more then one cigar to decide if you really like it. If you buy 3 different 5 packs I would make sure each pack has a different wrapper.

Cameroon Wrapper cigars:
H Upmann Vintage Cameroon
Oliva Serie G
Arturo Fuente Hemingway
La Aurora Classic
Nub Cameroon

Maduro Wrapper cigars:
CAO Mx2
Pepin JJ Maduro
601 Blue
Ashton Aged Maduro
Camacho Triple Maduro

Connecticut Wrapper cigars:
Casa Torano
601 Black
Nub Connecticut
Oliva Connecticut Reserve

Corojo/Nicaraguan Wrapper cigars:
Padilla Miami
Pepin Blue
Illusione
Oliva Serie V
Pardon 1000s Series

These are just a few to choice from, but they are good starts and you can find good prices on some of them.