I started with the drugstore shelf AyC's, Swisher Sweets, and Black Jack Maduros back in the late 70's. I thought that these were much better than the Tiparillos, White Owls, etc. that started it all.
My next progression was to JRs in Statesville where I tried all of the Macanudos, Royal Jamaica, Punch, H. Upmann, etc. -- mild cigars that were so popular at the time. They were too mild and the only strong cigars were the Partagas brand and they smoked hot and peppery. Next came the La Gloria Cubanas which I bought directly from the factory in Miami. At $1.80 each these were great cigars...especially when aged. These were a good cigar for the money and a step above anything available at JRs or elsewhere at the time.
The turning point came when a friend gifted me three small Romeo y Julietta machine made mini coronas in cello -- leftovers from a 5 pack. He had kept these in a closet, unhumidified, and they were an eye opening experience to say the least. The first one was stale and nasty, simply unsmokable. The second cigar was as on a par with the best cigar that I had smoked previously. Oh my Lord, the third one....was the best cigar that I have ever smoked before or since. It totally blew me away! This little rascal tasted like tobacco and cocoa and it had a strong hazelnut flavor as well. I was simply amazed! If I could find a cigar that has this flavor profile I would smoke one from morning until night. It was like dessert. I told myself that NOW I know what the big deal is with Cuban cigars. My eyes were opened.
Since this experience I have tryed as many Cuban cigars as money allows - which, admittedly hasn't been very many. Thanks to Cigar Pass and good people like Jeff, MattR, and others I have experienced cigars that I never imagined that I would ever get to try. Thank you guys!
I have yet to rediscover the myriad of flavors found in that first little Cuban Romeo y Julietta wonder, but I have run across some great cigars: Cohiba Esplendidos and Robustos, Montecristo #2s, Bolivar, Quai d' Orsay, Hoyo de Monterray double coronas, etc. I have discovered that a great Cuban cigar has a complexity and depth of flavors that are not easily or readily found in domestic cigars.
For instance, I smoked a RyJ Churchill this morning and it started off mild and it got stronger about half way. There were two or three different flavors prevalent and the cigar was just wonderful. I smoked a Quai d'Orsay Imperiale last year that did the same thing. Same thing with a Cohiba Esplendido, although a much stronger cigar.
Now I'm hooked and when I smoke up all of the cigars that I have accumulated I will gradually, as funds will allow, be replacing them with cigars from "way down South". They're expensive, but just better overall to my taste buds. I really like the complexity of flavors that can be found in ONE cigar. It is almost like having three different flavors of ice cream at the same time when you smoke a great Cuban cigar that is on form. The quality of Cubans dropped during the push to make the maximum number of sticks during the "cigar boom", but now that the fad is over quality is coming back up again as Cuba refocuses on Quality not Quantity.
I still routinely smoke domestic cigars, but more and more I reach for the special sticks, the "good stuff" that is rapidly dwindling.
I wish everyone good luck on their path of discovery. Life is a journey and so it goes with cigars.
Sam
