Since I'm usually smoking with a group of friends, I find the cigar oftentimes gets overshadowed by the company. So, while I've been a cigar smoker for a long time, I don't have the encyclopedic knowledge of smokes the way some of you guys do. From what I can remember...
CC: a box of Monte #2's years ago that just seemed to have that certain something that set it apart from other smokes I'd had. I also remember a handful of Trinidad sticks that were excellent.
NC: the two brands I reach for most often are LFD and Padron. The LFD Chisel always blows me away with its power and complexity. Any Padron is going to be good, but if I'm feeling spendy, I know anything from the 1926 line will be spectacular.