What got you into cigars?

ShadowInTheMoon

Do you have a magical moment... That first time you tried a cigar? What was it and what did you think of it?What kept you coming back to cigars?

ShadowInTheMoon

As for me a friend gave me a CAO Moontrance (the infused stuff) and being the first one (infused) to me it didnt taste like i was smoking a piece of leather and i loved it. Soon after i bought a Fonseca sampler and when i tried it i was almost turned away. Every one tasted like i was chewing on a piece of cedar wood. I decided to try one more sampler and got a hold of a MOW sampler and wow were those different.

The3Stogies

A few years back I got a CCOM catalogue in the mail, from there checked out the website. Been trying to quit cigarettes for some time and decided to try cigars instead. Did my research for a while, thanks to you all, and took the plunge. Bought a box of 5-Vegas Classic's, MOW Virtue's and a best of the year sampler and started playing. 1st premium was a Vegas Classic, still one of my favorite goto's, and the Virtue too. Now my father was a cigar and pipe smoker so the seed was probably planted early anyway. But I'm down to 3 cigarettes a day, just at work, and they taste like crap.

On a side note, this forum was so helpful, made it easier and probably saved me lots of money too.

CharlieHeis

Back when my friends and I would drink beer every weekend, around 21 years of age I'd guess, someone decided to bring over some Swisher Sweets Outlaws. We thought we looked as cool as Clint Eastwood did in the movies. Then we had a bar open up a retail smoke shop with a walk in humidor. We used to go out there every Saturday to get some stogies. Great times. Smoke shop closed and I went many years without having a cigar.
Fast forward to a couple summers ago, and I accepted a cigar from a cousin at a family function and remembered how much I enjoyed it. Then I decided to buy a humidor and here I am.

Hays

Welp, mine probably started with an interest in pipe smoking, to be honest! Having grown up reading fantasy and adventure literature (Tolkien, Jordan, Piers Anthony, Jules Verne, etc) and seeing how often the characters enjoyed the peaceful solitude of a pipe, I always had it in my mind to try it out. Come turning 18 however, I saw how expensive a good pipe cost (in the limited places I knew to find them, then) - Petersons for $150, Nordings $200+ - and it just became cost-prohibitive to start so that idea went out the window for a couple years.

Fast forward to around 20 years old, and my best friend calls me from England - he's been on tour in Iraq for the previous 9 months and had just gotten home. He tells me "Hey, I started smoking cigars out there with some of the guys. I think you should check it out, I think this is something that'll really be up your alley." He knows me better than anybody, so I figured I'd take his advice. Went to the only cigar shop I knew of at the time (a retail spot in a mall, a place I'd grown up walking past and always enjoyed stopping to take in the smell), and came right out and told the guy "I'm ignorant, but I understand there's a lot to learn. Help me learn, give me somewhere to start." Guy immediately tries to sell me on the $20 Davidoffs (a$$). I shut him down, told him that was ridiculous and I knew there had to be somewhere more entry-level to start. Ended up with a Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real toro; took that home, enjoyed it by the pool, didn't get much from it but decided I wanted to learn more. Found another B&M closer to my house; it was a classic cigar lounge, and became my second home. The owners were excellent mentors, and I spent a LOT of time there buying singles here and there.

Didn't take me too long to decide I needed a humidor - I remembered seeing an ad for some cigar website in my monthly Playboy subscription, so I looked that up. Booyah, $25 shipped 20ct humidor with 10pk of stogies coming my way (Cigar.com, of course!), and immediately I was on the forums asking about how to get it all seasoned. Here we are 6 years later and I've smoked a few thousand cigars, hosted a few cigar events, learned enough for a degree, and look forward to opening a cigar lounge in the future. I guess my best friend was right, seems like this was "up my alley."

Also, I did eventually get into pipes. Had 4 at one point, but gave away two of them when I left the States. Now I'm left with a nameless estate 3/4 bent and a custom one-off made for me by a good friend and pipemaker. He actually took the design we put together and put it into regular production for IPCPR, so there's officially a Chuck Long "Hays" pipe.

(I am definitely in a writing mood lately, so sorry if this post was a little too much!)

cbuck

Started smoking cigarettes at 10 years old, taking them from my parents. Pall Mall and Winston. Smoked them for 42 years, with the occasional cigar on special occasions, always getting a headache after, because I tried to smoke them like a cigarette, inhaling occasionally. Wife quit cigarettes because of a health issue, so I did too. Smoked nothing for about 4 years. A friend, who became my cigar mentor, gave me a Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial to celebrate some occasion. Enjoyed it immensly! Smoked once or twice a week for about a year, enjoying every minute! Wife bought me a small 20 ct humidor for Christmas. In March of the following year, I got my first order from CCOM, joined the forums, and the rest is history! Started reading and learning from you guys, enjoying the history and hobby as much as the vice! Now my mentor says I am his teacher now! Thank you guys for everything!I now have storage for about 350-400 cigars, and it still isn't enough! Charlie

jd50ae

In a land far far away and in a time of chivalry and honor, I sought out a Master of his trade, Sir Tony, of the House of the Black Boar. I needed of him a weapon of particular design, made for my hands and limited skills. He took on the task with a gleam in his eye, and as time went by we became friends. One day, of no particular note, he offered me drink and introduced me to Romeo Y Juliet. They were not of this land but from an exotic island far away. I took to them like a child to its mother, they were of such pleasure to behold. Alas, they soon returned to their island and I have never seen them again, and I miss them to this day with fond memory and longing.

SM0K3Y

Two men...Dad and Grandpa

Rain

Bill Clinton and ol girl

jd50ae

Rain:

Bill Clinton and ol girl

Snicker

Big''nBall''n

a buddy and I back in the day thought we were cool and smoke cigars, didn't much care for them back then but have found a new respect for the artistry and craftsmanship that is put into them, discovered the "culture" and mystique of cigars/pipes. and Whaoo led me to this site and I have met a lot of very great BOTLs here.

bert873

My best friends grandpa has a cigar shop in our hometown so my friend would always bring cigars on various get togethers and trips. I didn't really get into them until a little over a year ago. The wife and I took our honeymoon to Jamaica and while there I bought some "Cubans" as I knew nothing about them or how easily they are faked. When we got home from the trip I needed a humidor to properly store them and stumbled upon ccom and purchased myself a 50 count. While on ccom I discovered the forum section and joined up and quickly decided to get on the good traders list. Rain sponsored me and I soon had to buy a cooler after his package landed and it's gone straight downhill since (I know own a wineador as well). Basically within a year I went from no cigars to having a desktop, a coolidor and a wineador.

Bigshizza

Satan

ejgorman

A portion of this tale has already been told. I was first introduced to cigars by an indepently wealthy, Swiss national attending Logan College of Chiropractic at the same time as me. He had a humidor...a 300 count if I'm not mistaken that was stocked exclusively with Davidoff and Ashton. To show his appreciation for tutoring his wife, he took me to the local cigar lounge where he rented a locker. He set me up with an Ashton 8-9-8 and a few fingers of Johnny Walker Blue and I was hooked. I rented a locker for my remaining year and a half and smoked there about once a week until I met my would-be wife. Fast forward a few years. I'm golfing with my brother-in-law and he busts out some swishers. It gets me thinkin about the good ol' days. Google "cigars"...Ccom...here I am.

Rain

bert873:

My best friends grandpa has a cigar shop in our hometown so my friend would always bring cigars on various get togethers and trips. I didn't really get into them until a little over a year ago. The wife and I took our honeymoon to Jamaica and while there I bought some "Cubans" as I knew nothing about them or how easily they are faked. When we got home from the trip I needed a humidor to properly store them and stumbled upon ccom and purchased myself a 50 count. While on ccom I discovered the forum section and joined up and quickly decided to get on the good traders list. Rain sponsored me and I soon had to buy a cooler after his package landed and it's gone straight downhill since (I know own a wineador as well). Basically within a year I went from no cigars to having a desktop, a coolidor and a wineador.

Hahahaha

bert873

Rain:

bert873:

My best friends grandpa has a cigar shop in our hometown so my friend would always bring cigars on various get togethers and trips. I didn't really get into them until a little over a year ago. The wife and I took our honeymoon to Jamaica and while there I bought some "Cubans" as I knew nothing about them or how easily they are faked. When we got home from the trip I needed a humidor to properly store them and stumbled upon ccom and purchased myself a 50 count. While on ccom I discovered the forum section and joined up and quickly decided to get on the good traders list. Rain sponsored me and I soon had to buy a cooler after his package landed and it's gone straight downhill since (I know own a wineador as well). Basically within a year I went from no cigars to having a desktop, a coolidor and a wineador.

Hahahaha

You're the cause of my downfall, I blame it all on you.... I think I need to retaliate at some point

brianetz1

i have 2 friends that i have known since i was 6 years old who would always smoke cigars while we were on the golf course. I never smoked cigarettes because my mom was an addict and my gpaw died of esophagus cancer so i stayed away until i was hammered one time and broke down and smoked a Punch.

I really liked it and started doing the buy 3 before going fishing or golfing guy, and I told my wife i think I want to get a humidor and start buying cigars online because they are so expensive in the store. She decided to buy me the get you in the door crackhead style $25 humidor combo from here and i have been here ever since.

Darktower007

I was 16 yo and smoked a backwoods drinking... In the hills of Tennessee. From there I was the only one who smoked cigars of my friends for almost a decade.

aschwendt13

The first cigar i really enjoyed, my dad bought to give out when my daughter was born. The ones i bought and gave to my freinds wernt very good. Between then and my son being born i tryed more cigars and did a little research and gave out something a little better, and now im sucked in, and smoke regularly

jarubla

Bumping this one, as it is such a great read 

-Jay

YankeeMan

I've smoked cigars for over 25 years, but they were the gas station White Owls or Garcia Vega.  A little over six years ago, my youngest son brought home a man made cigar from college.  The rest is history.

I started with a twenty count humidor because that's all I would ever need.  My wife then bought me a 250 count, which I now use as my aging humidor.  I got another 250 count that I smoke out of and a couple of small ones for infused cigars.

That's why my standard advice for a new member is to get a bigger himidor and a second job!

That son passed away last September, but I still cherish the times we spent out on the patio smoking cigars together, just talking.and spending quality time with each other.

Usaf06

I first smoked probably in 1996 with my best friend and his dad. We use to smoke every Sunday. Me and my friend both went in the Air Force and would occasionally meet back in Orlando and have a smoke. I picked up my first humidor probably 15 years ago and would occasionally put a couple sticks in it. It wasn't till recently that I really got into it as a hobby I guess you would say. Now I have two desk top humidors and a coolerdor full with a new wine cooler in route.

Chuck_N

I took some cigars along on a fishing trip in 1982.
Thought we were living large, smoking cigars and just chillaxing.
Been smoking them ever since.

RSIII

Growing up, my dad and his brothers used to buy cigars whenever we had bonfires on the farm, or went canoeing or observed a holiday. Every time we went into the cigar stores/humidors the tobacconist would give me an "El Bubble" bubble gum cigar. When I turned eighteen a week ago I went out to the same tobacconist to buy my first batch of cigars and smoked the first one by a roaring bonfire. Although my dad doesn't smoke anymore he still bought a couple for the fireworks and to celebrate. I'd have to say it's an experience not to be missed. Even when I light one up on the porch while reviewing my college textbooks I instantly think back to sticking my nose up to the counter when the tobacconist handed my that delicious banded stick of gum. 

Devildog1

Someone here, @matkn293 got me into this.   I don't smokes cigarettes, tried them in 7th grade got sick as hell, although was the first time I drank beer too so they may have helped out.  Kept drinking but never smoked cigarettes again.   Fast forward about 35 years, work hosted a golf outing I invite Mark and he says "pick up a couple cohibas" and the rest is history.  I have a couple great stories from a few of the herf's Mark and I have had.   Even met Bert from here on the board through Mark 

matkn293

Sucker... Lol!  

matkn293

I started smoking cigars after a work trip I took go an AB plant in Fairfield CA. About 2-2.5 yrs ago. Foreman that went with me had some and after a heavy night of boozing in a bar with bras on the ceiling we sat by the pool with a couple sticks. Started gradually from there. He is the one that turned me on to CCOM although he is not on the boards. The rest is pretty much history. After getting on the forums a year and a couple moths ago it's been absolutely nuts ever since. I never I'm wildest dreams imagined that I would be stocked to the gills and needing more humi space as I am now. Have met a lot of great people on here only which enhances the experience. 

Rhamlin

Curiosity mostly 

jarubla

I bought some from the site for a graduation gift and the monthly magazines kept my curiosity whetted.

Really very glad to have found this hobby/passion/interest.

-Jay

dr_frankenstein56

Because......... I ........... Like ......... to .......... smoke.

Nolagizmo

Quit cigarettes.

Went to vape... wasn't doing it for me.

Went to Tennessee and fished with a really cool mountain man.

He gave me a Cohiba and an ad to get a humidor and sampler.

Came home to New Orleans and there's a big cigar convention.

A guy that works part time for me and part time for a mall tinderbox gave me a stack of sticks from this convention

Now I'm picking up fresh flavors each week and learning about more I want to try from you guys.