Ive been smoking cigars since I started being single about 2005. I've bought expensive cigars and cheep cigars, and all in between cigars. I was given the gift on ARFcom from a gentleman of 4 very fine cigars to begin with one being an Opes-X. I've bought real Cubans on a cruise paying $30.00 a piece for them. I have enjoyed many really good cigars, and some real crappers the worst being fake Cubans and some other cheep cigars bought on line. I now know thanks to members here to stay away from Gurkha's cigars. What are some lines I can explore and not have to pay to find out what is garbage? I have R&J's in my humidor, Some Infernos, Rocky Patel's, Torano's. I like Liga Privada's and Undercrown's. I want to smoke good cigars and recently joined the Privada cigar club and I'm getting the monthly pack and the farm rolled packet
I would like to know what brands are really good, and what to stay away from. I've never kept a journal and I haven't developed my ability to express the flavors. I have watched videos and read article's about it, so I'm hoping I can figure out how to taste all the flavors I see reviewers on youtube talk about, but it's been a couple of months since I decided I figure out what I like so I know what to spend my money on so I'm not poor with shitty smokes. The virus caught me still just buying cigars at SPECS 4 to 6 at a time, so I started laying in a supply encase it made everything fall apart, or supper expensive like toilet paper.

Give me brands to ignore and brands worth spending my hard earned dollars on please.

I need advice to be able to learn how to taste all the subtle flavors for myself as well.

Thank you for any help in these areas.

I am also a youtube subscriber to Cigar Obsession.

I usually like a 6 X 60 but since i bought off line I bought all different sizes.

Like you said, I love Opus X Lost City and Liga Privada T52 as my top cigars. My other favorite is Davidoff Late Hour or Davidoff Escurio (a touch lighter)

Other brands I love are:
Oliva Melanio Serie V
My Father Flor de las Antillas
Crowned Heads Luminosa
Drew Estate Herrera Esteli
601 Green Oscuro

My first cigars international order was a year ago and I've spent $1,600 since, so I feel your pain on buying cigars you don't like.

A lot of people like the CAO cigars and I smoked just about every one and put it out, hated it. The only Rocky Patel I loved was the sun grown maduro, although I am wanting to retry Decade again... maybe.

Since you liked Opus X and Liga, give Davidoff Late Hour a try -- if I could pick one cigar lifetime supply it would be any of these three (leaning toward Opus X Lost City). I'd also definitely try the Oliva Melanio Serie V if you haven't already, 96 rated cigar for good reason. Just make sure you get the "Melanio Serie V" blend. I'd love to hear your review if you pick any of these up

Whats the deal with Gurkha? I was going to try their Gurkha 125th Anniversary and Gurkha Cellar Reserve Prisoner based on the reviews.

Thank you for your help. I started looking into the cigars you listed. Is there a link to peoples favorite cigar stores on line. I've only ever bought from Famous Smoke shop, and cigars international, there was that one time I was tempted by Thompson cigars, I ordered pipe tobacco and it was dreadful enough to let me know not to order cigars.

Padron 1926 are superb, the 1964 is very good, and even their basic line is quite good.

Holy shit! I got on cigar bid and my life has been changed. I'm already a bit poorer in cash, richer in cigars.

I went to three local cigar stores on Wednesday, and found some of the listed cigars you recommended to me. Others on cigar bid, and spent most of yesterday on that sight, and watching cigar reviews.

I got a Liga Privad for 19 at one store, 2 New Wolds and My Father Flor de las Antillies for $22 at one store, and an Oliva Malanio, a R. P. Edge, and a couple others I can't remember at Specs. Then onto Cigarbid which is fun. I bid on some Gurkha's but only a dollar for a 5 pk of cask cigars, so if I get them it's not a huge investment. I bid on some Undercrowns, got a 5pk of Churchhills for $24. I got an 18 count of Monticristo'/H. Upman/can't remember for $70.

Shoot, if I were to win everything I bid on, Lord help me not to, about $500 will be gone up in smoke!

I'm looking for some, but I have to be careful, or I'll end up in the red. They are spendy, but the reviews all say they are superb, yet costly.

I'm still going to get some to try though.

Agreed on all counts

Whoops

Still fighting with my urge to buy cheep crap. Lord help me.

I won a five pack of Rocky Patels 5 x 52 i believe assorted. $24.50

A.J. Fernandez 3 types 6 of each for $75.50

Undercrown 5pk churchills $24.50

Bought a 10pk of HC series Habano pig tail perfecto $23.01

10 pk LaPerla Habana wide torpedo 24.38

But I have got about 30 to 40 bids waiting.




Oh yeah Privada Club just shipped these.



Crowned Heads Juarez Willy Lee -1 $7.00
EIROA THE FIRST 20 YEARS DIADEMA -1 $16.50
Liga Privada Unico Serie Papas Fritas 1 $4.50
JFR Lunatic Loco El Loquito - 2 $8.00 $16.00
Crowned Heads Court Reserve XVIII Robusto 1 $9.75

I smoked a Farm rolled yesterday that I really enjoyed, and Wednesday I smoked an Oliva V serie perfecto that I enjoyed, and a New World which I absolutely loved and only $6 at a local store. I plan on buying a box or two of the New Worlds before they get expensive like every other popular cigar.


The worst part is have so many crappers already that I paid for so will smoke as a lesson to myself about being a cheep skate.

That is how you learn really. Just buy and smoke. When I started I would buy samplers with a guy I worked with and just dumping them on a desk, flipping a coin to see who get the first grab. Then it was split by just taking turns grabbing until they were gone.

I got some absolute dog rockets, but I found some I loved that I didn't think I would. Some were okay so I later explored the line a bit deeper and found some I liked better.

I found I liked a lot of Drew Estate nonflavored products, as well as Oliva, Avo, Alec Bradley, Ashton, A. Fuentes, ect. I like some then later I found I didn't care for them at all like Rocky Patel ( I think the 1991 is good).

I had a 5 Vegas Gold that was terrible, but I had like 10 so I threw them in a tupperdore and forgot about them for a few years. The cellophane was amber when I removed one to try. It was nirvana. Was it me? Was it the cigar? Both? I don't know, but I never bought any more either.

You are doing it right. Buy and smoke. Make mental notes and you will learn what works for you.

Been real happy with Caldwell that was recommended here.

Ave Maria (all of the lines) can be had for ~$3 per on the devil site

Holy crap Batman! I's a good thing my wife lives in Manila, or I might be looking for a new one. I spent $265 on a 20 pack from Hill and Hill in Detroit Mi, and forgot about it once I found cigar bed, In one week I went through nearly $650, Then there is week two, I've won less and I'm being cautious as I can without stopping all together. I'm going to have no choice but to do a cooladore soon, as I have a ton of cigars coming soon.

I bought some of the following:
Ave Maria's
Rocky Patels
Ramon Bueso
Chohiba
Crowned Heads
601 Green
My Father
New World
Partagas
Montecristo
San Cristabol
La Aurora
AJ Fernandez
Man O War
H. Upman
LaPerla
Obsideon
A. Fuente
Casa Fernandez
PDR
Camacho
Alec Bradley
Oliva

I got two torch lighters, and 3 humi packs as well.

Cooladore will serve you well... I’m really happy I got mine... remember that you will probably need to get a separate humidification system as most cooladors come with a crappy one.

I have one of those humidors that are like the wine coolers with cedar drawers. I think it said it was a 500 cigar humidor when I bought it about 7 or 8 years ago. I would guess I have around 350 cigars in it, but this next shipment and the one I'll get after Tuesday's auction end date will put me up to around 6 or 7 hundred cigars . I spent $605 on my 1st weeks bids, and close to 4 on this last weeks bid, and now I have cut myself off.

I have one of those humidors that are like the wine coolers with cedar drawers. I think it said it was a 500 cigar humidor when I bought it about 7 or 8 years ago. I would guess I have around 350 cigars in it, but this next shipment and the one I'll get after Tuesday's auction end date with put up around 6 to 7 hundred cigars . I spent $605 on my 1st weeks bids, and close to 4 on this last weeks bid, and now I have cut myself off. I also just got 2 cigars from Hill and Hill out of Detroit in the mail. Another $265, and in the beginning of April I made about $800 dollars worth of orders to Famous smoke shop and one smaller one to cigars international. So I'm guessing close to 2K in the last mounth and a week.

C-Bid can really be addictive.

$845 on this weeks bill

Well, you officially have it worse than me.  I feel better.

Okay, I finally managed to get clean. I haven't bid nor looked since Monday, and My last order shipped already. About 4k deep and stuffed to the gills with good cigars. I really love the JFR Lunatic, and La Aroma De Cuba cigars, I bought a bunch of pipe tobacco tins like 14 on my last order I will let age for the next ten years or so. I have an unopened can of McClelland Christmas Cheer from 2002 I believe, but that's it for pipe fodder. I'm making myself stay away from cigar related sights, and gun sights now.

Cbid is addictive.
I woke up and bought of box of Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Concertos (churchills) thinking they to the Meastro (torpedos).
Went back on and got the torpedos I meant to get.
If you're interested on trading my churchill box for a box or some of yours equal to, lmk

I’m a huge fan of Ashtons, they’re Cabinet line in particular is great.

Yep excellent smoke.

^THIS, I also find Nica Libre to be good 'poor man's' Padron

I was clean for a full week, then I stumbled, then fell, but I'm back on the wagon as of today. $331.95 and $232.29.oh my goodness.theres another home build I could have done. I had 23 ARs but I've sold two, so I only have 21 now. I have a shopping problem I guess. No knives for about 4 months though!

i got 15 tins of pipe tobacco to let age for retirement, if I can ever afford to retire.

i also just got a Colibre SV cutter in rose gold. Love it.

If you're spending that much on sticks, make sure you check your humidor for beetles/mold. I've had both, both are infuriating.

Are the beetles eggs in the tobacco, or do they find tobacco like clarion beetles  find rotting flesh?I'm keeping most of my cigars in plastic containers with Humi packs, and hygrometers.  The rest in my little humidor I bought from Home Depot about 7 years ago. By little I think 3 to 500 cigar sized. Electric. I have found it very hard to keep the humidity the same between all the shelves.it has two drawers and four shelves I believe.

Cigar tobacco is a natural product and unlike tobacco used for cheap cigarettes uses no pesticides, so the beetle eggs are in pretty much every cigar,  most manufactures freeze their cigars before shipping which will kill the beetle.

beetles hatch in humidity over 70% and temps over 74*

Good to know, sometimes my humidity goes over 70 when I recharge my beads, but I have learned to settle for between 62 to 72 for humidity and 65 to 73 for temp depending on the time of day and it's about the best I've been able to do. I bought a 12 pack of hygrometers from Amazon and put one in each container. My humidor I keep 3 digital hygrometers in different shelves and check them pretty much daily, and the humidity is different on each one sometimes, sometimes the same. I don't know why. The lowest level is usually the driest and that seems strange as I would think the moister would fall from the top to the bottom.

Yall are assholes.....since reading this thread and discovering cigarbid, I've won three auctions. I have a 25 capacity jar type humidor...which is full, and I have 25 more cigars coming. Guess I'm building a small tupperdor!

For those interested; I picked up a four pack of Ave Maria Divinias for $24, a 20 pack of Oliva Protégé Connecticuts for $29, and a single Camacho Pre-Embargo for $8

If that’s a long way of asking for recommendations, I like Ashton VSG, Fuente’s Hemingway series (especially Best Seller and Short Story), Opus X (of course, but pricing has jumped up making them less bang for the buck). Oliva is okay for a cheaper cigar, but just okay. Padron 1926 if I’m feeling more spendy.

Avoid?  Probably non-Cuban Cohiba (not bad, but not worth the cost). I’m also not a fan of Rocky Patel. Every one I’ve had has been harsher than it should be. Just not refined.

Some of my favs:
Oliva Vs <- dollar-for-dollar maybe the best all-around cigars, IMO
Cohiba Black
Perdomo Champagne
Alec Bradley Tempus
Don Pepin Garcia Blue
Hoyo Excalibur Dark Knight
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro
Montecristo No. 34
Graycliff
AVO
Arturo Fuente Hemingway <- fav quick smoke
Anything Romeo y Julieta but especially Reserve, Media Nochte, & Aniversario

I hate:
Macanudo
5 Vegas
Most Gurkhas