Those few and far between

[prodigy]

Cigars that make you close your eyes and contemplate how good life is. They send you into an almost meditative state, something you simply didn't think could be possible from something so simple.

 

I find myself enjoying a cigar like this every once in a while. There are good ones, and then there are ones that literally make me close my eyes and fall back into deep thought.

 

My first was a padron 1964. I went to a local bm looking to pay $5 max. The selection was limited, and I decided to find out for myself if a $15 stick was actually worth the price. It changed my life, and started me down the rabbit hole.

 

Since then, 6 months ago roughly, I've started smoking mostly Cubans and this experience has become all more frequent. Tonight I'm in a state of pure bliss. Smoking a recent 2424 psp cohiba secretos that a forum friend sent in a sample box. It is mind blowing. Better than the crappy box I bought blind from another vendor simply because they were on sale. I'm glad he sent more than one!

 

Has anyone else had this experience? A cigar that that takes you on an intellectual journey that you would have never thought possible from something so simple? I know I'm not the only one. What cigar was it, where were you, and how has it changed the way you pursue your next cigar purchase?

 

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[dvickery]

@prodigy lucky you

I call it my "cigar coma" ... not every smoke but fairly frequent .

does not affect my buying ... except to pat myself on the back for my taste in cigars when I purchased a few years ago  .

derrek

 

[anjimj]

2002 Vegas Robainia Don Allejandro. Pure bliss all the way through to the nub. It was the one that made me realize why I love cigars. 

[El Hoze]

8 hours ago, prodigy said:

Cigars that make you close your eyes and contemplate how good life is. 

It happens to me nearly on a daily basis!!! 

[Philc2001]

I call it sublime. Sometimes it is just the right time and frame of mind that enables the journey. Sometimes the magic of aging and melding of tobacco reaches a perfect stage. 

After such an experience I prioritize that box for smoking from as much as I can.  If the box was a recent purchase, I hunt for another with the same code and date. If not I thank my lucky stars that I have it. That is what smoking cigars is all about; the endless pursuit of smoking nirvana.

[canadianbeaver]

Thank you for a great written post @prodigy. We totally understand and unless this happens now with our evening cigars, I might sometimes pitch the one in hand and go for a second chance.

CB

[Fugu]

9 hours ago, prodigy said:

Has anyone else had this experience?

It's what it's all about.

Enjoy the journey!

[CrankYanker]

I have not had that happen to me yet just due to me being new to CCs. I never had that with a NC. With my humidor filling up I am sure that will happen within time

[HeadInTheClouds]

My First Cohiba Robusto, I'll never forget thinking, "man this is as good as it gets" as I savored every puff.

[GrouchoMarx]

As with others here, it happens to me frequently.

Most recent was a partagas presidente - a real surprise.

First time though, and I'll never forget, was my first siglo 6.  I keep these tucked in back of my humi for those "special" days!

[Sprouthog]

My first Padron 40th mad was that ah ha moment. A few others since then but that's part of the journey.


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[HShep]

I am relatively new to cigars and Cuban cigars, but I jumped in with both feet.  I think there's a certain obsession with 'chasing the dragon' when it comes to Cuban cigars.  The first CC I smoked was a PSD4 at LCdH in Miramar, Habana, Cuba.  The experience alone was enough to hook me on the mystique and provenance of Cuban cigars. The cigar itself, though, was positively decadent.  Full, but smooth.  Toothy, but not with the typical pepper of a Nicaraguan or Dominican blend.  However, I too have found that it's entirely possible to get some that just aren't that great.  The first Punch Punch turned me off to the cigar entirely. If the others taste and draw like the one and only that I sampled, y'all can have it.  I'm good. I have a box of 8-9-8s in the humidor that are just... harsh.  I hope another couple of years in the humi mellows them out by several orders of magnitude.

But, as I sit here typing on a Cuban cigar forum, puffing on a HdM Epi. No. 1 with a good cup of coffee, I might as well be in Cuba.  The flavor, the smells, and the experience keep me hoarding the growing collection that I own for just the right time to smoke one and searching out vitolas that appeal to me, because maybe the next box that I buy will be as good or even better than that first PSD4.

It's kind of a nerdy thing to do, but the next time I visit Cuba, God willing, I'm buying a box of Cohiba Lanceros, R&J Churchills, and if I can find them, a box of Upmann Petit Coronas, the three cigars of the some of the 20th century's cigar smoking icons.  

[JohnS]

13 hours ago, prodigy said:

Has anyone else had this experience? A cigar that that takes you on an intellectual journey that you would have never thought possible from something so simple? I know I'm not the only one. What cigar was it, where were you, and how has it changed the way you pursue your next cigar purchase?

I've had a great weekend smoking some exemplary Habanos cigars...'15 Diplomáticos Bushidos, '99 Trinidad Fundadores, '06 Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3 and '11 Sancho Panza Molinos. What was even better was sharing these quality cigars with dear friends. This experience hasn't influenced my future purchases, rather, it reinforced the value of patience in resting cigars. Let me reassure you (all), it certainly pays off!

[joeypots]

I remember smoking a Hoyo DC about 16 years ago just as I was getting into Cuban cigars, Sunday afternoon after a busy late summer week watching football. The cigar was creamy smooth, tangy, nuts and full of tobacco taste. It had a pretty good nicotine kick, for me at least, I was used to Avos and Fuentes. I've never looked back and can think of a few mind blowing cigars. They weren't all super double banded jobs, either. Boli Gold Medals, '06 Corona Gigantes, '06 RASS 50 cabs, lots of Cohibas and Monte Cristos. 

[Wilzc]

Montecristo Petit Edmundo - Blind Pig cigar Divan in HK. First stick was plugged. They actually tried poking it before replacing the entire stick me. The replacement stick was... Just time stopping. Everything stood still. It was just me and The Little Edmundo. Milk chocolate cookies! I shouted to myself. And the best part of the night was at 12:30am past midnight, the cafe (Lilly & Bloom) this Divan was adjacent to sent their waitress over to pass some FREE BUTTER MILK CHOCOLATE COOKIES to the divan patrons. FRESHLY BAKED from their oven. Twas still slightly soft and warm! What a night!! Shoutout to Blind Pig for a wonderful time indeed! The prices are on the high side but we all pay for the service and the excellent selection and care of their cigars.

Davidoff Nicaragua Robustos - Made me stop and stare at whatever I was smoking ... Wow... Just wow... Sadly the next NicRobusto I've had from Davidoff wasn't as time stopping

Well aged Partagas SD4 - so creamy! The smoke was dense and chewy and it made me almost want to clench my teeth. What bliss! Sadly again I've smoked dozens of SD4's and never had this moment

J Fuego Connoisseur Originals - This is a 2 dollar stick rolled freehand by Jesus Fuego. It's by no means a time stopper like the rest but... Every single time I light these up and get in my first few puffs... I'll stare at them with a smile... What the f*** how is this... Possible for a 2 dollar stick?


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[Toast & Taste]

I experienced it yesterday with one of the selfsame Secretos mentioned in the OP.

It gave me a boner.

 

Big Al

[zepp69]

I do have those moments when I'm like, I don't want this cigar to end. Had that experience today with a Monte 2012 Limitada. Was driving to work, jazz on the Sirius and early morning wind blowing through the truck window. Just a fantastic few moments. Have experienced that bliss with Cubans as well as non Cubans.

[cigcars]

      * The Bolivar Belicoso I just ordered from 24:24 last month - aahhhhhh!     From my very beginnings of acquiring Habanas my view was that you could never have too many Bolivars!  And THIS one was the quintessence of bliss this time which it's been hard to find these days! BRAVO!!   

[Smokin Joe]

On 09/16/2017 at 11:19 PM, HeadInTheClouds said:

My First Cohiba Robusto, I'll never forget thinking, "man this is as good as it gets" as I savored every puff.

It was a Cohiba S2 that first did it for me.  Since then I've refined the cigars I like by taking note of the ones that drag me off into happy contemplation.

[prodigy]

I am just starting the last 3rd of a padron 1926 80th Anniversary and have found that same euphoric feeling. Glad to know they are still out there, waiting to be found!

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[IanMcLean68]

I personally find that the "cigar nirvana" experience occurs more frequently as my personal stock ages.  Now that I have a number of boxes at the 4-5 year mark, this is now more often than not.  As @JohnS has already said, it is definitely worth the patience!  Last weekend I had another Party D4 from a '13 box that had me in that state of cigar bliss.  If I remember, it was a D4 that started me on this fabulous journey 11 years ago! By the time I have gotten through these boxes, I will have others that will have hit that 3-5 year mark again.

[JohnS]

(It's) so true @IanMcLean68. I can't impress upon our fine community enough the virtues of resting Habanos cigars. Of course, which ones is preferential according to individual tastes as we all have certain Habanos cigars which are fantastic even yourhful. (For example, I write this smoking a H.Upmann Connoisseur A and I have no qualms going through a box of San Cristobal de La Habana El Principes young!)

I caught up with Trevor (the founder of Cuban Cigar Website) recently and we had a 2010 Cohiba Robusto. Now, I know this vitola has been very popular this week on 24:24 listings, but if some of you were fortunate to pick up a box, you owe it to yourself to rest some of these from your box/es, despite how good they can be in their youth. I don't think words can do justice to how good this Robusto was aged 7 years!

[CigarNerd]

On 18.9.2017 at 8:10 PM, Toast & Taste said:

I experienced it yesterday with one of the selfsame Secretos mentioned in the OP.
It gave me a boner.

Not sure if you applied it according to the instructions, but good to hear everything is still functional on your side 

Those CC did the trick for me (random order):

• Bolivar Expeciales No.2 - ER Alemania 2009
• RA Especial de Allones - ER Francia 2008
• Cohiba 1966 EL 2011
• Monte NO.2 5 years old
• RA Gigantes 5 years old 

[DBNInc]

Love that feeling.  I've experienced it with:

• '13 Bolivar Libertador a local businessperson gave me (I think it was '13, had an LCDH band)

• '07 Diamond Crown Maximus from a Toast Across America Coffin (wrapper was all cracked, still great)

• An over humidified Arturo Fuente Short Story (the Humidor was full and it was pushed against the humidifier) with less than a year of age

• '10 Montecristo EL Grand Edmundo

Just thinking about them makes me want to smoke all day lol

[Colt45]

Flavor-wise, I randomly have cigars where the flavors are so apparent / easily discernible that I sit up and take notice. That aside, I can recall one cigar that actually made me forget where I was, all sense of time - '03 Bolivar Corona Gigantes.

But I tend to not put any of these expectations on smoking, as it can sometimes lead to disappointment.