5 Occasions, 5 Cigars.

[jakebarnes]

Borrowed this exercise this from another place (and it originally started as a whisk(e)y question), but figured this was a fun one to try.  The premise is you only NEED 5 cigars (it's an academic exercise, but I know some of you may find this to be heresy). Choose a cigar that fits best for the following five situations:

1. Introductory - Something that you'll have on hand to give to friends or family as their first cigar. Something cheap, so if they hate it, you're not out a lot of money. Something inoffensive - it should fit well with most palates. This is also a cigar that you enjoy, but it's likely not the most complex stick on the list.

2. Daily driver - Maybe a similar concept to the introductory stick, but it can be slightly more expensive, more refined, more complex. Something you can break out any day of the week and thoroughly enjoy. It's readily available and won't break the bank.

3. Impress your guest - When you have a friend over who is a regular cigar smoker, this is what you reach for to give your guest a cool experience they may not have had before. Something interesting or unique but not crazy expensive.

4. Friday night smoke - This is what you grab at the end of a long work week. What you've been looking forward to all week. Something a little nicer than the daily driver, but it doesn't quite rise to the level of a special occasion smoke.

5. The special occasion - Something you smoke for a special occasion, whether that's a birthday, anniversary, holiday, or simply that you have a special occasion stick on hand.

So what are you slotting in for each of these?

[shokao]

Introductory - RyJ Coronitas en Cedro
Daily driver - Montecristo No. 4
Impress your guest - Quai D’Orsay No. 50
Friday Night Smoke - Partagas D4
The special occasion - Trinidad Media Luna

[Jfeath74]

Introductory - Partagas Shorts
Daily driver - Ramon Allones Specially Selected 
Impress your guest - Bolivar Belicosos Finos
Friday Night Smoke - HdM Double Corona 
The special occasion - Esplendidos

[dshot]

Introductory - Vegueros Something
Daily driver - HDM Petit Robusto or HUHC or SCDLH El Principe
Impress your guest - Farmies from Pinar Del Rio when I was there.
Friday Night Smoke - Bolivar Royal Corona
The special occasion - Trinidad Esmeraldas or CoRo

[Mlee13]

Intro - hdm epi 2

Daily - ryj short churhill and party short (winter)

Impress - regional from their (or family) country of origin. Cuba if american.

Friday - rare reg production ie dip 2

Special - any large format due to current scarcity ie funnies, sir winnie

[Jackdani7401]

Intro: RyJ or Partagas Mille Flores 

Daily: Monte#4 or PLPC

Impress: Sancho Panza Beli

Friday: Monte#2, BBF or HU#2

Special: Luci, Sir Winnie or other DC’s. I’m guessing here as I don’t currently have any, probably never will. 

[Wfriar]

Intro - HDM Epi 2

Daily - BPC

Impress -  CORO

Friday - D4

Special - Lusitania or Monte Linea Maltes

[hrs1]

Intro - PSD4
Daily - Punch Punch
Impress your guest - Dip 2
Friday - Siglo V
Special - BHK 52

[gustavehenne]

Interesting dimension on cigar selections  - I've included Cuban and non-Cuban.

1. Introductory - Punch Punch or Davidoff Signature No. 2

2. Daily driver - Montecristo Especial No. 2 or Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 Fundador (or of course, N2 Nudies!)

3. Impress your guest - Upmann Sir Winston or Ashton ESG 20-year Salute

4. Friday night smoke - Partagas 898 or Padron 1926 No. 1 Maduro

5. Special occasion - El Rey del Mundo La Reina or Fuente Opus X Oscuro Reserve d'Chateau

1. I'm probably a broken record with these choices but they are reliable !

[wathabanos]

I’m going to impose the rule that the cigar has to be in my humidor and of sufficient quantity to qualify for the ‘categories’

Introductory - Juan Lopez Selecion No 1

Daily Driver - Hoyo Petit Robusto (love this stick!)

Impress your guest - 15 year aged Cohiba Coronas Especiales (MAR 07)

Friday Night Smoke - Montecristo No 2

Special Occassion - CORO or Partagas Lusi

[Low]

1: Intro - San Cristobal El Principe - something smaller, that packs a flavor punch, easy on a new palate 

2: Daily - HDM Epicure no 2 or Tabernacle Robusto - Something light, something heavy, not a large time sink

3: Impress - Aged Lusi -  Large format, with flavor notes they wont expect. Something that will develop over a long time

4: Friday - Something new - I'm always buying new non Cuban releases. Friday night allows me to really take in the new experience

5: Special occasion - I have a few decently aged sticks that I scooped from an estate sale. Any one of those for my engagement, wedding, closing of a house, or birth of a child.

[Wfriar]

9 minutes ago, wathabanos said:

I’m going to impose the rule that the cigar has to be in my humidor and of sufficient quantity to qualify for the ‘categories’

Introductory - Juan Lopez Selecion No 1

Daily Driver - Hoyo Petit Robusto (love this stick!)

Impress your guest - 15 year aged Cohiba Coronas Especiales (MAR 07)

Friday Night Smoke - Montecristo No 2

Special Occassion - CORO or Partagas Lusi

Used the same rule/logic.

[wathabanos]

5 minutes ago, Wfriar said:

Used the same rule/logic.

Yeah otherwise everyone will have the BEHIKE as the impress stick…I’ve not had one, but I can’t imagine anything but age, arguable even then, makes a cigar worth $200-250/each

[Bill Hayes]

HDM #2 or Monte 4

Nudie Carlota Rosado or Boli PC

Coro

JL#2

Esplendidos or (I wish) Siglo 6

[tjkoala]

Introductory - HdM Epi 2

Daily Driver - PLPC

Impress your guest - Trinidad Reyes / Siglo II

Friday Night Smoke - PL Galenes

Special Occassion - Any DC / Churchill

[Lfhard]

Introductory- PSD4

Daily Driver- Monte #4

Impress your guest- Partagas 898

Friday Night Smoke- Siglo III

Special Occassion- CPE, Fundie, CoLa, Or a Lusi

[Shrimpchips]

Intro - HDM Epi 2

daily - Party Short

impress/different experience - MdO4

Friday night - BBF or Partagas P2

Special occasion - Sir Winston

[jakebarnes]

I realized I didn't actually post in my own topic with my picks. Given my stock, here is what I'd do:

Intro- HdM Epicure No 2

Daily- JL1

Impress: CoRo or Siglo III

Friday Night: La Fuerza 

Special Occassion: Lusi or Fundi (but I do have that DA that Steve sent me for a prize pack that is on deck for any "new job" news).

 

[joeypots]

I’m working with cigars I have.

Intro-MC#3

Daily-PP or RASS

Impress-CORO

Friday Night-MC #2 or DE

Special occasion-Sir Winston

This could change on a whim at any time for any reason. Cuban cigars can be inconsistent. A box of Edmundos, for instance, could be so good that the cigars might be used to impress or smoked as a special occasion smoke. 

 

[SMELTZ]

Intro: PLPC

Daily: PSD4

Impress: Cuaba Distinguidos

Friday Night: RA Gigantes

Special Occasion: H. Upmann Sir Winston

[BrightonCorgi]

Working with what I currently have:

Introductory - Montecristo No. 3
Daily driver - Juan Lopez No. 2
Impress your guest - King of Spain Lancero
Friday Night Smoke - Cuaba Distinguido
The special occasion - Montecristo A

[OrangePaw]

Introductory - HU Conn2
Daily driver - PLPC
Impress your guest - Cohiba Robusto
Friday Night Smoke - Juan Lopez #2
The special occasion - Partagas Lusi

[Carrie Nation]

1. Cohiba Robusto, especially if they've never had a Cuban

2. Cohiba Robusto Reserva. Those have been my go-to cigars lately.

3. Behike 52

4. Cohiba Robusto from 2005

5. CoRo from early to mid 90's

 

[foursite12]

Introductory - PL Montecarlo
Daily driver - Nudies Carlota (Colorado) v2
Impress your guest - Monte 1
Friday Night Smoke - Trini Coloniales
The special occasion - Partagas 898

[patrickamory]

Cool topic. I'm going to post answers now without reading the previous ones, then scroll back to see how it compares.

 

1. Introductory - RyJ Cedros Deluxe #2. (Pre price increase: Cohiba Exquisitos.)

2. Daily driver - QdO 50.

3. Impress your guest - BBF.

4. Friday night smoke - Something with some age on it - JLS #2 16, MdO 4 12.

5. The special occasion - CoRo.

Edit: Having read the prior responses, I presumed that we were limited to cigars we actually had. Fascinating to see the different "sliding scales" 🙃