My suggestion is to not buy ANY boxes until you've smoked 100 cigars. Because if you are really new whatever it is you buy its unlikely it will be your favorite 100 cigars in. You don't have to be in such a rush. Take your time and enjoy the hobby.

This is advice from a man who had 100 boxes before he'd try 100 cigars and then sold all those boxes for others he preferred more. Then sold those for others he preferred more.
[Reply]

The must have boxes in your humidor should be of the cigars that are your favorites. If they are the favorites of people here, but you hate them, why would you put ther in your humidor?

My suggestion would be for you to try a few cigars. And when you do so, try more than one of each, as you may get a bad one with burn issues/funky taste/too moist/bad draw/etc. When you have found your favorites, put those boxes in your humidor.

I have a couple good friends here at CA, one lives about 5 miles from me. I wish he'd fill his humidor with my favorites. Why? Because many of my "must have" cigars he hates. So, he'd have cigars in his humidor that only I could smoke - that'd be free to me.

Read my tag line, it sumes this up.
[Reply]

AF Hemingway Short Story - for those times when you just can't spare the time for a full sized smoke.
[Reply]

Here are my must have boxes.
Perdomo Habano Maduro
Oliva G cameroon tubos
CAO sopranos (when I find them cheap)
just added to my stock is the new Diesel cigars
any Tatuaje's
and at LEAST a box of RP sumatras
those are my must haves of course if I had more cash flow I'm pretty sure there would be several others, but for now those are my current staples.
Shellie
[Reply]

The Jessicas...

Alba and Biel. :-) In my old married guy dreams at least.
[Reply]

I'd like to get a box of....

Tat Reserva SW's (One of my faves!:-))
Casa Fuente Toro's (Wifey is going to Vegas mext month & say's she's going to pick them up for me.... I'll believe it when they're in my humi.:-))

And for some reason... Diesel Unholy Cocktail
[Reply]

fuente chateau Nat or Sungrown. or 858's
[Reply]

Right now there are only a few NCs that are must haves in my humi:

DPG Cuban Classic 1977 - I would seriously Jones if I didn't have at least a box
PR Sungrown PCs - A great short smoke with some kick
DPG Blue Exquisitos - They just do it for me.
Tat Noellas - If you smoke Monte 4s you know what he was getting at.

Plenty of other stuff I like to have, but those are the ones I have to have!!
[Reply]

E.P. Carrillo Edition innaugural 2009

• Chateau Fuente(any wrapper)
  Anejos
  Hemingways
  Padilla Habanos
  Famous Nic 3000 bundles

[Reply]

Those two and without question...
Cabaiguan Petites. The crack stick of all crack sticks.
:-)
[Reply]

Very nice boxes indeed. However I think I'm moving on, those ladies are getting a little long in the tooth to keep up with me lol.
[Reply]

Haha...great thought. THAT is what I was getting at...what are everyone's personal boxes of choice that they'd go crazy without? Swisher sweets can be delicious...
[Reply]

One of my regular buys on Cbid are 5 Vegas Miamis, they fall right into that sweet spot of always sounding pretty good and being cheap enough, as in <$2/stick, to make an excellent "backdrop" for more specialized sticks. What I'd really suggest though is to get a Cbid account with weekly shipping, set a budget, then start bidding on fivers, once you win one just start throwing down lowball bids on interesting sticks until you win up to your budget or your order ships. I've been using this method for the last few months, and even with a relatively modest $50-$75 budget I've managed to both score some great buys and radically expand my tastes.
[Reply]

Very Good Advice!:-) I Never Bought A Box Til I Tried A Various Assortment Of 5'ers & Individual Sticks Over The Course Of A Full Year.:-)
[Reply]

When I liked cheap/mild cigars my must-have box was Oliva G. Now it is Tat J21. I bought samplers until I figured it out somewhat.
[Reply]

It depends on what you like the most for me it Illusione 68's and 601 reds :-)
[Reply]

I joked with my wife that when she turned 40, I was going to trade her in for 2 - 20s. She said, "You're not wired for 220." :-)
[Reply]

Here's the boxes that I started my large humidor with last year:

CAO Brazilia
Gurkha Ancient Warrior
RyJ Reserve maduro
Oliva V
Diablo
Casa Torano maduro
San Cristobal (X2)
AF Hemingway maduro.

Then I split boxes of Ashton VSG,
La Aurora Cien Anos, RP Olde World Reserve,
and Perdomo ESV'91 maduros.

Last year was an expensive cigar year for me.
But I got pre-SCHIP prices. This year I have
cut way back on cigar purchases, but I now
have an excellent rotation(imho), that needs
only refilling, and the occasional new entrant.

My next box puchase will probably be Pepin
Serie JJ maduros.

The Diablos and RyJ Reserves age well.
Of course, the Hemi maddies and Cien Anos
age well, too. I expect the San Cristobals
will age well, too, IF I can keep from smoking
them first.

I broke out a LA Cien Anos for the New Year,
and it was stunning! Mmmmmmm. So goood!
Had about 8 months on it, at the time.

Chemyst :-)

Post #21 gives xlnt advice. It took me about
4 years to find my favorites, and I still try a lot
of new cigars. Enjoy the journey and variety.
[Reply]