Awesome comments and suggestions, and I'm glad you enjoyed the article!
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When reading I was thinking the Padron series. A couple others said Macanudos. The Macs are mild and should be easy to handle by a newb. I think a good Dominican with a Conn wrapper should fare well.

Or maybe a LFD Chisel :-).
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Brickhouse or Sanch Panza Maduro?
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Brick House!!!! :-) :-)
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Padron x000 series is the definition of easy draw and good construction. You'd be hard pressed to find another one more consistent. I've had pretty good luck giving the Diesel UC and Shorty to new smokers, even though they're on the full bodied side. Gimmicks aside I like the Nub line for being able to show a new smoker the differences between the different wrappers.
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I'll second a Brickhouse or even a La Traviata later in the day.
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I push them to the brick house for price and flavor
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Brick house was on my short list. That's a great choice for a new cigar smoker.
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Top 5 would be 5 cigars in my humidor that I used to really like but for whatever reason just sit. If I liked them once they should like them as well.
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Hmmm I'll definitely use this if I ever find someone who is more of a noob then me :-)
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+1. I keep a box of the petit coronas in my humi and to me they're a mind blowing smoke for the price. :-)

Anytime a new smoker asks me for a stick that's what I usually give them. Mild strength, 40 min-tops smoking time, decent complexity for the size, won't turn them green, and all for less than $4 a smoke.
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Brickhouse, La Traviata, Namakubi (the ones with the silver bands), and my go-to recommendation, which is the Fuente Rosado Sun Grown.
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Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente has been received quite well from some newer smokers, too. Not sure about the $5 price limit, though.
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La triviata
Tat Petite cazadora reserva
Perdomo cameroon cabinet reserve
LFD cameroon PC
Plpc if I have some
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Give them an ACID! They'll be hooked! Then when they realize what they are missing. Give them an Alec Bradley. Finally, give them any Padron and tell them there are no other cigars in the world they should concern their pretty little head with.
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The guy did say "friend". Acid is gross and Alec Bradley cigars for the most part are disappointing.
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I don't know about anyone else. But I usally couldnt send cigars that I havnt tried my self.
Basically, if its good for me its good for you. If I'm not sure, then I couldn't send it.
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You're gross & for the most part disappointing.:-) I kid, I kid! For all I know you may just be one or the other and not both. Besides what if we give our "friend" a Padron, or for the sake of argument, any cigar at all. It is a good chance it just may not be the experience or taste they are expecting and it turns them completely off. Then a few months later they say, "I didn't like the gross taste of that Padron, I want to try this ACID brand I have heard so much about." They like it and smoke them for a bit. They then happen to try some of Drew Estate non-flavored sticks and decide they want to venture to other lines. Some mentions that Alec Bradley is worth a try and the Prensado just happened to be in Cigar Aficionado's top 1 of 2011. The friend smokes it and likes it so friend tries others in that line and likes them. Now that friend has tried some variety you offer him a Padron again but he still remembers that first one that they did not like. My point is the discovery and exploration is different for each individual. Everyone has different tastes. What may be gross and disappointing to one may be pure bliss to another. Let them smoke what they want and be sure to try a wide variety and have fun! Just my :-)
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I would never give a friend an infused cigar. Unless they specifically asked for one. Why anyone would want to smoke a cigar that was made to not taste like a cigar is beyond me. But I don't judge. I have a cooler of infused cigars. They belong to the girlfriend, courtesy of a massive bomb from ninjavanish. She digs the flavored smokes. But most girls do. And if it gets her to smoke with me, all the better.
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Welcome, Eric!
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