a little over a year ago my buddy acquired for me a backwoods grape flavored cigarillio which tasted distinctly like cheap grape pop. So for about a month I smoked cheap machine mades of all brands and sizes. Then came a magical day when I tried a Dominican sweet cognac cigar. I realized that all the turds I had smoked before were somehow inferior. One or two weeks later I asked for a suggestion from the cashier. It was a macanudo robust baron Rothschild. It was delicious the flavors blew my young mind away, but even that cigar didn't fully get me onto fine hand rolled smokes as I would still puff a B&M wine. No the real cigar that hooked me was a Cuvee blanc. The finest cigar I had ever smoked, I never again smoked a machine made and never will if I can help it. And my temptation to get some Alec Bradlys should tell you how just a year can get you so into the beauty of fine smokes:-)
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I wouldn't call Alec Bradley's fine smokes... tho they are good smokes, I wouldn't exactly consider them something "fine".
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I want to say it was AVO #3 Tubos. I've had a couple of near-religious smokes with those. Once was when I was on vacation just out bumming around town, driving from Littleton to Castle Rock on US85. Great sunset and a great smoke. Another was couple years after that when I was in Detroit for NAIAS; my hotel was in Windsor, and I somehow wound up with a smoking room which I didn't even know was still possible. I burned a couple in my hotel room while watching the NFL divisional playoffs. It was just awesome. Note to self: pick up some AVOs.
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A Bolivar Royal Corona from the Havana Humidor in Nassau, Bahamas.
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I would have to say that one myself Tom, although I still have one from a mutual friend that I haven't dared to torch yet...but I hear it took him down this slope!!

I just look at it from time to time!!
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Cigars were meant to be smoked, Keith...and I am sure our mutual friend would agree. :-)
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Helix. I was 16, and enjoyed doing something that I always thought of as very classy. I was doomed form the start :-)
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Honestly? Cream black and mild. I was 18, and bought it on my birthday. Haven't stopped since then!
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5 Vegas torpedos that I was buying bundles off of yahoo auctions for $20/bundle. There's no way you could find a better stick at that price.
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For me there were two. One was the La Gloria Cubana Wavell Maduro, back before Ernesto sold his ownership of the brand. I had one and it was marvelous. The shop guy at the local mall cigar store told me hold your shorts this is going to be strong for you but it's fantastic and it was. The next was the Don Carlos #3,my childhood buddy and me went to downtown Chicago back when it was treat to go and not a headache, that was quite a few years ago. The shop guy told me spend the extra dough and I think you'll love this. At the time it was $8 for the stick(downtown prices) and was $5-$6 dollars more than I'd normally spend on a weekend cigar. Well it was fantastic, that was the first time I remember identifying a note in a cigar....leather. Ever since than, I've fell in love with cigars and always love a stogie with a nice leather note. Unfortunately, LGC is no where near what I remember and the #3 no longer has for me that great leather tone. Now cigars for me are much more of an interest and love my daily moments with cigars and my BoTL.
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...and I would consider them fine smokes.

Different stokes for different folks.
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I'm pretty sure that cigar, in that location would send anyone down the slope. Having seen your aristocrat in the humidor thread though, I would call it more of a base jump rather than slope.
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After a few months of smoking the cheapest stuff I could find online, I went to a local B&M, they recommended the VSG, it's been all downhill since then.
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A Rocky Patel Vintage 1990. I still remember distinctively tasting cherry about half way through and at that time had no idea cigars could give such flavor profiles. Needless to say that put me down the slope :-)
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Base jump...I like that, Josh. :-)
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It was a Nicaraguan Puro that my friend gave me May 31, 2009!
We were at a seminar together and he'd spent a couple hours
telling me about cigars, their nuances, their benefits, the difference
between puffing a cigar vs. inhaling cigarettes, how Michael Jordan
started smoking and why, etc....

That fateful day after our seminar he pulled out the stogie, taught
me how to light it, and the rest is history... I stumbled back to my
rental car, got the munchies while rushing back to LAX from Anaheim on
the 415 loving the rush that I got from that full bodied stick!

I was hooked brothers!:-)
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:-) Same story for me too... :-) I'm guessing, with as overly popular as the Monte 2 is, this is probably a fairly common story...

Great thread! :-)
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First Push: My buddy brought cigars to my bachelor party. He stored them in his freezer for about a week. The cigars were dried out. I couldn't keep it lit. It was cold and windy...it was great!

Second Push: Another friend (Dirty D from CS) gifted me an Oliva Serie V....Game Over.
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I dunno cigars are like boobs to me, I wanna see and fondle everyone I see. I'm just addicted. :-)
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I bought a Padron 3000 at the B&M today because of this thread. :-)

but yeah, I guess I'm a bit of a boob man myself, lol.
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