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I have been smoking a pipe for sometime now and just recently tried cigars. I smoked a macinudo and loved it. I then tried a cupido and it was ok but not as good. Would like to try others but need a little advice. Also would like to get a humidor. Does it matter what kind? I will keep reading the the forum and try to learn as much as I can. Thanks

Macanudo is a good starting cigar. It is fairly mild and a good, quality smoke. Some other good starter smokes are:
1) The Griffins
2) AVO (regular line)
3) Occidental Reserve
4) Don Diego
5) CAO Gold

As you get used to these, you will invariably move towards stronger smokes such as:
1) CAO Black (Gothic torpedo is my favorite)
2) CAO L'Anniversaire (all of em)
3) Perdoma 2 (all of em)
4) RyJ
5) Punch

Then as you become even a more seasoned smoker you'll want some really strong smokes. I let some of the more seasoned veterans tell you about them. I'm still on the medium bodied smokes myself.

As far as a humidor is concerned. Buy one that will meet your anticipated storage needs. I started with a 100 ct humidor last year.. Then bought a 250 this year. I now have those two, plus 3 of the small 25 ones that I've won in combo deals here on cbid as well as two 45 Qt cooleradors that you can learn how to put together right here by doing a simple search on coolerador. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Grond

Woodbuff,

Email me and I will arrange to send you a variety of single cigars that I think you will like. My snailer is
rpope123 at bellsouth dot net. Drop me a line and I'll ship you out a variety pack of 5 to 10 diffent mild cigars so you can get a feel for them.

As far as smokes for a newbie, you'll want to stay mild for a while. But since you're already used to tobacco from being a pipe smoker (I smoke a pipe occassionally, too), you'll be able to move up in the full-bodied world faster than someone who's never smoked before.

Macanudo is a good, mild cigar. Some others I'd recommend would be...

Romeo y Julieta - Medium-mild, but has a great, consistent flavor
Baccarat - Newbies seem to love these, they have a sweet, mild taste
CAO Gold - Some find them bland, but they're good for a newbie because they're mild but will help introduce you to fuller-tasting cigars
Nat Sherman Host Selection - Also has a sweet taste, and is nice and mild. Construction is top-notch, and they usually go for cheap too
Romeo y Julieta Vintage - Milder than the regular RyJ, and has an almost fruit-like sweetness and creaminess
Montecristo - one of my all-time favorites (get the regular line though, you might not be ready for the Serie V or Platinum yet), with a medium-mild, almost coffee-like taste
La Aurora - another good mild one that's nice and smooth
Ashton - expensive, but very good ;-)
Don Diego - a lot like Montecristo, but not as flavorful

These are just some suggestions...but don't be afraid to try new smokes. You may find you're able to handle full-bodied cigars early on. Also, if you don't like something the first time, don't hesitate to try it again later. You'll find that your tastes change a lot.

WoodBuff,

Welcome aboard! Macanudo is an elegant, beautifully made and very mild cigar. They are too mild for me but that you like them is a tribute to your taste. Using this as a guide, jump on the Maxim's De Paris which are still available through this site. They are well constructed with a mild elegant style.

Since you are new to this website let me point out that most of what they sell are single purchase lots. That is, cbid bought a large quantity and are "closing" them out to us. Once gone, they are gone. There are exceptions to this but if you find something that suits you, at the right price, then buy more than you need and keep them to enjoy over the coming years.

I have never bought a humidor because I inherited a couple from my dad, my capacity totals about 1800. So I can't recommend anything in particular only that it should take care of those little 'gars and be beautiful to look at. You'll have it for the rest of your life.

Also, I've found that some cigars that I call full flavored or strong are thought of by other people as mild. So take their advice but keep your own counsel. Different smoke for different folks!

Welcome to the board!

I highly suggest that you keep a cigar journal as you delve into the world of cigars. This way you will be able to make notes and keep track of what cigars you enjoy and what cigars you do not enjoy. Once you've sampled several cigars (40-60) you should be ready for a box purchase. Double check your notes before your box purchase to insure that you get what you really like.

Also, do not take any ones else's word for taste or strength of a cigar. No offense to everyone else, but my taste profile and strength profile is vastly different than those that have been smoking cigars for 5-10 years.

Just my 2 cents worth!
Matt

Another thing you might do is go to

http://www.cigarsinternational.com

that's the Website of the parent company to CigarBid ...

Find cigars you've tried and liked on their menu and go to the page for that cigar ... you will find they've got a list of other cigars that are similar in strength and type that they are suggesting you might like, based on your liking the first one ...

If you'd like to do so and are not already overwhelmed with information, drop me a note and I'll send you back a more complete list of suggestions ....

fromsteves at hotmail dot com

and yes, from IS part of the addy ...

woodbuff

i smoked a pipe for 15 years before switching to cigars. as i recall the normal purchase was about a pound. that would last a few weeks to a month.

question to all. why do we find it necesary to have a year or two's supply of what will always be available and then we buy or make cooladors, humidors, sweater boxes, to hold this huge supply?

why, why, why???

Rickmaven,
I personally like to buy some less expensive premiums or sub-premiums and let them mature in my humidor. It's not about having them on hand so much. I've also tended to buy alot of what I like when it goes on sale and then store it myself. Cigar prices went down big time after the boom but have slowly been making their way back up, especially on name brands like, Mac, CAO, AVO, RyJ etc. When I find my favorites on sale, I stock up.

First of all weclcome to the party.I would go with a mid size humidor like a 75 to 100 count,because your collection will grow rapidly.
some good smokes to begin
AVO nice mild tasty
puros indios mild to mid. nice flavor
macs always good
montys are great
These are all high end smokes that are very consistant in quality and flavor.Don't be afraid to try new cigars its half the fun.If you want to know more about a brand just ask there is a lot of good people on the boards that will help.

Hey wood, hang on cause you will, and have gotten a lot of help from the regs on here. I too have only found cbid about 6 months ago and my Statesman humi is constintly filled to the rim. A humi that holds 100 gars should do good to start.

PS. richamaven, I like your idea to eliminate your crappy gars, hehehehe (send them to a newbie). I too am a recent newbie, but also had a supply of crappy gars (till I gave them to my boss who liked them).