OP, during my recent deployment I too got into cigars. I used that time to do a lot of research, not only by reading and lurking on this forum but research in the sense of buying a ton of different stuff and trying as much as I could.
There will be some cigars you like that others don't. To this day, I still haven't smoked an Oliva V that didn't have burn issues and that I enjoyed, yet, there are people that think it's an amazing stick. Just buy up some stuff and try it out. I personally recommend the Ramon Bueso Genesis the Project specifically in robusto size. It's a great burn time, has great flavors, is a very great price by the box and is not to full for a beginner.