Hey All!

Second thread here at the CB forums, and really enjoying this place so far.

Honestly gotta say I am a bit overwhelmed at the choices and selection around, both in the B&M stores, and online. Still trying to find a everyday smoke that I really enjoy and the last few sticks I have tried have been just so so. These include Punch Maduro, HB37 maduro(a seconds cigar), Perdomo fresco, and Partagas Natural....the smoke I have enjoyed the most hands down was a Gispert Maduro.

Haven't been at the hobby long enough to have tried cigars of many different bodies, but am of course willing to try anything once....

The samplers here, and on a couple other popular sites seem like quite a buy, but I recognize several of the names in each sampler as generally regarded as turds by the folks around here.....

SOOOOO, what I am asking is a little direction on well rounded sampler packs that have a higher ratio of quality:turds.....be it here at CB in this thread or elsewhere via PM. If folks could recommend both a good general sampler and a good maduro sampler that would be fantabulous.

Yes, I know UTFSE but my time is limited and I truly don't have enough of it right now to research a bunch of different samplers and make an informed decision, not do I have enough cash to blindly just choose a couple....

Thanks!!

Elliot

Only truly satisfying samplers that I've received the past couple of years:

-RoMa Craft Tobac - avail at a couple other places

-Purchases/bombs from other other BOTL here and on other forums

But, if you're like I was and are willing to smoke through a lot of cigars that you won't ultimately really enjoy, than, by all means buy up some from here. I did it for a couple years, but I don't recommend it. At the time, smoking a lot of cigars was important to me.

I took a quick look at samplers here that are closing today and the only ones that come to mind that I might recommend:

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1553413/Kristoff-Robusto-Sampler-Box-of-8/ 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1553360/The-All-in-the-Family-Super-Sampler-15-Cigars/ 

And, I'd recommend not setting expectations all too high for the second one.

As a n00b recommending things to a fellow n00b, I'd actually recommend the second sampler as a good value to try some basic smokes before heading to the pricier/elitist stuff too quickly. the Diesel and MoW are good to me, but I ain't too picky.

This one is aptly named, avoid it:

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1557245/Dogs-Breakfast-Mega-Sampler-2-20-Cigars/ 

Other than the Fighting C-O-C-K-S to include in bombs as jokes, they are awful. Flat out unsmokable and as I said, I'm not too picky but these are terrible.

[quote=dstieger]Only truly satisfying samplers that I've received the past couple of years:

-RoMa Craft Tobac - avail at a couple other places

-Purchases/bombs from other other BOTL here and on other forums

But, if you're like I was and are willing to smoke through a lot of cigars that you won't ultimately really enjoy, than, by all means buy up some from here. I did it for a couple years, but I don't recommend it. At the time, smoking a lot of cigars was important to me.

I took a quick look at samplers here that are closing today and the only ones that come to mind that I might recommend:

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1553413/Kristoff-Robusto-Sampler-Box-of-8/ 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1553360/The-All-in-the-Family-Super-Sampler-15-Cigars/ 

And, I'd recommend not setting expectations all too high for the second one.[/quote]

What is that about new smokers? I was the same way... didn't matter if I smoked a cigar I didn't really like as long as I could smoke 3 or 4 cigars a day...

That second sampler isn't too bad... you'll likely find 2 or 3 you like as a cheap cigar and probably a few you won't like at all...

Here are some:

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1557294/Best-of-A-Fernandez-Sampler-10-Cigars/ 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1553343/Best-of-A-Fernandez-5-Star-Sampler-5-Cigars/ 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1557217/Devils-Brew-Two-Sampler-8-Cigars/ 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1553331/Don-Pepin-Garcia-My-Father-and-Friends-Sampler-II-8-Cigars/ 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Auction/Lot/1557239/San-Lotano-Friends-Sampler-5-Cigars/ 

The My Father boxed 6 cigar sampler is real nice. Sells for $40 something. None are listed right now.

Before proceeding further - suggest you make a list of things you know you already like or close.

Then, take that list to the mothership site CI, and look up the _strength_ they consider the cigar to be.

CI does seem to have a pretty good visual representation of strengths - I dunno about the overall accuracy, but it's got to be better than having no idea of the strength you are interested in at this point.

Then, select samplers in similar strength range.

I think many of us started out smoking milder sticks, and generally go stronger over time. At least I did, anyhow. Can't recall anyone saying they went the other way.

Strength first - then compare various stick of similar strength.

I see a serious trend of MoW and LHC samplers! Think that's what a lot of us "cut our teeth on". Not bad basic smokes and a staple of CBID and the mothership.

Glad I'm not bidding on any right now! Without mentioning the absolute lack of ways to track winning bids (wink, wink) you should be able to get these samplers (A. Fernendez, MoW/Diesel) for less than $2.50 a cigar. More and you can post your first "drunk bidding" thread. We all do it-it's the inverse of being weak and losing an auction.

Buy a fiver of PAM 26/64, Fuente Anejo, tat black, any tat reserva, and Fuente hemi maduro.

You just saved thousands on trying, and learning the hard way. You'll end up here, might as well start out here. Pick your favorite size in all the cigars above, except tat black, and enjoy the next couple weeks of smoking.

[quote=sd72]Buy a fiver of PAM 26/64, Fuente Anejo, tat black, any tat reserva, and Fuente hemi maduro.

You just saved thousands on trying, and learning the hard way. You'll end up here, might as well start out here. Pick your favorite size in all the cigars above, except tat black, and enjoy the next couple weeks of smoking. [/quote]

Very sound advice.

Picked up a great L'Atelier/Surrogates sampler about a month ago. Nice selection, and good price, IMO.

[quote=sd72]Buy a fiver of PAM 26/64, Fuente Anejo, tat black, any tat reserva, and Fuente hemi maduro.

You just saved thousands on trying, and learning the hard way. You'll end up here, might as well start out here. Pick your favorite size in all the cigars above, except tat black, and enjoy the next couple weeks of smoking. [/quote]

😞 It's all true..

But I do like some of the cheapies I have tried as well. Need some yard/work gars too ya know.

LFD and Kristoff both make great samplers that you can pick up here or the mothership.

If you want a nice CC sampler that won't hurt the wallet, go over to OLH and get one of Johnny O's samplers.

Pro

Thanks for the suggestions ladies and gents! I will do some research and keep them in mind.

[quote=triodes]Before proceeding further - suggest you make a list of things you know you already like or close.

Then, take that list to the mothership site CI, and look up the _strength_ they consider the cigar to be.

CI does seem to have a pretty good visual representation of strengths - I dunno about the overall accuracy, but it's got to be better than having no idea of the strength you are interested in at this point.

Then, select samplers in similar strength range.

I think many of us started out smoking milder sticks, and generally go stronger over time. At least I did, anyhow. Can't recall anyone saying they went the other way.

Strength first - then compare various stick of similar strength.[/quote]

Thanks, this is great advice and I will follow it!

[quote=sd72]Buy a fiver of PAM 26/64, Fuente Anejo, tat black, any tat reserva, and Fuente hemi maduro.

You just saved thousands on trying, and learning the hard way. You'll end up here, might as well start out here. Pick your favorite size in all the cigars above, except tat black, and enjoy the next couple weeks of smoking. [/quote]

This is very tempting....as well as apparently rec'd by several others that agree with you. I am a quality man when it comes down to it, not quantity, although trying a lot of new things can be fun, it can get tiring when you repeatedly don't find what really flips your trigger. If I go this route will is spoil me on the more affordable cigars??

[quote=crgcpro]LFD and Kristoff both make great samplers that you can pick up here or the mothership.

If you want a nice CC sampler that won't hurt the wallet, go over to OLH and get one of Johnny O's samplers.

Pro[/quote]

LFD is La Flor Dominica? Was actually recommended that brand by a fellow at the B&M store today...didn't get one of those but did pick up a Kristoff Maduro robusto to try! Gotta get my sampler on and get away from the B&M prices, they be killin me!

Did some googling for OLH and found several options. If you are talking about the place with a couple B&M stores in Georgia, then I figured it out properly....but the only thing I found listed under samplers is a gift certificate?!?!?

OLH is online humidor dot com

@14-

No, it won't spoil you for cheapies. What I would do is get a quality box worth of cigars, but five packs of different ones.

Have one a week, your Friday nite, I'm gonna sit and take my time smoke. First of the day, have water with it.

Every other smoke that week can come from auctions, pibs, trades, a shpo, ect ect ect. Then you can compare your good deals, and cheap finds to a standard that you've smoked.

Just a thought

[quote=sd72]@14-

No, it won't spoil you for cheapies. What I would do is get a quality box worth of cigars, but five packs of different ones.

Have one a week, your Friday nite, I'm gonna sit and take my time smoke. First of the day, have water with it.

Every other smoke that week can come from auctions, pibs, trades, a shpo, ect ect ect. Then you can compare your good deals, and cheap finds to a standard that you've smoked.

Just a thought [/quote]

Thanks! This sounds like just the thing!

Elliot