MyFathersKeeper
nicK
I did.
When out with the guys at a golf outing, bachelor party, BBQ, or whatever else of the sort, I was never one to turn down a cigar if offered. But I didn't smoke them regularly. I remember a few being Macanudos, a couple cheap Fuentes, and I'm sure one of RP's 8,672 blends made it into my hands at one point. They were fun in the moment, but nothing ever really struck me, & occasional smoking suited me just fine.
Then, one day after grilling out at my house, I heard my friend tell a buddy that he brought along "go get Nick, he'll smoke a cigar with you". He was going on and on about how good it was & how much I was going to like it. Based on my previous "experience", I took it all with a grain of salt. I've smoked enough to know the basics, I thought. How good could it really be? What he handed me changed my whole perception of what a cigar can/should be.
First. The band. I know the cliche is that you don't smoke the band, but I was enamored by it. (Although I know even experienced smokers still have a instant perception when handed a smoke. It's what makes blind reviews so entertaining. I liken it to a saying I learned while cooking professionally: you eat with your eyes first.) It was strikingly attractive. Nothing like the simple Macs I'd smoked. Then, the smell of the wrapper. It was rich. Enticing. Asking to be lit. I obliged, and enjoyed every single second of that cigar - much to my new friend's enjoyment.
That was the push down the slope that started me into the hobby.
The fateful stick? A My Father #1. It's still one of my favorites, & I love pretty much everything the Garcias have put out since, across all their lines. I'm never without something of theirs on-hand.
What about you? Any particular smoke tip the scales?
When out with the guys at a golf outing, bachelor party, BBQ, or whatever else of the sort, I was never one to turn down a cigar if offered. But I didn't smoke them regularly. I remember a few being Macanudos, a couple cheap Fuentes, and I'm sure one of RP's 8,672 blends made it into my hands at one point. They were fun in the moment, but nothing ever really struck me, & occasional smoking suited me just fine.
Then, one day after grilling out at my house, I heard my friend tell a buddy that he brought along "go get Nick, he'll smoke a cigar with you". He was going on and on about how good it was & how much I was going to like it. Based on my previous "experience", I took it all with a grain of salt. I've smoked enough to know the basics, I thought. How good could it really be? What he handed me changed my whole perception of what a cigar can/should be.
First. The band. I know the cliche is that you don't smoke the band, but I was enamored by it. (Although I know even experienced smokers still have a instant perception when handed a smoke. It's what makes blind reviews so entertaining. I liken it to a saying I learned while cooking professionally: you eat with your eyes first.) It was strikingly attractive. Nothing like the simple Macs I'd smoked. Then, the smell of the wrapper. It was rich. Enticing. Asking to be lit. I obliged, and enjoyed every single second of that cigar - much to my new friend's enjoyment.
That was the push down the slope that started me into the hobby.
The fateful stick? A My Father #1. It's still one of my favorites, & I love pretty much everything the Garcias have put out since, across all their lines. I'm never without something of theirs on-hand.
What about you? Any particular smoke tip the scales?
