How did you get into smoking cigars?

[LikeAPuma]

During deployment, everyone spent their evenings smoking around a fire pit. Not being a cigarette smoker, I must have stuck out like a sore thumb... A couple of civilian contractors would stop by occasionally & one gave me a few CAO's to try.
A few days later, I stumbled upon a discarded Thompsons magazine & ordered a beginner sampler, with 50 count humi.

Took a break for a few years, but had a lot of time off last summer (lay off) along with a buddy (injured at work). We both would meet up to have our dogs play in the yard a few times a week & decided a cigar would be a good way to pass the time. Spent that summer smoking the cheapest cigars we could find. Got bored one day & was doing some research on storage/advice & found BOTL... It's been rough since then!

 

[Regincide]

When I was in the military we used to get "cigars" for promotions and such but was never really serious about them. Had a group that was out smoking for a hail and farewell they offered a cigar so I gave it a go. That was one of the first good cigars I had. Turned into a group that meets weekly at someones house for cigars, scotch and solving the worlds problems.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

In elementary school my brother used to snatch up packs of Swisher Sweets from the corner store to smoke and look cool and would share with me on occaison. On my 18th birthday I went into a small local tobacco store (mostly cigarettes but a few cheaper cigars) and bought a cigar off the suggestion of the shop owner to celebrate. It was a churchill but it was dry and stale due to not being stored correctly but I enjoyed it nonetheless until it hit the halfway point and became too much for me. I would buy Black and Milds every now and then to smoke for a few months after that. After I moved out of that tiny little Hick town to Arizona I would go into the better shops every now and then and buy a stick here or there. One day not long after my divorce was finalized I went into a local B&M and picked up a small 20ct and enough sticks to fill it, shortly after that I got a 150ct and 300ct humidors and stocked them up with cheapies from CI still not getting into the better brands becuase I was young, poor, and inexperienced. That was about 10 years ago. I kinda lost interest in those sticks but kept the humis up and smoked every now and then. Then about a year ago I started ordering and smoking more. A few months back I came across a stogie thread on a homebrewing forum. Those guys introduced me to better quality sticks and one pointed me over here for more education and shenanigans. Now my two humis are full with much better sticks and the older ones I realized I didn't enjoy as much got donated to the troops to enjoy to make room. A wineador or coolerdor are not far off thanks to y'all.

 

[c.ortiz108]

My dad smoked cigars (and pipes) all the time, so it was an early childhood smell I associated with him and really liked, even at a young age.

Fast-forward many years later, and I was at a BBQ party with my ex and her family. Her dad gave me a Davidoff and we smoked together with some cheap Irish whisky. The pairing was a letdown, but I sure enjoyed that smoke. He didn't speak English so it was a good way to hang out without having to talk. I was living in the UK so would get either Habanos (usually the smaller size 5-pack puritos) or Capotes and Condals from the Canary Islands whenever I traveled. When I returned to the U.S. last year, the huge and bewildering array of smokes from different parts of the world turned my casual cigar smoking into an actual hobby.

 

[Bernardini]

I had the occasional cigar over the past 12 years but really got into the hobby about two years ago. I was with some friends at the local spring horse races when my buddy and I stumbled upon a stand selling cigars. We both got one (believe a La Gloria Cubana Churchill) and ordered a couple of scotches. I was hooked. Found a local B&M and started a small tupperdor. Then stumbled upon the auction sites, purchased a humidor, and slowly outgrew that to now having a large Coolidor. Recently, I have gotten into CC's and realize I am totally screwed. Sliding down that slippery slope very fast.....

 

[Eric_kruger]

I started about ten years ago while working in the local factory. A group of us would go out to smoke and we were told we could have one break a night so smoke slow. We all started smoking flavored cigars to prolong the break. A few years later I would pick up a cigar or two a year at the local tabacco shop while attending get togethers wih that same group of friends. The last February my nephew was born so I picked up a bottle of good whiskey, and two brickhouse robustos for my brother In law and I to celebrate with. That turned into two fivers, the mazos, then a few box's. Then I joined here and ended up needing a storage device, which lead to an 18 bottle wine a dor.

 

[Ducttapegonewild]

...what I thought was a slope was in fact a gentle introduction to a very, very steep cliff.

This has to be my favorite explanation of all time!!! Well done!

 

[stukibuilt]

I had the occasional cigar over the past 12 years but really got into the hobby about two years ago. I was with some friends at the local spring horse races when my buddy and I stumbled upon a stand selling cigars. We both got one (believe a La Gloria Cubana Churchill) and ordered a couple of scotches. I was hooked. Found a local B&M and started a small tupperdor. Then stumbled upon the auction sites, purchased a humidor, and slowly outgrew that to now having a large Coolidor. Recently, I have gotten into CC's and realize I am totally screwed. Sliding down that slippery slope very fast.....

Once you cross that embargo line you are indeed screwed.... Enjoy the free fall!

 

[stukibuilt]

Then I discovered CCs and realized that what I thought was a slope was in fact a gentle introduction to a very, very steep cliff.

Well put.

 

[JuzCallMeDee]

3 years ago, not knowing WTF i was doing, after cutting it with a knife, i lit up a baccarat "its a boy"(i still have one btw) stick to celebrate the birth of my son. worst experience, had a padron a couple years later, still bad. fast fwd a year or so... I said F it, im going to enjoy a cigar at least once. visited my local b&m, bought a 150 count humidor from a friend and sampled a everything i could. basically that bad experience made me give it a real shot. did the same with two wheels...

 

[jcolan1]

I'm really enjoying reading everyone's story. So many different path that all lead to the same slippery slope.

 

[the_bhoop]

Me and my family were on vacation for my dads birthday one year and he decided to get a cigar. While chilling around the camp fire and he let me try it (I was about 16 so shhh) haha Anyways when I started in the fire service I had a friend who was rather versed in the cigar world and I became more interested. He told me about a few brands but the one that stuck out was Acid. I had a few of those and enjoyed them, but I was reading about all the non flavored cigars and the flavors and aromas they had. Of coarse with a flavored cigar thats all you get is the FLAVOR! So I wanted to see how people were getting flavors out of "non flavored" smoke. Soooo a few Perdomos and Gran Habano #5s later it was all over for me. Never looked back!!