1984 cigars

[rockace521]

If I might offer a bit of friendly advice, as a smoker who took the route from sweet cigars to cheap domestically-available cigars to better cigars to much better cigars, I would suggest not jumping right in at the 25-year-old-cigar level. I'd work my way up the chain of taste and complexity and sophistication, because really there's no way a beginning smoker is going to maximize their enjoyment of a cigar that rare and special, and believe me I'm not trying to sound elitist or superior.

I'd definitely work up through a variety of decent Arturo Fuente and Punch and CAO and La Aroma de Cuba, then up to maybe Ashton and some black-stripe Fuentes and then on to higher-level ultra-smokes, like Ashton VSG, Padron Anniversarios, and (gulp) Fuente Opus X (opinions vary). I might well have enjoyed an old, rare cigar back in the early days (6 years ago is "the early days" for me ), but I would not have been able to truly appreciate it for what it was. And taking the "long way" on the trip is so awesome!!! Always a great discovery and a new favorite daily smoker.

I suggest enjoying every step along the path, as it paves the way for the next step and a more fulfilling degree of enjoyment. Also, there are a good many smokes that will flat-out kick you in the teeth and make you toss your cookies if you don't work up to them, and even then you still have to smoke them on a full stomach or else!

More from me! Definitely hang out here and ask your questions and build up your knowledge base, since (as you said) there's so much info out there it does become overwhelming. Nobody ever regretted taking the cigar road slowly and steadily.