Confessions: A Quest called Taste

So...I must confess.  I've been "smoking" cigars for years.  I've had Ashton, Mayorga, Sancho Panza, Royal Jamaican, and on and on and on.  And in the end, I really didn't know what I was supposed to get out of it.  It was just a lifestyle progression.

Until a recent trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic last year, I didn't know that I should be tasting cigars versus smoking them. I sat in a cigar rolling class and learned so many interesting things about the make up of fine tobaccos and leaf and learned to enjoy them on a different level. 

The Tobacconist whose cigar rolling class I attended in Punta Cana owned his own shop.  So the time I spent tasting in his shop was well guided.  When I came home and set foot in a well stocked humidor at the local cigar shop, I felt...overwhelmed.  Now, I see so many different kinds, tastes, sizes and on and on and on.  The store patrons all had their favorites and theirs were always the best.  The store clerks all had massive amounts of information and of course they had their favorites as well.  But as I stood there and took in the sights and sounds and smells, I realized cigars are just like everything else.  "Best" depends on your own tastes.

So, I've since taken up the cause of finding that cigar that tastes the best...to me.  But it won't stop me from recommending certain ones. I hope you enjoy this as much as I will.