What are the must have boxes...

[MortonMilo]

A general question for the masses. In your personal opinion, what are the "must-have" boxes for any start-up humidor? Keep it realistic! Just want to get a general idea of what boxes everyone views as the building block for their own personal cigar stash.

I know tastes vary widely, and I'm sure this answer will as well...

[acarr]

Anything Oliva except Nub and Cain.

[Emjaysmash]

Oliva, DPG, Padron, Tatuaje are all very popular.

Id also suggest Perdomo, RP, Ashton, Fuente...

You really need to sample what you like before buying boxes. Otherwise you just spent $$ on a good number of cigars you dont like.

[Whynot]

Diesel
Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic
CI Legend Series Yellow(DPG) Can be had cheap on Cbid

[ucla695]

My cornerstones would be something from Fuente (Opus, Don Carlos or regular line), Padron and Tatuaje.

[MortonMilo]

I guess I should have phrased a little better. I definitely sample what I can before taking the plunge for a box. I don't think it'd be adviseable to buy a box, cigar unsmoked, only to find that it doesn't get along with my taste buds!

The question was more to gauge what everyone viewed as their own personal must-have's as opposed to the secondary boxes of cigars that find their way to the back (or bottom!) of the humidor. These are the boxes (aside from the collector/rare ones) that you'd be proud to show front and center.

[jaydub13]

Tatuaje Series P and Brickhouse are my must-buy cigars. Very tasty, and cheap enough that I am happy to hand them out with abandon. I also love the La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial and the DPG My Father. Always keep at least a few of those handy.

[wayner123]

Here's a different approach that may grant you better results;

First welcome to the asylum. A good idea would be to look over the review section at different cigars that you may have smoked and liked. Then find someone with similar tastes as your own. Then do a search and put in their username and "favorite" in as the search keyword. I bet you get a good number of results that way and you can get closer to your own personal likes.

Alternatively, just do a search for keywords "favorite" and choose 'search titles only'.

I say this because you will get as many different responses as there are members of this board. And by these methods you can limit those responses and get more accurate to your taste answers.

[E.J.]

I am new to smoking cigars(September '09).... Have purchased the following boxes, top 3 were easy decisions, like buying two 5ers.......
E.P. Carillo E.I.
Tatuaje Red Tubos
Tatuaje Black Tubos
Padron 1926 #6 (actually 20/24)
Alec Bradley Tempus Terra Nova
Padilla Miami Robusto

Assume my next boxes will be one of the following -
Fuente Don Carlos #2/DRobusto/Belis (know I love them)
Tatuaje Reserva J 21 (would be buying blind)

[neoflex]

No humidor is complete without at least one box of LFDs, and for me they must be wrapped in a nice oily Oscuro wrapper.

[E.J.]

I also love the La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial

X 2.... I'd probably do myself a favor to purchase a box of these(#5's) and quit buying singles/5ers....

[shilala]

I can't imagine my humidor ever being without DPG JJ maduros.
Running a close second would be Anejo, Sancho Panza Double maduros, AVO maduros, Oliva special g maduros, and LGD stuff.
The AVO's, Special G's and Sancho Panzas are all good "starter" stuff, too. Good comfort smokes. :tu

[Razorhog]

It all depends on what you can afford. :tu My suggestion is to not buy cheap cigars unless they come highly recommended by the folks here. Life is too short for cheap cigars! I'd say Tatuaje Havana VI, San Cristobal

[Lucky_Hippo]

EO cigars have been hitting the sweet spot for me these days. I.E. 601 Red, Black, Blue, Cubao, Cubao Maduro, Murcielago.

Any box from these guys would be a pretty decent Humi start IMHO.

[maninblack]

To me, anything blended by AJ Fernandez and Don Pepin are a great start.

[MiamiE]

Under $100. Padron 2000 (M) and Diesel UC.

[ChicagoWhiteSox]

Oliva V's
Padron 64's
Opus X
Anejo
DPG

[druturn]

Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra :dr

[BigCat]

Padron 3000 maduros are a staple in mine, as are partagas black labels. You can get the Padrons for right around 100 and the black labels for closer to 70.

[Bax]

Taboo twist is one that I enjoyed starting out and I still like to break one out once in a while. They're pretty cheap and a tasty mild/medium smoke.

For dropping some cash then I'd go either Aston VSG or Pepin blue label.

[Addiction]

My suggestion is to not buy ANY boxes until you've smoked 100 cigars. Because if you are really new whatever it is you buy its unlikely it will be your favorite 100 cigars in. You don't have to be in such a rush. Take your time and enjoy the hobby.

This is advice from a man who had 100 boxes before he'd try 100 cigars and then sold all those boxes for others he preferred more. Then sold those for others he preferred more.

[RevSmoke]

A general question for the masses. In your personal opinion, what are the "must-have" boxes for any start-up humidor? Keep it realistic! Just want to get a general idea of what boxes everyone views as the building block for their own personal cigar stash.

I know tastes vary widely, and I'm sure this answer will as well...

The must have boxes in your humidor should be of the cigars that are your favorites. If they are the favorites of people here, but you hate them, why would you put ther in your humidor?

My suggestion would be for you to try a few cigars. And when you do so, try more than one of each, as you may get a bad one with burn issues/funky taste/too moist/bad draw/etc. When you have found your favorites, put those boxes in your humidor.

I have a couple good friends here at CA, one lives about 5 miles from me. I wish he'd fill his humidor with my favorites. Why? Because many of my "must have" cigars he hates. So, he'd have cigars in his humidor that only I could smoke - that'd be free to me.

Read my tag line, it sumes this up.

[Prospector]

AF Hemingway Short Story - for those times when you just can't spare the time for a full sized smoke.

[mikeandshellie2]

Here are my must have boxes.
Perdomo Habano Maduro
Oliva G cameroon tubos
CAO sopranos (when I find them cheap)
just added to my stock is the new Diesel cigars
any Tatuaje's
and at LEAST a box of RP sumatras
those are my must haves of course if I had more cash flow I'm pretty sure there would be several others, but for now those are my current staples.
Shellie

[Da Klugs]

The Jessicas...

Alba and Biel. :) In my old married guy dreams at least.

[fuente~fuente]

I'd like to get a box of....

Tat Reserva SW's (One of my faves!:dr)
Casa Fuente Toro's (Wifey is going to Vegas mext month & say's she's going to pick them up for me.... I'll believe it when they're in my humi.;))

And for some reason... Diesel Unholy Cocktail

[bigswol2]

fuente chateau Nat or Sungrown. or 858's

[Smokin Gator]

Right now there are only a few NCs that are must haves in my humi:

DPG Cuban Classic 1977 - I would seriously Jones if I didn't have at least a box
PR Sungrown PCs - A great short smoke with some kick
DPG Blue Exquisitos - They just do it for me.
Tat Noellas - If you smoke Monte 4s you know what he was getting at.

Plenty of other stuff I like to have, but those are the ones I have to have!!

[Bubba - NJ]

E.P. Carrillo Edition innaugural 2009
Chateau Fuente(any wrapper)
Anejos
Hemingways
Padilla Habanos
Famous Nic 3000 bundles

[rizzle]

...
DPG Cuban Classic 1977 - I would seriously Jones if I didn't have at least a box
PR Sungrown PCs - A great short smoke with some kick
DPG Blue Exquisitos - They just do it for me.
Tat Noellas - If you smoke Monte 4s you know what he was getting at.

Plenty of other stuff I like to have, but those are the ones I have to have!!
Those two and without question...
Cabaiguan Petites. The crack stick of all crack sticks.
:tu

[Addiction]

The Jessicas...

Alba and Biel. :) In my old married guy dreams at least.

Very nice boxes indeed. However I think I'm moving on, those ladies are getting a little long in the tooth to keep up with me lol.

[MortonMilo]

Right now there are only a few NCs that are must haves in my humi:

DPG Cuban Classic 1977 - I would seriously Jones if I didn't have at least a box
PR Sungrown PCs - A great short smoke with some kick
DPG Blue Exquisitos - They just do it for me.
Tat Noellas - If you smoke Monte 4s you know what he was getting at.

Plenty of other stuff I like to have, but those are the ones I have to have!!

Haha...great thought. THAT is what I was getting at...what are everyone's personal boxes of choice that they'd go crazy without? Swisher sweets can be delicious...

[dox47]

One of my regular buys on Cbid are 5 Vegas Miamis, they fall right into that sweet spot of always sounding pretty good and being cheap enough, as in <$2/stick, to make an excellent "backdrop" for more specialized sticks. What I'd really suggest though is to get a Cbid account with weekly shipping, set a budget, then start bidding on fivers, once you win one just start throwing down lowball bids on interesting sticks until you win up to your budget or your order ships. I've been using this method for the last few months, and even with a relatively modest $50-$75 budget I've managed to both score some great buys and radically expand my tastes.

[longknocker]

My suggestion is to not buy ANY boxes until you've smoked 100 cigars. Because if you are really new whatever it is you buy its unlikely it will be your favorite 100 cigars in. You don't have to be in such a rush. Take your time and enjoy the hobby.

This is advice from a man who had 100 boxes before he'd try 100 cigars and then sold all those boxes for others he preferred more. Then sold those for others he preferred more.

Very Good Advice!:tu I Never Bought A Box Til I Tried A Various Assortment Of 5'ers & Individual Sticks Over The Course Of A Full Year.:2

[heavyd]

When I liked cheap/mild cigars my must-have box was Oliva G. Now it is Tat J21. I bought samplers until I figured it out somewhat.

[sofaman]

It depends on what you like the most for me it Illusione 68's and 601 reds :tu

[RevSmoke]

Very nice boxes indeed. However I think I'm moving on, those ladies are getting a little long in the tooth to keep up with me lol.

I joked with my wife that when she turned 40, I was going to trade her in for 2 - 20s. She said, "You're not wired for 220." ;)

[Chemyst]

Here's the boxes that I started my large humidor with last year:

CAO Brazilia
Gurkha Ancient Warrior
RyJ Reserve maduro
Oliva V
Diablo
Casa Torano maduro
San Cristobal (X2)
AF Hemingway maduro.

Then I split boxes of Ashton VSG,
La Aurora Cien Anos, RP Olde World Reserve,
and Perdomo ESV'91 maduros.

Last year was an expensive cigar year for me.
But I got pre-SCHIP prices. This year I have
cut way back on cigar purchases, but I now
have an excellent rotation(imho), that needs
only refilling, and the occasional new entrant.

My next box puchase will probably be Pepin
Serie JJ maduros.

The Diablos and RyJ Reserves age well.
Of course, the Hemi maddies and Cien Anos
age well, too. I expect the San Cristobals
will age well, too, IF I can keep from smoking
them first.

I broke out a LA Cien Anos for the New Year,
and it was stunning! Mmmmmmm. So goood!
Had about 8 months on it, at the time.

Chemyst :cool2:

Post #21 gives xlnt advice. It took me about
4 years to find my favorites, and I still try a lot
of new cigars. Enjoy the journey and variety.