How Long Have You Smoked Cigars?

[Skywalker]

I just turned a milestone last month; I have been smoking cigars for one year now!!!

This past year has been a great experience! I have sampled hundreds of cigars and have filled a Humidor, then a 48 qt. cooler, then a small Vinotemp!

While the smoking has been great, the friendships that I have made are even better! I have met many wonderful BOTL/SOTL on this board and the other! I have attended more Herfs than I can count. I even had the pleasure of Herfing back East thanks to Dave (68TriShield) and his posse!

What started as a new hobby has grown into something totally unexpected!!! What a year!!!

How long have you been smoking? What's your story?

[ucla695]

Off and on since the mid 90s, but steady since 2002ish.

[mikeyj23]

I'm definitely still a noob - I think I'm coming up on six years, the first two of which were pretty sporadic. I also think I'd like to forget a lot of what I smoked the first four of those years (http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/images_cs3/smilies/doublepuke.gif), although I'm sure I enjoyed them very much at the time.

[shvictor]

I've been smoking for 8 glorious months

[dunng]

Just about 14 years... :ss

[Don Fernando]

3 years exactly in 10 days.

[Scottw]

14 months regularly.

[neoflex]

I smoked off and on in college and even after college. Nothing serious just a cigar here and there and a half full 25 count humidor of Te-Amos or La Unicas was A-OK by me. I started taking the hobby serious about 5 years ago where I started smoking more regularly and building a collection of smokes. I think it all began when I was in a highly stressful position and I just needed a hobby that would take my mind off of work and allow me to relax and the interest in cigars was right under my nose. Now this hobby of ours will be a part of my life forever.

[TripleF]

Just celebrated 2 years of smoking pleasure!! :ss

[Lucky_Hippo]

I've been enjoying our hobby here for about 14 years now. Started when I was 18 by jumping in with both feet and trying to learn as much as I could about cigars in general. A few years in my 20's the hobby kind of fell to the back of the line as far as importance, but for the last several years it's moved back to the forefront and has maintained it's place as a steady part in my life.

It's a great hobby that can easily be placed aside when life calls for it, and then just as easily picked back up again when the world slows down a bit.

:ss

[Vitis]

Been smoking for about 13 years, somewhat on and off. Always had full humis but some years it was several sticks a week and some years only one every couple months. Back to several a week.

~Vitis

[tsolomon]

It was 1 year in October. :D

[Gone Dave]

off and on, more on since '86

[dentonparrots]

I've only been into them since about June last year after trying me first.

[Heliofire]

since 1996, my cigar consumption fell off for a few years but I came back with a vengeance August of 2006,

[Boobar]

Just under 2 years.

[groogs]

I have been smoking for almost 3 years. What I thought would be a new hobby has quickly become an obsession.

[maddman]

bought a Oliva O maduro on my 18th birthday, 24 now

[Whee]

2 years and a month. It was the best birthday present I could've given myself.

[Starscream]

First cigar was in 1995.

First hand-made that I remember was in 96. Fuente

Started smoking seriously in 2006.

[tobii3]

Genesis Chapter 1

Oh wait, that's when AL started smoking.......:r

[renton20]

Started smoking in the summer of 06, didn't get hooked right away. For christmas last year I was given a small humi and a couple cigars. I haven't been the same since. :ss

[Cigarcop]

15 yrs for me and gawd did I smoke some turds back then :ss

[goalie204]

3-4 months or something

[Hawk6815]

Been smoking cigars for the last 12 years. Only got serious about it in the last couple of years.

Will

[MajorCaptSilly]

Just about 20 years. Started right before the cigar boom.

MCS

[bonjing]

I started this year in Jan when a friend gave me a cohiba toro (red dot) at a Christmas party. I know Christmas party in jan :). I found that i enjoyed it. then while getting ready for vacation, he gave me another cohiba XV, which i enjoyed also. so a year for me.

[ScottishSmoker]

August 15 2000 to current date...first cigar was a NC Monte #2....

[scooter]

Man, you guys make me feel real old! :D I started about 30 to 35 years ago when we used to get into my dads stash. There were some bad cigars back in the 70's and 80's compared to the quality we can aquire now. The best was getting into my dad's stash as he was a collector of the old cuban cigars.

[WyoBob]

About 19 years. Heck, I remember when C.I. first started and their "catalog" was one or two sheets of paper. I started with Thompson's before the boom and they actually had one house brand that I liked. The boom hit and that particular cigar turned to crap.

WyoBob

[ashmaster]

About 2-1/2 years and have totally enjoyed the ride.

[ripper]

A Marsh & Wheeling stogie in 1962. I was 12. Never stopped - 1 or 2 a day.

[Cigary]

Yikes,,,guess I'm the oldster here with 40 years under my belt. Started when I was 14 and have been hooked since then. During High School I smoked at least 3 cigars a week and after 21 it was about 3-5 a week and now I average about 5-7 per week.

[icehog3]

Over 20 years for smoking cigars.

Oh, good cigars? A little over 5 years. :r

[Da Klugs]

25 years of 1-2 a week in the winter to 7-8 a week in the summer. Next/last 5 have been a little more extreme. :D

[BC-Axeman]

Since '81 occasionally. I started smoking at least one a week in about '87. About a year ago I found CS and my smoking ramped up a bit. :ss

[Skywalker]

Man, you guys make me feel real old! :D I started about 30 to 35 years ago when we used to get into my dads stash. There were some bad cigars back in the 70's and 80's compared to the quality we can aquire now. The best was getting into my dad's stash as he was a collector of the old cuban cigars.

I remember you telling me about your father's collection!!! Wow!!!

[King James]

a bit over 3 years now :)

[Bubba - NJ]

I started around '94 and have gotten more serious every year since . When I'm asked at a new B&M what I like I usually answer anything but flavored and maduro . I do like some maduro's but not too many , Anejos and Ashton aged maduro's are all usually . I do like Cameroon , Corojo , Sun-Grown and Oscuro's too . I don't usually care for very light Connecticut wrappers either . :ss

[acruce]

Little over 2 years.

[Hawk6815]

When I'm asked at a new B&M what I like I usually answer anything but flavored and maduro .

You don't like Maduros? My god man.

Have you tried any of the Padron Maduros yet, especially the Padron Anniversary?

Will

Never mind, I just re-read your post. After 15 years of smoking, I guess you've figured out what you like by now.

[Mr. Ed]

4 years last month

[RevSmoke]

A little over 25 years - cigars and pipes. Sometimes the cigars have predominated, sometimes the pipe has.

[taltos]

About 40 years, alternating between pipes and cigars. Last 5 or 6 years much more serious about cigars to the point of keeping several humidors and a cooler.

[TOB9595]

I was 16 with my first cigars and pipe.
In Vermont vacationing with my Folks, Brother and NANA. NANA chose the first tobacco for my pipe. Cherry Blend, I think...
Cigars....
There was a store in Newark, NJ that rolled it's own (I lived in Elizabeth and Linden)...I would buy boxes of fresh rolled from them.
My humidifying was terrible in the early years

I'm 56 nowadays :)

Tom

[Bubba - NJ]

You don't like Maduros? My god man.

Have you tried any of the Padron Maduros yet, especially the Padron Anniversary?

Will

Never mind, I just re-read your post. After 15 years of smoking, I guess you've figured out what you like by now.

I don't like many maduros . One I forgot to mention that I like is the Fuente Curly Head Deluxe maduro . As for Padrons , never had one of them I liked either , always taste harsh and ashy to me , once I even got that black gooey tar like stuff from the cut end while smoking it .

[Mr Edmundo]

I always have a tough time answering this question. I've smoked cigarettes way back, and always enjoyed those wine tipped cigarellos or the small Panters. Even smoked a pipe for a while.
But the "real" cigar smoking started about 4-5 years ago. Long after I quit cigarettes. But only the occassional one back then.
Never owned a humidor, or understood why I would need one until 5 months ago. Now I own 3 and looking at making a coolador. :hm

[Spagg]

I have been a fan of cigars for 4 years now!!

[WyGuy]

A little over a year now. Only in the past few months have I really started to build my stock up, in fact I have already begun to fill my first coolerador!

[BORIStheBLADE]

I remember what started the snowball effect. I went to Europe after graduating my apprenticeship as an Electrician and bought a box of Romeo y Julieta's. I don't remember which onces they exactly were.
That was about 2.5 years ago.

[GrumpyOleTroll]

2 years........come x-mas.





My FIL hooked me!






Been trying to pay him back every yr since...





Shawn

[shemp]

Genesis Chapter 1

Oh wait, that's when AL started smoking.......:r

that is just funny...

[shemp]

a little over 2 1/2 years my dad always smoked a pipe and i always loved smelling his pipe tobacco in the bag, it was a natual move for me.

[Good_Stogies_Mon]

I have lost track of how long I have been smoking cigars but I do remember being in the cigar shop before my son was born and he is now almost 4. So I know it has been at least that long and maybe a little longer than that.

[Silound]

About 5 years now. I'm about two months shy of rounding my 1-year employment with the B&M too :)

[Gophernut]

Started in high school smoking a couple of swisher sweets wood tips, moved up (?) to El Producto Queens in college, had my first Fuente Hemingway in 1987. Been on and off mostly since then. Pretty much a summer smoker until the last couple of years, and getting quite serious about it in the last year.

[Cbaker8]

I started smoking cigars about 4 months ago... before that I don't really consider what I was doing smoking cigars because they consisted mainly of the 7-11 specials.... dog rockets, and colts.... now I actually go to the local B&M and have started to sample some different cigars...... one that I smoked recently was a Thomas Hinds Maduro very smooth.....

[CigaSkills9]

Smoking Cigars 13yrs 9mons, Bought first cigar when Daughter was born, thanks to my local Anstead's onwer, I have enjoyed the experience. Fuente curly head deluxe.

[FriskyDingo]

Wow.. it has been 10 years, almost up to 11 years now in a few more months.
I began smoking in the beginning of 1998. I was a senior in high school!

[Ratters]

Eh, off and on for 24 years. Used to smoke one to two a month, for the last three years I've been pretty much a daily smoker.

[chippewastud79]

Hand made for about 8 years, good ones for about 3 years. :tu

[groogs]

Eh, off and on for 24 years. Used to smoke one to two a month, for the last three years I've been pretty much a daily smoker.


Noob.:ss

[Skywalker]

Eh, off and on for 24 years. Used to smoke one to two a month, for the last three years I've been pretty much a daily smoker.

Noob.:ss

:r:r:r

[Footbag]

I got really into cigars after graduating high school. Took my humi to college and continued to smoke on occasion. In the past couple years, I've been smoking almost daily.

[Boomer]

I have smoked hecho a mano cigars for 20 years.

[CBI_2]

Have been smoking 2 years as of this month. Started with I believe a Black and Mild the night before my nephews wedding. I met up with numerous other family and friends at the mother and step-father of the grooms house. A number of the guys were smoking and Scott (TripleF) out of courtesy asked if I wanted one. i said yes on a whim and a WTF attitude I was having a lot around that time.

I think more than one jaw hit the ground. I enjoyed it so when Scott offered to get some smokes for the following nights reception, I said sure. He bought some Perdomo Lot 23's. I also enjoyed that but even more. It has been all down hill ever since. :ss

[Footbag]

I got really into cigars after graduating high school. Took my humi to college and continued to smoke on occasion. In the past couple years, I've been smoking almost daily.

Duh, which would mean about 11 years.