What age did you start smoking cigars and how long have you been into

[The camaro show]

Just wondering how many of you started young like me and how long you have been in this hobby. What made you get into it?

Ill go first I started when I was 18 I started juuling because the whole hockey team did and it was the cool thing to do. Then I got a larger vape from a friend who's mom found it and was told to get rid of it so being my best friend for 6 years he gave it to me. My first cigar experience was the first month of college with my two best college friends on the golf team. It started like this my one friend is a hardcore fisherman and Ive always liked fishing at my uncles lake house and especially boat fishing on his greaty white. So Andrew asked me and Shane to go with him to some lake and we were like why not. So we get there and Andrew is mr goody toe shoes but he likes cigars but he only smokes like once a month or during fishing and Shane has smoked a bit of cigars more gas station kinds but a few acids he said he's also smokes a few other things. Then me who's never smoked but wanted to try it so Andrew gave me a victor Sinclar Classico and I liked it Andrew said he's not a fan of it but I thought it was decent. So ever since then Ive been hooked and Shane has started to smoke a few cigars with me. Nothing like golfers and cigars!

[Weelok]

Age 40 for me and 12 years I’ve been smoking cigars. I had the occasional cigar here and there before but got serious at 40. Kind of a second cigar boom back then and my father smokes cigars so bit of history. My dog was getting old at the time so walks took an hour to not go very far and my kid wanted me to tell him stories for an hour at a stretch so cigars occupied my time.

But now they are my relaxation therapy.

[Tio Gato]

Early teens. We smoked some real crap!:pu

[longknocker]

40's Except As A Teenager When I Turned Green After Smoking Dutch Masters & Swisher Sweets!:r:D:tu

[gomeitsmybday]

Haha yeah if we are going to be technical? Sometime in my early teens, I’m sure they were Phillies/swishers or something equivalent. Oddly enough, I remember telling my friends at that age that we were supposed to toast the ends of the cigars - pretty sure we “toasted” the first 1/3-1/2s of our cigars! :D
And I’ve really been off and on with cigars my whole life...have become much more ardent in the last year or so though.

[The camaro show]

nice storys everyone

[dvickery]

1971 ... stolen from my dad

Derrek

[stearns]

Started at 18 never looked back :ss

[The camaro show]

nice

[The Poet]

When did I start? Depends on your definition. I was likely about 12 when I had my first, a cheap "It's A Boy/Girl" Phillie or some such crap. Had an occasional AyC or Dutch Master during my teens, back when nobody cared how old you were if you bought smokes. Got back into them for a while when I worked in midtown Manhattan late '70s/early '80s as I'd walk down 5th Avenue during lunch to buy some tins of petits from Nat Sherman. But began my present obsession around 2000, a decade or so after I quit Kools.

[4WheelVFR]

2005 at my bachelor party. I chewed on it and inhaled a bunch, and of course got pretty damn sick. I swore I'd never smoke one of those things again. I've taken a couple breaks from cigars since then for periods of a few months or more, but I've been smoking 'em ever since.

[The camaro show]

very cool

[Ashcan Bill]

I spent a lot of time hanging at the beach when I was in my teens, surfing, volleyball and whatnot. Sometimes my buddies and I would spent the night pier fishing and I got in the habit of smoking Tiparillos when fishing. That was a while ago. :D

[RUNYYFan]

Started in 1998 with a Partagas with a friend of mine who I would hang out with on weekends either playing a round of golf or enjoying a few beers while watching football games.

From there I've moved onto Hoyo de Monterrey, Fuente and, now, Cigars of Miami.

[CigarNut]

I think my first serious cigar was at a golf tournament in the summer of ‘95. The vendor provided cigars for all the participants. The other 3 people in my foursome did not want their cigars, so I smoked all four during the round (18 holes).

That happened a few more times and it was downhill from there :)

In 2000 my wife and I along with our youngest son went on a golfing vacation to Vero Beach. We flew in to Orlando and went to Disney World for a day. While we were at Downtown Disney she saw the cigar store (Sosa) and knowing that I liked cigars while golfing, she suggested that I pick up a few cigars. She probably regrets that now, but that was the beginning of my serious slide down the slope.

After that vacation I got home and bought a humidor and started hanging out at the local cigar lounge. A few years later I met markem and several others from CS/CA. And the rest is history :)

[The camaro show]

If only I could smoke while playing a NCAA tournament lol

[markem]

Since 1976. Started smoking cheapies and then a relative started giving me Cubans.

[The Poet]

If only I could smoke while playing a NCAA tournament lol

Red Auerbach used to smoke a cigar at NBA games, so there is some precedent. :D

[mosesbotbol]

Early 90's. Cigar Aficionado was on issue 2 or 3 and my roommate at the time also was getting into them. He played hockey in France and would come home with Habanos.

I also know a bunch of guys from Saudi & UAE that had great stocks Habanos from their parents and solidified my hobby.

Around 2004 or 2005 I started buying Habanos online.

[Porch Dweller]

Started in my mid-teens with some Swisher Sweets, Garcia Y Vegas, and Backwoods. Was never serious about them and had them infrequently. I didn't smoke a quality cigar until I was in my middle 30s when I had some Cuban RyJs while stationed in Germany. It was shortly after that when I started down the slippery slope...

[The camaro show]

lots of guys in their teens

[Gabe215]

I started when I was 25, that was 7 years ago. Started out with Padron and Perdomo’s. Then I became obsessed with all the hard to find small batch stuff by Drew Estate, Tat, and and Illusione. Then turned into one of those Cuban only guys. Now I smoke a lot of Fuente, AVO, Tatuaje, Dre Estate, Ramon Allones and Bolivar. I rarely get a chance to smoke these days with two small children, working crazy hours and keeping time for my wife as well. But I try and smoke once a month. Love this community and post regularly on wine, beer, sports, and other random threads here!!

[The camaro show]

Good to hear

[hudd]

Started at age 12 back 46 years ago. Started with my dads Swishers and progressed through the gas station convenient store brands until I was 20. Found a B&M close by and here we are today.

[borndead1]

Started out in my teens smoking nasty machine made cigars. Then one day about 14 or 15 years ago (age 29 or 30), I was in a smoke shop buying a pack of cigarettes and saw a case with cigars in it. It had been a while since I smoked a stogie, so I grabbed an Arturo Fuente Exquisito. I couldn't believe how much better that cigar tasted compared to Backwoods, Phillies, etc. It was all downhill from there.

P.S. Buy a big humidor.

[golfman18]

about a year ago :)

[Fig_Nasty]

Turned 18 and bought what I thought was a good stick to celebrate. (being in Miami there are Fohibas floating around everywhere so go figure :na ) Then while I was in the police academy a few years later cigars came up in conversation and was finally gifted a quality cigar by my buddy Frank. I continued to smoke cigars for the next couple of years not really concerning myself with what I smoked or whatever, but just recently started appreciating cigars more than ever. Needless to say, in the last two years I have really caught the bug and have been trying to play catch up ever since.

[golfman18]

18 here

[The camaro show]

Started out in my teens smoking nasty machine made cigars. Then one day about 14 or 15 years ago (age 29 or 30), I was in a smoke shop buying a pack of cigarettes and saw a case with cigars in it. It had been a while since I smoked a stogie, so I grabbed an Arturo Fuente Exquisito. I couldn't believe how much better that cigar tasted compared to Backwoods, Phillies, etc. It was all downhill from there.

P.S. Buy a big humidor.

I got one coming now the thing is to get it filled lol

[Ashcan Bill]

lots of guys in their teens

Yeah, from the Summer of Love to a Medicare card. :dance:

[The camaro show]

Haha

[golfman18]

what's the summer of love??

[stearns]

what's the summer of love??

Summer Of Love (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Summer+Of+Love) :tu

[CEC_Tech]

Off and ON in my early 20's and really got into smoking cigars in my early 30's when I quit smoking the cowboy killers. Started with Don Tomas, CAO, and Rocky Patel them moved on from there. Did the Acid and havana honeys for a bit, then got my hands on Fuentes and La Flor. When this place was Club Stogie, TriShield gifted me my first real cuban, it's been downhill ever since....and boy i love the ride.

[golfman18]

Very nice

[The camaro show]

I find myself enjoying a cigar more every time I smoke one

[Chainsaw13]

I find myself enjoying a cigar more every time I smoke one

:adam

[The camaro show]

Definitely falling down the slope

[Buckeye Jack]

1997 - A few months before my 20th birthday. Best friend was getting married...figured we had to have cigars for the bachelor party. Some crappy Tinder Box brand but I enjoyed the experience. He asked me what I wanted as my best man gift so I asked for a good cigar. He bought me an Ashton.....rest is history

The marriage ended in 2017..ironically a few months before they hit 20 years.....but I'm still smoking good cigars :ss

[croatan]

My first decent cigar was with my uncle at 14 or 15, but it took me another year or so to get into it. I was living in Phoenix; my buddy and I would cut classes, drive to Nogales, smoke cigars (there were actually a few legit cigars in Nogales back then), and drink Mezcal or XX. Looking back now, there were some very bad decisions made then that luckily didn't have any long term negative consequences, but that first Bolivar Belicoso Fino was definitely one of the good decisions! Sitting at a street-side cafe, smoking that strong-ass Bolivar, and shooting the sh!t with friends...that's what turned me into a cigar smoker, and that's still what it's all about to me to this day.

[The Poet]

Yeah, from the Summer of Love to a Medicare card. :dance:

what's the summer of love??

Damn! Rubbing it in from both sides now! :r

[The camaro show]

Not gonna lie I had to look that up lol