Popular cigars through the years.

[MajorCaptSilly]

I can speak some about the 90's. The early-mid 90's were crazy. The boom was big and brands came out of on a dialy basis to cash in on the cigar craze. I sometimes wonder how many people stuck around when the boom went away. I feel many folks were just being trendy. A few brands that were popular and some oddities I can remember are listed below:

Arturo Fuente: This was as always, a staple for the cigar boomers. The regular line like the 8-5-8's would sell out at my local Tinder Box the same day. They were charging $8-$9 a cigar in those days.

Punch/Hoyo De Montery/El Rey Del Mundo: These were quite popular with all the boomers. Scoring a 50-cab of Punch Rothschilds was a big deal.

La Gloria Cubana/El Credito/El Rico Habano: These made a huge splash in 93-97. Everybody loved Ernie Carillo and his store in Miami was a big hit. They made a version of the cigars in the DR and at the Miami store. Scoring the stuff from the Miami store was always considered best because they were supposed to have a better flavor profile. The original release El Rico Habano was a powerhouse cigar that I've never seen matched. That cigar would make my lips numb from the nicotine every time.

Puros Indios: Believe it or not, these were all the rage for awhile. They fetched $12-$16 a stick for a couple years. I think they tasted better back then but still not one of my favorites.

Chessman Royal Reserve: This cigar was made exclusively for Cigar Express and were popular among the alt.smokers.cigars gang in the mid-90's. I was in love with the Rosado wrapped churchills.

V-Cigar: An oddity for sure. This was the first cigar that could only be purchased on the internet. They only sold them from the V-cigar site. They sucked real bad.

Garmeister Cigars: A very unusual and expensive cigar rolled by a husband and wife team in Eureka Springs AR. I split a sampler of these with a buddy and have to say they were one of the best cigars I ever had. Think Davidoff.

One of the interesting things about the 90's was that Honduran/Dominican cigars were all the rage and Nicaraguan sticks were generally frowned upon. Padron was about the only exception and they were really only enjoyed by the hardcore smoker.

Ahhh, the 90's!

MCS