New guy here

[mrtr33]

Welcome to the board from northwest Louisiana.

I would say you're off to a good start, based on that list you provided. The Habana Reserva line is my favorite of theirs.

Have I been buying decently regarded varieties, or have I been deceived by clever marketing and random internet blogging? I've paid anywhere from ~$3 up to around $10 a stick, and $7-10 seems a fair price for good quality, but as mentioned before, I may be mistaken.

That's a pretty good gauge. Just like you touch on a bit later in your post, though, cigar smoking is subjective. There are some very expensive cigars that I simply do not care for. The key is to try many different vitolas and many different blends made by many different manufacturers. Even then, things like what you are drinking, how recently you've eaten, and even the kind of mood you are in can all have an effect on whether or not you like that particular cigar. Not to mention if, by some chance, you just got a bum cigar. How you arrive at your opinion is your journey, and others may differ from your opinion, but none of that matters. It's all in what YOU like to smoke.

So I ask you gentlemen (and maybe a few ladies), what can I try that will give me a standard to judge other cigars by? I know what I like, and I don't buy again that which I don't, but the experience and recommendation of far more experience connoisseurs would be greatly appreciated.

Like I said before, your list was respectable, but very limited. Try picking up cigars from different regions, like the DR, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, etc. Try maduros, sun-grown, natural. Try smoking the same blend, but in different vitolas (sizes). Don't be afraid that the cigar you are smoking isn't going to be what you expect. Drop all expectations. This isn't a contest, you've said so yourself, just relax and enjoy it.

The Montecristo was purchased mainly on the basis of brand name and the cool aluminum tube it came in. Shamelessly, I can be easily swayed by pretty packaging, a trait that can be seen in past romances and some very ill-advised wine purchases.

Well, that's one way to pick out cigars. Another way is to check out the Newbie Sampler Thread in the Exchange section of the forum. That's a great way to not only establish some cred on the board, but also gets you some really nice smokes. You should look into it.

Welcome again.

Grapevine? - Texas?