Any Cigar smokers?

[Lil bastard]

Occasionally, I enjoy a nice cigar. I have them sent from a small shop in Charleston, SC which blends and hand-rolls some excellent ones. Not a daily smoker mind you, more like 10-15/mo.

But, I often carry a couple with me should I get the urge. A small Cigar case is ideal for this and Carbon Fiber is a nice way to go because it's lightweight, crushproof, and it's not permeable so it doesn't dry out the cigars like a leather case will.

Porsche Design has a very nice and pretty CF case (with a very nice price to boot - $400 - $450).



But, since I don't possess an endless supply of scheckels, I use this one instead -



Serves the purpose for ⅛ the cost. Still, the Porsche one is very nice. Someday maybe...

[bmx672]

LOVE cigars!

In fact my sister-in-law lives in Charleston SC (GREAT city)... We're (wife and kids) are probably going there this spring/summer! I'll have to get the name of that cigar shop!

Here in Illinois we can't smoke anymore... unless we're at home in the garage or at a tobacco shop

[Lil bastard]

It's called Lianos Dos Palmas at 52½ Wentworth St., Charleston, SC.

Just around the corner from Jestine's Kitchen (Wentworth and Meeting Sts.), serving the best traditional, yet casual, Low Country food on the peninsula - another Must Do if in Charleston.

The owner, Scott Lianos and his wife Mariana are wonderful people. We were in Charleston Thanksgiving week this past year, and they even invited us to the shop for dessert on Thanksgiving Day, a 4 hour affair with food, cognac and cigars, just the 4 of us.

You walk in and either they, or one of their employees, are sitting amid a forest of hanging tobacco (you can just see some through the window in the pic), pulling on a stogie and hand-rolling sticks. They'll even roll one for you while you wait.

Mariana is Dominican and her family raises and brokers Tobacco throughout the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. So they get the freshest, top quality Cuban seed tobacco of any shop I know in the US. They had a couple write-ups in Cigar Aficianado and Wine Spectator.

If you are an expert, or just a casual smoker like me, you gotta know about this shop. They offer some of the best cigars for the money of any place I know in the US. See them at: www.havacigar.com and don't make a trip to Charleston without checking them out.

[gmboxster]

I enjoy about 4 cigars a week. Looks like a cozy little shop. If I'm ever in Charleston I'll have to pay them a visit. BTW, thanks for an outside topic that others can enjoy !

[Perfectlap]

once upon a time I used to frequent a really nice eatery that was blown up on an episode of The Sopranos. But in reality it wasn't Italian at all. It was a nouveau(sp?) Spanish menu and the Chef was trained at the some famous French culinary school. But the place itself was in the hood, a weird mixture of gang banger, Italian and Portuguese. One night they had cigar dinner full of local lawyers, politicians. Each course had its own wine and cigar. After about the 8th or 9th course (first time eating rabbit) I was shhhh-ugar faced so bad I was smoking from the wrong side of the cigar. I never went near a cigar for a long time after that.

[bmx672]

Lil Bastard...
I'm going to have my sister-in-law pick some up and bring them to me next time she's in Chicago for business...

What would you suggest? Do they have a certain "house" brand? I like a mild-medium... any thoughts would be appreciated

I'm always looking for a good little shop like that. There used to be a really good one on Navy Pier in Chicago a few years back that had outstanding cigars... the closed though.

Anyway, thanks

[Lil bastard]

Heck, order them direct from the shop - www.havacigar.com , they're very inexpensive, even delivered.

They offer 4 blends - Dominican, Corojo, Conn. Broadleaf and Ecuador Conn. And offer these in Double Corona - 7⅝ X 49, Churchill - 7 X 47, Torpedo - 6⅛ X 52, Robusto - 5 X 52 and Petite - 5¼ X 36 sizes. They also offer four flavored cigars which are somewhat popular right now with younger smokers.

I usually order the Petites because they use the same blend as the others, but are smaller. They are 5¼ X 36. As I'm sure you know, 36 is the ring size which is 1/64", so they're slightly more than .5" in diameter and 5¼" long (somewhere between a Corona and a Panatela). In today's smoking averse society, they're just more convenient, smoke a little faster, and less wasteful (convenient if you're stepping outside for a smoke), but you can still sit and enjoy one for 45 min. if you want.

I most prefer their Dominican blend which is very flavorful, yet mild, and next, their Ecuador, darker, a little stronger, probably rated medium. These come in bundles of 25 for $45. I usually order 1 bundle of each at a time - $90 and $9 S/H (UPS Ground). $99 for 50 custom blended, hand rolled, cigars delivered - that's $1.98 apiece - unbelievable. You can order a single bundle, but the S/H is still $9 making them $2.16 apiece - still remakably inexpensive.

The larger sizes are sold either by the Bundle (25) or by the Box (25) and go for $115 and $125 respectively. Add $9 S/H, and that's still just $4.96 or $5.36 apiece because you're paying $10 for the Box. The bundles come very well wrapped and protected in bubble wrap in a shipping carton. Since I maintain a Humidor, I forego the box. UPS delivery takes usually 4 days.

That's considered very inexpensive for cigars, but they are better in quality than many Montecristos, Macanudos, or Partagas Cigars I've bought at over $14 each.

In fact, when we were in Charleston, my wife and I were walking up Market Street through the Market, which as you know gets pretty crowded. I was smoking one of their Dominicans and we stopped to look into a shop window. As they passed, the wife of the couple behind us said "Shoot, I was really enjoying his cigar". I cracked up and asked her if she wanted one. She declined, but asked me where I got them. I told her, and 2 days later, we met them again in the shop. I think this demonstrates that these are no ordinary $2 & $5 cigars. BTW, for the record, I have no affiliation with them, or get any kickback at all. Just like to pass along a good thing when I find it. If you order them, report your impressions back here.

BTW, I used to live in Dwtn. Chicago, 505 N. Michigan Ave., and I remember that shop on Navy Pier. It was the best in town I found. I did like the tobacconist in Lake Forest a little more, but heck that was 25 miles away...

[bmx672]

Small world right! I lived in Lincoln Park for 5 years... spent a lot of time down town etc... still go once in a while and visit friends. It's hard with a wife and kids now though!

I'm going to order some of their cigars and try them out asap! If I like them I'll make sure I save some for golf season! Only 6-8 weeks away!!!

Thanks again!

[Peter Serbanica]

I am waiting for the warm weather. I enjoy partagas black. Full bodied. Not for the faint hearted though. You may sh** your pants lmao. :dance:

[Lil bastard]

I must just be a Cigar Wuss, because I once tried the Partagas Black and didn't enjoy it at all, way too strong for me.

You have to really like strong cigars to appreciate those. Reminded me of Acid Cigars.

[bmx672]

I'll tell you what puts you down... a CAO dark Maduro with the green label... talk about a head spin.

p.s. After all this talk I went and had an Ashton today!!!

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by bmx672

I'll tell you what puts you down... a CAO dark Maduro with the green label... talk about a head spin.

p.s. After all this talk I went and had an Ashton today!!!

Yea, the dark fillers can really be a killer. But, I gotta tell you, as I write this, I'm pulling on a great Ecuadoran Petite, sipping a fine, warm, Alain de Fussigny Cigar Blend Cognac, and all's right with the world. Only thing better is if I were doing all this in the Boxster... well, maybe not...

[kavlono]

I do about 3 a month but buy lots of cigars for friends and have two large fully stocked humidors at home. I find jrcigar.com to be the best prices and selection.
Thanks for the food and cigar reference for Charleston. I wll hit them both.

[RandallNeighbour]

This is an old thread for sure, but if anyone has some high end cigars in their humidor and they'd be willing to part with the bands, I sure could use them!

Here's a link to the thread I just started explaining what I do with them.

http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27258

[eightsandaces]

cigar international has really good deals, you can even bid on stogies. If you guys like maduro I highly recommend Carlos Torono exodus 1959

[urban_legend]

collection from when he was a boy in the depression. Since they were metal foil and placed precisely into a book they are still flawless. Cubans, and everything must be hundreds of them.