Cigar Discussion: Good Low-Priced Smokes for Connoisseurs

Free Republic ^ | 10/1/02 | self

[MoralSense]

My wife looked up from the bank statements the other day and said, "We spent $300 on cigars last month. Any way to cut down on that?"

A perfectly reasonable question, and a dilemma, as all you stogey lovers know. I smoke 3-5 cigars a day, and have been trying, via mail order, to keep the average price to less than $2 apiece.

So you know where my tastes are coming from, if I could smoke without worrying about the cost, I'd trade off between Romeo & Julieta, La Gianna Habana, La Gloria Cubana, Excalibur 1066, and Don Juan Platinum. But except for the Don Juan, all those cigars cost at least $4 apiece.

Anybody out there have a line on really good bundled smokes, house brands, seconds, etc.? I'll contribute my bit: Sinatras, sold in bundles by Cigars International (www.cigarsinternational.com), are $39 per 25, and were excellent for a long time. Lately, however, I think CI's storage facilities have been having problems. The Sinatra bundles are stale, sometimes outright moldy. (Tip: Sinatras are best in cameroon wrappers.) Thompson sells Sinatras in boxes for about $60.

CI's so-called "Real Cubans" are a good plain tobacco smoke, at about $32 a bundle.

JR Cigars (www.jrcigars.com) seems to be the lowest-priced source for La Unica bundles, at $42 for 20 of the #400 (4.5 x 50).

Two Guys Smoke Shops in Salem, New Hampshire has a number of house brands under the Dos Hombres label. One of them is a Mexican in a Connecticut shade wrapper being sold for about $20 per 25 bundle. I'll be trying those shortly.

Any tips or great discoveries? Thanks.

[sinkspur]

JR Ultimates are even better, a little more expensive, but as good as most $4-5 on the market.

JR runs weekly deals that are unbelieveable. Get on his e-mail list.

[tjg]

Oh yea, like Rush's wife is going to complain because he spends $300 a month on cigars.

She probably buys him cigars that cost $300 a puff.

[JBBooks]

Oh, definately - Ults rule!

El Rey del Mundos are also great.

I'm not a big fan of the JR Alts - connies are better in my opinion.

[tjg]

Probably the best $2 smoke I can think of is the Punch Rothschild double maduro.

I had good luck with an internet source in Oregon on an indian resevation called Lil' Brown Smoke Shack. I haven't used them in a while because some bad influences hooked me on the commie weed.

If you ever want to try that, don't buy through the UK. Taxes make them sky high. Spain is the place.

[Maceman]

I prefer Swisher Sweets cigarillos. Here's hoping I never develop a taste for more expensive cigars.

The few Cuban cigars I've smoked in the last few years just don't don't it for me the way Swisher Sweets do.

[TC Rider]

They're not aged at all. They come directly from the factory. Let them sit for at least a few months or more...

Good advice, I've 'moved on' from the alternatives, but when I did smoke them, I went to the outlet and finagled the older ones off of the shelf.

I've bought a couple of bundles of their very affordable Consuelas, a year in the cooler would greatly help the Connies.

[TC Rider]

JR Ultimates are even better, a little more expensive, but as good as most $4-5 on the market.

They are a good smoke, a little strong for my tastes. Best deal I got was one of the Montecristo Delacroix gift boxes with a dozen el tubos. Paid 49.00.

Saw the same box in Vegas at the mall at the Aladin and they were selling the cigars for $17.50 each.

[TC Rider]

Do yourself a favor and check out JRs, Lou Rothman really has a handle on good smokes and closeouts. Check their message board for some good feedback.

Aside from all of his JR brands, he's got good prices on the premium brands too.

[OOPisforLiberals]

What a timely topic!

I just had the pleasure of trying out a most excellent cigar last night. I'm not a huge cigar aficionado. The really powerful harsh ones pretty much destroy me. However, I just tried a Heaven Vanilla Corona. A $5 cigar at the bar. I can't rave enough about it. The outer wrapping has a vanilla tinge to it and the tobacco has just the slightest hint of it. But the sucker is _mild_. Just a total joy to puff on. I liked it so much I went out an ordered a box of 25 (around $75 online). Apparently they were so popular on Disney Cruise lines, they made them more publicly available.

If the big boys tend to bowl you over like me, give one of these a try. I'd even say they're an excellent starter for a first timer.

[eno_]

I second that on the El Reys. You mean the Dominicans, right? I find them better tasting than the Cubans, at least the ones available in Montreal.

[mfreddy]

When I lived in St Louis I used to get Belindas for about 30-35 bucks a box for about a 6 1/2 x 42 size. In a quest to have a large cigar band collection I tried these once and really like them. It's not the best smoke I've ever had but I've had a lot (a box of Montecristo #1's is in my humidor right now along with 3 Opus X's I have left) and its got a lot of spice and a more diverse character than a lot I've had. Good luck!

[Always A Marine]

JR Ultimates are even better, a little more expensive, but as good as most $4-5 on the market.

Uh oh, Sink -- this makes twice in one week I've agreed with you. I've been a JR customer and Rothman fan for about 15 years, when I switched from Thompson. I've always gotten great prices for boxes of my longtime favorite, the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8. Other than a box of smuggled Cuban Punch double coronas, the rest of my hoard is a variety of JR Ultimates. They're every bit as good as the big names they mimic.

By the way, if you're ever on I-77, stop by JR's Statesville, NC outlet. The humidor is the size of a warehouse -- this Marine's idea of the 72 virgins of Paradise. Semper Fidelis...

[orfisher]

Like you, I smoked 3 to 5 stogies a day and like 'em strong with lots of flavor. I recently discovered the Bolivar Fuerte in the Cuban Corona size from JR that knocks my socks off. I've cut down considerably. A good lawn mowing smoke is the Consuegra bundles in a #9, 26, 30 &73 but only in maduro. They need time to rest though. Forget the naturals, no amount of time in the 'dor will help them.

[TC Rider]

By the way, if you're ever on I-77, stop by JR's Statesville, NC outlet. The humidor is the size of a warehouse -- this Marine's idea of the 72 virgins of Paradise. Semper Fidelis...

I've never stopped at the Statesville outlet, we generally go to the Selma store and occasionally to Burlington, which has a somewhat larger walk-in.

My biggest complaint about Burlington is that the manager does not permit CCW holders to enter with handguns. It's not that I expect to get mugged in there, I just hate to leave a weapon in my truck in a huge parking lot with lots of traffic from I-40/85.

The Selma outlet doesn't mind at all.

[TC Rider]

Boys, it won't get any better than this.

JR's weekly special is a bundle of 20 Montecristo 'seconds' half corona's for $20.00.

According to them, the wrappers are not up to their normal standard.

I thought these would be a great smoke when out shopping with the missus.

I just ordered two bundles for myself.

Punch HERE

Their weekly email update is one of the few I look forward to.

[TC Rider]

Cigar ping

[MoralSense]

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to pass on these because of the size -- kind of small for my taste. Thanks, by the way, to those who recommended Consuegras from JR. Just got a bundle, and they are quite good, at $18.95 for 25 (maduro).

Another good buy is Don Juan Platinums in the mid $40s from Cigars International. Natural wrappers suit this cigar a lot better than the optional maduro.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Too bad, too. In France and the Netherlands you can pick up Cubans for a friggen song.

[ContemptofCourt]

They are gone already, although I did get 30 of the Perdomo fresh rolled @ $1 a stick.

[mhking]

...for later shopping...