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.

[ContemptofCourt]

www.mrbundles.com.....very, very good bundles of name brand cigars. Unkle Mikey will take care of you, just give him a call.

[ContemptofCourt]

$5 for a flavored cigar....whoa......

[UKCajun]

My presecription:

1 box (25) of Monte Cristo (Cuban)per month = £250. Add the occasional Bolivar, Romeo& Juliet, and Punch.

1 cigar per day keeps the blues away!

There are some benefits to expats living in London.

[TC Rider]

There are some benefits to expats living in London.

A close friend living in Paris, always had me bring him 100 of JR's Alternatives when visiting. He refused to pay the tax inflated price for Cubanos.

[TC Rider]

Ooops, almost forgot, Mrs and I are coming to london on 11-15 for a two week vacation there and in the countryside.

Can you recommend any great Cigar bars? lounges? clubs? shops?

[TC Rider]

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).

I normally go for full Corona's and Robusto's, these were too good to pass up. I bought a few bundles of Connies about 4 months ago, I'm letting em mellow in the cooler for a while.

[TC Rider]

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

Sorry, I had just got off the phone ordering mine, when I posted. I knew these would go fast. Get on their email list and you won't miss out next time.

[ContemptofCourt]

Oh, I'm a regular on the BB and was aware of the special, just could not justify any more cigars - - will likely use some of the Perdomos as trade bait down the line....and Lew is coming out with a Olivia special in the next few weeks that I'll probably jump on.

[ameribbean expat]

http://www.olivacigars.net/

flor de oliva is the best thing going. should be a $4.00 to $5.00 cigar. i like the maduros, but ive had the gold and they are a nice mild smoke. can't beat it for an everyday smoke, unbelievable quality.

[UKCajun]

Try the Boisedale Jazz and Cigar club. It's near Victoria Station, about 3-4 blocks away. You can become a member of the club and get discounts on wine, cigars, trips to Cuba, dinners, etc. But, anyone can go to eat in the restaurant (good food), smoke cigars (good selection of Cubans), and drink from a very good selection of wines and whiskeys. The jazz--always a live ensemble, is right up there. No small compliment coming from a New Orleans boy. I am a member, but the membership is hardly worth the money if you don't go in daily or near daily--which I don't.

I usually buy my cigars from a little shop called "J Smith and Sons" on Charing Cross road. It is towards the top of Charing Cross; I believe about the 200 block. I don't much pay attention to the address as my feet just sort-of home in on the humidor beacon! A good selection, well maintained humidor, and decent prices for London.

[UKCajun]

The UK tax is about 1 gazillion percent. Best option is to take a £99 return flight London to Madrid where you can buy all the Cubans you want at bargain basement prices. The cost of the flight is easily recouped on the savings. For example, box Monte Cristo (torpedos) £250-£275 London; £80-£125 Madrid. When in Lanzarote about 2 years ago, I came back with 15 boxes of assorted Cubans. Saved a fortune.

[TC Rider]

Thanks for all of the great info.

We may not make it to Madrid, but will definately look into the club near Victoria Station.

Someone else has suggested we check out Dunhill's store for gadgets, tools, etc.

[MoralSense]

I went to the mrbundles site and bookmarked it. It certainly looks attractive, but I've never heard of any of the brands there. What gives?

[TC Rider]

Got my 2 bundles of the Montecristo seconds, half coronas today, wish I'd ordered 20 bundles. Real nice little smoke.

They are kind of small, but perfect for walking around when you can't finish a grown up size.

[MoralSense]

Good for you. Out of the recommendations on this discussion, I figure the next one I'll try will be Flor de Oliva. Got any experience with those?

[motexva]

Cigar lovers in Austin Texas should check out both Pipe World shops, best prices in town and their specials rival or exceed internet prices. I like Ocasos and they have a house brand, I believe called Private Stock, that is quite good, supposedly Davidoff seconds. I got a few, they're pretty strong, they really knocked me on my a$$. The Ocasos are mild.

[Gaas]

I have a very expensive taste myself. For non-cuban, prefer Davidoff and Cohiba if I can get cuban Cohibas. I found a cigar that is rolled by the Davidoff apprentice rollers called 'Private Stock'. These cigars are really good and go for between $2 and $3.95. It depends on the length. They are not that difficult to find. I get them here at the Up-Down Cigar shop in Chicago, but I have found them all over the States. This is a really good cigar and I have had many cigar afficinados complement me on these cigars. For the price it cannot be beat!

Good luck and enjoy!

[Libloather]

Got my 2 bundles of the Montecristo seconds...

I think that's an email special only. I was in the Burlington store on Saturday, and they had none of them on the floor.

If you have the newest catalog, check out the Mayorga coffee infused ceegars. Oh, my. See them at http://www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm?page=deals_myrg_sub

[TC Rider]

Good for you. Out of the recommendations on this discussion, I figure the next one I'll try will be Flor de Oliva. Got any experience with those?

I smoked a few off the rack with Madura wrapper in NYC a year or so ago, good smoke.

[TC Rider]

I think that's an email special only. I was in the Burlington store on Saturday, and they had none of them on the floor.

Strictly an email offer. I called Burlington to see if they'd hold em for me. They said they couldn't help me, it was a test to see if people were responding to the email deals.

Guess they got their answer.

There message board is full of happy buyers and a few grouses who waited too long.