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.

[Isle of sanity in CA]

Smoke less... Don't sacrifice quality for quantity. My current fav: Arturo Fuentes Short Stories...

[Rightwing Canuck]

You problably already thought of this, and I'm not exactly a cigar expert, but have you considered places in Canada? You can get Cubans, and pretty much any other brand, plus the exchange rate would definately be in your favour. You'd really save if you can work out a deal with a seller on one of the reservations - I'm not sure if there are any that sell cigars, but they do sell cigarettes tax-free :)

[Random Access]

Get a new wife. Good cigars are hard to find.

[tall_tex]

Tell your lady to leave your cigars alone. If she wants them make sure she writes her own check.. Hee, hee.

[tall_tex]

Attention Freepers, we finaly know Rushs' screen name here on FR. This should go to the top of breaking news. Hee hee..

[TEXASPROUD]

Monfort Cigars in Dallas has some of the best buys I've come across. They have generic Nicaraugan bundles that I swear are from Padron fields. $40

[andy58-in-nh]

OK, here are a few of my favorites: Onyx Bellicoso (or Petit Bellicoso, Sancho Panza double Maduro (I am smoking one right now), Camacho (Natural wrapper, box-pressed), and Carlos Torano Exodus 1959. All from $4-5 per stick and widely available here in NH (Hudson News or other shops I'll be happy to recommend). Cheers!

[Libloather]

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).

Try the CONSUEGRA #9 sold by JR's. They also come in maduro. They're Punch Rothschild seconds. The CONSUEGRA #25 is about twice as long. And just check out the prices! Unbelievable!

JR's also sells LA PRIMADORA in bundles. Great all around smoke.

JR's Five Star cigars are supposed to come out of the Casa Blanca factory. Mild to medium.

My favorite - by far - La Rosa. They should come with a chair to fall into because you're gonna need one.

Try them all!

[TC Rider]

You need to check out JRs cigars.

On the web at www.jrcigars.com

Their house brand is known as JR alternatives and sell for about $1 each in bundles of 20 wrapped in celaphane.

They sell all of the brand names also and always have some kind of deal going.

I've smoked quite a few of their Remedios which come in cedar chests and are a good smoke at about 35/box of 20.

We are blessed in NC with their outlets in Selma, Burlington and Statesville. They have a beautiful store in NYC on 5th avenue about a block north of Nat Shermans.

Check em out.

[MoralSense]

Cubans are expensive, period. Typical UK vendors list them for 250 or more per box -- that's pounds, matey, not dollars.

[andy58-in-nh]

Follow up: For good cheap bundles, check out Thompson Cigars in Tampa, FL. They have an excellent catalogue featuring the outrageously expensive to the quite reasonable ($1-2 per cigar). I only smoke 1 per day, so I guess $4 for me is not too outrageous.

[suijuris]

Been a long time since I have found a decent cigar for $2. My current rave is the Fonseca Vintage ($4.60 ea when ya buy em by the box; $5.15 retail).

At most I might smoke two a day so my habit averages around $10 and some change per day.

Sui

[Libloather]

Their house brand is known as JR alternatives and sell for about $1 each...

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

[BuddhaBoy]

300 a month? Thats pretty low for a afficianado, pal.

Your wife should consider herself lucky that you have not yet picked up a $500 a month habit like me.

That being said, I always keep a supply of Curly Heads around for a decent smoke on the cheap. Actually, they are what I pawn off on my no-nothing neighbors, when they drop in unexpected.

Ask your smoke shop to stock them for you, if you dont know what a curly head is, your smoke shop will.

[Libloather]

For good cheap bundles, check out Thompson Cigars in Tampa, FL.

JR's beats their price - every time...

[terilyn]

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[andy58-in-nh]

Thanks for the tip. I'll check them out. Personally, I go for quality over price, but only up to a point. (that's usually where my wife says "You spent WHAT???). Which is why I remove the cellophane with the price sticker before I get home, and go directly to the humidor.

[clintonh8r]

Not really responsive to your post, but A. Fuente Don Carlos Doble Robusto, in my opinion (based on 20+ years of cigar smoking), is the best cigar in the world, bar none.

[JBBooks]

www.jrcigars.com

Go to Cigars - pull down menu for CONSEGURA's - 2nds of the Villazon factory - #9 and #73 in Maduro particularly good.