|
|
|
Being
a cigar enthusiast, I was quite impressed with
Dr. Tony Hyman's National Cigar Museum. There's a lot of Cigar
nostalgia with many pictures of old boxes dating back to the 19th
century.
For the past
few years we've been carrying on a tradition of having a Special
Cigar on Christmas Day. Last year we smoked the Fuente Hemingway
"Between The Lines" selection.
|
I had been waiting
for a special occasion (Rolling Stones at the Hard Rock) to smokethis
one. The famous Egg Cigar by Drew Estate.
Overall, it was fun to smoke. Not a great tasting cigar. The construction
was good but burn was lousy because of its unusual shape. Had to
re-light it several times.
For
more Cigar
Pictures, Click Here. |
|
I've been smoking cigars
for 9 years now. When I first started I liked Dominicans, but my
preferences have evolved to Honduran & Nicaraguan and real Cubans
when I can get them. I'm partial to the Maduro wrapper. I stay away
from Mexican cigars because they just don't do it for me. I've only
had a couple different Mexican cigars that I can honestly say I
enjoyed. Among my favorite cigars are:
- 1964 Padron Anniversario
Maduro (Arguably the best cigar on the planet, but only maduro
-- their natural wrapper doesn't do it for me. Also, the 1926
Anniversario Maduro is even richer than the 1964.)
- Don Carlos by Fuente
- A fantastic cigar that has a perfect burn and will correct itself
if you light it wrong. I feel that it's a couple notches above
their hard-to-get Opus X line.
- El Rey del Mundo Robusto
Largo (tissue wrapped) these cigars have never failed me.
- La Flor Dominicana
Grand Maduro #5 (one full-bodied flavorful cigar)
- Bolivar Fuerte - much
better than the regular Bolivar line.
- Camacho Corojo Diploma....
A great cigar.)
- Consuegra Maduro (My
everyday cigar, priced around the $1.00 range, they are said to
be seconds made in the same factory that produces Punch, Belinda,
El Rey Delmundo and Hoyo De Monterey. More than great for the
price. These are better than many $6.00 & Up cigars that I've
smoked.
|
January 9, 2002 Cigar Box, 3012 S. Rancho Dr. There was a
special tasting of the Mike Ditka 1985 Championship Series Cigar
by Graycliff. It's actually a pretty good Cigar! Constructed
very well, full bodied, with an easy draw. But not cheap, Cigar
Box had them discounted at $19.00 each. Afterwards, we attended
a Graycliff Cigar Dinner with Mike Ditka and were able to
sample other Graycliff cigars. Ditka was nice enough to answer any
questions we had, and there's no doubt -- he's the real deal! The
dinner was at the Chinois located in the Forum Shops at Caesars
Palace by Cigar Box, and hosted by Michael Frey and the Cigar Box
crew. He was a gracious host and introduced us to Paolo Garzaroli
of Graycliff who told us about the company and detailed some of
what goes into the making of the Graycliff cigar. My favorite was
their red label series. Very rich taste, full bodied and easy draw.
Priced in the $20+ range, A great cigar for special occasions. Smoking
cigars like Graycliff can make me stop searching and taking chances
on Cuban cigars. It was that Good! Oh! And the food was great too!
Definitely worth the $50 they charged. |
|
John Marks
and J.C. Simon enjoying cigars at GILLEY'S
|
| Here's
a list of Las Vegas area cigar establishments I visited during the
past couple years. As I mentioned, shopping for cigars is almost as
much fun as smoking them. As I visit various cigar shops in
the Las Vegas area, I will try to give you my humble (not!) opinion
on what I find. |
November
9 & 10, 2001 - Big Smoke at the Paris Hotel & Casino - The
cigar event of the year in Las Vegas. A great way to sample different
cigars. It's put on by Cigar Aficionado magazine and costs $150. Attendees
receive a canvas CA bag and a book of coupons that are redeemed at
the various cigar booths. (This year you come away with about 30 cigars,
about 5 less than last year.) There's also gourmet food & drinks
included. And this year, there were live gaming tables in the room.
This is the 5th year I've attended and 2nd year I've attended both
nights. lt's always great to get together with about 3,000 fellow
cigar smokers. It was more crowded this year and less food and cigars
than last year. The 2nd night was oversold with some of the booths
running out of cigars and having you write down your address so they
can mail you your cigars. I was part of the group at the head of the
line on Saturday night, and all of us were asked to turn our tickets
in for a numbered slip for entry. The reason was to resell our tickets.
I Heard a lot of bitching this year because of it being downscaled
-- less for your money. Lots of complaining that some of the booths
ran out of food & cigars and not enough places to sit. Most people
had to eat while standing. Rumor has it that they'll be adding an
extra night next year so it will be 3 nights.
I'm not sure if I'll attend next year. The Big Smoke seems to be dwindling,
Five years ago I received 55 cigars, now it's 30 and not as many booths
to visit. Colibri was notably missing. I was disappointed there weren't
more cigar companies represented. Overall, it's like a cattle drive. |
|
|
November
8, 2001 - CigarBox - 3012 S. Rancho Dr. There was a special tasting
of Macanudo cigars and outside in the parking lot was the Macanudo
Tour Bus. While I'm not a Macanudo fan, I do respect the fact that
they are the biggest selling brand of cigar in the U.S.A. I also feel
they have gotten better with the addition of the Robust Maduros to
their line. My main reason for going was to see the bus. NICE, comfortable
leather seating and equipped with a large wall humidor and 2 satellite
TV's.
Following the Macanudo episode, I went to the Grand Opening of the
new Havana Cigar Company store in Summerlin at 1000 S. Rampart Blvd.
in the Boca Park Market Place. Owner Johnny knows how to throw a party.
The place was packed inside and out in front of the store as well.
There were several local celebrities and many fellow lovers of the
leaf. There were refreshments and door prizes given away. La Flor
Dominica cigars and Griffins were handed out to those attending. The
new store is almost identical to their location on paradise and prices
& selection in the humidor are also about the same. |
| November
7, 2001 - CigarBox - 3012 S. Rancho Dr. There was a special tasting
of La Flor Dominicana cigars with its creator Litto Gomez. Cigarbox
holds these tastings about once a month and is a great opportunity
to meet the representatives of the cigar companies. There was a good
turnout and the cigars seemed to taste better my previous tastings
of La Flor Dominicana. I noticed a full body flavor that is fuller
than your average Domincan cigar. I was especially impressed with
the Grand Maduro # 5, a much stronger smoke. Afterwards, we attended
a cigar dinner honoring Mr. Gomez and hosted by Cigar Box at Chinois
in the Forum at Caesars Palace. It was a great dinner and the first
of more to come in the future. The food was fantastic and all attendees
received 3 La Flor Dominicana cigars. Several prizes were given away
and it was quite the bargain for $40. |
| I
have a new favorite cigar shop! April 17, 2001 - CIGARBOX
- 3012 S. Rancho Dr. (3 blocks south of Palace Station). I was there
to attend a Don Tomas cigar tasting of their cameroon collection.
While not a big fan of Don Tomas, I did enjoy the cameroon and found
it to be similar to the Partagas S series, but at a lower price. This
place has some interesting things on display, like a box of pre-embargo
Cuban cigars and a box of Muriels from 1917. They have a good selection
of cigars and low prices. They stock Camacho Corojo and Havana series.
It's the first place in Las Vegas I've been able to find the Camacho
Corojo cigars. Also, a great price ($2.75) on Island Delights, if
you like flavored cigars, these are the best. I even saw some Padron
Anniversarios. |
| January
26, 2001 - Camacho Corojo: I finally found a sampler pak of these
much sought after smokes via internet. It is a strong full bodied
cigar, but not harsh. They're not for everyone. So far I've only smoked
a couple of these but think they have a unique taste. While puffing
on the cigar I could occasionally taste paper and then sense a hint
of that special taste that can be found in some of the Cuban cigars. |
| December
21, 2000 - Davidoff - Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. The shop
was well stocked with a little bit of everything and prices were about
normal. I finally found the Camacho cigars that I have been searching
all over town for. They were out of the Corojo but did have the Havana
line of Camacho cigars. I found it to be a very nice smooth tasting
cigar. I understand the Corojo is a very strong cigar. Also found
a couple of Padron Anniversario Box pressed Maduros for $17 a stick.
I found shopping there to be a pleasant experience. |
| December
21, 2000 - Velvet Lounge upstairs from the Warner Bros. Store in the
Venetian. This is my new favorite place to smoke cigars in Las Vegas.
The ambience is worth the price of the drinks. There's a restaurant,
bar and terrace with comfortable couches and chairs. If it's too cold,
they can turn on the heaters for you. Looking over the balcony, you
can see the strip and the volcano down the street at the Mirage. I
noticed a small variety (about six) of cigars available at the bar,
but I usually bring my own. |
| December
20. 2000 - Napoleon's - Paris Las Vegas, -- a great place to enjoy
a drink and relax with a cigar. Drink prices aren't too bad except
on the weekend. There's a jazz quartet providing mellow jazz sounds.
They have a humidor, but the prices on Fuentes are 4 times what they
should be. I saw Opus X going for $85 and they did have the Padron
box-pressed maduro anniversario for $37. Needless to say, I bring
my own cigars. |
|
December 8, 2000 - Las Vegas Paiute Smoke Shop, Main Street north
of Downtown Las Vegas just past Washington. Went there to find Camacho
cigars. They didn't have them. I hadn't been there in over a year.
I noticed their cigar selection was better than ever before and for
the first time I saw a nice selection of Fuentes, Romeo Julietta and
Partagas. They have a discount program where you sign up for a Turtle
Town club and receive a 5% discount. The only problem is there are
no cigar prices posted and I find it a hassle to ask the clerk how
much everything is. I hope they change that soon. The shop is owned
& operated by the Las Vegas Paiute Indian tribe and is actually
on an Indian Reservation. Many Las Vegas residents come there to by
their ciagarettes at discount prices. One of the advantages of buying
from them is that there is no sales tax! But even though their prices
may be among the lowest prices in Las Vegas, I've found their selection
to be limited and higher than most cigar mail order outlets back east. |
November
10 & 11, 2000 - Big Smoke at the Paris Hotel & Casino - The
cigar event of the year in Las Vegas. A great way to sample different
cigars. It's put on by Cigar Aficionado magazine and costs $150. Attendees
receive a canvas CA bag and a book of coupons that are redeemed at
the various cigar booths. (This year you come away with about 35 cigars.)
There's also plenty of gourmet food & drinks included. Some of
the better restaurants represented were Del Frisco's Double Eagle
Steak House, Emeril's and Smith & Wollensky. Also, the liquid
libations were well represented from Samuel Adams, Bacardi, Jack Daniels,
Chival Regal, Don Alejo Tequila, Absolut and Fonseca. This is the
4th year I've attended and always great to get together with fellow
cigar smokers. Part of the proceeds go to Prostate Cancer research.
More of the same on the 2nd night except I got lucky and won one of
the drawings. I won the autographed football that Swisher Sweet was
giving away. By the way, they have a new premium cigar that's pretty
good. Also, I was having trouble with my Colibri lighter and showed
it to the guy at the Colibri booth and he fixed it for me. The libations
were grea! I saw actor George Hamilton walkin' around the exhibit
area. So far all the cigars I've been smoking are pretty good.. |
| October
29, 2000 - Tobacco Road on E. Flamingo Road. I went in there looking
for Camacho cigars but didn't have any. Ed, the guy that owns Tobacco
Road goes out of his way to stock a good selction of cigars. 5 years
ago during the cigar boom, they were the only place in town where
you could find La Gloria Cubana cigars. An excellent selection of
cigars and accessories. There's some humidors on display that you
won't find in most smoke shops. Also lots of paraphenelia and Grateful
Dead merchandise. When I was there they had the Padron Anniversarios
in stock, but you have to ask for them at the counter. |
| October
19, 2000 - Havana Cigar Co. on E. Flamingo near Paradise. They call
this store Havana One because it was the first Havana Cigar Co. store
to open in Las Vegas. I've been hear about the Camacho cigars on the
internet and want to try them before I invest in a box. While there
were no Camacho cigars to be found, I did discover some Honduran Sancho
Panza cigars that were pretty decent. The box-pressed cigars were
marked 3.99, 4.99 and 5.99. The clerk was very friendly and the selection
was very good with a decent supply of Fuentes and even a few Padron
Anniversarios. They seem to be getting more business from the new
restaurants that have opened there, Bucca Di Beppo & Morton's
Steakhouse. They're now open until 10pm and till 11pm on Friday &
Saturdays. |
|
August 24,
2000 - Pheasant
Cigars located at 2800 W. Sahara. It was
supposed to be a cigar event with free cigars. When I got there
I was informed that the vendor didn't make it. How embarrassing!
While looking around, I finally found an Ashton VSG $18, so I decided
to sit down and smoke it. Except for the 2 gentlemen I was smoking
with, the place wasn't nearly as friendly as my previous visit.
I'm not that crazy about the VSG, so the next day I decided to give
it another try and ordered some singles from Holt's in Pennsylvania
(they limit you to 2 of the VSG per customer per week) they were
only charging $8 for the same cigar I paid $18.
|
| August
19, 2000 - Smoke Shop located on Decatur at Oakey. I haven't been
in that store for about 2 years. The stock was focused on just a very
few brands. I did find that new Fuentes Anejo Torpedo Style about
$15 and also picked up a Gran Victoria by Indios Puros, it came in
its own box about 10-1/2-inches long $18. The Fuentes was a great
smoke, right up there with their Opus X and Don Carlos lines. The
Puros indios was OK. It took about 3 hours to smoke, just a little
too much cigar for me at one time. |
| August
10, 2000 - (Shhhh!) While shopping in this local establshment I was
shown a nice selection of Cuban cigars. I noticed they had all the
top brands and churchill sizes. Romeo Julietta, Cohiba, Bolivar, Monte
Cristo, Upmann, San Luis Rey, Vegas Robaina and Hoyo De Monterey.
Needless to say I was excited and picked up 3 Cubans at $25 a stick.
I've got a feeling they were all fakes. I've heard that quality control
in Cuba has gone down, but none of these had that Cuban magic. I'm
sure that most serious smokin' Las Vegans know which shop this is. |
| July
29, 2000 - Mr. Bill's located on Rainbow at Sahara. This is where
you'll find the best cigar selection of Mr. Bill's 6 Las Vegas locations.
I decided to take advantage of the Excalibur offer, where you buy
any 4 from Partagas, Hoyo De Monterey or Macanudo and you get a sampler
pak of 2 new Excalibur cigars. I decided to give the Macanudo Robust
another try in Maduro, boy was that a mistake (patuey!). I tried the
new Hoyo box pressed Maduro that was pretty good. Also I tried the
Partagas Series S and enjoyed it very much. Will be watching for a
good deal on those so I can pick up a box. Did pretty good there considering
that I haven't bought anything during my last 5 visits to their Maryland
Parkway location. Their cigar selection has been downsized quite a
bit. |
| April
24, 2000 - Pheasant Cigars located on 2800 W. Sahara. Very cozy lookin'
place, clerk was friendly. He even recommended a place that I could
find the Ashton VSG's. Good selection of Fuentes & Padrons in
their walk-in humidor. The prices are fair except for the hard-to-get
selections, they seem to be priced at what the traffic will bear.
There was a sign that said they had a limited supply of OpusX cigars,
and to please inquire at the counter. What I like about the atmosphere
is that you don't feel like you're in a store, but at home in the
living room. Also, saw a lot of one-of-a-kind humidors on display. |
| March
28, 2000 - Havana Cigar Co.on Paradise Rd. between Twain &
Flamingo in the Citibank Plaza. I was invited to a cigar tasting
party that was a lot of fun. There were complimentary drinks,
food and cigars. One of the cigars I tried was an L-Cigar, a
rum flavored cigar that smelled and tasted like rum. I'm not
really a big flavored cigar fan, but this one smoked decent.
Many times I've tried flavored cigars that smell great but taste awful.
Also, doorprizes were given away. The owner is opening up a
private club in the back and plans on including a wine cellar.
While I was there I got to check out the walk-in humidor, but could
not find the Ashton VSG's. The humidor was well stocked with
all the premium brands. Havana Cigar Co. has 2 other locations.
On E. Flamingo near Paradise and at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino.
I haven't visited the Tropicana location yet, but one of the things
I enjoy about the two locations I have been to is that you can light
up a cigar right there and sit on their chairs and kick back if you
like. |
 
|
|
|
