Tonight I thought I would try something new. Rather than review cigars, I will review those glorious middlemen who bring them to us consumers: the online retailers. The Internet has made smoking cigars in various western states affordable, in that it’s possible to avoid the outrageously high taxes. That’s a good and a bad thing. If not for the Internet, I would certainly smoke fewer cigars, which would probably improve my health–but at the cost of one of the few things in life I truly enjoy.

I’ve had mostly good experiences ordering cigars online. Like many of you, I started out with JR Cigar. Gradually, as my palate became more sophisticated and my wallet fatter, I ventured out to other retailers such as cigar.com, famous smoke, and cigar international. I’ve spent between $500 and $5,000 dollars at each of these companies, so I feel confident I can provide an unbiased review of their products to our readers. Here they are, top to bottom:

Pros:

Great selection, great deals, great prices, great shipping rates, 5 Packs, CigarMonster Daily Deal.

Cons:

Some items out of stock, needs more intuitive website, product condition/quality assurance. MonsterCigar deals are pretty weak.

Famous smoke has a great selection and has a huge variety of cigars for sale. Many of the harder to find cigars are available, if a little infrequently. Moreover, they’ll sell you a whole box if they have one in stock. For example, right now you can get an entire box of 25 Padron 1964 Diplimaticos for just $269.00. In stock, with free shipping. That’s just over $10.00 per stick. Cigar.com sells these for $14.95–except they’ll only sell you 3 at a time, when they’re in stock (right now, they’re out of course). Famous smoke also has great deals. You can mix and match 5 packs (buy two and the third one’s free) and they have daily “Monster deals” and weekly specials that are frequently worth ordering.

Quality, quality, quality. The only real gripe I have about Famous Smoke is the low quality of the product they ship. Far too often, I have cigars I received from them split when cutting them. While not as bad as JR’s quality, it is still unacceptable. Moreover, they need to monitor their shipping a little better. Late last year I ordered a box of 1926 Padron No. 35s Naturals. They shipped me the maduros. While these were fantastic cigars, they’re not what I ordered. At $240.00, they should have gone the extra mile to make sure I received what I paid for. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. Finally, their website is hard to navigate and you have to watch it at check out to make sure the appropriate discounts have been applied (this is particularly true when ordering 5 packs, with the buy two get the third free special).

Pros:

Good selection, occasional good deals, great product condition, Water Pillows, Great customer service. Nice print catalog. Podcast.

Cons:

Prices, shipping costs, some odd restrictions on ordering, could use better deals.

Cigar.com consistently ships the best product and with the best packaging (in particular, the water pillows). They also have some great deals (Friday one-day sales) once in a while. Given that the cigars always come in such great condition, these deals are even sweeter. (The only thing worse than ordering a deal and finding out the cigars are in poor condition is paying full price for them and finding out they’re in poor condition) Lately, the deals haven’t been as good as they were a year ago, but every third or fourth one is great, and that’s good enough for second place.

Cigar.com doesn’t have the best prices. In fact, they’re often criminally expensive. For example, an Arturo Fuente Anejo Shark costs almost $35, while Casa de la Fuente sells them for just $18, and stores in California (desite its very high taxe rate) sell them for between $18 and $27 each. Moreover, to order more than three super-primos (Padron Anniversary, Opus X, Anejo) you have to call them. They claim this is to make sure they don’t take orders they can’t fulfill. They should get a better website if that’s really a problem. It’s 2007, not 1997. The high prices are exacerbated by high shipping costs ($5.95 no matter how much you order, for standard shipping; $19.99 for one-day shipping). Finally, while the occasional deal is good or even great, they could use more consistency.

(Reviewed By Dicksbain)
Pros:

Unique Weekly Specials, Fast Shipping. Good customer service. Free wooden matches.

Cons:

Online reviews are almost worthless because everything is “Great!”. Prices are average. Not all items in stock.

Cigar International is another Pennsylvania based cigar retailer that is worth taking a look at. I’m mainly attracted to their weekly special deals. They offer a one-week, and one day special along with a host of other deals. I’ve never had any issues with an order I’ve received from CI. They always ship the same day and since I’m just a few hundred miles away from their warehouse, I almost always get my cigars next day. They also throw in a nice box of wooden matches, which I appreciate. A waterpillow like cigar.com offers would be better.

(Reviewed By Dicksbain)
Pros:

They started the Weekly special, printed catalog is nice. Great cigar pictures. Prices are good.

Cons:

Selection has some gapping holes (No Padróns, La Flor, etc). Weekly special have not been very good for several years now. Quality is the worst of any retailer we buy from. Customer service is sub par.

I’m sure a lot of people are going to be upset that JRCigar came in last place. They’re the Wal-Mart of the online cigar world. We all buy from them, but not all of us are proud of it. For me, the biggest issue with JR is quality. With almost every order I receive, I’ve had issues. From cracked wrappers, to Sun Sahara dried cigars, and even a horrible tobacco beetle issue; quality control over at JR is almost nonexistent. While most of these issues have been with weekly specials and catalog deals, but that doesn’t mean I should receive unsmokable cigars. If you order a box of Arturo Fuentes, I’m they come in OK condition because they haven’t been sitting in their warehouse very long. But order this weeks special and I’ll bet you’ll be disappointed with the quality.

The other big distinction that earned JR our lowest rank was customer service. Both of us have had major issues returning bad cigars. We been placed on indefinite hold, hung up on, and had e-mails go unanswered. In the end, JR normally will refund/replace bad cigars, but you have to jump through a hundred hoops and it’s painful. Compared to dealing with “Tim” over at cigar.com who answers the phone on the first ring and always quickly resolves the issue, it’s night and day dealing with JR-mart.

Closing Comment

All of the retailers have their strengths…and weaknesses. That’s probably the reason why we’ll continue to buy from all of them. We may buy a box of Padróns from FamousSmokes over Cigar.com for price and availability. Where we may by a box of Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Fuentes from JR because they have the best price and we know the inventory turns so fast, that quality storage won’t be an issue.

While there are certainly other cigar retailers out there, we haven’t ordered enough from them to say whether they are good companies. But feel free to leave us your comments on them.

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The May poll of the month, where you chose the best all around cigar maker, had a pretty clear winner with Padron.  This comes as no surprise to me with their absolutely phenomenal anniversary series as well as the budget 2000/3000/etc series.  I was happy to see CAOs diverse cigar lineup come in 2nd place.

Here’s the final results:

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Nudity, drug abuse, extreme violence…these are elements that are considered when the MPAA dishes out an “R” rating. Well, MPAA Chairman Dan Glickman has added tobacco use to this list. Previously, the MPAA only contemplated underage smoking, but now ANY tobacco use will risk movie-makers getting slapped with an “R” rating.

Given that “G” and “PG” movie ratings are by far the most profitable for the movie studios, I have a feeling we’ll stop seeing tobacco use in all but “R” or “NC-17″ rated movies. And soon, this will trickle down to TV programs.

I’ve always found the entire rating system pointless. Why can’t parents simply parent without relying on some arbitrary self-governance rating? Why does nearly every CD sold have to have a “mature lyrics” sticker on it? When I was growing up, my parents would rent movies and watch them before we were allowed to view it, regardless of the rating. I distinctly remember the first “PG” movie I was allowed to view, “Raiders of the Lost Ark“. Classic. Of course, that movie contained several instances of tobacco use, so today it would get an “R” rating. The first “PG-13″ movie I was allowed to view was “Gremlins“…more tobacco use in this one. In fact, the movie poster featured a Gremlin w/ cigar! Of course, I turned out to be a cigar smoker, so I really have no argument. Movies clearly made me do it. So I plan to file a lawsuit against the MPAA for any issues that ever stem from my nasty little habit they forced me into. If only these rating were around twenty years ago, I would be smoke-free today. BS.

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The ‘Dry Heat’ Vegas Blog has posted Five Places To Smoke a Cigar in Vegas. This is particularly important to us, The Brothers, as we have a cigar/wedding bash trip planned in Mid-June. We’ve been looking for about 5 good places to torch up some fine stogies. With all the proposed smoking bans, this may be the last time we get to enjoy a smoke in Sin City.

Here They are:

As Reviewed by Fletch

1. Playboy Club — With every visit here, I get more convinced that this must be like what heaven is like. On a recent trip I chilled in a booth and watched a few celebrities play big money blackjack while sipping on straight gin and smoking a cigar. Not to mention the bevy of bunnies Oh yeah, and there were Playboy bunnies all over the place. The decor (above) has this classic, sexy vibe that’s perfect for bringing old-school Vegas alive in a modern environment with a cigar, a cocktail and a bunny tail.

2. Casa Fuente - This cigar bar is an interesting concept located at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. If you recognize the name, it is affiliated with the Fuente family and in fact they roll a special cigar just for this location.

The ban forced smoking from the patio inside the shopping mecca to the inside confines of the cigar bar, but it’s still a welcome oasis. Think about this, while your partner shops, you can chill, light up and even order a mojito. Brilliant.

Mandalay Bay views from the Foundation Room

3. Foundation Room — If you’re the exclusive type and you have a membership to the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay, you can take the private elevator 43 stories to the top, head to the outdoor balcony and light up while enjoying too-cool-for-words views of the Strip.

Since it’s a private club, I could have easily substituted the public views at VooDoo at Rio or ghostbar at Palms or even the carbon copy of the Foundation’s balcony next door at Mix at THEhotel, but Foundation Room opens its doors to non-members on Monday nights for the Godspeed party. If you go and you got ‘em, smoke ‘em.

4. Scores — This isn’t your typical gentlemen’s club. Sure, there are familiar sights, but the focus here is on indulgence. As an example, the club focuses on wine and champagne instead of the $2 kamikaze shots at other joints and cigars are part of that indulging luxury. In fact, Scores has a ‘robusto’ section for cigars on their website.

5. Havana Cigar Company — There’s a lot of testosterone on this list, so the last spot goes to a chill location at Lake Las Vegas where we can commune with man-made nature. Chicks with sticks are some of the more enticing sights known to man and this location at Montelago Village (they also have a location on Paradise) is a perfect place for unisex smoking.

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Well, there hasn’t been a lot of cigar related news lately other than all the proposed legislation to ban smoking…and every other site out there covers that. I find it a depressing subject, so you won’t find us talking politics here too often. I’ve got some great cigars on order for May and plan to be posting a lot of fresh reviews.

On to the May Poll of the Month. I’ve been smoking cigars pretty regularly now for over two years. In that time, I’ve developed a love (and hate) of several cigar brands. I’ve been following Cigar Jack’s ‘Battle of the Cigars‘ and have noticed some clear trends in favorite brands. Mainly the Arturo Fuente line. For me, you won’t find a better all around cigar company than Arturo Fuente. CAO would be a close second for their slightly more unique lineup of great sticks. I’m curious to see what your favorite brands are. Vote in the poll and post comments here.

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Cigar Aficionado’s senior editors have started a video blog. Their first installment explains their logical rating system. As long as they keep these videos free, I recommend you check them out. I like to believe they’re starting to offer more online services to compete with the growing number of independent, free, and unbiased cigar blogs.

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The Brothers are huge CAO fans, if you couldn’t tell by all the rave reviews we give the majority of their sticks. Any new cigar from CAO gets our attention. While Moneybag$ is not a huge maduro fan, I find a good maduro to be better than a good natural cigar and can’t wait to try one of these.

CAO Gold Maduro is a new blend that combines a Brazilian Maduro wrapper with the binder and filler tobaccos of the CAO Gold line. It’s listed as a medium-bodied cigar that “exhibits a smooth and buttery character, top-noted by hints of spice and espresso beans. ” 20 cigars per box, six shapes: Corona (5.5″ x 42), Robusto (5″ x 50), Corona Gorda (6.5″ x 50), Churchill (7″ x 48), Torpedo (6.25″ 52), and Double Corona (7.5″ x 54).

Though not yet available, when they are you’ll find them here.

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From CNN.com:

HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) — Synonymous with Cuba, just like Castro and Che Guevara, cigars are revered by connoisseurs and part of the country’s political landscape.

Since the U.S. trade embargo was imposed more than 40 years ago as part of President Kennedy’s stand against the communist government, Americans have been banned from buying cigars from Cuba.

Read the Full Article

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A mere season after it opens, the anti-smoking zealots have forced the closing of the Montecristo Club at PNC Park. The club featured cocktails, cigars, and live jazz for the lucky 200 who were admitted to each of the 81 home games last season. Even with their state-of-the-art ventilation system in place, the clubs doors are closing due to an impending Allegheny County-wide smoking ban.

The Montecristo Club has been renamed “Club 21” in honor of former Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. For those non-baseball fans, Clemente was an amazing right-fielder who played his entire career as with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955 – 1972). He sadly died in 1972 in a plane crash delivering aid to the cigar-nation of Nicaragua.

These smoking bans are far too broad. Cigar bars should be exempt from any ban, period. Capitalism works, we’ve proven that in our 200+ year history as a country. Why we as a society keep imposing more laws upon ourselves boggles my mind. Was attendance down in 2006? No… 1,861,549 vs 1,794,237 in 2005. One could easily make the argument that the cigar bar helped increase attendance by 4%. Simply put, let the system work. Money is king. If I open a smoking restaurant or bar and across the street a non-smoking establishment does triple what I’m selling, I’d probably switch to non-smoking real quick. And vice-versa. There simply is no need to keep imposing more and more laws to make the “majority” feel better about themselves. The original constitution had10 amendments…we’ve added literally millions of laws on top of this with each slowly giving away our freedoms. Eventually we’ll be back where we started, dumping leafs in the bay and declaring revolution.

There are plenty of anti-anti-smoking rants out there already, so I won’t continue mine. If you read this site, you’re probably pissed off about all the anti-smoking laws already. Do what you can to stop these nut jobs from destroying this country.

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Greenermedia (Hippies w/ Cameras?) have posted a nice little 5 minute video of a recent trip to Dominican Institute of Tobacco in, you guessed it, the Dominican Republic. It’s always fascinating to me seeing the process from little tiny plants to the assembly line and ultimately my mouth. Cigars are one of the few products left where the manufacturing process hasn’t changed much over the years. You won’t see Hi-Tech computers or stainless steel counters. Cigars are personal, from beginning to end.

The video gives a glimpse at life in the Dominican Republic, a place I plan to visit one day soon.

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The CAO Vision may actually be launching in 15 days. Haven’t we heard this before? Yes. This is the third launch date I’ve seen for this cigar, so I won’t hold my breathe. Something a bit shocking is that CAO is indeed keeping the futuristic case-modded cigar box we saw in some early promo pics.  LEDs and a power source included.  Looking at the ’secret’ pics we obtained, it also appears that a digital hydrometer is integrated into the box. If these actually launch in 15 days (Feb 28, 2007), I’ll buy a box and let you know what I think of this mythical Dominican cigar from the future.

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Wednesday, January 9, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Declaring an end to “smoke-filled rooms” in the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said smoking would be banned from an ornate meeting area just off the floor of the House of Representatives.

The Speaker’s Lobby was one of the few remaining places in the Capitol where smoking was permitted.  The move will force lawmakers, including chain-smoking House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio, to find other places to sneak a cigarette.

Often during House votes, the Speaker’s Lobby would be thick with cigar and cigarette smoke, as lawmakers swapped stories with each other and held impromptu interviews with reporters.The “smoked-filled room” has long held a place in Washington political lore referring to earlier times when men smoking heavily would meet in private rooms to work out the government’s business.

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