Anyone know anything about cigars?

[Girls-best-friend]

Can anyone educate me on Cigars? A friend of mine is going to have a cigar lounge at her reception for the men. She doesn''t know anything about it either but won''t ask FH because she wants it to be a surprise at the reception.

What kind should she purchase? What''s the difference?

Thanks

 

[mrmedoes]

Wow... finally something I can help with.

What kind of budget are we talking here and are the people smoking regular smokers or just doing it due to the occasion. Believe it or not, there''s as much to cigars as there is wine. Also, how many people/cigars total?

Give me just a general idea and I can have you pointed in the right direction in no time.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Hubby did that when Cigars were all the rage. That phase lasted a couple of years. He had a membership in a Cigar Club, subscribed to Cigar Afficianado, the whole 9 yards. When you consider offering a cigar lounge, you get into lots of variables. There varying sizes as well as many different flavors. Your friend would do well to consult with a person who knows cigars to advise her about what to offer.

Budget is relative. Some cigars can be quite pricey. A salvage company unearthed some old Cuban tobacco shipped to the US by the Red Dot Tobacco Company before the embargo. The Cuban leaves have been blended with some primo tobacco from elsewhere to make cigars. Those cigars bring a rather fetching price. Here''s a link to an article about the cigars.

http://www.cigars.com/article.php?sid=103&mode=thread&order=0

There are cigar bars where a guy or a gal will roll cigars right there in front of people. That might be a neat addition to the cigar lounge. It''s really quite a treat to see a cigar being rolled by a skilled craftsman and most of the people who do it at parties and in bars are really quite entertaining as well.

 

[mrmedoes]

Being a big time collector/smoker, I find that the issue that ends up happening a lot is that you have two or three types of smokers.

#1. Beginner/Blending with the Crowd: Wants something "lighter" and will probably smoke it wrong anyway (i.e. inhaling like a cigarette, smoking way too fast, slobbering all over it, etc). These people will need something light and inexpensive.

#2. Somewhat Regular: May smoke at the golf course or perhaps now and then on the weekends. They normally know the brand names and at least like something that is flavorful, though not overpowering.

#3. Regular and "Expert": Unless you know someone who is REALLY into it (like myself), pretty much everyone else falls into this catergory. They like a somewhat stronger cigar, particularly if there is alcohol around (it may be a good idea to have some single malt and/or port around). They know the brands and should be able to identify "junk." They''re the toughest to please and will be the happiest with things there to please them.

Having run cigar events previously, I can definitely assist with catering to any group. If you really want to blow them away, you can even get a shipment in from somewhere else, but those are things I can discuss over PM or whatnot. Again, remember that there are some major budget considerations - you need to be sure to have certain things on hand (i.e. cutters, lighters, probably some form of humidifcation device prior to the event. There are even some custom options out there - you can go pretty minimal and still accomplish your goal).

As for a roller, I agree, it is a great idea if you''re able to find one in your area. Let me know where you''re talking, and I can at least put a feeler out there. Remember that many areas aren''t going to have that type of person there. If a company is on a "tour," they usually bring their own rollers.

Oh yeah, there''s a lot of pre-embargo Cuban tobacco out there, but sadly it has lost most of its appeal taste wise. It''s definitely cool to have and a good story, but you''re much better off with something newer, either legal or Cuban.

 

[Girls-best-friend]

Mrmedoes Thanks for sending the messge.

I kinda gave up on this one. I am not sure what her budget is I will have to ask. What would something like this cost her. Neither of us has a clue. As for the type of smoker I guess I would have to say #2. I think that would be a safer choice since she wouldn''t want anything too strong for those who aren''t that into it and not too lousy for those who are.


She is inviting 200 and expecting around 175 to actually show. Possibly around 25 of those would be the smokers. She is having her reception in New Jersey.

Thanks for the link we will both be checking it out. I''m not sure if its in her budget to have someone there to actually roll them but I will let her know about that option as well.

Thanks!

 

[mrmedoes]

Depending on the size of the cigar, you could probably start around $100 with a shared group of accessories and still not have bad (but slightly smaller) cigars that people in the second group above would appreciate. Personally, I could recommend a great box (25 cigars) for that type of smoker for around $100-125. Then you could spend a little extra to get some cutters and matches (or lighters). That would put you around $150. Normally what I do is pick up another smaller cheaper cigar in case you under estimate the amount of smokers. For $50, you can get something that isn''t offensive by any means.

Give me a little while to make a suggestion. I''m checking on one thing about personalized stuff first.

 

[mrmedoes]

Okay, did a little research through some friends/owners of cigar manufacturers.

Two really good options that would allow for something personalized and respectable at affordable prices:

Arturo Fuente 858 Sungrown with personalized cello (the outside clear wrapper):
http://tampasweetheart.com/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=265&category_id=5987963e724997ae68362b964af5da51&
That''s shows the it''s a boy/it''s a girl ones, but you can call them and get them customized for anything that you want. It looks like they''re just under $95 for 25 cigars.

According to the owner of Cuesta Rey cigars, "our Cuesta-Rey Aristocrat (glass tubed cigars) can be customized with a full-color, foil sticker for free with a minimum order of 50 cigars." All you need to do is go to any of their authorized retailers (you can find a list at http://www.cigarfamily.com/retailers.cfm?Code=JCN&SDesc=Authorized+Cuesta-Rey+Cabinet+) and tell them that you want to order 50 or more. A warning though, while these are an even better momento (a tube instead of just thin plastic), they average between $4.95 and $5.49 per cigar from what I can tell.

IMHO, both are well made and mild. They''re not offensive to someone who doesn''t smoke often, but are good enough that someone like me wouldn''t be offended. They''ll give something memorable that the bride and groom can keep, and if they store it right, could even smoke at an anniversary. Personally I would splurge a little and get the Cuesta-Rey''s in the tube personalized, and get a few cutters and some wooden matches from the retailer (if you''re struggling on finding a retailer, let me know). You''d get out under $300 with memories that would last a lifetime, not to mention would really impress everyone.

Just an FYI for anyone wondering since I don''t know the policies on retailers on the site, I have no affiliation with any of these retailers, or any cigar retailer for that matter... I just know a lot.

 

[Girls-best-friend]

Thank you so much for all the information. I will definetly be passing it on to her!

Personally I would splurge a little and get the Cuesta-Rey''s in the tube personalized, and get a few cutters and some wooden matches from the retailer.

I think she would be able to do this. We thought this was actually going to cost alot more than $300.

Thanks again you have been extremely helpful! It''s appreciated.

 

[mrmedoes]

I am waiting for an email from one of the co-owners of Cuesta-Rey. He is having an electronic brochure or something of the sort emailed to me, or at least requesting one. Hopefully that will show you examples and what not. I''ll let you know when I receive it (it should be in the next day or two), and can forward it on/post it on here if it''s small enough.

Believe me, they''ll be pleased with what they can get for that much money.

You''re very welcome for the assistance. Everyone around here is so helpful with diamonds, and I know a little about them, but it''s nice to be able to help with something that I know a lot about.

 

[mrmedoes]

I have a PDF complete with order form that you can see what they look like. You just take that to your local retailer (they can be found through that search) and fill it out.

I can''t post it here because it''s 1.82 MB, but would be more than happy to email it to you. Either PM or post your email address and I''ll get it out ASAP.

There is a 3 week lead time needed, so make sure to build enough time in there. Let me know if you''ll need help finding accessories and what not (like cutters and matches). You could get them custom imprinted too, but I personally think the cigars are enough.

 

[mrmedoes]

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[mrmedoes]

Sorry about the random text, but the original is a PDF and I had to download a program to convert it. If someone wants the originals, I''ll be happy to forward the PDF via email.

 

[Girls-best-friend]

Thank You very much. I am sure this will be helpful to her!