Well this is the last one of my San Diego trip. It’s Sunday and I am sitting in the Cuban Cigar Factory in the GasLamp in San Diego. I am smoking a cigar and drinking some wine while I wait to go to the airport to head home. I was here a couple of times during the week but I was with someone else and I didn’t want to be rude and type on my phone the entire time.

Anyway, this place has changed a lot since I was here last. The last time I was here it was just a cigar shop with pretty decent prices and a nice place to sit and smoke. Now it’s a wine bar and the prices are a little out of control. $15.99 is a little much for a Macanudo Portofino. They still have plenty of seating to hang out and smoke. The clientele has defenitely changed since I was here last. It used to be hardcore cigar smokers and bikers and now it’s tourists and yuppies. How things change in a year.



I am sitting at the bar having a glass of wine that the bartender turned me onto. It’s a Chardonnay from South Africa and I am smoking a Don Pepin Garcia that I brought with me. I was talking to the bartender about tattoos and wine and the bartender from last night is sitting here as well. He turned me onto a Malbec that was outstanding. Sorry didn’t mean to turn this into a wine blog. Back on topic, every night I was here there was a good crowd of people. It seems to me that it was mostly tourists who don’t smoke cigars very often and don’t really know pricing that well. They would pick out a cigar and be happy to pay the over inflated prices. I guess if they think they are getting a great deal so be it. The real cigar smokers know better. This is why I always bring my own when I travel.



They didn’t seem to care if I was smoking my own since I was buying drinks which is a good thing. I did buy one the other night it was one of their house blends. The guy in the humidor couldn’t really tell me much about it so I picked up a robusto and gave it a try. It was pretty good for a house cigar. I just wish I had more info on it for you.



Well this is the end of my San Diego trip. It was a good week for work and smoking. I had better get to the airport or I will end up sitting here drinking wine and smoking cigars. My next trip will be to Portland on November 11th so if anyone out there has a shop or cigar bar I should visit as always drop me an email at
Sean@lasvegashtv.com. Stay tuned for more.

Later

Well time for another one. I am now at Habana Club on 4th ave and F street in the GasLamp quarter. The humidor is small, the selection is limited and the prices are very touristy. If you ask me $12 is a little high for a Macanudo Portofino. So I pick myself out a Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur get a Harp to drink and it’s time to smoke. There is plenty of seating at the bar and several tables. The owner likes to talk to his customers although he did seem a bit tipsy. I guess it was the four beers to my one but I could be wrong.



Anyways we strike up a conversation and he asks me where I am from. I tell him Vegas and begins to tell me how much he would love to have a cigar lounge in one of the “big” casinos. He then tells me he knows the Frey boys, who own several retail cigar stores in casinos, and a most excellent shop off of the strip, the Cigar Box. Yes this time it was an endorsement for the Cigar Box. If my wife can’t find me it’s about a 99% chance I’m sitting there smoking and gabbing with the guys. So I took a bit of a left turn, no back on topic. He tells me that one of the Frey brothers stops in everytime he is in San Diego. Of course in his current condition he could have talking about Harpo, Grouch or Chicco the Marx Brothers. So it’s a nice place with a great selection of wines and ports. The prices and selection could be better but I guess when you are in a tourist driven area prices will reflect that.

One more place to go. It’s right in the Gaslamp and when looked in last night it has really changed since the last time I was here. So I am looking forward reporting on that one.

Sean

I found yet another one. Captain Hunt Tobacconist. It’s located in the Seaport Village in San Diego. It’s kind of hard to find since it is tucked in the back but after searching for awhile I finally found it. It’s a small shop with a decent selection. The prices are touristy but not out of line. I picked myself out an Oliva Series V and sat out side to smoke. It’s lunch time and I am the only one sitting here and smoking. Not really much else to say about it except that you can’t beat the view. Mabey I will try to make it back later to see if it gets any busier.
There are a couple more places I want to check out while I’m here schedule permitting.

Sean

Well here we go again. I’m at Churchill Cigar Lounge in Old Town San Diego. It’s a nice shop with a huge selection. The prices are a little high and it’s a little too yuppie for me. The guy helping me pick out a cigar kept steering me towards the higher end products and kept mispronouncing ligero. I don’t think this is the shop I have been looking for. I can’t seem to find it online anymore. It’s a nice place with an outdoor patio with plenty of seating. I can pretty much forget about a conversation with anyone since they all seem to be very self absorbed and watching baseball. Oh well I need to get some work done anyway so I’m going to break out the computer and work while I’m smoking. They do have Stinky ashtrays though. That should make Stinky happy. I always look for them when I go into a shop. That was not an endorsement Stinky is a friend of mine and I’m always happy to see his ashtrays when I’m in a shop. Besides they are reay cool and I have a few at home. Well I’m going to shut up now and get some work done. More in a bit.
Well completely unimpressed with this one. It’s a little too stuffy for me. Oh well they can’t all be gems. The first place was way better and I guess I should have taken them up on their offer. There are a couple of more shops to report on so stay tuned. If anyone in the San Diego area can help me out on finding the shop I’m lookingng for in old town send me an email Sean@lasvegashtv.com.

Sean

I was wandering around old town San Diego before I headed to the cigar shop that I was aiming for and found this shop. This is quite possibly the coolest shop I have ever been in. It’s like stepping into the old west. The guys working in the shop are dressed in old west style clothing that really adds to the feel of the shop.

The humidor is the smoking room. I don’t see any kind of humidification I guess since we are in San Diego there’s not much need for it. Its not a very big area. They can seat about ten people or so. I picked up a Casa Magna torpedo and it is smoking great. The prices seem to be ok. I have seen better, but for the west coast it’s pretty good. There are a few guys sitting here smoking but they are wrapped up in other conversations so I haven’t had a chance to talk to them about the shop.

So we got into a conversation about cigars and it seems that everyone was in agreement that the Casa Magna is a good smoke. One of the gentlemen was talking about the Sancho Panza double maduro, which is one of my favorites, so we had a great talk about that. It was closing time and I guess one of the guys sitting and smoking with us owns a wine shop that you can smoke at. They invited me along but I declined, I really need to find some food and then I am going to go over to the shop I was originally aiming for. More on the after dinner which is Mexican of course since I am in Old town.

I’ll get back to you in a bit.

Sean

I’m still in Philly and I finally have a chance to make it over to Holts for a smoke. They are located at 1522 Walnut Street Philadelphia, Pa.
This is a really nice shop! As you walk into the shop you are always greeted by someone. The front of the shop is all about pipes. They carry pipes, pipe tobacco and accesories. You go through another door into the cigar shop which is one big walkin humidor. They have a huge selection of premium cigars and excellent prices. The staff is very knowledgeable about all of the products they carry. I struck up a conversation with one of the salesmen and he recommended a Kristoff Maduro to try. I have never tried this cigar before and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by it. More on that later, I might have to bring a couple home for Justin, JC and I to review.

The smoking lounge is a nice size room with plenty of seating. There are a couple of small leather couches and some nice leather chairs to sit in. They can seat about a dozen or so people, which is about average for a cigar lounge/shop. Phyllis, a very nice woman, takes care of the room during the day and she makes coffee and espresso for you. She makes sure that the lounge is always in order.

There is a small room next to the smoking lounge with lockers for rent. I have yet to see anyone go in there for a smoke.  As usual there is a wide variety of people who sit in the lounge to enjoy a cigar or pipe.  I have had several conversations with gentlemen from all types of jobs around town, a doctor, a stock broker and someone who was retired and just comes here to enjoy a cigar. One of the coolest thing about being a cigar smoker is the common tie is the enjoyment of premium cigars, and of course everyone has their opinion that makes for a great time comparing notes about what each person likes to smoke. Ok I stand corrected, the last couple of days that I was sitting there someone actually went into the lockers.  

I’m outta here tomorrow, but I really enjoyed my cigar time here is Philadelphia. Work was ok too, it just rained too much this week, but then again I do live in the desert. The staff at Holts is top notch and ready to recommend a cigar for you. They treat you as if you are a local customer, which I guess I kind of was since I smoked there everyday this past week. That’s it for now, more from San Diego on Wednesday. I’m going to try to get over to old town to a shop that I have been dying to go to.

Later

Sean

Welcome to another look at a local cigar shop during my travels. I have just arrived in Philadelphia and I am sitting at Mahogany on Walnut. Their address is 1522 Walnut Street Philadelphia, Pa. The main room is small with a front room that is currently closed. I would guess it opens on busier nights or can be reserved. The main room has some nice seating areas and a very well stocked bar. They have a limited, but excellent, selection of cigars. Some of the premium brands they carry are Ashton , Padron, Fuente, CAO and Rocky Patel. I have no idea on pricing since they don’t have a price list. They have a tray with all of the cigars in a tube for presentation. I will try to make an inquiry as to pricing and get back to you on that.
Holts is located downstairs is open until 8pm. It is easy just to go there and pick up a smoke then come upstairs (More on Holts later when I get to go smoke there).

Like other cigar lounges, there is a wide variety of clientele. Local business men come in to take a break, or entertain a client, as well as out of town people, not unlike myself. While I enjoy my cigar, I am sitting next to a very eccentric gentleman who is holding three different conversations at once, including one with me. He seems familiar, perhaps I met him last time while he was carrying on the same three conversations. I would guess that he is a regular. Currently, there is a great crowd in here.

I did just find out that I am heading to Portland Oregon the middle of next month. I have never smoked there so we will see how it goes. If you are in Portland and have any suggestions on a shop I should visit or would like to meet for a smoke send me an email at Sean@lasvegashtv.com.

Later

Sean

Whats one of the best things about smoking cigars? Smoking a new cigar! A big thanks goes to Jon Huber of CAO for sending me a 4 pack of the new La Traviata in robusto size. I heard a lot of things about this cigar thanks to Jon’s posts on Twitter. Its a great tool to get the word out about your products.

This is the last one I had of these and I have to say, its a great cigar. The suggested price on it is around $6, which is a fantastic price. This cigar could command a higher price, but I think at this price they will sell a lot of them. They should be in stores around now and I highly suggest you going to pick one, or three up and try them for yourself.

Check out my thoughts below and leave some comments on what you think.

Tags: cao, la traviata

Nothing beats a great cigar lounge to enjoy a fine cigar. I travel quite a bit for work and Justin suggested that I start to write about them, so here we go this is my first ever blog entry. My name is Sean and you have seen me in a few of the videos around here. I hope whoever is reading this will enjoy it.

Anyway, I find myself in Lincoln Nebraska to visit my father in-law who is in the hospital. We get to the the hospital and what do I see? A cigar shop! Ted’s Tobacco on 111 S. 66th street. My sanity is saved! Unfortunately I am not able to visit until Monday. Monday arrives and I head to the shop, anxious to see what I can find. I walk in and I am pleasantly surprised, it is a nice size shop with a large walk in humidor with an excellent selection and really good prices.

I pick myself out a Tatuje, one of my current favorite sticks, and strike up a conversation with the owner Ted. He tells me about the state wide smoking ban and the city of Lincoln is taking it one step too far. No smoking in cigar shops! I had to go out front to smoke. He then tells me that the city has passed an ordinance to be able to smoke in cigar bars, but regular cigar shops are still out of luck. That is about the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time.

I head back on Tuesday for another sanity break but unfortunately Ted is not there. I get my cigar and the shop is pretty quiet. The gentlman running the shop is busy in the humidor. I head back outside, thanks to the smoking ban, to enjoy my cigar before I head back to the hospital.

If you live in Lincoln, or happen to find yourself in Lincoln, go check out Ted’s. He is very knowledgable about cigars and a really nice guy. It was the first time I was ever in his shop and he treated me like a local. That is always nice to be made to feel welcome at a cigar, after all that is why we go!

Stay tuned for my next shop visit. I will be in Philadelphia next week and San Diego after that. If anyone would like to meet for a smoke, send me an email to Sean@LasVegASHTV.com and I will try to make it out, work schedule permitting of course. Maybe I will also start blogging about some local Vegas shops so when you come here you don’t have to pay casino prices. I have to go inside now I’m freezing my butt off sitting out here in York Nebraska!!! Oh and thankfully my father in-law is doing much better.

Sean joins Justin and JC on our 14th episode. This episode features cigars from Los Blancos and wine from Cakebread.