I’m in the Dominican Republic for the next week and a half for my son’s wedding and thus far, it has been an incredible trip! We’re on the north side of the island in the Puerto Plata region in a town called Cabarete. Though it is mildly touristy, it has much more of a local feel to it.
But it’s also so refreshing to be able to sit at a restaurant or bar and light up a cigar without receiving awkward or scornful glances. Everyone knows it’s part of the culture – even the tourists – so smoking is not a problem. Hanging out with the in-laws and their vast family the last couple of days has been a blast! As far I know, no one smokes cigars, but smoking around them feels natural. They’re used to it living here. I just love that there’s no judgement.
Of course, being a cigar-producing country, there are lots of cigar shops in towns and vendors working the beach. The remarkable thing about the shops though is that they all carry their own blends. Sure, most of them carry Fuentes, Davidoffs, LFDs, all the major DR brands. But my interest has been in the local rolls.
For instance, the cigar shown in the picture is a Churchill from Casa Edmundo in downtown Cabarete. I have no clue about the leaf stats, but I do know one thing: It tastes damn good! Not only that, but the construction is also flawless. Though a bit veiny, the seams are barely perceptible. The stick is solid with no soft spots and the draw is Padron-like. That takes some skill. It’s clear that these folks use expert torcedores.
I’ve been to three different shops in my brief time here and the cigars have all been gorgeous in their construction. And it makes sense. They get lots of tourist traffic and it wouldn’t do them any good to try to pass off cheap-looking cigars; especially when some of those tourists are experienced and discerning cigar smokers. And if they cater to a local crowd, the locals are going to be a lot more discerning.
But there is also a negative side with the shops. Especially in the touristy areas, since of the bulk of their traffic is comprised of inexperienced folks, many shops will try to scam people and charge exorbitant prices. For example, I was in the city of Puerto Plata the other day and got roped into a cigar shop in the touristy area of Umbrella Street with the offer of a free cigar. My son who was with me said don’t do it because if you take a free cigar, they’re going to expect you to buy some and they’ll scam you with a high price. I just smiled and said, “Trust me. I won’t get scammed.”
The guy trying to sell me cigars started out at $20/stick, but I wasn’t having any of it. He tried to sell me a box and knocked off $60 from the original price, bringing them down to $18/stick. I laughed then pulled out my travel case and showed him my cigars, saying that the sticks I had were all over $20/stick. Of course I was lying, but he didn’t know that! 🙂 And when he saw my case he realized that he was talking to an experienced smoker and urged me to put my case away. In the end, I got a fiver from him for $9/stick. I still think I overpaid, but my son was getting impatient, so that was the offer I gave the guy. I think he wanted me out of his shop!
On the other hand, shops like Casa Edmundo tend to cater to a much more local crowd, so their prices are quite reasonable. I got seven of those Churchills for $6/stick. I’ll probably buy more before I leave town tomorrow to move to Sosua where my son’s wedding will take place.
All in all, I have to say that I love this place. Since my son’s fiance’s family is from here, we’ve been spending lots of time in completely local towns. Yesterday, we traveled out to the little town of Gaspar Hernandea where her parents live and spent the day at the local beach, eating fresh fish and seafood, drinking lots of rum, and of course, I smoked a few sticks as well.
My son is planning to buy some property here in the near future, and I think I may do the same. This is a magical place!
Unco B's Stogie Diary 