Cigar Question

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corsair74

Bronze
Jul 3, 2006
1,330
116
0
I have a question that I hope that someone can answer for me. I am a cigar aficionado. It is one of the few vices that survived my New Years resolutions. And it is well known that the best cigars outside of Cuba are made in the DR. My favorites right now are the Montecristo Afrique and the Pleiades Paris. Both are made in Santiago.

So imagine my despair when I could not find any of my favorite smokes while visiting Santiago last summer. In fact, aside from Leon Jimenez, I couldn't find any premium brands. Leon's a decent cigar, no doubt. But not in the same class as Cohiba, Montecristo, or even Partagas. I asked an expat friend of mine, and he explained to me that the premium brands are usually too expensive for the average dominican to indulge in. Thus, they aren't sold outside the airport and tourist areas. I couldn't even find my beloved Afriques in Santo Domingo or Sosua.

So my question is, why are so few locally made premium brands priced for local consumption. And how is it that, while visiting a country known for it's fine cigars, I have to bring mine all the way from the states.


Vince.
 
R

rellosk

Silver
Mar 18, 2002
4,169
58
48
Most of the premium brands are made exclusively for export. I was told in order to sell them in the DR, they had to be imported, at which time they would be subject to an import tax. That's why certain Dominican brands are more expensive in the DR, than in the US.
 
S

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,491
3,628
113
The Juaragua Hotel in SD has a cigar store with what you want. Expensive though.

Also there is a small store in the Duty Free at Puerta Plata airport that only sells cigars. They should have what you want also. But in general beware of the Duty Free cigars, all the Cubans are fakes. This store is not.
 
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Island777

New member
Oct 9, 2005
87
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Two new Cabarete Cigar stores

There are two fancy cigar stores on the west side of Cabarete, both very new. One is in a storefront in Ocean Dream, the other in the plaza almost directly across the street from Ocean Dream (maybe 20 yards further west) on the second floor, called something like cigar obsession or something like that. This latter is run by some partners from the states and has a small bar. Probably an unfortunate coincidence that both stores are so nearby. I asked one if they knew of the other and they did not! Neither appears to be doing much business as of yet.
 
C

Chip00

Guest
Vince

Send Hillbilly a PM - he'll tell you everyhting you need to know about cigars here in the DR.
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Cigars:
1) The Montecristo Afrique as well as the Pliades are made in La Romana nowadays. The Pliades used to be made at the Matasa factory in the Santiago Free Zone. The Montecristos have always been made at the Garc?a factory in the La Romana Free Zone. There you can talk to Jos? Seijas the GM of the factory. However, it is not allowed to sell anycigars there...he might gift you a couple...

There is a place in La Romana, Plaza Caribe I think, that has all of the Dominican made cigars. They are expensive.

The Opus X and all of the Fuente product has to be shiped to Tampa first. So, if you want to sell them here in the DR, you have ti import them like they were Honduran or Cuban, and pay all the import taxes. Maybe with DR=CAFTA we can get OpusX without taxes???

Anyway, you can get your Montecristos at the Nacional Supermercados where they have a "fairly" good collection of local products.

Regarding the Pliades (I have five pliades maduro Robustos left--made in 1996) I have no idea where they are made, but i suspect La Romana. i will ask....

Since the death of Alvaro Quezada and Julio Fajardo i have not visited the Matasa factory much...sorry...

There are some factories that will giveyou a very good cigar for your buck...but they cannot put rings on them because of contract infractions...

Get my drift?

HB
 
C

CarpeDReam

New member
Feb 17, 2006
362
0
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All I know is that there is a fancy place in la Zona Colonial in the capital only dedicated to fine cigars; it's worth checking out if you're in town. It's located in the Parque Colon area, I forget the name.
 
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