You are here:

Cigars/Cigar store reccomendation

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/1/2008


Question
Hi James,

My anniversary is coming up in a week and were currently living at a hospital in San Francisco because our daughter is very ill and I had a few questions on what to purchase.

1)Can you recommend any cigar stores here in San Francisco?

2)What is your experience with "god of fire and Hoya de Monterey Excalibur?"

Thank you,

genevieve

Answer
Hi Genevieve (beautiful name btw, I've always liked that name)

I'm not very familiar with the San Francisco area (I'm actually in Toronto Canada which is nowhere near San Francisco) so what I suggest is that you look in your yellow pages under "Cigars" or "Tobacconists" and you'll be able to find cigar shops in your area.

In regards to "God of Fire" and Hoyo de Monterrey, God of Fire is a great brand but the cigars are a bit scarce and expensive.  It's made by the Fuente family so if you're interested in trying something similar, Fuente Don Carlos, Ashton VSG and Fuente Opus X are excellent alternatives.  Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur is an excellent brand and one of my favourite non-Cuban cigar brands.   I'm a big fan of the Excalibur "1066" line.  The cigars in this line are usually dark, rich, oily and tastes and smokes like a dream.  Absolutely fantastic.

I hope this answers your questions.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I'll be happy to help.  Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary and I hope your daughter has a speedy and excellent recovery.

Best wishes,
James

Cigars

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

James Yee

Expertise

My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".

Experience

I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.

Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)


Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.