www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I have had numerous requests to bring back some Nicaraguan cigars from Costa Rica... I assume you can buy them in CR.

Have to say I don't know a whole lot about Nicaraguan cigars, and even less about where to buy them in Costa Rica. The pain with buying cigars is that, unlike a nice whiskey, you always have fear that they are fake in the back of your mind.

I'm looking at buying a box of nice Nicaraguan cigars and maybe another box of decent of something else.

The only Nicaraguan cigar I have had was a little Joya De Nicaragua cigar which was quite nice.

Anyways, any help would be appreciated.

I wish I could steer you in the right direction, but every cigar store I've been into so far, I don't recognize a single brand. That's why I bring at least 100 cigars with me every time I return from the USA, and that usually lasts me 90 days. If not, Adrians Cigars, Don Ursulos and cubans from the HLH can make up the gap.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

I LOVE cigars from Nicaragua - but quite candidly, buying them in Costa Rica is just plain dumb (sorry to be so blunt - hey, made another pun - blunt - get it???? ).

You can get FAR better deals on cigars from Nicaragua in the USA - any cigar store, or any on line source (JR, Cigars International, Holts, Thompsons and 100 more ) can help you out.

The wrong place to buy cigars overall is Costa Rica; as K Pax says, you don't get a selection, and what you do get is often poor quality, made for the tourist trade not people who have a clue about cigars - while you can get real Cubans, they are expensive - cigars from other places have a high import tariff, so cigars in CR tend to be:
(A) Expensive
(B) lack of a good selection (Trusr me, your cigar shop back home will far outclass ANY place I've seen that sells cigars in Costa Rica.

While your request is somewhat odd (Cubans, I get....but Nicaraguans, not so much as they are so available in the USA) I do have a suggestion:

Go to Don Ursulo, located right in the Hotel Little Havana - speak w/ Don Ursulo or Bruce; both GREAT guys - and ask them for the cigar they make, containing the "special" tobacco its made with - for a "toro" size, they were $10/per in May - great cigar.

You can bring some of them back too if you wish - they have a selection of Cubans; I believe them to be real, but as I smoke 2 cigars a day, my days of spending $20 - 35 on a cigar are long over. But do stop in and do check out the "Don Ursulo's" mentioned.

PS The Joyo de Nic. is an OK smoke; the Padron 1926 and the Millenium I think are the best cigars in the world - I would take the 1926 over ANY Cuban any day - so IMO, Nicaragua makes some of the best cigars in the world, ansd the best thing is they are legal, and you skip the bullshit involved w/ Cubans.

Thanks...I know it does seem like a strange request but the city I'm from (west coast Canada) is not huge on cigars. Selection is often poor and prices are high.

A romero y julieta no.2 sells for $18 each for example...not a very good deal imo.

Perhaps I wont be buying cigars in Costa Rica. If I do, any recommendations of decent, well priced cigars?

As I mentioned above:

Go to Don Ursulo, located right in the Hotel Little Havana - speak w/ Don Ursulo or Bruce; both GREAT guys - and ask them for the cigar they make, containing the "special" tobacco its made with - for a "toro" size, they were $10/per in May - great cigar.

I guess if you like cheap, tasteless cigars then yes.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

And another true cigar afficanado speaks

PS See my previous comments about "Blunts" - don't know if you are serious or not but there is no comparison between the cigar you mentioned and a true all tobacco (the White Owl is not; containes scraps and a homoginized - carboard really - binder) puro - also - what's with the CAPS - means you are SHOUTING! Seriously, bad form

There are many small Costa Rica Cigar manufacturers. The business down here is very different than Nicaragua and Honduras. Nicaragua has many large factories employing thousands of people that are considered to be free trade zones (They must export everything).

Most of the manufactures here are smaller. Most of the Costa Rica cigar manufacturers do not have US distribution agreements. It is more expensive to produce here and the quality and quantity of tobacco grown in Nicaragua is generally better. Most US retailers will not carry an unknown cigar at a high price when their customers are requesting and buying CAO, Joya de Nicaragua, Padron, etc, at a higher profit margin for the retailer. The local retailer also has to compete against the $3-4 cigar internet retailers carry known brands. The high cost of the Costa Rica cigars, shipping (Most of the large manufactures in Nicaragua have containers going out each week), US taxes, etc. do not make these cigars competitive.

The largest is probably Vegas de Santiago, located in Vegas of Puriscal (the main town). They also produce the Adrian’s that are popular in Texas.

Tabacos de la Cordillera is further in the Puriscal hills. They used to be run by John Vogel of General Cigar and grow all their own tobacco. They are a Unique taste and claim to be pesticide free. They also produce the Dignity and Don’Juan cigars popular in California and Las Vegas.

Isthmus, does well in Germany and Russia. They produce mostly in Nicaragua but are a Costa Rica based company. Jairo Rodriguez is in San Sabastian (Joya Real). Familia de Hidalgo (San Ramon). Byron Hernadez (Orotina). Don Ursulo, Don Benigno, Tabacos Exclusivo, L M, Don Horacio del Monte, and many others.

Joya de Nicaragua is an excellent cigar! I have seen them in the cigar stores downtown but not purchased any here.

I have a cigar export business, a US tobacco importation permit, and wholesale permits in a couple of US Sates. Contact me for info. http://www.costaricacigarstore.com, sales@costaricacigarstore.com.

Mike

Nicaraguan and Honduran cigars are my favorites. Really, estadounidenses want Cuban cigars for the same reason that mongers want bartenders.

This guy is obviously talking about another use for blunts (not to be named here) for which you do not want a good cigar, merely a cheap one.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

To each his own, but if I won a lifetime supply of White Owls for free, I wouldn't smoke even one. They are totally worthless to me.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

White Owl cigars bring back nostalgic memories of Mel Allen and a "White Owl wallop" and a "Ballantine Blast".

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Just a question here???

While Mickymoose ads alot to this thread, why can he promote his web-site for free

Agree totally with Brother Nhhank on this. If Mickeymoose wants to promote his biz, he should seek Sponsorship OR ask guys to PM him for contact info. And at the very least, become a paid member. Brother Javaman abides by these "guidelines"; Mickeymoose should too. IMHO.
No, I am not the hall monitor.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Gentlemen,

Was my response self promotion? Yes, it was.

BUT - it was in a direct response to a question posted. Did I advertise pricing? Did I claim to have the greatest cigars since God shit tobacco on the ninth day after creation? I do not advertise specials or products, pricing, availability, etc. I did not advertise specific product. I answered the question someone asked why the cigars available in Costa Rica were different than what they found in their cigar stores back home. I felt I had information about the industry that members of this board had requested . I offered that information to any one who asked. And yes, I posted my business email and website. If someone was asking about buying a jetski on this board, and I was a local Polaris dealer, I would have responded in the same manner. I did not start any discussions about cigars for gratuitous advertisement. I apologize if my response was considered inappropriate advertisement. Was it advertisement, yes, but I hope it was informative and not inappropriate.

The answer is the different modes of operation in the different countries. Production in Nicaragua and Honduras is on a grand scale. It is done by large corporations in Free Trade Zone factories.

Everything costs more here. Tobacco, labor, boxes, presses, taxes, shipping, etc.

I have been to Esteli and Danli and toured the cigar operations in those locations. The Tabacaleras here are very different.

Mike