Finding Top Shelf Cigars For Bottom Shelf Prices

When it comes to finding a top-shelf cigar at bottom-shelf prices, start out big. There are lots of cigar shops and online markets, but the best place to shop is wherever you find the biggest selection of smokes. With the widest selection, you are bound to find a cigar that you love at a price you really love.

When comparing smoke shops, both online and in-store, check out the merchants guarantee. The store should be willing to stand behind its cigars with a money-back guarantee. Knowing you can get your money back if you dont like the cigar should make you a little quicker to try a new stick.

Get Advice

Get advice online from cigar advisors. These sites were created to provide smokers of premium cigars with useful and educational information. They also can help the novice smoker who is trying to find out what everyone is talking about. They will literally show you how a 28 ring gauge cigar compares to a monster 70 gauge. They tell you which cigar styles are the most popular. And they list cigars several ways. One chart is based on its strength: mild, medium and full. Another feature lets you search for a cigar by brand.

Some sites carry reviews written by people who understand what goes into a good smoke. For example, Jed from ToastedFoot.com reviewed the Alec Bradley Sun Grown Robusto. He wrote that it grabs your attention immediately, as the multicolored double bands pop against the dark Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper. The Sungrown is smooth with no veins, has a well constructed cap, and is very firm.

On the same page, professional cigar aficionado Gary Korb reviewed the same cigar, scoring it an 8.7, and saying, Boasting a dark, oily wrapper and an ornate band, the Alec Bradley Sungrown Robusto looks similar to its Tempus and Overture cousins. An attractive Brazilian Mata Fina leaf surrounds a blend of Nicaraguan Esteli and Jalapa, plus Columbian longfillers, with a Honduran binder. Moreover, this combination told me that the smoke was going to have some muscle behind it.

For those of you who just read that review and dont know what longfillers is or youre not sure about the appeal of an oily wrapper, check out a glossary of cigar terms. Glossaries can be very useful in keeping you from sounding like a novice. And before you know it, youll know a bulk from a bunch.

Advice sites also feature bloggers who keep you up-to-date with new smokes coming out, cigar events on the horizon and lists of their favorite smokes.

Monster Sales

Look for sales or special packages put together by many cigar stores. This is often a smart way to try a new cigar at a reduced price. One example of this kind of deal is called The Tantalizing Ten. For about half of the manufacturers suggested retail price, you get 10 world class cigars. This particular package included one of each:

CAO Cx2 Rob Natural (5 x 52)
Cohiba Robusto Natural (5 x 49)
Cuvee Rouge Robusto Natural (5 x 50)
Don Tomas Special Edition #300 Natural (5 x 50)
La Aurora Robusto Natural (5 x 50)
Oliva Serie G Robusto Natural (4 1/2 x 50)
Perdomo 10th Champagne Robusto Natural (5 x 54)
Plasencia Reserva Robusto Natural (4 3/4 x 52)
Rocky Patel Honduran Robusto Maduro (5 1/2 x 54)
Vintage 1990 Robusto Maduro (5 1/2 x 50)

This package features cigars from several countries and a variety of wrappers. One warning, the deals are limited. Once they are sold out, they are gone.

Cigar Auctions

Another way to get a premium cigar at a discounted price is through an online cigar auction. You have to register on the sites to bid. During one recent auction, a box of 20 of Rocky Patels The Edge Toro were up for bid. Toward the end of the daylong auction, the highest bid for these Honduran smokes was about $48 lower than the manufacturers suggested retail price.

Special Packages

Many cigar stores take turns featuring different samplers of cigars. A recent sampler highlighted Mi Barrio Test Flight cigars. For under $30, you could try some of Don Pepin Garcias finest blends. They are all full-bodied cigars with earthiness, wood and sweet tobacco flavors. The sampler included two of each:

Mi Barrio El Acere Dark Natural (6 x 50)
Mi Barrio El Billetero Dark Natural (5 3/4 x 52)
Mi Barrio El Forro Dark Natural (6 1/8 x 50)
Mi Barrio El Puro Dark Natural (7 1/2 x 52)

The bottom line is there are good deals on great smokes. You just have to keep your eyes and your options open.