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Cigars in Baltimore, MD

cigardawg

cigardawg

Active Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
1,555
Looking for some help here from those in the know. LC-Smoker, mrjinglesusa,and myself are going to be in Baltimore soon (April 9th). Was wondering if anyone could point us in the direction of:
1) the right shops to visit
2) places to go to smoke, drink, and eat (hopefully all 3, but will take drink and smoke)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have found a couple of places on the internet (Faders, etc.), but are looking for advice from locals. Also, would like to stay in the Inner Harbor area if possible.

Thanks in advance.
 
Coming to ol' Bodymore,Murderland huh....
I'll pm ya a few later. :thumbs:
 
Can't say much for Fader's; 5-10 minutes there might be fine but there used to be a lounge in the basement (evenings) that was a nice place to park it and puff.

Can't say enough good things about Ropewalk on Charles Street with Cross Street Tobacco about 2 blocks away.
 
I appreciate the info, guys. Sounds like Cross Street is a must as if the Ropewalk. Can't wait. Will try to organize a mini-herf while there. 4/9/2005.
 
melski said:
Can't say enough good things about Ropewalk on Charles Street
Click to expand...

!!!^!!!

Also shoot me a PM I'll drive up to Ballimore to chill with ya if you'll have me.
 
I am off this week, so I thought I would visit some local shops and share my finds/insights on Baltimore area cigar shops/lounges.

Name & Location:  Faders Tobacconist Towson, Maryland (Established in 1891.)
 
Website:  http://www.faderstobac.com/  (Needs to be updated.  Hard to believe in today’s business world that their site is this archaic.)
 
Visit:  October 7th, 2014
 
Directions:  Exit 26 on Outer Loop of the Baltimore Beltway.  (1.1 Miles from Interstate.  Towson is in Northern Baltimore County.  Towson is the county seat and the home of Towson University  Urban feel.)
 
Parking:  Street parking with multiple car garages around.  (There was no parking on the street in front of their shop.  All of this is metered parking.  I drove a block or two and parked at Towson Town Center.  They have a huge garage which is free and then walked the block and half to their shop.)
 
Hours:  10-6 (I was from there from 11:10AM to 12:30PM.)
 
Wi-Fi:  Yes
 
Public Restrooms:   Yes
 
Food/Drink:  Yes.  (They had a coffee/tea selection which I saw several people go help themselves.  There was also a full size refrigerator which I assume anyone could use.  There are a lot of bars and restaurants all over the downtown Towson area.  You get the college town feel.  My guess is could bring food/drink inside the shop and they would not object.)
 
Staff:  Two.  (Male and female.  Both said hello and left me alone.  This is not a bad thing.  They did not follow me into the humidor, and they did not try to sell me anything.  No pressure staff.  Neither was smoking cigars, but I saw cigarette butts in the ashtrays on the counters.  I assume they smoke cigarettes.  I cannot comment on their knowledge because I did not interact with them.)
 
Humidor:  Medium sized walk in humidor.  (I noticed a slight must smell in the humidor.  I observed a lot of cigars with yellowed cellophane and a couple with white mold on them.  Some people like this, where as I do not.   My overall impression of the humidor was remembering why I mail-order most of my sticks after seeing humidors like this.)
 
Staples of the Humidor:  Punch Rothschild $5.25.  Padron 2000  $5.70.  Arturo Fuente 858  N/A.  CAO Brazilia Gol N/A.  (They did carry Fuentes, but just not the 858.  They had one box of the CAO Brazilia line, but just not the Gol.)
 
Hot/Desired Smokes in Humidor:  Padron 1964 N/A.  Padron 1926 (Two Boxes.  Different sizes.)  Padron Family Reserve N/A.  Arturo Fuente Opus X  N/A.  Liga Privada N/A.  Tatuaje  N/A.  Illusione  N/A.  (The Padron 1926 were not in the main humidor.  They had the two different boxes in a display cabinet in the main show room.  The quality of both boxes was undesirable.  Both boxes looked as if they had been over humidified and then dried out.  I am on vacation this week, and was looking to treat myself to a Padron 1964, 1926, or Family Reserve stick, but I knew I would only be disappointed if I purchased what they had.)
 
My Cigar Choice:  My Father Le Bijou 1922 Grand Robusto  5 5/8x55 Oscuro  ($12.10.  I am glad I had an early lunch.  My palette was ready for this powerhouse smoke.  Burn, draw, and taste were all very good, but not something I would buy a box of to age in my humidor.  Good quality smoke.)
 
Attire/Dress:  Casual.  (I had on a pair of running shoes, jeans, and a golf polo shirt.  I did not wear a baseball cap.  During my visit I noticed their regular crowd stroll in from the downtown Towson area.  Most were professionals, but I did not feel out of place in jeans.  I did not see any camo.  If you have to ask about this, you do not understand.  I did see a gentleman wearing a suit with an Orioles baseball cap on his head.)
 
Public Lounge:  Yes.  (The regulars came in and sat in the front of the store, and left me alone in the back lounge.  The back lounge had worn, but very comfortable leather chairs.  If I had chosen to sit in a chair with an ottoman, I may have fallen asleep.  Very relaxing.  Small flat screen TV which was off.  Stereo system was turned off as well.  Just me and my cigar.  J  The lounge was satisfactorily clean.  I do not think there were enough ashtrays in the room.  The ashtray by me was a tall floor model which did not have any nubs to hold cigars, so I just held my cigar.  There was a large outdated Smokeeter in the room that took me back to my college days in the early 90’s.  They could use an upgrade to their air filtration system.)
 
Overall Grade:  D Below Average.  (I would not go out of my way to search this place out if you are visiting Baltimore or live in the area and are looking for a shop.  It is decent at best.  It has history, and it is a comfortable and relaxing place to sit and enjoy your smoke.  The parking is a joke.)
 
Holy thread revival.  Nice review of the shop though :thumbs:
 
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12157]
 
 
I did a "search" before "posting" the topic.  :)
 
Lol... I rock the Camo though. ..

Nice review.... will avoid!
 
I should have mentioned this, but failed to do so...  I do have a history of of visiting and/or shopping at this merchant.  My office used to be in Towson.  I worked in Towson for a little over seven years before transferring to another office three years ago in Lutherville.  I have not set foot in this shop since moving.  I used to stop by Faders on my way home and pick up a smoke once every month or so.  Always a single, but occasionally a small selection of sticks.  I have shopped here in the past, but have never used their lounge.  Today was my first trip to their lounge.  I failed to mention this, but it is worth mentioning.  For those of you not familiar with this area, you should be cautious.  There have been issues around the mall over the last couple of years with people getting mugged and/or held up for their cell phones and money.  
 
Name & Location:  Main Street Cigars   Bel Air, Maryland
 
Website:  http://www.mainstcigar.com/  (Decent website, but a much better FB page.  https://www.facebook.com/MainStCigar )
 
Visit:  October 8th, 2014
 
Directions:  Exit 85 on Interstate 95 North. (7.4 miles from interstate.  Very rural feel.)
 
Parking:  Pick your spot.  (There is a ton of parking.  Shop is located in a strip mall.)
 
Hours:  8-10 Monday thru Saturday and 10-8 on Sundays. (I was from there from 1:30-3:15PM.  I like the fact that the shop opens at 8AM.)
 
Wi-Fi:  Yes
 
Public Restrooms:   Yes
 
Food/Drink:  Yes.  (Public Lounge had a water cooler.  Their Member Lounge is advertised to have coffee and water.  There is a Dunkin Doughnuts in the plaza.  I think there are some food spots as well.)
 
Staff:  Four.  (Two males and two females.  I believe the one male to be the owner who was meeting with a sales rep, and the other male appeared to be cleaning.  Both females were acting as sales clerks.  Everyone smiled and said hello.  No staff was smoking.  I was left alone to look around the humidor and showroom.  No pressure staff.  One of females came through the lounge and emptied ashtrays.)
 
Humidor:  Medium sized walk in humidor.  (The shop and walk in humidor both had the smell we all like.  It was very intoxicating.  J  Well stocked with singles and boxes.  I get the impression that they do a fair amount of box sales where as their single selection is for their members and general public to purchase for smoking in their lounges.  The humidor was very dark.  I think someone forgot to turn on some of the lights.)
 
Staples of the Humidor:  Punch Rothschild $6.00.  Padron 2000  N/A.  Arturo Fuente 858  $7.05.  CAO Brazilia Gol N/A.  (They did carry Padrons, but just not the 2000’s.  They carried CAO, but not the Brazilia line.)
 
Hot/Desired Smokes in Humidor:  Padron 1964 Yes.  Padron 1926 N/A.  Padron Family Reserve Yes.  Arturo Fuente Opus X  N/A.  Liga Privada Yes.  Tatuaje  N/A.  Illusione  N/A.  (The Padrons did not look desirable.  They carried all of the Liga Privada No. 9 line.  They did not have any of the Liga Privada T52 line.)
 
My Cigar Choice:  Liga Privada No. 9 Belicoso 6x52.  ($16.70.  After months of looking forward to trying the Liga Privada line, I was very disappointed.  The cigar was stale.  Looked great.  I am going to chalk it up to me getting a bad stick.  Good construction, good burn, and good draw.  No flavor.  I should have spoke up, but I did not.  I normally do not spend this much on a cigar unless it is for a special occasion.)
 
Attire/Dress:  Casual.  (I had on a pair of flip flops, shorts, t shirt, and a camo baseball cap.  I felt very comfortable.  The rest of the patrons and staff had on jeans or shorts.)
 
Public Lounge:  Yes.  (Very nice Public Lounge.  Leather chairs.  Not plush, but still very nice.  Ton of ashtrays everywhere you looked.  Huge saltwater fish tank.  Flat screen TV with Direct TV.  One of the customers had control of the remote and was flipping around.  Stereo system was not turned on.  Water cooler. The owner had a dog that was roaming around, and a customer brought his dog in as well.  Some people may be turned off to dogs walking around, but I thought it was pretty cool.  Very laid back atmosphere.  They also advertise lockers and member lounge, but I did not get a chance to see either of these. )
 
Overall Grade:  B Plus.  Above Average.  (Cool place to hang out and enjoy a smoke.  With their location to I-95, I would give it a recommendation for a stop on your way through Maryland.)
 
Damn....
 
Makes me appreciate Davidus even more...
 
Great review!
 
Name & Location:  Dan’s Cigar Lounge   Rosedale, Maryland
 
Website:  http://www.danscigarlounge.com/  and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dans-Cigar-lounge-8300-B-Pulaski-Hwy/211822402218360
 
Date:  October 9th, 2014
 
Directions:  1 Mile off of 695 Beltway Inner Loop.
 
Parking:  Pick your spot.  (There is a ton of parking.  Shop is located in a strip mall.)
 
Hours:  [SIZE=10pt]Mon.-Thurs. 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
 Fri. and Sat. 11:00 AM to 12 mid[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt].[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Sun. 11AM-6PM[/SIZE]
(I wish they opened before 11AM, but it is what it is.)
 
Wi-Fi:  Yes
 
Public Restrooms:   Yes
 
Food/Drink:  Yes.  (They had a large cooler stocked with water and Coca Cola products.)
 
Staff:  Two.  (One staff member acting as a clerk.  He followed me into the humidor and provided small talk.  No pressure or advice given.  One staff member in an office area.  My guess is he was the owner.  No one came around to offer drinks or empty ashtrays.)
 
Humidor:  Large walk in humidor.  (The walk in humidor had that sweet aromatic smell we all like.  Very pleasant.  J  This was the best stocked humidor I have seen on my recent trips.  I will be back to try some singles that I have been wanting to sample.)
 
Staples of the Humidor:  Punch Rothschild Yes.  Padron 2000  Yes.  Arturo Fuente 858  Yes.  CAO Brazilia Gol N/A.  (They carried CAO, but not the Brazilia line.  The clerk was with me chatting, so I was not able to put prices to memory.  They seemed to be in line with what I expected.)
 
Hot/Desired Smokes in Humidor:  Padron 1964 Yes.  Padron 1926 Yes.  Padron Family Reserve Yes.  Arturo Fuente Opus X  Yes.  Liga Privada Yes.  Tatuaje  Yes.  Illusione  N/A.  (One small tin of three Opus X cigars.  They were overpriced.  $59.99.  I was impressed that they carried the entire Liga Privada No. 9 and T52 lines.  They had it all.  They only had the Tatuaje Tattoo and none of their other lines.)
 
My Cigar Choice:  Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro Imperial 6x54  (16.99.  This cigar kicked my ass.  I had lunch, but this stick was a real powerhouse.  I sensed earthy qualities with a hint of chocolate.  Wonderful plume of smoke from start to finish.  Even burn and quality construction.  It was a very nice afternoon treat.)
Attire/Dress:  Casual.  (I had on a pair of boots, jeans, t shirt, and a camo baseball cap.  I did not feel out of place.  The staff had on jeans and golf shirts.  Patrons had on a mixture of everything.)
 
Public Lounge:  Yes.  (Strip mall location.  Very open.  One side was reserved for members.  Better quality furniture.  The Public Lounge side had a ton of very worn but comfortable furniture.  Flat screen TV’s all around.  I think they probably get a crowd for Orioles and Ravens games. )
 
Overall Grade:  Solid B.  Slightly Above Average.  (The humidor was very good, but the lounge was only OK.  I will continue to go back to buy some cigars from their humidor, but I will not go out of my way to go there for their lounge.)
 
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