Ever wonder about the sanity of the locals around you?

[dk_ace]

In the last few visits to the B&M, I've begun to question the validity of the opinions of some of the locals. Their favorites leave me shaking my head.

They don't think Opus is all that good really. They don't know who Don Pepin Garcia is. They think the Camacho Triple Maduro is the best cigar in ages (several say that if they had to pick one cigar forever - that is the one). They rave about some run of the mill Perdomos. Hardly anyone will try the Tatuajes that they got in three weeks ago. When I started smoking cigars, I trusted my local shop to give the best advice, but I'm beginning to wonder.

Do you guys ever find the locals raving about sticks you don't think are worth a second look and dissing cigars that deserve some respect?

D

 

[NullSmurf]

To each, especially the uninformed, his own.

 

[MillhizzelPB]

maybe their choices are based on selling product. They might be reccomending cigars that dont sell as fast as the TATS and other self-selling cigars

 

[fetterjohn]

Well...what I"ve noticed is that the locals are cheap bastards and we are the exceptional few! All of the guys that smoke at the shops I frequent most smoke Quorums...Bundle no-names...and other nameless crap. But there are the few and the rare shops that have the guys that smoke higher end stuff... We a just a bunch of over-educated snobbish cigar-whore-afficionados who need to be taken down a notch. Think JFR robustos!

-Fetter

 

[dk_ace]

We a just a bunch of over-educated snobbish cigar-whore-afficionados who need to be taken down a notch.

-Fetter

There's probably a lot of truth to that...

I should clarify that the owner of the B&M is a class act. He's a personal friend of the Fuente family, and a wealth of cigar knowledge. He's never suggested a bad smoke to me yet. The problem is that he hasn't been around much lately, and the other guys that work there, along with the clientele, don't have a lot to offer in the sense of cigar knowledge.

I guess the real reason that this bothers me is that I'm still a newb looking to gain all the knowledge and insight I can, and I leave there feeling like I know more than some of the guys that do this for a living. At first that made me feel good about myself, now it just irritates me because I still have so much to learn. Reading through old threads on here keeps me sharp and gives me all the info I could really hope for, but it is still frustrating when you go in a shop and you wonder if they have the first clue what they're talking about.

D

 

[nfulton]

maybe their choices are based on selling product. They might be reccomending cigars that dont sell as fast as the TATS and other self-selling cigars

I think there may be some truth to that. I was at a Tinderbox in Columbus last week and they went on and on about Perdomo (yuck), Camacho(double yuck), and Rocky Patel (just not a fan). Meanwhile I have a hand full of Tats, San Cristobals, and VSG's. I would have pointed me to the ESG's and Opus, but they focused all the attention on the boxes that were still nearly full(and dusty). I am partly a salesman and I can understand the need to get rid of the slower moving stock. However, perhaps as they get to know you better and become more accustomed to your tastes, you'll get better recomendations. As for the locals...each to their own, I guess.

 

[Mrepp]

Its funny actually, I have 4 nice and respectable B&M's within 35-40 min of me, two have salty old fuggers who you have to throw elbows with to get the good stuff. The clients of the other two are completely clueless, they'll spend $ but they just seem to over look the good stuff or don't have the stomic for it.

The other thing you gotta remember the stuff that we rave about and nub would drop most others like a rock.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Some time ago, I can recall buying / smoking a Padron '26 #2 at a local B&M. I'd never had one, and wanted to splurge a little. The regulars in the shop just stood there slack jawed in disbelief, working on their Perdomos and Camachos. To each his own, but you'd have thought these guys had never seen a cigar that cost more than two bucks, let alone watch someone actually smoke one..... :blush:

Regards - B.B.S.

 

[preembargo]

Find your way down to Arlington and kneel at my Pepin Shrine. :laugh:

 

[tone-ny]

I listen to all and let my taste buds tell me what I should smoke. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on what the best cigar for them is. Human nature is a wonderful thing to observe and cigar stores and barbershops are two of the best. You just can't make up stuff you hear there is worth millions.

 

[tsmckenney]

All of the guys that smoke at the shops I frequent most smoke Quorums...

-Fetter

You always have those types, and to further generalize, they are usually the ones fronting as the stores 'true supporters.' I've never had anyone talk shit to me about what I'm smoking, and I could care less what anyone else is smoking. It's when the Quorum smokers start going on about Israel's plot to destroy Iran (or vice versa) that I reach for the quarterly Smoke Magazine.

I think I see your point though, and I agree. If you want to hang out and discuss cigars, you're often left hanging with the locals. I also think this leads us to one of the many applicable definitions of 'herf'. If your at a herf with friends, you're guaranteed good cigar-talking company. Another point I would add is that locals are locals because they smoke at a B&M all the time. With my tastes, I couldn't afford to do that. So, if I insisted on smoking at a B&M every day, I might have to start reaching for those Quorums as well.

 

[indyrob]

1 shop in Indy is actually really well stocked and very knowledgeable when it comes to "the good stuff", but we also have 2 or 3 shops that just push the General/Altadis lines.

 

[Greggj77]

part of the wonderful learnign curve. I found myself in the same situation and have begun to gleen most of my information regarding potential testers to sights like this where there is more of an open sharing of ideas rather than everybody getting the same advice from the same local pusher.

 

[Rodrigo de Jerez]

While I've met quite a few local guys who do not smoke the best cigars in the world, they can really be a lot of fun to talk to. In a large way, the local crowd was responsible for helping me ease into cigar smoking in the first place.

-Mark

 

[alexgtp]

Thankfully my local B&M is the bomb.
Guys are very knowledgable and of course i showed them the way on many brands they would not have carried.
Now alot of things I suggested are flying off the walls..

 

[mmburtch]

Being the customer who shows up and buys the expensive stuff has its advantages :whistling:

 

[KayakinBoy]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on what the best cigar for them is.

One of the most true cigar statements ever said. :thumbs:
I think it's the people in the shop. If they recommend a cigar to someone, novice smokers will buy it, because they have been told it's good. Usually cheaper stuff because they don't want to throw down that much on something they might not even like.
On my birthday I went in a nice, upscale local shop for a special cigar. I got a Zino Platinum and was suggested to Gurkhas...

 

[vortex]

I agree that to each his own with no qualifications. I have heard just about every preference under the sun and there is no rhyme or reason to it. There is no universal "best cigar".

People just have different tastes. End of story.

 

[NorCalCigarLover]

Being the customer who shows up and buys the expensive stuff has its advantages :whistling:

Exactly ..... I can find many of my favorite "singles" at my local shop as many seem to go overlooked by most of the other patrons. Works for me, too bad this doesn't work with finding my favorite wines in our area.

 

[dk_ace]

Being the customer who shows up and buys the expensive stuff has its advantages :whistling:

I'm hoping it works out that way for me. I wasn't buying expensive stuff for a while since I was just getting started, but now I don't get to smoke that often and want to have something good when the time comes. If I keep buying the good stuff (which typically sits there for a long time with very little attention), maybe it will be a little more friendly environment.

I guess the real thing is that I haven't been entirely happy with the local shop lately because it just isn't a really inviting place as of late. The people are really helpful and talkative sometimes, to the extent that it is hard to get out of there. The next time I go... they act like I don't exist. Maybe if I keep going there and buying the good stuff that will change.

We'll see...

D