Maybe this belongs in cigars....or pipes. But this might suit better here. So here it goes...
I took a trip with my girlfriend for a weekend getaway to Pennsylvania this weekend. Friday was her day for things she wanted to do and where she wanted to eat. Well I had Saturday. I got to meet up with 2 of my dear friends who took an hour or so drive for the day, who I haven't seen in well over 7 years. They live in New Jersey. Anyway, the 4 of us made the trek from Bethlehem, PA to heaven on earth -- Cabela's and Cigars International in Hamburg. Both somewhat of a stones throw away from each other. I behaved myself at Cabela's knowing that my accounts would lock up once they saw the amount of purchases I'd be making at CI. We didn't go to the Bethlehem stores as word of mouth from friends of mine who heard from someone that heard from someone, that the Hamburg store is their biggest and nicest for the experience of the place. So we rolled the dice and went with it.
Walk through the doors and cigars floor to ceiling on your right with one corner of the store stocked with pipes (where I really headed first). I got to meet and talk to Rick (CI's Pipe Guy) who does CI's youtube channel too. I'm a big fan of him and his videos as I began watching them and others before picking up a pipe. Got my stash of pipe baccy for the most part and 2 new pipes. Some was sold out or on-line only.
The blend lab was right in the middle of the store in a separate humidified room with sampler packs and single sticks for sale. Plus they had some signed cigar boxes from various cigar big names in the business - Rocky Patel, Jonathan Drew, Shorty Rossi, Nish Patel etc. The blend lab is I believe when staff members create their own "house blends" when they've taken trips to the tobacco factories and well blended their own smokes.
On the left side was the humidors, accessories, plus the bar and pool table. You go upstairs and there's another bar and big comfy chairs to sit and light one (or a few) up. A HUGE menu of different beers, liquor and mixed drinks with full waiter/waitress services on both levels. They also had specials for a drink and cigar. One I believe was a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue & a Montecristo White for $30??? And of course other various drink and cigar pairings too. They had a huge list. I actually had a Liga Privada #9 and a glass of Ron Zacapa rum. It was a nice pairing. Plus I never had a LP#9 yet. Shame on me. I enjoyed every minute of it. And purchased 2 of them to bring home. You can also order food from the local restaurants if they'll deliver. Oh and it was nice when my girlfriend decided on a smoke and lit up with us!
So afterwards, while I continued to shop a little more, I stumbled across a Padron anniversary series special edition humidor, which was only 1,000 of them made with the special blend of smokes. While I explained to my girlfriend about it, an employee showed me the sign and said they're selling them at $100 each! Yes, I considered getting one. But was a man on a mission for other items. He was even nice enough to open it and watch me drool over the 3/4 full humidor. And yes, some people have purchased them!
All the employees were extremely friendly and helpful with anything I needed or any questions. They even said it was quite alright to light one up in the store and shop too! Which by the way, most of the staff (both the guys and the gals) all had a stick in their hands when they had a free minute.
Well we spent roughly 3 hours there. I walked out the door $300 poorer and cringed a little, but when my girlfriend said my eyes were glowing the whole time and I got most of what I came in there to buy it made me feel better.
I plan on going back soon. I'd like to hope by the end of the year but maybe next year would be a little bit better for me. And I plan on staying closer to Hamburg so I could spend a little more time there and really enjoy the experience a little more. Oh and warmer weather too so I can sit on the outside decks that were covered in damn snow!!!!
I took a trip with my girlfriend for a weekend getaway to Pennsylvania this weekend. Friday was her day for things she wanted to do and where she wanted to eat. Well I had Saturday. I got to meet up with 2 of my dear friends who took an hour or so drive for the day, who I haven't seen in well over 7 years. They live in New Jersey. Anyway, the 4 of us made the trek from Bethlehem, PA to heaven on earth -- Cabela's and Cigars International in Hamburg. Both somewhat of a stones throw away from each other. I behaved myself at Cabela's knowing that my accounts would lock up once they saw the amount of purchases I'd be making at CI. We didn't go to the Bethlehem stores as word of mouth from friends of mine who heard from someone that heard from someone, that the Hamburg store is their biggest and nicest for the experience of the place. So we rolled the dice and went with it.
Walk through the doors and cigars floor to ceiling on your right with one corner of the store stocked with pipes (where I really headed first). I got to meet and talk to Rick (CI's Pipe Guy) who does CI's youtube channel too. I'm a big fan of him and his videos as I began watching them and others before picking up a pipe. Got my stash of pipe baccy for the most part and 2 new pipes. Some was sold out or on-line only.
The blend lab was right in the middle of the store in a separate humidified room with sampler packs and single sticks for sale. Plus they had some signed cigar boxes from various cigar big names in the business - Rocky Patel, Jonathan Drew, Shorty Rossi, Nish Patel etc. The blend lab is I believe when staff members create their own "house blends" when they've taken trips to the tobacco factories and well blended their own smokes.
On the left side was the humidors, accessories, plus the bar and pool table. You go upstairs and there's another bar and big comfy chairs to sit and light one (or a few) up. A HUGE menu of different beers, liquor and mixed drinks with full waiter/waitress services on both levels. They also had specials for a drink and cigar. One I believe was a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue & a Montecristo White for $30??? And of course other various drink and cigar pairings too. They had a huge list. I actually had a Liga Privada #9 and a glass of Ron Zacapa rum. It was a nice pairing. Plus I never had a LP#9 yet. Shame on me. I enjoyed every minute of it. And purchased 2 of them to bring home. You can also order food from the local restaurants if they'll deliver. Oh and it was nice when my girlfriend decided on a smoke and lit up with us!
So afterwards, while I continued to shop a little more, I stumbled across a Padron anniversary series special edition humidor, which was only 1,000 of them made with the special blend of smokes. While I explained to my girlfriend about it, an employee showed me the sign and said they're selling them at $100 each! Yes, I considered getting one. But was a man on a mission for other items. He was even nice enough to open it and watch me drool over the 3/4 full humidor. And yes, some people have purchased them!
All the employees were extremely friendly and helpful with anything I needed or any questions. They even said it was quite alright to light one up in the store and shop too! Which by the way, most of the staff (both the guys and the gals) all had a stick in their hands when they had a free minute.
Well we spent roughly 3 hours there. I walked out the door $300 poorer and cringed a little, but when my girlfriend said my eyes were glowing the whole time and I got most of what I came in there to buy it made me feel better.
I plan on going back soon. I'd like to hope by the end of the year but maybe next year would be a little bit better for me. And I plan on staying closer to Hamburg so I could spend a little more time there and really enjoy the experience a little more. Oh and warmer weather too so I can sit on the outside decks that were covered in damn snow!!!!
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