Cigar opportunities in Punta Cana?

[DavidSid]

Hello all,

I enjoy cigars, but I am far from an expert on the subject. I will be traveling to Punta Cana next month in the Dominican Republic. I am curious if there are brands there( local and Cuban) that I can try that aren't legal or available in the USA. Any ideas? For the record, I prefer mild to medium. My favorite cigars are Avos, and the RP vintage CT 99s.

Is there a shop any of you would recommend to visit or avoid? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

My Best,

DMS

[AdamJoshua]

Can't help you there, David, but I can say welcome to the Asylum. :D

You might want to pop over and post introduction thread just a little about you, what you are into, things of that nature. A lot more people will see it as well and give you some exposure to the gang. :tu

[DavidSid]

Thanks, will do!

[Remo]

Was in Punta Cana a few years back prior to really getting into cigars, IIRC there are quite a few shops with nicely stocked humidors, not sure if you will find many legit CC's.

[shilala]

There aren't any legit cc's that I could find.
Everyone, and I mean everyone rolls cigars around there. You can catch little cigar plantation/rolling tours that are fun. The smokes are nice, too. Fresh and local.

When you go, take tons of dollar bills with you. A few hundred, at least. They tip for everything. It's their custom. A five dollar tip is like a 50 dollar tip.
Also take some torch lighters like Ronsons, and any odd stuff you can give away.
A teenage kid at a cigar plantation tour gave me a cigar and I sparked it up with an LED blinky light triple torch and his mouth dropped open.
I said "You like?" and let him try it. It was like he saw the invention of fire. So I gave it to him. He said he'd be taking it to the disco that night. (They're big on disco's.)
Awhile later he came back with another cigar and his Bic that he insist I take.
I still have that Bic. That deal was probably the best part of the trip. It's certainly the most memorable.
Take lots of trinkets like click pencils, crayons, colored pencils and stuff for the kids. Anything. Everyone is very poor and they very much appreciate it.
We stayed at Punta Cana Excellence and spent a good part of our days gathering stuff up and throwing it over the fence to the neighbors. Also very fulfilling. :tu

[Porch Dweller]

Was in Punta Cana a few years back prior to really getting into cigars, IIRC there are quite a few shops with nicely stocked humidors, not sure if you will find many legit CC's.

This. Counterfeit CCs will abound. When in doubt, it's counterfeit. If the price seems too good to be true, it's counterfeit. If it's a five-pack of Cohibas in a glass-topped box, it's counterfeit.

[shilala]

There are counterfeit Cohibas and Montecristos and RyJ's EVERYWHERE.
You can't turn around and not see a glass-topped box for 75 bucks.

Don't ever pay the asking price for anything in Dominican. Offer half and go from there. I'd settle at about 60% and give the good hagglers a tip.

[DavidSid]

Good advice and much appreciated. I think my best bet is to buy and smoke the brands I am familiar with. Good ideas for tipping and haggling

[Sweet_Leaf_PDX]

When I was there...on my honeymoon... my wife and I visited Don Lucas Cigars in Punta Cana. They sent a van to pick us up from the hotel and were very nice people. They have a small but solid little cigar operation and make pretty good cigars. They also have a chocolate factory and make some great chocolate. You can tour both places and they have a gift shop. The Gift shop has a nice humidor with a pretty good selection of non-cuban cigars and a small selection of cubans. All cigars there are super over-priced. If you really want to get a Cuban I would recommend a RyJ or Punch. These were the most reasonably priced, and by that I mean they were only slightly more than twice as expensive as they should be. They also have a great selection of Rum and other goodies. The rum is not over priced and delicious :)

[mosesbotbol]

Importing Cuban cigars to the DR was or still is illegal in their country. Beyond that, why would you want to smoke a Cuban cigar in the DR when they make compelling cigars on their own?

Are you tight with an owner of a B&M? Maybe he has some industry contacts that can greet you at cigar manufactury? You can also contact cigar importers/distributors for your favorite brands and ask for a tour in advance. You may have a lot of travelling ahead to get to their sites... Would be cool though.

If you can find some rollers, I would consider buying custom rolled cigars to bring back. Have them make you a couple, smoke them, adjust the blend, size and put in a real order.

[DavidSid]

Thanks Moses, great ideas. Most of my favorite brands have DR filler, so I know I will be loving life down there. I was interested in the Cubans, as I have never smoked one , but heard so much hype. It sounds like it is too easy to get scammed; I'll just stick to local brands and be fine.

[ripper]

There aren't any legit cc's that I could find.
Everyone, and I mean everyone rolls cigars around there. You can catch little cigar plantation/rolling tours that are fun. The smokes are nice, too. Fresh and local.

When you go, take tons of dollar bills with you. A few hundred, at least. They tip for everything. It's their custom. A five dollar tip is like a 50 dollar tip.
Also take some torch lighters like Ronsons, and any odd stuff you can give away.
A teenage kid at a cigar plantation tour gave me a cigar and I sparked it up with an LED blinky light triple torch and his mouth dropped open.
I said "You like?" and let him try it. It was like he saw the invention of fire. So I gave it to him. He said he'd be taking it to the disco that night. (They're big on disco's.)
Awhile later he came back with another cigar and his Bic that he insist I take.
I still have that Bic. That deal was probably the best part of the trip. It's certainly the most memorable.
Take lots of trinkets like click pencils, crayons, colored pencils and stuff for the kids. Anything. Everyone is very poor and they very much appreciate it.
We stayed at Punta Cana Excellence and spent a good part of our days gathering stuff up and throwing it over the fence to the neighbors. Also very fulfilling. :tu

Good advice on the trinkets, Scott. Mrs Ripper and I headed to Punta Cana in May. Will bring an extra suitcase of swag to give to locals.

[ripper]

Southbound for Punta Cana on Monday.
Got 10 cigars, mostly Pinolero and La Flor Dominicana for me, plus 100 of my pens for the locals. Going to a cigar factory Wednesday, but don't know details. Is a group shopping binge arranged by a colleague from Maine.