Finding That Gem

[pytlowana]

Have you ever walked into a tobacconist that you only found because you searched it on the internet? Searching aimlessly on your smart phone to find that cigar retailer close by. Tonight I had the fine opportunity of walking into a cigar retailer I had found this way. Not knowing what I would find I asked if I could enter the humidor. After I had shown the women who worked there my ID (Who wouldn't ID this 20 year old baby face) I entered. Looking around I saw that the Cohiba siglo line was in full effect here. Looking atop the siglos I noticed the Cohiba Behike 54 priced $135 canadian. I quickly said no to that. Browsing through some of my favourite non cuban cigars I went back to the cuban side of the humidor. It was at that moment I saw her, the Trinidad fundadores...with the old band! $60 a stick was not even taken into consideration when I picked this cigar up. I picked up the box and was only able to read the year of the faded stamp on the back of the box, a 2002. My birthday passing just a few days ago I had yet to have a special cigar to mark the occasion and as my first fundadores why not? I reached into the box which had 2 left and chose one. Immaculate construction, beautiful pigtail cap. It was a no brainer. I had settled on my cigar. I clipped the cap in the shop and lit it up immediately when I left. It was one of the best cigars I have had. Perfection all the way down to the end. I will be picking up the single one left on my way home on friday. How many times has this happened to you?

[maverickdrinker]

a few years ago I walked into the LCDH in Varadero. I asked what kind of old stock did they have around. Ava pulls out 2 boxes of 1998 partagas charlottes. Happened to pick up 2 boxes previously before I arrived in Cuba.

[MoneyPit]

I have almost the same exact story, except the store was a LCDH in Mexico and the Fundadores was a vintage 1998. It was one of the best cigars I've ever had.

[Michel1968]

Happened at the LDCH Köln... box of Partagas Sell. Privada No. 1 from 2000 with 9 sticks left in it...

[prshah25]

I have had a similar experience..except it was in lucerne, Switzerland at the Davidoff shop...Saw a box of fundadores from 1998 nicely tucked in....They were awesome...

[CBL]

I love reading stories like these!

Happened to me at the LCDH in Koln with a box with 7 ERDM Grandes de Espana left.

At the Bodeguita in Prague with a box with 5 Partagas de Pratagas No. 1.

At a shop in Taipei where I found 4 ERDM Tainos from 2002.

And a couple of crazy finds in Cuba.

[Nedule]

Wow, didn't realize Canadians actually purchased cigars from Canadian tobacco shops.

[Orion21]

Here in the US I have a B&M I love to visit because the owner and his daughter are two of the nicest/most genuine people you could hope to meet. For the last few years I have gone in to smoke and socialize when I can. But not until recently did I even think to ask the owner "do you have anything that has been here for a while, overlooked and aged." He smiled and led me to the back corner of the humidor and opened a box from La Flor Dominicana. He went on to explain that the cigar is called a "Factory Press" it was a limited edition from 2007 and that the wrapper is aged 8 yrs and the filler is aged 10 years. He had 12 of them left and they were beautiful looking -- oily, dark and smelled sweet. I asked him why they hadn't sold and he said the LFD lovers thought they were too mild for their taste. Knowing LFD "mild" would be like a Bolivar in the Cuban cigar world. Excited I bought two and lit one up as soon as I got out of the humidor. To this day that LFD Factory Press II is in my top 5 cigars of all time. I bought the rest he had on hand and found another 10 online. I believe the rest are gone, sold long ago never to return...

[bc8436]

Great find!

I love looking around a walk-in at a B&M. Sadly, the ones near me don't really offer any surprises.

[aavkk]

my goal is to one day be surprised to find something interesting in my own humidor. I long ago stopped updating my "list" figuring it will make for a good time hunting years down the road. Being from the states we dont have the same feelings walking into a B&M, at least I dont.