Driving from Philly to St. Louis and made the slight detour to visit the Hamburg superstore.
Dang, if you have not made this trip you really, really need to. What a great place.
Spent some time just wondering around and looking at all the sticks stacked as high as you can see. Quite a rush to simply pull a Camacho I have been wanting to try taking off the wrapper (cello "on" at the superstore :) ) and lighting it up right there. Then walking around with the cigar and a beer in my hand.
Spent a long time in their "Blending Room" where they have cigars that are being "tested" by manufacturers to see what people like and what and what does not sell. They are only identified by a number, but the staff will tell you who made them and what they are like.
As you might expect the guys and gals working there are very very knowledgeable. The one staffer I spent the most time with enjoyed the same type of cigars I do so we traded a lot of stories and info. He likes the Don Peppers as well and agreed the legends yellow was the best legends but that, on line, probably be happier buying the real thing for just a bit more. Found out he even humi's the exact same way I do (one 69% Brovida in a 50 count humi instead of the recommend two which keeps it at a a perfect -for us- 65%).
They have two great little bars in the store. Craft beer was expensive but it was Margarita Monday those were cheap. Wonderful weather that day so had another brew and a smoke on the deck.
Wound up buy a sampler box from the Blending Room and a few other random sticks been wanting to test out.
Sure, you can often get cigars at CI and Cbid cheaper often especially when you figure in no sales tax and when you can get a deal with no shipping charge, but this was worth the side trip.
A hint from the staff. Be prepared for a lot of cigars on Cbid and a lot of specials on the web right after Cigarfest as they clear inventory!
