Can anyone recommend a good place to buy cigars in Madrid? I thought I'd try the tobacco counter at the Corte Ingles first, but does anyone know of any specialist shops?

[ 12-12-2001: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Hi James! Have you been to Spain before? In the cities at least, you'll find a tobacoo shop on nearly every block (almost as many as there are bars!). They're called "ESTANCOS" and there you can buy cigarettes, cigars, lighters, postcards, and stamps among other things. They keep all tobacco products behind the counter so you'll have to know what you want or hope to see them before asking for that particular kind.

I have bought some Don Julian cigars ( www.donjulian.com - Spanish cigars) at the El Corte Inglés (basement level), but prefer to buy cigars at the smaller shops. You can, of course, buy the famed CUBAN cigars in Spain too, like "Monte Cristo #4 or #5", but they're pretty expensive. The box of 5 is about, what, $25?? Still, if I have the extra cash, this is what I'd buy while there. (By the way, folks, MadridMan doesn't smoke ANYTHING but cigars and only about one every 6 months -- except when in Spain and I might have 2 or 3 during the visit)

Saludos, MadridMan

As a frequent cigar smoker... I would recommend that you stick with Corte Ingles .. I have wasted hours in Madrid, Sevilla and Granada checking out "cigar saloons" and most of the small tobacco shops (with the yellow/brown signs) have few if any cigars... C/I prices are fair and the selection is very good. if you do happen to find a decent cigar shop please let me know about it(jllawson1@msn.com) Cuban cigars are available in many places--hoping a turist will be in to buy soon ... try the cigar from the Canary Islands they are GREAT!!

Thanks both. Think I'll stick to El Corte Ingles then. I live in London (England) so no problem getting Cuban cigars here but they're much more expensive than in Spain.

I prefer the smaller shops, giving my money to them rather than the big department stores. I have yet to find an estanco which did not have a good selection of cigars as many Spaniards do smoke them (usually older Spaniards).

Those Cuban cigars are a real treat and, being a tourist, love having the ability to buy them in Spain as they're still illegal in the USA. Hmph! I bought a box of the cuban Monte Cristos for a Spanish friend and he nearly dropped dead with excitement, always saying I spent too much and on and on. Few Spaniards can afford them -- not to say *I* can afford them, but like to treat myself from time to time.

And the cigar from the Canary Islands is, I believe, those Don Julians I mention above. I'm not convinced they're totally of Canary tobacco, but just being a Spanish company makes them more special to me.

Can't say I've ever found a tobacco shop in Madrid which was not an estanco, but any of the Madrileños here know of some, please tell us!

Saludos, MadridMan

Alcala de Henares is a little ways out; but if your travel/tourism takes you out that way: I found a tobacconist in the old Jewish quarter of Alcala who had the best prices I found on Havanas in the Madrid area.
Sorry, I can't be more specific except to say it was on a very narrow cobblestone street (no vehicles except maybe for AM deliveries) in the Judería. Something else I discovered there: Many of the shops have a mirrored peephole in the door to allow the shopkeeper to see who's at the door from the upstairs balcony (without parting the curtains and looking down)

[ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: Eddie ]

If you are flying back into London, I suggest you wait until you reach the airport, they have a great selection and you can get all the usual brands that you can at home. I have brought back for a friend a box of 50 Henri Wintermans for 4200pts. this works out at £17 a fraction of the cost compared to english prices.

It's sad, I have a couple cousins that live in Havana, and they have offered to send me Cuban Cigars, but they won't allow them here anymore, isn't that a drag? And to buy them in Cuba itself is very cheap, I know, I have been there once visiting, but I ain't planning on visiting there for a while.

Hi ChicaGuay! Are you surprised??! Cuban cigars haven't been allowed in the USA for dozens and dozens of years! Guess you'll just have to go to Spain and pick some up. On my Iberia Airlines flight back to the US recently, you could buy them duty free in-flight, but I wondered bout the consequences upon landing in the USA so I didn't buy any. You can easily buy them anywhere in Spain though.

Hey MadridMan:
The cigars they were selling on your Iberia flight back to the USA may have been MonteCristo's but they were Dominican, not Cuban. The Duty Free people know that Cuban cigars are a 'no no' for entry to the U.S.

Hi Eddie! Those Montecristos shown in the duty free magazine on the Iberia plane did say, "Made with 100% Cuban Tobacco", but maybe these are only sold on domestic or OTHER international flights. Maybe those they give "US" are those with Dominican tobacco. Who knows. I wanted to try, but didn't want to worry passing through customs with a plainly market box of puros.

With any luck the embargo against Cuba will be lifted within a year or two, as our policies change. But, in the meantime, like MadridMan, I enjoy a few good Montecristo's while I'm in Spain, and checked out the Duty Free section enroute home, and found the cigars were Dominican, under the Montecristo labeling.

I agree about the real thing making a nice treat to offer friends in Spain, who smoke cigars. Nothing goes over bigger than offering them a package of Montecristo cigars after a meal. It kind of insures you a great meal the next time around too...

What I found interesting is that there are a lot of older Spanish men who don't smoke, except when they have a Cuban cigar. It surprised me that they could be such casual smokers, and still enjoy them so much.

Wolf

Hey James,

If you are near Chueca, there is a cigar shop with brands from all over on Calle des Infantas where it crosses Calle Barbieri. I spent 6 wks. in the city and would go there at least once a week for my cigars.

Today appeared an article in '20 minutes Madrid' (for free newspaper), about a shop in madrid offering the greatest variety of cigars. It's called 'Cava Magallanes' at Calle Magallanes 4.

You guys gave me a great idea for a Christmas gift for my husband. I'm going to Barcelona on Thursday (for 2 weeks) and think I'll get him a humidor and various brands of cigars for Christmas. 1. Do they make cool ornate humidor's in Spain and if so, can they be found anywhere or will I have to search? 2. I saw a couple of suggestions for brands of cigars to try-any others? 3. Is it illegal for me to bring Cuban cigars back into US via Spain (I don't even know my own laws - ugh!) 4. Are there any cigar factories that one might tour?? I think it would be cool to see how they are made.

Thank, Tammy

FirstTimeVisitor,
I don't know if they have ornate, handmade, very-special humidors in Spain but I IMAGINE they do. I have one here which is NOT FROM Spain but is lined with Spanish cedar (Spanish cedar seems to be the most common kind of liner for humidors).

I CAN PERSONALLY recommend the Don Julián brand cigars. (see website link at left) Few cigars are actually made IN Spain or from Spanish tobacco but Don Julians are (last I heard) from the Canary Islands. They come in a variety of sizes.

Last time I was in Madrid I bought a box of the Nº5 size. That is, I bought ONE BOX which contains 5 "packs" within and each of those 5 packs there are 5 cigars, EACH individually wrapped. Well, I'm no cigar aficionado but I like these and they're not those big fat cigars nor are they the little tiny ones (which I like too, by the way, because it doesn't take 30 minutes to "consume").

Cigars from Cuba are found in every tobacco shop in Spain (well, almost) and are usually the most expensive too. And yes, it IS illegal to take these through customs to the USA.

Let me tell you a story.... I KNOW SOMEONE whom was visiting Madrid once and went SO FAR as to remove all of his cuban cigars from their boxes, took off all the rings, and put those cigars in zip-lock plastic baggies in order to bring them back to the USA. I ALSO HEARD OF SOMEONE ELSE whom asked his sister to get him some Cuban cigars while abroad and at the airport tobacco shop they actually (and happily) removed the cuban cigars, took off their rings, and put them in an unmarked cigar box JUST for this situation! Seems to be a common practice for them.

Since there are few cigars made in Spain I doubt there are few (if any remaining) cigar-making factories in the country. I could be wrong. Maybe there are some still remaining in Sevilla... I know there USED to be once several hundred years ago after Christopher Columbus returned from "The New World" and bringing back the first tobacco. There used to be (and maybe it still remains??) a BIG tobacco factory in the city of Sevilla... wasn't it RIGHT ON the Guadalquivir River on a small island?? I think some corporation recently (in the last 100 years) bought and moved the factory from the island. Not sure.

DISCLAIMER: MadridMan is NOT a "smoker" and only occasionally smokes a Spanish cigar, maybe one cigar every 2-3 months. MadridMan NEVER SMOKES cigarettes and never tried them... NOR ANY OTHER KIND OF SMOKEABLE "MATERIALS".

FYI, you will find cigars/cigarettes sold in "Estanco" tabacco shops on nearly every city/neighborhood block.

Good luck and have a great time in Spain!

Saludos, MadridMan

Ok, I'm not smoker, and less for cigars... but I have been told that some of the Dominican cigars are actually BETTER than the cubans...

However, since the cuban cigars are forbidden... well, it gives them an angle You decide! But as for the potential problems to bring cubans into the United States...

removing bands and re-boxing is the best bet for getting in a box of cubans...but be aware that customs knows this trick...and technically if they can't prove that they're illegal, they're OK...but why mess with people that can order a strip search and a cavity check...
i now just bring in a couple of 5 packs...fit in jacket pocket and since your luggage is more likely to be searched than your person a little easier to get in...
i have to admit that i've stopped bringing in a box at a time...figure all it takes is once and then i'll have a black mark next to my name in the computer...and it'll make it that much harder for me to bring in what really counts...jamon and chorizo...which interestingly enough now carry much harsher penalties than smuggling drugs!

Big Jamon, you have guts! I don't dare even think about it! The maximum fine is $50,000 and jail term if the authorities are in the mood! Ave Maria! Enjoy the Habaneros in Madrid with a cafesíto!

yeah booklady i know the fines are stiff but for a box confiscation is more the rule...a nice box of cohibas makes a good gift for the boss...who needs the aggravation of processing another cigar "smuggler".
now if you get caught with a few boxes that big fine becomes more of an reality.
the real dangerous act now is the food smuggling...if you don't declare and get caught, even with legal items, they are slapping $10,000 fines on the scofflaws...no fooling around...
i guess the bosses aren't too keen on jamon yet...

Food smuggling? What food? Is there anything else I should know about with regard to 'souvenirs?

Yes, FirstTimeVisitor,food is a danger!!!!
Actually, Jamon Iberico, Serrano, chorizos, a whole host of the world's most delicious charcuterie. The French may be famous for their pastries, the Italian for their pastas, and the Spanish are famous for their hams!
What our aptly named friend, Big Jamon is referring is smuggling packages of Jamon Serrano or Iberico. Big Jamon, I have to admit, I was really tempted to bring a leg of Jamon Iberico, but I'm glad I didn't, because I was the first person the Agriculture people stopped to check out my suitcase. I guess I look like the kind of gal who would smuggle a ham! Fortunately, this time I only bought legal Manchegan cheese and several bottles of vinos.

Take care FirstTimeVisitor!

Not only that, but now they're even cracking down on jamon and chorizo in smaller quantities 'al vacio' which was ok, but apparently not any more!

(al vacio for those that don't know, is vaccum sealed)

i was always under the impression that the cryo-vac packages were legal...and technically they are...they are the same packages you can buy from approved importers...but you can't bring 'em into the US...you need to have an import license.
cheese is OK...meat fish produce are not. canned is OK though...
the real issue is the fines they are levying...if you don't declare ALL food products, even legal ones, the authorities can and will impose up to a $10000 fine...
so instead i spend my alloance at tienda.com and just plan more trips to my adopted home...i can put that 10 grand to MUCH better use than my gov't...
and booklady i've thought about trying to bring in a whole jamon...wrap it up in a blanket and stash it in a baby seat...but people might get suspicious during a 7 hour flight when our "little angel" didn't make any noise...

Ah...fine cigars, wine, cheese, and a guy smuggling a ham dressed as a baby. We are a group of exquisite tastes and comic resourcefulness.

I, like our strangely careful MadridMan, smoke about 4-6 cigars a year. But y'all have put me in mind of my FIRST cigar. Honeymoon in the Bahamas and I figured, Well, if I'm ever gonna try a cigar, it should be a Cuban.

I spent $14 (wayyyy overpriced) on a single Montecristo No. 2 Especial. I had the full experience - delicate bluish smoke, an interesting buzz (very different from alcohol), and the rich, thick taste of the tobacco. My wife still laughs thinking about the ultra-cool,
Bond-esque image of me standing one the shore of the Caribbean, snifter of cognac in one hand and Cuban cigar in the other.

I would never spend that much for a single cigar again (unless it was a legendary Opus XX or something) , but I am very much looking forward to having another Cuban.

Any suggestions on other, respectable, tried&true Cuban brands?
(I like maduros as well as smokes like the Fuente Hemingway and Gloria Cubana)

Not being a "tried OR true" cigar smoker I can't really name too many Cuban cigar brands other than Montecristo or Cohiba (I know both have Dominican counterparts). I've never tried a Cohiba but have tried the Montecristos several times.

My "first cigar" story goes like this....

Semana Santa/Holy Week 1997; my second visit to Madrid. After a typically late (and delicious!) dinner at the flat of my ladyfriend's sister & brother-in-law, the brother-in-law unwrapped a large, cuban cigar while his wife was getting the coffee (this was at about midnight or so).

With the dinner knife, he made a V-cut in the tip. He then took out his lighter and showed me how to slowly spin the cigar while drawing in the flame. He also described to me that one should NEVER "tap-off" the ashes but that they should fall off naturally ... .WHEREVER that might be. And one should carefully put a lighted cigar into an ashtray, being careful not to lose the ash on the end unless it burned down naturally and fell off.

He gave me my own cigar to do the same and I fumbled through it, not having the "spin-N-light-N-suck" skills yet.. they all had a good laugh with me.

Then he poured the cognac and said that a good after-dinner cigar should ALWAYS be smoked with a good cognac or brandy. Then, he commenced to show me how to smoke-N-drink to bring out the flavor in both. Well, needless to say, I thought I was "Mr. Cool" sitting there at the after-dinner table with my cuban cigar and cognac... until I coughed on the cigar and then coughed again with the cognac. Hahahahaha!!! :p

Well, I've gotten more used to the cigars but still not to the cognac or brandy. (or any other hard-alcohol, for that matter) I know. What a loser. hehehee.. I'm content with my one-cigar-per 2-3 months and only when the mood strikes me. Almost always, that mood strikes me late at night after I've been listening to Spanish radio, looking at photos of Spain, or been thinking about and missing my adopted homeland (adopted in my mind - so far). Then I'll sit in the open window (because there's NO WAY I want cigar smoke lingering in my apartment :p ) and carefully blow the smoke into the wind, look up into the sky, and imagine I'm sitting at some Madrid terraza with a beer and friends. Mmmmmm....

MMmmm.. There I go again... Aaahhhh.. I think I need a cigar.. hehehe.. (it'll have to wait)

Saludos, MadridMan

..."and a guy smuggling a ham dressed as a baby"...
that's it! if i dressed as a baby they wouldn't even notice the jamon...i'll try that next time...
as for other cubanos to try i can't help you there tex...montecristo #4...that's my addiction...i grab a 5-pack first chance i get after getting off the plane and just keep smoking till 'em it's time to go home...
when my secret stash of cubans gets low i smoke nicaraguans...buy them in bundles of 25 for about a buck a stick...i smoke 2 or 3 a day so spending any more than that is like a drug habit...

Caballeros,
I have a link to a very informative Cuban Cigar site developed by a gentleman from Madrid, Rafael Bernardo with all types of useful Habanos information. He even has a listing of Habanos festivals! But best of all he lists the current prices ( 2002) in the Estancos of Madrid!

For ladies who enjoy an Habanero there is also a good informative site called Cigar Woman, for women who love cigars! that even has a message board! This is a serious site BTW, for smokers! what I like about it is that the site provides you with a good review. For example:
[QUOTE]Romeo y Julieta Corona

Length: 5½
Ring Gauge: 44
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: U.S.A./Conn. Broadleaf
Filler: Dom. Rep., U.S.A.

CONSTRUCTION: 3 - Good
"Uniform filler. Minor color variations on the wrapper. Cap was smoothly applied." - Danielle

ODOR: 4 - Very Good
"Earthy and spicy aroma, though not as sweet as a maduro." - Grecia

OTHER:
"Cigar looks great, firm but not overpacked- has earmarks of a good cigar." - Marcia

DURING SMOKE

DRAW: 5 - Excellent
"Perfect. Effortless, but not too easy. Well constructed, tightly rolled. Exactly how I like it." - Jennie

BURN: 4 - Very Good
"Perfect burn all the way to the rub. The light ash coincides perfectly with the construction." - Andrea

FLAVOR: 4 - Very Good
"Rich, complex flavors with peaty overtones. Reminds me of the complex flavor palate found in many single malt scotches." - Andrea

OTHER:
"Wonderful smell during the smoke." - Mary Kay

OVERALL RATING: A-/B+
"A wonderful cigar. Extremely smooth." - Kim

Here in the US, I smoke Dominican La Gloria Cubana
Churchills (made in the Dominican Republic and Miami, although the Miami factory is more for show than anything else). On my last trip to Spain, though, I bought a few Cuban Cohibas. Smoked one on a beautiful Cantabrian night, a snifter of Gran Duque de Alba at hand....magnificent.

However, at this point the mystique of Cuban cigars is just that, mystique. Quality-wise, the top brands from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Central America are producing better cigars. I indulged in Cuban cigars in Spain as my family is Cuban, but, really, they are no better than what is available in the US.

yeah cooter, quality-wise cubans have slipped a notch or 2...supply and demand...they're rushing them to market...last batch of montecristos i had improved greatly with a little time in the humidor...in fact almost everything i've been buying lately improves with some humidor time...
but the good news is that with the retirement of strom and jesse we MIGHT finally see some dialog on the lifting of the embargo...i'm not holding my breath though...

Booklady wrote: "Cigar Woman", eh? And I suppose Monica Lewinsky is their Cover Girl? hehehehe.. (sorry, couldn't resist. I know. I know. "That's SO played out!" )

I usually bring back a box of Farias. Best bang for the buck. MadridMan´s "Don Julian´s" are the Swisher Sweets of the cigar rack. No offense intended, naturally.

WHAT???!!! REALLY??!!!! Are you serious?! They aren't all that cheap!

I must ask why is the Best cigars and the Best Ham in the world illegal to bring to the US??? Why is Spanish ham illegel to bring to the US anyone now its alot better then the American food "no affence guys".

Q- the ham isn't allowed because its an agricultural/meats thing. Most countries forbid plant and animal products because of problems of disease. You may have studied the impact of the Dutch Elm disease in History class...if not, ask your History or Science teacher.

There are still countries that have been very sheltered and importing a plant that may have a disease can be potentially devistating... also importing an animal (live) like they did rabbits in Australia what disasterous because it disrupted the natural ecology. There rabbits didn't have any natural preditors and since rabbits reproduce VERY rapidly, it was havoic on the crops... believe it or not and caused a domino effect, leaving other animals and people hungry. As far as meat products, well, cured or not, remember reading or hearing about mad cow disease?! Different countries have different ways of treating and processing foods, some are cleaner and more sanitary than others... this can cause potential bacteria and other nasty critters to grow where you don't want them, and again, be detrimental to an ecology. Its also true that certain places simply don't have immunity to certain diseases, or natural preditors to certain insects or creatures- all of which could be very disruptive to the food chain- so better to keep these organisms out to begin with.

The cigars is a different story. That has to do with Americas embargo on Cuba. Just like legally we're not supposed to visit, we're not supposed to import anything from there. Until it changes, it will be illegal to have cuban cigars here :p

Or, if you like, its a conspiracy for the American government to:
A. Encourage americans to broaden their horizons and travel.
B. Deprive us of the better things in life.

You choose!

just 1 clarifiction espe3...it is NOT illegal to have cuban cigars here...only the act of importation is illegal...because there are legal ways to bring them in, mere possession is not illegal...
i've gotten them past customs and then sat outside the airport and smoked them...