I have trying to find a decent B&M near(ish) me for the longest time. It seemed that the only choice I have to look at live pipes is an hour train ride into New York City. Which is fun and fine on occasion but a little inconvenient on a regular day.
I have one very small B&M that is near my home who I try and give all my tin tobacco business with. He never carries the same thing twice, but sometimes has some decent choices. He has pipes. They are a little pricey but not bad. I have been going in often enough that he knows me and I think he knows what I like. It seems to reflect on his choice of tins lately.
I have been visiting a local cigar shop and he has been promising for months to start carrying pipe stuff. I went in recently and he is carrying some Stanwell pipes and will only be mixing his own blends and keeping them in the humidor. I am not hopeful of finding anything but aromatics, which is fine but not my current favorite.
There is a tobacco shop I have been looking for very near my house and couldn't seem to locate. I thought it must be a small shop and closed long ago. Yahoo needs to update their local search.
Today while driving down the very road it was said to be I finally found it. I realize my eyes were constantly focusing on small store fronts and I have must have looked past this huge storefront a dozen times.
I went in and expected the usual large walk in humidor, small smoking lounge and not much else. The lady directed me to the back of the store and when I got there... wonder of all wonders... they had a very nice selection of pipes and a few tins.
My eyes landed on a tin of MacBaren Matured Virginia and I was sticker shocked by the $25 price tag for 100 grams. It did have a 2010 date on it though. They had some goopy looking bulk mixture and a few tins of Nat Sherman, but I was already on to the hardware.
I found a bent 4Dot, rusticated Sasieni that felt nice in my hand so I had to have that. For $60 I think I ended up with a nice smoker.
All in all a good day!
P.S. is the MacBaren aged a couple of years worth it?????
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I have one very small B&M that is near my home who I try and give all my tin tobacco business with. He never carries the same thing twice, but sometimes has some decent choices. He has pipes. They are a little pricey but not bad. I have been going in often enough that he knows me and I think he knows what I like. It seems to reflect on his choice of tins lately.
I have been visiting a local cigar shop and he has been promising for months to start carrying pipe stuff. I went in recently and he is carrying some Stanwell pipes and will only be mixing his own blends and keeping them in the humidor. I am not hopeful of finding anything but aromatics, which is fine but not my current favorite.
There is a tobacco shop I have been looking for very near my house and couldn't seem to locate. I thought it must be a small shop and closed long ago. Yahoo needs to update their local search.
Today while driving down the very road it was said to be I finally found it. I realize my eyes were constantly focusing on small store fronts and I have must have looked past this huge storefront a dozen times.
I went in and expected the usual large walk in humidor, small smoking lounge and not much else. The lady directed me to the back of the store and when I got there... wonder of all wonders... they had a very nice selection of pipes and a few tins.
My eyes landed on a tin of MacBaren Matured Virginia and I was sticker shocked by the $25 price tag for 100 grams. It did have a 2010 date on it though. They had some goopy looking bulk mixture and a few tins of Nat Sherman, but I was already on to the hardware.
I found a bent 4Dot, rusticated Sasieni that felt nice in my hand so I had to have that. For $60 I think I ended up with a nice smoker.
All in all a good day!
P.S. is the MacBaren aged a couple of years worth it?????