The shop is called Smoke Zone and it's my favorite tobacco shop in the Santa Clarita Valley. A fair amount of people ask about shops they can hit up when they travel and this one is just off the 5 freeway, north of Los Angeles, CA.
25886 The Old Rd, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
(661) 284-1298
The shop is definitely more about cigars than pipe tobacco, but I love it. Of all the places to get tobacco in SCV, this is one of three that has a wide selection of cigars and a good humidor. Of those three, only two have good service provided by people who have decades of smoking experience to help you with your selection. Of those two, this one is by far the cheapest, has the warmest atmosphere, and is the only place in town that sells pipe tobacco other than Captain Black or whatever. Half the time, there's a guy in there rolling cigars on an antique table. Plenty of people come in here just to smoke or play cards.
BUT, the pipe tobacco selection is a little slim and old. They carry a number of tinned Dunhill, Peterson, Mac Baren, and McClelland Frog Morton tobaccos, but they are all two years old or older. If you like something aged, this is fine. If you want something fresh, the layer of dust on most of the tins is off putting. They carry a wide selection of bulk tobacco, which is stored in glass jars under the counter. These are a little dry as they use jars that are better for aesthetics than moisture retention, and they are mostly aromatics. It is from one of these jars that I tried my one and only taste of Dunhill Nightcap, which I found to be bland and one dimensional. Maybe I should get a tin and give it another shot...
This is the extent of their pipe tobacco selection:
Conclusion:
If you're passing by and want a cigar that you know you will like, either because they carry a favorite of yours or because the two guys who run the place actually smoke good cigars, or you'd like a tin of aged tobacco, this is the place to go. I give it an A for cigar smokers and a B- for pipe smokers (It'd be a C+ if the customers and owner weren't so cool). And yes, a B- for pipe smokers is as good as it gets in SCV.
25886 The Old Rd, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
(661) 284-1298
The shop is definitely more about cigars than pipe tobacco, but I love it. Of all the places to get tobacco in SCV, this is one of three that has a wide selection of cigars and a good humidor. Of those three, only two have good service provided by people who have decades of smoking experience to help you with your selection. Of those two, this one is by far the cheapest, has the warmest atmosphere, and is the only place in town that sells pipe tobacco other than Captain Black or whatever. Half the time, there's a guy in there rolling cigars on an antique table. Plenty of people come in here just to smoke or play cards.
BUT, the pipe tobacco selection is a little slim and old. They carry a number of tinned Dunhill, Peterson, Mac Baren, and McClelland Frog Morton tobaccos, but they are all two years old or older. If you like something aged, this is fine. If you want something fresh, the layer of dust on most of the tins is off putting. They carry a wide selection of bulk tobacco, which is stored in glass jars under the counter. These are a little dry as they use jars that are better for aesthetics than moisture retention, and they are mostly aromatics. It is from one of these jars that I tried my one and only taste of Dunhill Nightcap, which I found to be bland and one dimensional. Maybe I should get a tin and give it another shot...
This is the extent of their pipe tobacco selection:
Conclusion:
If you're passing by and want a cigar that you know you will like, either because they carry a favorite of yours or because the two guys who run the place actually smoke good cigars, or you'd like a tin of aged tobacco, this is the place to go. I give it an A for cigar smokers and a B- for pipe smokers (It'd be a C+ if the customers and owner weren't so cool). And yes, a B- for pipe smokers is as good as it gets in SCV.
