Best Cigar Lounges In India

While cigars and India may seem as far apart as Ethiopia and caviar, it may surprise you to know that India is one of the world's fastest growing tobacco markets and cigars these days are more commonplace than one might imagine. So what is it about these hand-rolled tobacco leaves that's got Indian smokers so excited? Well, for one, cigars have always been a marker of social prestige. Few objects announce success and prosperity like a cigar does.

If you happen to be in India and are looking for a place to smoke a stogie, here's a great list of the best cigar lounges in India:

• The Golf Bar at the ITC Maurya, New Delhi 

Image source : www.itchotels.in

A golf-themed bar with green felt and wood-panelled walls, green leather chairs and golf memorabilia is bound to be the place for a man's man! The golf bar has a well-stocked humidor and an even more enviable selection of single malts to go with the cigars. So now you know where to go on your next boys night out!

• The Library Bar at the Leela Palace, Bangalore

Image source : www.theleela.com

A living room atmosphere; the decor and furniture reminiscent of the British Raj, this colonial bar in Bangalore almost transports you to another era. Books, a billiards table and cigars, does it get more British?

• The Cigar Lounge at Zuri, Bangalore

Image source : www.tripadvisor.co.uk

Clubby and outdoorsy, this swanky roof-top cigar lounge at the Zuri in Whitefield, Bangalore takes the stuffiness out of cigar smoking making it more accessible to younger smokers. Their range of cigars however leaves the seasoned smoker with much to be desired. Still, it finds a mention on this list for putting a spin on the stereotype cigar bar.

• The Cheroot Malt and Cigar Lounge at the ITC Grand Chola, Chennai  

Image Source : www.spiritualluxuryliving.com

The Grand Chola in Chennai is a favourite among the city's hobnobbing socialites and the Cheroot Malt and Cigar Lounge is perfect for an evening in the company of friends who enjoy some of the finer things in life.

• Atrium Lounge at Taj Lands End, Mumbai

       

Image Source : www.easytoursofindia.com

A pianist and a jazz band, the world's finest single estate coffees and teas alongside limited edition cigars; this cigar lounge says "exclusive" in so many ways, it has to be on our list of the best cigar bars in India!

And then again, if you like smoking your cigar in the comfort of your own home, enjoying the view from your balcony, you could always order your cigars online from www.cigarclubindia.com and have them delivered at your doorstep! 

Cuban Cigars In India

That Cuba sets the gold standard as far as cigars go comes as no surprise to anybody. But that the market for Cuban cigars in India doubles every year might raise a few eyebrows. Well, it shouldn't since India does account for 12% of the world's smoking population and that's no small number.

So how come so many Indians are discovering Cuban cigars with a vengeance? There are many explanations to thar. The rising purchasing power parity, the number of Indians travelling abroad every year, the urge to try something new, perhaps to upgrade from a cigarette or just to earn bragging rights. Whatever be the reason, everyday there seem to be a hoard of new entrants joining the club.

Partagas Serie D Especial 

What then makes Cuban cigars so special? The soil in Cuba, the sun which is perfect for growing the best quality tobacco in the world and a cigar-rolling culture that dates back to a few hundred years. Cuban brands such as Cohiba, Montecristo, H upmann, Partagas, Romeo Y Julieta, Trinidad and Bolivar have a loyal clientèle that swears by them and refuse to smoke anything that doesn't come from the hallowed Habanos house of cigars.

Romeo Y Julieta Short Churchills - Box of 10 cigars available at www.cigarclubindia.com - the best place to buy authentic Cuban cigars in India

However, one must be careful about counterfeits that have flooded the market and only a discerning eye may be able to spot the difference. Therefore, it is imperative that you purchase Cuban cigars from a reliable source. Quite a few five-star properties in metro cities now boast of a cigar stores. Some even offer cigar and single-malt lounges. The duty-free shops at airports are another reliable place to purchase cigars.

Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Box of 25 beautiful cigars.

The most convenient though is shopping for cigars anywhere and at any time and having them delivered to your doorstep, thanks to some excellent cigar websites such as www.cigarclubindia.com. They deliver across India and are extremely responsive to questions about cigars, always have suggestions for newbies and take utmost care to ensure the cigars are preserved in perfect humidity and are just right for smoking.

The journey of the Trichinopoly Cigar

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, there's a good chance you've read the first Sherlock story - A Study in Scarlet. You couldn't have missed the author's repeated reference to cigars from the Rock Fort city in southern India aka Trichinopoly cigars or Tritchies. Though it was the murderer who smoked these in the story, Sir Winston Churchill's patronage soon turned the cigar into an overnight hero!

The town of Trichinapally or Trichy as it is commonly referred to has a long-standing history of cigar making. The big, hand-rolled Trichinopoly cheeroots or suruttus as the locals call them were being replaced by factory-produced cigars around the end of the 19th century. Spencers started making cigars in 1887. Cigars, that went on to gain a life-long customer in Sir Winston Churchill during the Second World War. The owner of the company, Eugene Oakshott sensed the growing demand for his cigars and bought 60 acres of land in Dindigul, a small town close to Trichy and tobacco-growing heartland in India. Spencers enjoyed great success and even won awards around the world for cigar brands such as 'Gold Mohur', 'Flor de Spencer', 'Little Randolph' and 'Torpedo.' But with cigars swiftly gaining popularity, Spencers' cigar business declined and they were sadly forced to shut down their factories in 1970.

Fenn Thompson and Co. is among the few surviving cigar companies in Trichy today with a total head-count of just 4 employees. The very unassuming Mr. Vasudev is a reluctant heir to the company started by his grand father in pre-independent India. Fenn Thompson is best known for their Black Tiger and Churchill Special cigars that got its name from the fact that they were actually shipped to Winston Churchill in the wake of the Second World War. While Churchill's affinity for the Cuban cigar is no secret at all, his regular supply took a hit during the war and that was when he developed a taste for Trichinopoly cheroots. Though lacking the finesse of a Cuban, they come with their own bold personality.

This may well be the swan song of Indian cigars. Let's hope not.

 These delightful cigars are available for your smoking pleasure and can be delivered at your doorstep just as Churchill had his on cigarclubindia.com

Occasions for Cigar Smoking

While many cigar aficionados might argue that you don't need an 'occasion' to smoke a cigar, few still insist on waiting patiently for that big, fat wedding in the family or Christmas to loosen those purse-strings or wallets as the case may be and spend a few big bucks on that memorable cigar!

Here are my top ten occasions to buy a cigar:

1. New Years Eve 

 What better way to usher in a brand new year full of hopes and promises than to light up a good ol' Cuban cigar in the company of friends and family. Few things can make a more memorable New Years Eve! My recommendation - A Romeo Y Julieta No. 1 or a Cohiba Behike 52, available at www.cigarclubindia.com

2. Birth of a Child 

 It has been a practice for ages now that the father hands out cigars to friends and family upon the birth of a child. Depending on the depth of the new dad's pockets, he can choose to either hand out fine Cubans a la Cohiba Behikes or Montecristo Tubos or just some machine-made cigars wrapped to say "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" It is after-all a symbolic gesture!

3. Closing a Deal

So you've been going back and forth on an important deal that's taking forever to get closure? If its been occupying your mind-space and you finally manage to seal a deal, a merger, an acquisition or land that big account, it's worth spending a bit more on a victory smoke. Whether you choose to celebrate your success by yourself or with your partners/clients over a drink and a great cigar is entirely upto you. The cigar however, not negotiable. My recommendation to make success taste sweeter is a claasic Hoyo De Monterrey Grand Epicure No. 2 - Can't go wrong with that!

4. Wedding, especially your own

If you happen to be the groom, make the most of it. Light up that special cigar you've been saving up for that significant occasion because chances are, it'll be the most memorable day of your life! Choose a cigar that isn't overwhelming. Our pick for D-day is a good old-fashioned Partagas Serie D Especial or an Oliva Connecticut Reserve Toro for the more adventurous!

5. Anniversary

Once married, how can the wedding anniversary be far behind. Few things can be as special as sharing a cigar with your spouse on your anniversary on a beautiful, pristine white sand beach after having enjoyed a great meal together or even in the comfort of your own living room. It's the stuff movies and sweet dreams are made of! My pick - a Davidoff Private Stock No. 2 - easy on the palette for the man as well as the lady. Available at cigarclubindia.com - the best online cigar store in India.

6. Your Own Birthday

If it's your birthday, you can do what you please. As long as you have a good time, everyone else will. But since occasions are a time when you might be sharing a cigar with people who don't regularly smoke, it's important to keep in mind that they need to be eased into the cigar world with a mildly flavoured cigar rather than a bold, ballsy one that could scare them off and leave you smoking all by yourself. Treat yourself and your friends to a Cohiba Siglo VI or a Romeo Y Julieta Churchill and let the celebrations begin!

7. Christmas, Diwali, Dusshera

In India, festivals are big business! We love our festivals and why not. In my mind, I can't conceive a better way to spend Diwali than by enjoying a stogie on my balcony with friends and family, watching the fireworks light up the skies. So whether its Christmas or Diwali, if there's a celebration, it calls for a cigar and if you're feeling rich, this surely will leave you feeling like the king of the world - Padron 1926 No. 2 Series, a real beauty!

8. While on Vacation

Imagine these scenarios- marvelling at the enormity of the grand Canyon, staring in amazement at the Niagara Falls, looking down from atop the Eiffel Tower, enchanted by the beauty of the Taj Mahal, enjoying a glass of bubbly in Santorini...well, I could go on. However, I'd long for a cigar in every one of these scenarios because a cigar, quite simply heightens an aesthetic experience and makes it all the more pleasurable. If it were upto me, I'd go with my favourite vacation cigar - the Ashton Cabinet #6 Robustos or a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 which is undeniably a great choice, no matter what be the occasion. 

9. Weekend's Here!

If you're looking to really unwind after a long week of slogging it out, a cigar is just the thing you need. A cigar has the ability to instantly put you in a great, holiday-esque mood, more so if you pick the right one. I would therefore go with a Montecristo #3 - the perfect pick-me-up after the week-long grind.

10. Game of Poker

And last of all, how can we forget that a game of poker is just not taken seriously unless you have a bunch of players smoking cigars at the table. Cigars have become synonymous with Poker and why not? If you're heading out for a game tonight, be sure to take a box of Rocky Patel Sungrown Robustos along. I guarantee you, they'll be much appreciated.

Top Cigars to gift this Christmas

It is indeed the season to be jolly and why not? Christmas always conjures up images that bring unparalleled warmth to the heart. The aromas of a good Sunday roast wafting through the air, waiting to be savoured with a full-bodied red wine and finished off with that perfect cigar! Few things can make a man happier. That's why I've put together a list of the best cigars to gift this season. These cigars are so good, I've got a sneaky suspicion you'll have trouble giving them away!

1. Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Torpedo Maduro 

The well-aged tobacco of Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve is a perfect complement to the natural sweetness of fortified wines like Port and Sherry, so ubiquitous this time of year. The earthy flavour with hints of coffee also make this cigar a great after-meal smoke! 

With genuine cigars being hard to find in India, I buy them online at www.cigarclubindia.com They have a reputation of selling cigars that are in perfect condition for smoking, a great range and their standards of service are simply unmatched.

2. Partagas Serie D No. 4 Tubes

 It has been said that if you like Partagas' style, this is one of the best Robustos available in the market. Paired with a rich Shiraz or even a great single-malt, the woody, spicy notes of this cigar will be reminiscent of the slow-cooked lamb you might've relished just hours ago! 

3. Davidoff Tubo Special R

The creamy, sweet aroma of the Davidoff Special R might lure you to give dessert a miss this Christmas. After all, it is better on the waistline! This robust flavoured cigar comes in signature Davidoff white tubes, making it a favourite among the ladies too. Best paired with a white rum or a rosé to bring out the subtleties of the cigar.

4. Hoyo De Monterrey Grand Epicure No. 2

Speaking of Christmas gifts, this one certainly does look the part, ribbon and everything. The Grand Epicure is Hoyo de Monterrey's last offering. With notes of cinnamon, cocoa and dry-fruits, who needs Rum cake, right?  You can shop it here - http://www.cigarclubindia.com/hoyo-de-monterrey

5. Playboy Robusto

While Hugh Hefner smoked a pipe for most of his life, the Playboy Robusto cigars are sure to bring a dash excitement to your life. Handmade with a blend of the finest Nicaraguan aged tobacco and packaged stylishly with the signature Playboy bunny logo on the box, it has all the makings of a great conversation-starter! Bold and spicy flavours if that's the sort of Christmas you'd like.

6. Romeo Y Julieta Churchills

One of Sir Winston Churchill's great predilections, so much so he became synonymous with these cigars! Their multitude of flavours have a quintessentially Christmas-y quality to them. Vanilla, tropical fruit, wood, cocoa, nuts, herbs and flowers...you almost have the garden of Eden rolled into a cigar right there!

Find the finest Cuban cigars online in India at www.cigarclubindia.com - the ideal destination for true cigar aficionados

7. Don Diego Monarch

And finally, a cigar that doesn't break the bank! The Don Diego Monarch is probably one of the mildest cigars you'll ever find. However, its smooth connecticut wrapper and creamy texture make it a great gift for the first-timer as well as the seasoned cigar smoker. Here's to a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Buy the best cigars, cigar accessories and humidors at India's best online cigar store - www.cigarclubindia.com

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