Big Smoke Travels

Category: Pursuits

  • The Dismal River Club – World Class Golf & Cigars

    The Dismal River Club – World Class Golf & Cigars

    The Dismal River Club is one of the best golf resort experiences in the U.S. It rivals Scottland – it is links style golf which is more than geographically interesting in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. And, the Club is cigar friendly! The two golf courses, one by Doak, the other by Nicklaus, wind through the land with minimal dirt being moved, they ebb and flow in harmony with the hills. The lodging, food and activities like the full shooting and hunting range add to the premium experience. The only time cigar smoking is prohibited on the course is when the conditions are extremely dry and there is a fire danger alert.

    The Nicklaus course plays really big at the Dismal River Club.

    There are two outlets for cigars on property, the pro shop and the Buffalo Bill Pub. The pro shop sells cigars in the humi-smart tubes, which simply means they will take jostling in the golf bag or luggage if you don’t smoke them immediately. Top brands, individually sealed. The Pub has a traditional humidor if you run out while enjoying the evening on the patio after golf.

    One of the cigar collections at the Dismal River Club.

    Maybe the best area to for a cigar and a post-golf beverage is the large patio with an amazing fire pit. Just a few paces off the pub and main dining room, this is THE gathering place for stories, friendly banter and just relaxing in the cool Nebraska evenings. And, when they get the fireworks going, it is even more magical as the show happens right over number 18 on the Doak course down valley.

    A good cigar, your golf friends and a Nebraska night lit by fireworks!
  • NCL Encore Cigar Lounge

    NCL Encore Cigar Lounge

    In general, cruise ships are not friendly to cigar smokers. If they allow it, sometimes the aft area of the vessel will force the smoke to drift away. An inside area? Not very common!

    However, some cruise ships have put in cigar lounges. Aboard the NCL Encore, there is a cigar lounge. The lounge is next to two bars, one inside and one outside. The chairs are comfortable, and there is a big screen at one end of the room. Observation: 12 people max, more like eight would be the comfortable maximum.

    The steward/waiter assigned to this area comes around every so often for drinks, and they are your contact for the on-board humidor. It is small yet has enough options so you can find something you like including Cohiba and Macanudo. Another high point is the cigar smokers on board have been looking for this, so they generally enter the lounge friendly and ready to meet others with the same passion. 

    Every place or venue has some low points. Here they could have put in fewer chairs. An interesting facet is the ventilation system is supposed to be automatic. And it did not turn on most of the time, so the guests simply opened the door.

    Rating: B-. Could be bigger and fix those chairs and walkways, a little too much like a furniture storage room. And fix that ventilation system, so it actually works as intended. Compared to the other cruise ships that don’t have a lounge, it is nice to have one!

     

  • Daniel Marshall, All Things Cigar!

    Daniel Marshall, All Things Cigar!

    Daniel Marshall is a man who might only sit still when smoking a cigar, and even then his mind is churning how to make the cigar experience better, more luxurious and more of an ah-ha moment.

    Daniel and Carlos Fuente Introduced the Daniel Marshall XXXVIII Anniversary Cigar at the big Campfire event in Austria at the end of last winter, and it is still going strong and garnering praise. It might be the ultimate smoke of 2020. This is a memorable, exclusive cigar.

    The “Daniel Marshall by Carlos Fuente XXXVIII Anniversary Cigar, Limited Edition 2020” has been made available to collectors at select world-wide Daniel Marshall Campfire events, and allocated to 38 of the world’s top tobacconists and elite hotels. The 38 locations represent one location for every year Marshall has been a part of the cigar world. The rare and elite DM-Fuente Cigar can be collected from Japan, Hong Kong, South Africa, London, France, Belgium, Germany, Dubai, Qatar and for a limited time in the United States. Marshall will be hosting his signature “Modern Day Campfire” events at each of the 38 international destinations.

    Marshall and Fuente’s friendship has flourished since their meeting in 1982. They both toured the United States with Marvin Shanken’s Cigar Aficionado Magazine. Both men have contributed to the “Big Smoke Events” that led to worldwide cigar education, thereby fueling the cigar boom. Both Fuente and Marshall have received Lifetime Achievement Awards. So, when they make something together, it is going to be top-shelf.

    You can order the cigars directly and their special humidor at www.danielmarshall.com

  • 1740 Barbier, A Classic Shave

    1740 Barbier, A Classic Shave

    The 1740 Barbier is not your conventional barber. Rather, it is a mix of cigars, a bar and old-fashioned shaves and treatments.  Located in the L’auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, this is where to stop for a little facial pampering with a 94 rating.

    The resort has a four diamond rating, so expect 1740 to up the game a little bit on the standard offerings. The space has limited chairs, so you feel a bit of privacy for the appointment.

    The best treatment is the “Poker Face Luxury Shave.” You might not win a million with your next hand, but you will look like it! Other options include haircuts, trims, waxing and shoe shines.

    And, what would be better than a gentlemen’s treatment with a appropriate beverage and cigar? While not huge, the humidor within 1740 features a nice selection of smokes including Montecristo, My Father, Rocky Patel and Cohiba. Adult beverages include a nice selection of Bourbon, Scotch, Rum and Cognac.