The cigar shops in San Antonio are really experiencing a growth spurt recently, with C.I.G.A.R. expanding from one store to three in the last two years and the 118 year-old Finck's adding a second location. This, however, is an updated review for the original outlet on West Ave., known as Finck's Cigar Factory Outlet - Central:
http://www.finckcigarcompany.com/about/visit_our_store/In the 2+ years that I have been visiting the store, the non-Finck's Cigar brands available has really expanded. They got AF Anejos last Christmas, along with the mythical AF Hemingway Sun-Grown Rosados Alex, the master salesman with the Rockabilly hairdo said they got them by mistake--a nice windfall for me since that is one of the cigars I have rated 5 stars. Since then, they are a MUCH better store for Cigar Geeks because they now get new blends about the same time as other boutique shops, and at a much better price.
You still see descendants of the Finck family behind the cash register most days, but I feel the store has grown a lot in the last two years. One of the downsides of this growth is how crowded the free smoking lounge seems on Fridays and over the weekend. I took Robert LG there when he was in town recently and we could barely get the lounge door open. This probably has a lot to do with the August 2011 law that hit banning all indoor smoking in bars, but not cigar lounges. This is possibly not just a reasonable exemption, but contains residual respect for Bill Finck Sr., the current owner's father, who spent time in the Texas Legislature. There's a great article on the history of the company here:
http://www.finckcigarcompany.com/about/interview_with_henry_william_finck_ii/An interesting store that appeals to lovers of cheap, smokeable sticks as well as the seemingly growing population of cigar geeks that love the new, love the collectible and love a price that isn't jacked up, as well as a cigar lounge NOT sponsored by Diamond Crown that costs $10 for a day pass. Robert LG visited and was amazed to find an open box of Oliva V Maduro 2009 (They still have 6 left!). I even found some E.P. Carrillo Edicion Inaugural 2009 just a couple of months ago.
Today, I stopped in and grabbed 5 AF Anejos (46, 48, 49, 50, 60). The boutique cigar shop in town, Club Humidor, sold out in a few days, but this shop, which gets ignored by cigar snobs because the store brands are all under $4, always seems to have a treasure to find. The nicely dressed woman ahead of me was buying someone a $188 10-count gift of a box of Padron 1926 Anniversary cigars and the guy behind me had a $50 bundle of seconds that Alex will tell you are actually Fonseca Cubano Limitado castoffs.
If you live anywhere near or in Texas, you owe it to yourself to take an affordable vacation to San Antonio to see the Riverwalk, Alamo, and enjoy a city where cigar smokers are well looked after.
