While we all complain that the cost of cigars seem to be rising, spare a thought for the poor guy that just shelled out $185,000 for the world’s largest cigar.
Juan Panesso, manager of CigarsDirect.com had a request recently for a 20-foot long stogie from an anonymous customer.
‘We try to cater to premium high end smokers,’ Mr Panesso told the Daily Mail. ‘But we’ve never had something like this. It’s really odd, and stressful and exciting at the same time.’
Where would you even store something like this?
‘We thought it was a case of fraud,’ he said. ‘I mean, we didn’t believe it. It was not just an odd request, it was also a large amount of money. We wouldn’t just take a credit card on that order.’
Mr Panesso got a call from a customer two weeks ago with a laundry list of expensive requests.
‘It was like he had just read the ratings and was picking the best cigars.’
The customer, who Mr Penesso said is a private collector who lives outside the United States, asked about a very rare, high-end cigar that costs $750… and then ordered 100.
‘At that point I didn’t believe him at all,’ Mr Panesso said. ‘It’s like buying a 100 Ferraris. In my years here I have never sold one of these cigars.’
Then came the big request: find the world’s biggest cigar.
Mr Panesso located the cigar, which was being used by a company as a prop for cigar conventions and promotional events.
The three-foot thick El Gigante made by Grand Habano — rolled with 1,600 pounds of high-quality Nicaraguan tobacco — is big enough to make 25,000 regular-sized cigars.
Despite the giant cigar being dragged around to conventions, Mr Panesso said the quality and condition was excellent.
Mr Panesso’s last big sale was to a CEO of Oakley sunglasses who wanted 13 boxes of cigars shipped to him overnight where he was staying for the Super Bowl.
He didn’t expect the new owner of the world’s biggest cigar to be a repeat customer, but on Monday he called with another order.
This time he was looking for the most sought after cigar in the world — Davidoff Dom Perignon cigar from Cuba.
If he’s after the Davidoff Dom Perignon cigars he should try Boisdale in Canary Wharf, they have a box there.
Whoever this guys is, surely he couldn’t have smoked that cigar already and is wanting more.
Good luck cutting the cap off that cigar!