The Wooden Indian Expeditions

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It was mid-day when we visited the La Herencia de Cuba shop and lounge. At that time only the owner and his son were present. Everything in the store and the lounge was spotless and well organized. The gentleman pictured below was a top-rated Master Roller from Cuba. He once managed a factory for a very popular brand and was responsible for the production of hundreds of factory cigar rollers. The shop reflects his high standards.




I watched this guy work for about fifteen minutes. No doubt, he could roll these things in his sleep. There was very little waste and the consistency of the finished product was impressive. Check out his work space. This represents an organized mind. (BW pointed out his immaculate digital cleanliness.) I like the flag on the corner of the desk.

This shop is on the east end of the cigar strip, so we crossed over to the north side and started working our way back. Stay tuned!

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Metropolitan Cigars - Ybor City


Here is the storefront for Metropolitan Cigars. I believe they’re under new management.




The building that currently houses Metropolitan Cigars was once a mom and pop drug store. When the Ybor redevelopment craze started, the pill-pushers… um, I mean, ‘purveyors of high quality, thoroughly tested, life saving pharmaceuticals’, decided to sell the building and retire. The buyers capitalized on the cigar boom and then sold it to the new management. Well, at least that’s the story.

The two partners now running the shop are both experienced in the cigar trade. They both worked for distributors and mail-order houses well known to us all. The gent I spoke to seemed to be in touch with current trends. I hope they do well.

What differentiates Metropolitan from the other shops on the Ybor strip is the large selection of national brands and absence of a house brand. They also stock a broad array of humidors and accessories. It is very much a traditional cigar depot. I liked it.

Hey, look! A cigar store Indian! w00t!



Another view of the entry:



The entire store is a walk-in humidor. You can see the humidifiers in the photos below as well as the cedar lined walls. Everything is laid out in clean, easy to navigate displays. Simple is good.

Humidifier System –



A few photos of the interior follow. Another difference at Metro is that they have no lounge. Shop. Purchase. Rock on.

Register Counter-


Display on Left –


Display on Right –



Next up is a pair of shops that share a storefront… very curious.

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El Sol and Big Four are two shops under one roof. On the right is a ‘museum’ with various collectibles like cigar box label dies, cigar art prints, and a cool humidor thing that would make Frank Lloyd Wright proud. On the left is the cigar shop and business office. El Sol manufactures a complete line of cigars in Tampa and Central America. They claim to be the oldest cigar store in Tampa, having first opened their doors in 1929. The business is still operated by the original founding family.




The manager/curator was a little too busy to talk to mere mortals so I don’t really know what may be the current inside story. It’s not like I didn’t ask. Since all these shops, bars, and restaurants are competing for the same finite pedestrian traffic, it seems likely they make a better living selling cigars online and t-shirts on fleabay. It makes sense to move toward that business model. An alternate theory: Perhaps they’re just not people… persons.

In lieu of an actual conversation with an employee, I will share this quote from the company website: "Cigars are not vitamins, they're an enjoyment. But the pleasure that a cigar offers goes beyond the smoking, for me anyway. Tobacco has a kind of romance. After these many years, I still get a kick out of opening a fresh box and seeing that row of cigars, all a uniform shade, the wrappers stretched like silk, that sweet aroma wafting up. Even lighting a cigar is a pleasure for me. I'm never alone when I have a cigar going. I don't just taste tobacco, I don't just see a cigar. I can see, taste, smell and feel the earth, the sunshine, the rain and the air trapped in every leaf." ~ Guy, the Founder.

Wow. Mostly I get a tobacco flavor and a lot of smoke. Obviously, I’m doing it wrong.

Moving right along… The El Sol side has a few boxes of cigars on display, but clearly the main enterprise in the shop itself is selling cigar related merchandise. They do have some cool art prints and t-shirts. I am not inclined to research the matter, but they probably list their non-tobacco wares on various internet outlets. Online cigar sales naturally have to run through the store’s website.

I saw a pair of Wooden Indians behind the counter, but the boss seemed very protective of them. Ok. No problem. Cigar Store Indians are typically sculpted holding a traditional tomahawk, knife, bow, or spear. Many also hold forth a cigar bundle. Few are depicted brandishing a rifle. The pair appears pictured below.




The Big Four side also had a decent Wooden Indian. It’s actually one of the better renditions I’ve seen lately. The Chief stands about five feet tall. The details and colors are quite good. Check it out:




This is the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired cigar humidor/display. … Ok. Mr. Wright had nothing to do with it. However, other than the Wooden Indians, it was perhaps the most interesting piece in either store. I wish I had more detailed photos. It is quite tall, standing perhaps seven feet from top to bottom. All of the drawers work, they are connected centrally to allow rotation and adjustment. Each box is cedar lined and contains cedar separators. There is a set of industrial strength rubber casters for easy movement of the entire unit. Sweet! I bid $1.00. … U.S.




Loads of tobacco related goods and artifacts are for sale on the museum side:




These twin cigar-related enterprises are worth a look for hobbyists searching out tobacciana collectibles or cigar art prints. As long as you’re in town, you may as well stop by and check it out. That way you’ll have a rightful claim to having visited the oldest cigar shop in Tampa. So, in sum, I guess I’m saying ‘go there and get the t-shirt.’ It sure beats those touristy Florida shirts some jokers pick out. Ugh.


Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke too much; it is bad for you. I have the utmost respect for our Native American brothers. They never wear metallic armor. Ice cream is good. Sometimes I use Stay-Puft marshmallows in hot cocoa. I have no financial interest or ownership interest in any cigar shop, store, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer, packager, shipper, stevedore, roller, farmer, harvester, or tobacco farm land lease holder, nor do I receive any other benefit, explicit or implied, from the inclusion of or review of any establishment herein named, referred to, or otherwise described. One guy did give me a free cigar. I watch the Big Bang Theory on CBS. We should promote more old-school pirates. Arrrrgh. The most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential. I think Wooden Indians are cool. I wish more Cigar Store Indians were made from actual wood. Please, no flash photography. Yahtzee! Never trust a Ninja Carpenter. FrankLloydWright did not design cigar humidors.

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Stogies Castillo

We’re down to our final stop on the tour, a lounge called Stogies Castillo. The store is right out front at the giant mall and restaurant area. The concentration is on lounge space and a small bar area. The humidor stocks only the house brand and a few popular national brands. For some reason I have no photos of the storefront or the lounge.

Here is Chief Castillo:




This is the house blend.

The cigars are rolled and aged off site, so there’s no telling where they are actually sourced. It could be as simple as one of those private label deals offered by the factories in town. We’ll never know. That’s about it. I must remark that the gentleman working that day was a terrific personality. I’m sure they do well when the crowds are in town.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes the Tour D’Ybor 2010. Remember to send all your comments, complaints, and nasty emails to BW. I blame him for everything.

Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke too much; it is bad for you. I have the utmost respect for our Native American brothers. They never wear metallic armor. Ice cream is good. Sometimes I use Stay-Puft marshmallows in hot cocoa. I have no financial interest or ownership interest in any cigar shop, store, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer, packager, shipper, stevedore, roller, farmer, harvester, or tobacco farm land lease holder, nor do I receive any other benefit, explicit or implied, from the inclusion of or review of any establishment herein named, referred to, or otherwise described. One guy did give me a free cigar. I watch the Big Bang Theory on CBS. We should promote more old-school pirates. Arrrrgh. The most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential. I think Wooden Indians are cool. I wish more Cigar Store Indians were made from actual wood. Please, no flash photography. Yahtzee! Never trust a Ninja Carpenter. FrankLloydWright did not design cigar humidors.

[TachyCoventry]

We should promote more old-school pirates. Arrrrgh.

Now THAT'S something I can get behind!

On a more serious note this was great, I live in Jacksonville and will be going through Tampa for work next week. I'm going to re-read all the reviews and figure out which shop I'm going to stop at on my way down through!

[TachyCoventry]

DELETE (Sorry, dual post by my stupid computer)

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Cigar Shop News:

The 19th Hole Club has closed its doors. This is a great loss to the cigar community.

Rumor has it that at least one Smoke Inn location is offered for sale, as is Coffman's Tobacco in Stuart. They ain't cheap! Investors take note.

New shops are opening in my area and I shall report in full when the details emerge.

[TachyCoventry]

Smoked! have you ever been to Cigar Castle in Tampa? I know that it isn't in Ybor City but I stopped by when I was on my way over to Thanksgiving and was extremely happy with it!