The Wooden Indian Expeditions

**Smoked!** · 09-03-2009, 09:33 AM

The Wooden Indian Expeditions

South Florida is blessed with an abundance of cigar shops… or cursed, depending upon your point of view. It occurred to me that in my neck of the woods there must be fifty cigar shops conveniently located just off the major thoroughfares. There are several within a short drive from my home. Not many of them are “spectacular” destinations. Sometimes the only thing that sets one apart from the others is the Wooden Indian.

Our board already has a B&M thread which includes a link to another site, so this may at first seem redundant. I envision something a little more detailed than just a shop name and an address… but not a review, per se… which would require expertise… which I admittedly do not possess.

When I stop by a shop I’ll snap a few photos and jot down a few impressions. Feel free to do the same, but please be respectful to the shopkeepers and patrons – especially when posting your experiences. I’ll refrain from including the local gas station display of top-shelf White Owls, regardless of the bargain basement prices. *ahem*

Oh, and to give credit where credit is due: The blame for this falls squarely upon badwhale for setting the standard with the photo-enhanced format he introduced in the cigar review forum. (Nice job, whale.)

Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke. It is bad for you. These cigar shop impressions are provided for informational purposes only. 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. This is just for fun. I think wooden Indians are cool.

**Smoked!** · 09-03-2009, 09:35 AM

Shop: Gardens Cigar

Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl 33410
This store is in a Publix Supermarket plaza at the corner of Military and PGA Blvd. It is a few miles east of the PGA National Golf Center.

Atmosphere: This is a compact retail shop. The current owner has been here for five years, but I believe the shop has been around much longer. There is a smoking area near the entry with a fifty inch flat panel television for your viewing pleasure. A few regulars were enjoying lunch, SportsCenter, and cigars. They were all quite cordial and receptive, yet declined to be photographed. Go figure.

Wooden Indian: Yes! Based upon the scale of the sculpture, this example is most likely representative of an ancient indigenous tribe of pygmy natives that by now has been fully assimilated into the modern local culture. This awesomely detailed Chieftain is fully adorned in ceremonial cigar smoking headdress, wears war paint, and carries a large Bowie knife. Frankly, he looked a little pissed when I snapped his photo. We didn’t converse.

Service: Frank knows his inventory and the current state of the cigar business.

Walk-in: The walk-in is a typical cedar-lined, automatically humidified retail display. It measures about ten by ten. There is nothing really special about this one.

Cigars: The selection is somewhat limited. All the usual suspects are present including Padron, Fuente, Patel, etc. The higher end selections are lacking, but I was assured that the shop could order in anything I needed. I did find a few LFD Chisels. Prices are a little better than other nearby shops.

Additional offerings: This is billed as a Cigar, wine, and tobacco shop. There is a limited selection of wine as well as cigarettes and pipe tobacco.

Summary:
Gardens Cigar is a decent local shop. It offers a fair selection of labels in a cozy, friendly atmosphere. It’s nothing flashy, but when you’re visiting the area and want to make a quick stop on your way to PGA National (2 miles west), you will find exactly what you need from a mom & pop operation… sans the higher PGA pricing. Oh, and they have an excellent Wooden Indian.

Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke. It is bad for you. 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. I think wooden Indians are cool.

**badwhale** · 09-03-2009, 09:48 AM

Nice job Bro!

This is a great excuse to say to the wife "but but I have to go to the B&M and take more pictures, you know to see if the experience is any different or enhanced now..."

BTW, I doubt I was the first with photo reviews.

Will

**mail man** · 09-03-2009, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by badwhale

BTW, I doubt I was the first with photo reviews.

Will

maybe not the first, but I am sure the best

**mail man** · 09-03-2009, 10:13 AM

nice idea smoked, thanks

Keith

**Smoked!** · 09-08-2009, 02:33 PM

The Wooden Indian Expedition party returns today with another captivating installment!

Fun Fact 1: Many of the original Wooden Indian statues commissioned in America accurately recorded images of traditional Native American dress. Some sculptors hired Native American models to pose for their creative renditions to ensure greater authenticity. By doing so, the artists recorded valuable information about the local tribes and cultures. Renowned sculptors’ original works can today fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction. Plus, they look cool.

Shop: Smoke Inn – Jupiter / Tequesta

Location: Tequesta Florida, 33469 - tucked in a plaza on the East side of US 1, about one quarter mile north of the historic Jupiter Lighthouse and Loxahatchee River Inlet.

Wooden Indian: Um…Yes. Please understand that I have great respect for the Native American Tribes of Florida. Seriously, I do. Let me describe this while applying a bit of tongue in cheek descriptive license.

Chief Solarcaine does not appear to be an attempt at an accurate historical representation. Our Tequesta warrior sculpture sports a garish, lobster red, slapdash two dimensional gang tag of a paint job. The blurred, grainy photo below is an improvement. This mediocre, sunburned, borderline surrealist rendition of a warrior can not possibly be a fair depiction of the once proud Tequesta Indians. This is just too bad. … *sigh* He is wooden, though. Give them some credit for the effort of hauling this massive log in and out of the shop every day. (They can’t just leave it on the sidewalk overnight; otherwise, it would end up in someone’s garage. *ahem*)

Atmosphere: The shop entry seemed dark and dated. There were a few chairs squeezed in by the entry near the main counter. The customers in the lounge were obviously regulars. They did not appear to share my enthusiasm for this project, hence there is no photograph. There was a fair amount of traffic for a weekday afternoon and Louis, the shopkeeper, was steadily registering sales.

Service: Since Louis was working the afternoon shift solo, he was pressed for time between manning the counter and ringing the register. He made a point of greeting each customer and knew many of them by name. I asked a few simple questions and received polite, decent answers. Louis knows his inventory and knows the cigar business. Good man.

Walk-in: For a compact shop, this location has a very large, well-stocked humidor. Most of the shop’s square footage is dedicated to their well-lighted, cedar lined, electronically controlled humidor. The pristine conditions inside the walk-in contrast starkly with the aged appearance of the foyer.

A few rental lockers are available for seasonal guests. They keep the inventory at a steady 70% RH, as indicated by the plainly visible hygrometer gauge. No, I didn’t ask about the calibration. You can see the locker cabinet in the center aisle.

I rate the walk-in conditions as ‘excellent.’ The stock itself seemed to be in very good condition and there did not appear to be any dead inventory. Based on the traffic, I believe there is sufficient turnover to keep the inventory fresh. Having four additional sister locations can’t hurt either.

Cigars: As far as brand offerings, this shop has a very broad selection. You will find a much better variety of brands and sizes here than in a typical shop of this size. I even spied a full box of MB2 robustos. Prices are in line with the market for Palm Beach.

Additional offerings: This is not a high end retailer. There is a very basic selection of cutters, lighters, and humidifiers. This is likely due to the limited square footage available. IMHO, for a small shop, they have their priorities in order. They simply sell cigars.

Additional amenities: There is a small television, some limited seating, and a bench located outside. Plus, there’s an ice cream shop next door. At the south end of the plaza, there is an excellent old school Italian restaurant named Vulcano’s. It’s been there for 30 years. On the other end of the plaza is a grill and brew pub. They brew in-house and grill a mean grouper sandwich.

Random Thoughts: There is ample parking and plenty of space to erect tents or displays. This would be a great location for a cigar night event if offered in conjunction with additional local activities. For example, the Jupiter Inlet is jammed on holiday weekends. The shop is one mile from several boat launch ramps and three local parks. 2+2 = … 5?

Summary: The Tequesta shop has a very good selection and deep inventory, especially considering the amount of square footage. If you’re in town for business, golf, or sailing, it is definitely worth a stop to resupply. Is it a “destination?” My impression of this particular shop is that it is very much a satellite location. It is one of five Smoke Inn locations in SoFla. Three others are within a 30 mile radius. If you seek an environment to enjoy your cigar and some conversation, there are better choices in Palm Beach.

Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke. It is bad for you. I have the utmost respect for our Native American brothers. 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. Ice cream is good. I think Wooden Indians are cool.