The Pashas of Puff emerging from the forward sections of the plane will be happy to find cigar nirvana at the two cigar stores-the Habanos-at the new Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
Invitingly termed walk-in humidors, these temperature-controlled wooden enclosures offer a fine selection of Cuban cigars. Choose from the fullbodied Cohiba Siglo VI, which blends chocolate, coffee and leather, Romeo y Julieta's mild medium-bodied Wide Churchills made with smoothtoasted tobacco and the full-bodied Bolivar Petit Belicosos whose spicy aftertaste lingers long after the ash has crumbled. For the seasoned smoker, Habanos also stocks the intensely-flavoured Partagas and the robust Hoyo de Monterreys.
Romeo y Julieta Duke limited edition cigars; Bolivar Petit Belicosos
With more than 80 varieties on display, the cigar buffet isn't restricted to Cuban stogies alone. Large-cut Davidoff cigars from the Dominican Republic share cabinets with Coronas and Robustos from the Honduras: with their low tobacco content, these are perfect for the dilettante looking to become a puff daddy. The nouveau cigar slave may also try the Punch Platino with a medium aroma, for starters. Those totally lost can rely on the welltrained sales persons standing by to help them choose the most palatefriendly smoke.
For gift and collectible-seekers, the humidors offer limited-edition collections of Cohiba Behike, H Upmann Magnum 48 and Romeo y Julieta Duke. Think of these as -singular snares for regulars as well as curious non-cigar smokers tempted to check out the wares.
Since it's important to store the cigar right once you've taken it home, the store also sells a range of leather and wood cigar cases with custom temperature controls. With prices ranging from $5 (Rs 225) for a pack of five to $1,000 (Rs 45,000) for a box of 25 cigars, the offerings at Habanos are priced 45-50 per cent lower than the smokes available at retail stores across the Indian metros and are reportedly in line with the prices at Dubai duty free.
Cartoonist Linda Barry said: "Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke." At Habanos, all the offerings are explosive smokes that cigaristas will willingly love.
