By Alexander Britell
Aruba has long been a haven for cigar lovers, with a host of cigar shops large and small for passionate travelers.
But navigating the island’s diverse cigar scene has never been easy — until now.
The walk-in humidor at LCDH Aruba.
That’s because there’s a true La Casa del Habano in the heart of Oranjestad’s Plaza Mall that is the island’s greatest cigar shop.
Led by one of Aruba’s leading cigar experts, Jay Ras, the “Cigar Emporium”’s popular manager, this shop has a vast walk-in humidor with a remarkably well-kept inventory of both individual smokes and boxes, with a particular emphasis on a diverse range of individual smokes — an uncommon but welcome feature in a La Casa del Habano.
And it’s a selection that goes beyond the usual offering, from Sancho Panza Belicosos to the rare Partagas Lusitania, among others.
And then there’s the very comfortable lounge, filled with leather couches and chairs, an espresso machine for Cuban coffee and, should the occasion arise, a stock of preferred Cuban libations.
In the always-bustling downtown of Oranjestad, it’s what the best cigar shops should be: an oasis.
Ultimately, though, the mark of any great cigar shop is its people — who know how to make one feel at home, to feel like they’ve walked into a private club. And that’s precisely what Jay Ras accomplishes.
There are all kinds of cigar shops in Aruba, but this one is easily the best.
