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| *Travel Tips>>>Dominican Republic Travel Tips |
Buying Cigars and Rum in Dominican Republic? |
Travel Info We will be visiting Puerto Plata soon. Is it better to buy Rum and Cigars at the airport? Are the prices for these items cheaper near or around our hotel? I heard there is a Sea World there, does anyone know the entrance fee? Where is the best place to buy amber jewelry? My friend smokes Cigars, which brand is the best, and the mildest to smoke, in other words not too strong? Where is a good place to shop for clothes in Puerto Plata? Thank You Travel Tips Definitely get some Brugal rum. You can find bottles at shops for a lot cheaper than the airport. I think we got some for like $6-8. Others At the Airport for sure. Duty Free shops in most Carib. airports are extremely cheap and the selection is great. When we went to Punta Cana we bought some rum and vodka at the airport and paid about a 1/3rd the price I am used to paying. Outside the airport we didnt see much, and what we did see look overpriced. Wow....you are full of questions! Rum (Brugal and Barcelo) are of course available at the Airport, but you really don't want to buy them there - way to overpriced there. Visit any of the supermercados and you will find them for much less. Ocean World is there in Puerta Plata. It is pretty expensive for the Dominican Republic, but great for tourist. The price is $55 for adults. Check out their website below. Cigars: There are so many here. Some of the best include the A.F. churchill, Don Elias, and on and on. In Puerto Plata try The Fine Gift Center in Calle Doce de Julio (12th of July Street). Upstairs they have a cigar museum/workshop where you might get to try a couple of handmades there & then!! The other place to try is Canoa Gift shop in Beller (lower part nearer the port), again, they have a man making them most of the day & you can get a smoke first before buying!! The Amber Museum is right there in Puerta Plata. try there and around the town for amber jewelry. Also check out the link below for more information. http://www.oceanworld.net/html_site/oce_... http://www.dr1.com/forums/archive/f-41/t... http://www.popreport.com/featurearticles... Stogie 101 We all know that cigars are trendy, but with so many to choose from who really knows how to buy them? The Dominican Republic boasts over 600,000 acres of tobacco plantations and dozens of cigar brands. What cigars you buy and the way you handle them will distinguish you from the average Joe, and give you certain respectability from fellow cigar aficionados. Here is a little history and a few tips on how to shop for and smoke your stogies. THE PROCESS: Did you know the cigar-making process can take as much as three years to complete? They begin like most other crops after the first seed has been planted. Four months later this the plant is ready to be harvested. The ripe leaves are hand picked and dried immediately by hanging them for between 6-8 weeks. The leaves are then sorted by color, size, and texture. Then, they are placed in a final fermentation process for two months, and can sit in a cigar factory to age for up to 2 years depending on the type. WHAT TO SHOP FOR: FRESHNESS: slightly pinch the cigar at the head with two fingers. A well-made cigar should be tender. Cracks in the wrapper tell you that they have not been kept at the right temperature and have lost their taste. COLOR: Although the wrapper, filler and bind come from different parts of the plant, the color of the stogies should be uniform. Note, this is also true when buying a box. It is perfectly acceptable to verify if all are of the same shade. AROMA: A well-constructed cigar has an exceptional pre-smoke aroma. If you prefer a little novelty, certain brands offer their own special touch like Cojimar with its sugar tipped multi-flavored cigars. A FEW REMINDERS: So you talk the talk, but can walk the walk? Here are four reminders to help you fit in when holding your stogie: First, THE BAND: the band (the paper ring around the cigar) is a debated topic among smokers. The warmth of the smoke eases its removal. The truth is that if you want to keep it on as a badge of pride, go ahead! Second, INHALING: Smoke from a cigar should be tasted, not inhaled. Third, CHEWING: Holding your cigar with your teeth dampens the tip and makes it more difficult to draw. Last, SMOKING: Beginners should smoke after supper to prevent stomach cramps. Also remember that cigars smell strong, so think of others before you light up. Rum: History and Classification The Spanish conquistadores first found cane in the Canary and Azore Islands. While on his second voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus transplanted this new spice to Hispaniola, which has an ideal climate for sugar production. Sugar mill operators soon noticed after harvesting the sugar, there was a leftover juice, known today as molasses. By the 1650s this former waste product was being distilled. In the English colonies it was called 鈥渞umbullion鈥? which was shortened over the years to our modern word Rum, or 鈥渞on鈥?in Spanish. Rum is made by distilling fermented sugar and water. This sugar comes from the sugar cane and is fermented from cane juice, concentrated cane juice, or molasses. Molasses is the sweet, sticky residue that remains after sugar cane juice is boiled and the crystallized sugar is extracted. ! Did you know: The British navy adopted a daily ration of a half-pint of 160 proof Rum by the 1730鈥檚? This ration was later modified by mixing with an equal amount of water to produce a drink called 鈥済rog鈥? The grog ration remained a staple of British naval life until 1969. Classifications of Rum 鈥hite Rums are generally light-bodied. These are primarily used as mixers and blend particularly well with fruit flavors. 鈥olden Rums, or Amber Rums, are generally medium-bodied. Most have spent several years aging in oak casks, giving them a smooth palate. 鈥ark Rums are traditionally full-bodied, rich, caramel-dominated rums. The richest of these rums are consumed straight up. 鈥piced Rums can be white, golden, or dark. They are infused with spices or fruit flavors. 鈥帽ejo and Age-Dated Rums are aged rums. The youngest rum in the blend contains a blend of rums that are at least 10 years old. * For those that wish to learn more about rum, or get comprehensive ratings visit www.tastings.com The Punta Cana Guide Official Tourism Guide for Punta cana and the D.R. Hello, all the folks that have answered before me have given you very good advise, except for buying rum at the local supermarket, because of security concerns, you will not be allowed to carry any bottles through the security checkpoints. You must buy any rum you want to take back at the duty-free shops. |
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