We recently heard about a new cigar store that opened across the river in nearby Easton PA so we decided to drop by and check it out.

Easton is an aging but proud town. It's home to former world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and has one of the finest high school wrestling programs in the country. Its traditional Thanksgiving Day football game with interstate rival Phillipsburg consistently draws 18.000 fans. (ESPN carried the game live several years alto.) It has become a popular location for film crews who like its gritty downtown and architectural diversity.

A number of towns on the Delaware are trying to become artists' colonies with galleries. boutiques and sidewalk restaurants that serve cappuccino and quiche to tourists from New York City. Some people have similar visions for Easton but for now. thankfully. it remains a workingman's town. It is a place that deserves a smoke shop where regular customers can gather after work or on Saturday mornings to relax. have a cigar and catch up on local events.

The Cigar Shoppe fits the bill. It occupies the first floor of a handsome. old. three-storv building in the business district. An eye-catching cigar store Indian sits in the window. The owner told us that he picked it up at a discount antique store and is unsure of its provenance.

Inside. a high ceiling. oak floors and wood beams give the shop a certain character which is sadly missing from the mall stores. The roomy shop was subdivided into four sections: an area containing the counter. register and displays for accessories: an area dedicated to several large capacity humidors: a walk-in humidor in the back of the shop: and a lounge in the front.

The lounge. which is available to all customers. features comfortable furniture. a coffee table stocked with cigar books and references. a TV and a view of the street. Framed cigar prints decorate the papered walls. French doors offer a degree of privacy and some separation from customers browsing the humidors and displays.

It is a pleasant, functional layout. More important than the layout, however, is the inventory. So many of the new stores these days are stocked with new. untested brands. This shop had a solid lineup Ashtons. Dunhills. Fuentes. PG's. Nat Shermans. Partagas and many others from the ton 50. If you want OPUS X's, however, you'll have to keep looking .

We introduced ourselves to the owner, Jim O'Brien. and acquainted him with our column. He offered us each a free cigar. (Our routine never fails.) We each selected a George Hamilton and sat down to smoke our complimentary cigars in the lounge. Jim joined us and told us some of the ins and outs of the cigar business.

He had been in the retail business for 25 years (ironically in the health care field) and this was the first time he had to beg Suppliers to sell him things. Well-known brands of premium cigars are hard to get. Most suppliers want to know all about you and your store before they'll open a wholesale account for you in some cases. it's like applying for membership in an exclusive club.

Our conversation switched to the Hamilton cigars we were smoking.

George Hamilton and style are synonymous. He's always impeccably dressed, never has a hair out of place, wears a perpetual tan, and carries a reputation for charm. He even had a talk show with his ex-wife. How could you not admire this elegant fellow? We feel a certain kinship towards George since we know a guy who knows Francesco Quinn who knows George. As soon as we achieve celebrity status. we hope to meet George directly.

George began producing cigars in 1996. We had first seen them in Las Vegas but resisted trying them because of the fancy price tag. (Food is cheap in Vegas but not cigars.) However. we now jumped at the chance to try them for free.

Hamilton offers several lines of cigars. each with a different blend. We tried Hamiltons Reserve. They are made in the Dominican Republic from Dominican binder and filler with a Connecticut wrapper. The labels on the handsome cigars bear the Hamilton family crest.

The Hamilton Reserve line comes in nine different shapes and sizes. (Is it just a coincidence that the long panatela is named "Zorro"?) we sampled some robustos. The cigars burned evenly and delivered a smooth, medium bodied smoke with a hint of spice. We'll definitely smoke them again although next time we'll probably have to pay about $9.25 each.

Joe segued the conversation to another cigar that is associated with an actor. Public Enemy Cigars feature actor Frank Vincent on the band. (Frank was the "made" gangster who got whacked by Joe Pesce in Goodfellas.) The silver-haired Vincent is dressed in a black suit. He is holding a cigar in his right hand. The expression on his face is strictly business. He is clearly a man of respect. The ad for the cigar urges you to "Be a player".

Jim had heard of the brand but had not tried them. He does not carry them in his store. Joe had recently tried one. It was a pyramid measuring roughly 6 1/2" by 48. With its dark wrapper, it looked exactly like the type of cigar you would expect a wise guy to smoke. At $13.99 each only a wise guy could afford one.

Joe admitted with some embarrassment that he had no clue where the cigar came from or what kind of tobacco it used. Bill is usually the impulse buyer, giving little or no thought to research and value. but in this case it was Joe. He loved Goodfellas.

Joe described what happened when he eventually smoked the Public Enemy. It burned unevenly. The short ash began to curl noticeably upward before it dropped off leaving behind an ugly, jagged crater instead of a well-formed cone. The cigar delivered a rough smoke.

Joe explained how he gave up about halfway through and did an autopsy on the butt. The tobacco looked pretty good, smooth and silky to the touch with no short pieces. Maybe he just got one that was poorly rolled. The pyramid is a very difficult shape to make.

Well, our Hamiltons were done and it was time to go. We had enjoyed our hour at the Cigar Shoppe and plan to return soon. It is the type of place that every small city should have. For those of you who don't smoke, there's always cappuccino and quiche farther down the Delaware.

It just doesn't get any better.

The Cigar Guys

P.S. We still haven't heard from you cruisers. This is your last chance to meet us at Michael's Pub on the Century in May and be part of our next column.

If you want to learn more about The Cigar Shoppe. check out Jim's web page at www.thecigarshoppe.com.

You can The Cigar Guys at: tbill@enter.net for any comments or questions.

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