This small Caribbean island offers everything to make the hearts of cigar aficionados beat faster: excellent tobacco shops, comfortable cigar lounges, rum factories, and even a local cigar factory. Here’s our cigar correspondent’s insider guide on where to smoke cigars in Barbados.
An island run by women and rum
The Barbadian people are very proud to have a championship title with Mount Gay, the oldest rum distillery in the world, and described as a global brand that’s “becoming the rum equivalent of Macallan” by Dawn Davies in this article on the rise of rum over the past few years.
There, I meet Rhea Cox, a prominent mixologist and passionate aficionada of fine cigars, who travels around the world as a brand ambassador for Mount Gay. I try the award-winning Sugar Cake cocktail (enriched with the legendary Black Barrel Rum) with a mild Robusto from The Caribbean Cigar Company. The Caribbean-style dessert cigar was a wonderful new taste experience for me. Rhea works with Trudiann Branker, who, in 2019, became the first female master blender from Mount Gay.
One thing’s clear: in Barbados, women have the say – as the prime minister, as managers in tobacco businesses, and in leading positions in the rum industry.
Cigars on the sophisticated west coast
Barbados is a picturesque little island and can be circumnavigated in a good three hours by car. From north to south, it measures just 34 kilometres. If there’s no traffic, you can reach the trendy locations on the sophisticated west coast in St. James quickly. This is where the best tobacco shops in Holetown are located, as well as the highly recommended Cigar Lounge 101 West.
When I first step into the luxurious Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, I feel aesthetic extravagance at its finest, combined with a soothing pragmatism that reminds me of London. Here, the pretty colourfulness of the Caribbean feels very British.
At Platinum Coast Cigars, I’m welcomed by the charismatic boss Deborah Bennett, who looks after a huge walk-in humidor, as well as an impressive indoor cigar lounge with her team of three women. Deborah took over the former Casa del Habano and has turned this legacy into a real gem.
While she carries an excellently stocked range of New World cigars from the world's best tobacco regions, Habanos lovers will enjoy a large selection of classic Cuban brands, some of which are at much lower prices than in Great Britain (up to 25%).
"Here in the Caribbean, we are very close to the source of the Habanos distributor," Deborah says happily.
On the smoking terrace of Platinum Coast Cigars, I meet cigar podcaster Andrew O’Dell, who is very successful in Barbados, and Julian Boyce from the Hilton Barbados Resort. I spend a relaxing afternoon in the luxurious outdoor area of the Hilton very close to the beach, where even very demanding tobacco lovers will find paradise in the area around a picturesque lighthouse. Here, I treat myself to the spectacular Montecristo No. 5 (10.2 cm) – an unforgettably pleasurable moment.
"We wanted to open our own cigar lounge in this Hilton," Boyce informs. "But that was not possible because of monument protection. Our terrain is very close to one of Barbados' UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the 17th-century Charles Fort fortifications."
In the Hilton restaurant, you can enjoy this historic ambience to the fullest, thanks to the spectacular panoramic windows. Later, I treat myself to a second favourite cigar on the Hilton’s second paradisiacal beach. Then, I dive into the turquoise sea with very gentle waves – a Caribbean dream come true.
To enjoy a typical Caribbean ambience while shopping for your cigars, stop by the picturesque specialist shop Havana Hut Cigars. It has settled in a pastel-coloured little house, just a few minutes away from Habanos Point. Here, I meet another charming female team. Its friendly service and excellent selection of fine premium cigars are guaranteed to put every aficionado in high spirits. The owner of this top specialty store lives on the island of Trinidad, where she runs a Casa del Habano.
The art of enjoying a good cigar
Barbados’ reputation as an island of recreation dates back to 1751, when George Washington, who later became US president, came to the island at the age of 19 with his brother to convalesce. In the museum dedicated to him near Bridgetown, there’s the cosy, quiet George Washington Coffee House with a beautiful garden, where cigar lovers can enjoy smoking on an outdoor terrace.
Later in the evening, I meet Shelly Williams, head of Barbados Tourism Marketing – a power woman on the island who has been an avid smoker of cigars since she was young.
"We are proud that all Bajans on our island have access to exclusive leisure activities such as golf, polo horse racing, and the enjoyment of a good cigar," Williams emphasises: "Our small island state is characterised by social balance. This makes Barbados a safe destination for tourists."
I'm sitting with the likeable Shelly on the legendary nightlife mile of the St. Lawrence Gap; on the terrace of the Cocktail Kitchen restaurant, run by Barbadian star chef Damian Leach. Its roasted breadfruit with lobster and pickled shrimp tastes excellent. After that, the time is ripe for a Barbados-Europe friendship cigar – of course, a Corona Royal Barbados with rum flavour from the tobacco manufacturer Caribbean Cigar Company.
The Caribbean Cigar Company was founded in 1993 by Angelika Marshall and her late husband Rudolph Kautz Marshall, and I highly recommend a visit to this picturesque manufactory. Up to 200 premium long fillers are made by hand here every day – all of which are sold in the best tobacco shops on the island.
The cigars, which are usually rather mild, have an excellent wrapper from Ecuador and a filler with hearty-spicy tobacco from Nicaragua. A lathe operator who immigrated from Cuba guarantees the top quality. So, naturally, I enjoy a signature cigar with strong character from Royal Barbados Caribbean Cigar Company on the fantastic panoramic terrace of the Mimosas restaurant by the sea in Oistins with Angelika.
"This cigar flavoured with Foursquare rum is stored for over two weeks in a special container. In this way, it slowly takes the aroma of the multi-award-winning rum," Angelika informs me.
Three rum distillery tours and a catamaran excursion
Reserve a whole day to visit the three most important rum distilleries in Barbados. Start at the historic factory of Mount Gay Rum in St. Lucy. From there, head to St. Philip, where you should plan enough time for the multi-award-winning Foursquare rum distillery. Owner Richard Seale is a passionate cigar smoker with excellent contacts in the London scene. I recommend a tour of the imposing distillery and a tasting with head tour guide Dario Folkes – a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to rum and mixology.
At the end of the rum exploration, make a detour to St. Peter, where St. Nicholas Abbey rum distillery has settled in an idyllic location. Its historic ambience, delightful museum, and charming outdoor terrace is worth the journey alone.
You also can't leave Barbados without exploring its picturesque coast by catamaran. It’s the best opportunity to catch a glimpse of the most beautiful locations, where some of the most luxurious yachts in the world are anchored. For paradisiacal bathing as well as cigar enjoyment, I also recommend the beaches at Oistins in the south of the island, where the popular local fish market also beckons.
A beach resort, golf club, and cigar lounge
On the attractive nightlife mile, St. Lawrence Gap in Christ Church, I come across a food truck in the evening, where a Cuban woman sells Habanos at very reasonable prices to accompany rum cocktails. So, I enjoy a traditional Ramon Allones Robusto in the beautiful garden of my neighbouring accommodation, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort. In its picturesque garden pavilion, my fine smoke mixes with rum from the Foursquare distillery, creating a Caribbean fiesta.
At the resort’s pool late in the evening, I’m surprised to meet aficionados from a cigar club in New York: "We’re regulars here because the tropical garden and dream beach nearby make every cigar an unforgettable event."
Another highlight is the spectacularly located Apes Hill golf course, which is considered one of the most beautiful ecological nature reserves in the Antilles. This course – and its panoramic restaurant – is also a must for non-golfers. High above the sea, you can enjoy your fine smoke and the cute little monkeys that give the golf course its name.
Ed Paskin, an aficionado from New Zealand, is responsible for the maintenance of this multi-award-winning golf course. If you have the opportunity, book a trip with Ed through his wonderful natural paradise, which, in my opinion, is unparalleled in the entire Caribbean.
Another unmissable location is a cigar lounge in St. James. It belongs to the exclusive fine dining restaurant The Cliff Beach Club, which is picturesquely situated on a rocky outcrop directly by the sea. If you’re very lucky, you might even meet Rihanna here during sunset hour…
I dedicate myself to my light after-dinner cigar, which the head sommelier recommends to me. Kemel Knight brings his excellently stocked humidor directly to the table with perfect politeness, elegantly dressed in chic livery with a lot of Caribbean heart and charm.
