Slippery Rock and Butler Cigars – Cigar Adventure

Hi Cigar Pals: When in Pennsylvania, I often hear about cigar shops around the state and Slippery Rock Cigars came to my attention on our recent visit.

Every cigar shop is different, but every now and then, I run into one that just stands out in a unique way. Slippery Rock Cigars in Slippery Rock, PA is just such a place.

What’s So Unique About Them

You may be wondering, what’s so unique about them, well I’ll tell ya, if ya just give me a chance!

The first thing that is different about them is, they are at the back of an apartment complex in an apartment building.

Not only are they in an apartment building, they are in an upstairs apartment. If it hadn’t been in a nice complex, I might have thought I was going to score some drugs (guess I kinda was …. cigarros)

The second thing that I found to make them stand out, was the fact that, in a small college town, they do a thriving business and have a ton of stock.

Cigar Pals Is In The House

As always, when I walk in the door of a cigar shop, something takes over my body and brain and I become Cigar Pals, champion of the cigar adventure. I go through the place like a whirlwind announcing to all who will listen, who I am and what I do.

“ I am a guy, who rides around on a motorcycle seeking cigar adventures and then I write about them on my blog” Everyone wishes that they had my job!

There was a nice size crowd for that time of day and right away, they became interested and the conversation became quite animated, with guys asking questions and talking about cigars and cigar adventures of their own and places that I should visit.

But wait, I got ahead of myself, because the first person I met was Joe, who owns the store, who had followed me up the stairs when I came in (he has an office on the first floor).

I told him who I was and he thought that was cool, we stood there talking about cigars for a bit, then I had to insist that he show me the humidor ( I wasn’t smoking amongst all those treasures and could stand it no more)

Joe accompanied Deb and me (forgot to mention Deb, she was along for the adventure too) into the humidor and showed us some nice vitals.

I don’t recall exactly what happened next, but Joe had left the humidor ahead of us and then we came out and there was a standing humidor along the wall that had some nice choices and I perused those, probably picked out a few

One of the high points of this adventure happened when I walked back up to the counter and saw Joe unboxing the new Under Crown 10, Anniversary by Drew Estates.

I had heard this cigar was coming out, but had yet to run across any and when I saw that cigar, I just about wept (not really, tough bikers don’t weep).

To me that cigar is one of the most beautiful cigars that I have ever seen, with it’s sensual dark Maduro wrapper and the double navy blue and gold bands, one on the foot and the other up toward the head and that fine gold ribbon going over the cap and about halfway down, under the band, I was drooling and even though he hadn’t priced them out yet, I insisted that he sell me two of them

Let’s Smoke

After I got my cigars and Deb got hers, we went into the lounge and sat down with a coffee (cafe as the say in Latin America) I fired up one of my Under Crowns and we started talking cigars.

Everyone in the place was quite knowledgeable about cigars and they were a very tight-knit group.

They told me how they would travel around the area together visiting other cigar shops to show their support for the local cigar industry.

They told me that they had been down to the Cigar Shoppe in Ellwood City and the guys down there later confirmed for me that that was a fact.

We had the pleasure of visiting with several people while there and unfortunately Deb got a new phone and lost her notes and I as usual, forgot to take any, but they were a great bunch and more people kept coming and going as the day went on.

I got to spend quite a bit of time with Joe and I really appreciate him taking the time to share with us the store’s history and how he had started out thinking that he would just carry infused cigars for the college kids, but that the business had really taken off.

I want to say that they were in their fifteenth year (Joe please feel free to correct me on this if I am wrong. Today is Sunday and I can’t call you but if I’m wrong, it’s an easy fix for me).

I could probably go on and on, I could tell you about my second visit to The Slippery Rock Cigar Shop, when Paul and I stopped by on our way back from Franklin but I haven’t even started on Butler Cigars, which is their second store, located in (you guessed it) Butler, PA

Butler Cigars

Butler cigar as I said, is their second store and is run by Joe’s son, who I did not have the opportunity to meet since he was off the day I rode up there.

It was a beautiful day for a ride and Deb had other things to do, so I made the trip up by myself.

When I arrived there was a Motto Guzzi in the parking lot, and when I went in I met the owner and found out that this old Harley guy, didn’t even know how to pronounce the name of that bike, oh well.

I actually ran into that guy at the Cigar Shoppe in EC a couple weeks later (he was ridin that Guzzi)

I have to tell ya, as embarrassing as it is, I forgot to take notes and Deb wasn’t with me, so I have forgotten all names.

However, I do remember what I was smoking and I actually got extras so I could review it, and I did (gotta have my priorities straight)

The cigar was a Punch, Kung Pow and it came in one of those aluminum cooking pans.

I reviewed it on Instagram.

I really didn’t make much of a splash at Butler Cigars, I was kinda in a mellow mood, so we just sat and smoked and watched the muscle car auction.

Everyone was friendly, it was just an off day for me (I can’t be Cigar Pals all the time).

Had a nice ride back! Will have to drop back by the next time we are in Pensy. Show them a real Cigar Pals time

Pennsylvania is now in our rear view

Pennsylvania is now in out rear view mirror and we are out in South Dakota getting ready to make our yearly trek to Sturgis.

There is always a certain sadness when we leave there, because we have family and many friends there, but it’s on to other cigar adventures.

None the less, we truly enjoyed our visit to Slippery Rock and Butler Cigars.

As Always, feel free to leave comments, questions and suggestions in the space below.

Till next time Cigar Pals

Smooth Smokin