I've been desiring some 'exotic' tobacco smoking experimentation for a little while now, -whilst I'm still a smoker- but the cost is high-simply mega expensive to indulge in the 'hobby' in the UK!
The bit of online market research I did into cigars, as I'm pretty much green to that world, whilst fascinating, was ultimately a no go on cost alone! Talking small fortunes for worthwhile batches/quantities and/or sampler packs of cubans! I'd love to get into serious cigar smoking but I simply could not afford to, long term, meh, it would set me back tremendously to get one batch in, on those prices so that put me off even getting a few in/starting what I couldn't explore much further. I'm sure much of these high prices were inflated to their levels by the excise tax on tobacco here in the UK...
I then looked into some luxury cigarettes and/or hand-rolling tobaccos- I smoke Golden Virginia as my regular brand- and, whilst more relative, per pack/pouch, in price to what I'm used to paying to smoke on a regular basis here, in the UK, the fact you had to order specific high quantities mandatory as a minimum order, the excessive shipping charges and/or the risk of customs duty and/or seizure put me off these also. Seems like being in the UK is a bitch to be a smoker altogether!
. Despite this, I have a bit more money now and this thread has reignited my desire to try some new smokes out! Anybody know any decent online merchants for tobacco produce?