A premier cigar lounge in a premier suburb of a premier city!
Coming from the South, I drove through the great Queen City that is Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the United States. So what is to be said of the nicest suburb of one of the finest cities in America? Enter Huntersville, NC! Take a Western turn off of Interstate 77 on to Sam Furr Road and head about a mile. On the right hand side of the road you will find the beautiful shopping/living/dining complex known as Birkdale Village. In addition to many gastronomical delights, there is also a great cigar oasis in the back. This is Burner’s Cigar Company.
I sat down with owner, Josh Johnson and General Manager, Micah Scott on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Southern, North Carolina and we discussed the blends available at the shop, their signature blend, as well as the origin of the store and the vibrant Charlotte cigar scene.
Before 2011, this establishment was known as Outman Cigar and Knife. This business model was more of an outdoor adventure supply store that also sold cigars. As of 2011 the knives and other field supplies gave way to a smoking lounge and a spacious walk-in humidor, hence Burner’s was born. Josh, who was a fulltime firefighter at the time and still is today, was a patron of Outman Cigar and Knife for the first few years. After perfectly executing the American dream and purchasing his favorite hangout, Josh changed the name and the rest was history.
SIGNATURE CIGAR
The great Christian Eiroa makes a cigar exclusively for Burner’s. This treat to the tastebuds is the CBT Maduro Lancero. Checking in at a slim 38 x 7 size, this thin delight packs a punch. With a Maduromaduro Honduran wrapper as well as a maduro filler and binder, Eiroa has provided us with a delightful midday cigar that providesgives us a sweet, coffee essence that goes well after lunch. In addition to being the sole purveyor of the aforementioned Eiora cigar, Burner’s is also a Rocky Patel lounge. So the besides the Eiora and Patel lines, Padron and the Drew Estate line are the best sellers here.
THE ROPES AT BURNER’S
Here’s the skinny on the amenities at Burner’s: BCC is a bring-your-own-booze establishment. In my opinion, that adds to its allure! The BYOB situation is only available to customers with a $1 year membership. That sounds affordable, right? Lockers are available to customers for a rental fee of $420 a year. This is interesting, there is also an auxiliary Humidor site at Corkscrew, which is a cozy wine bar in the center of Birkdale Village. Corkscrew is cigar friendly on its front patio which has a great view of the heart of Birkdale which makes for great people watching. When you visit, say hi to Marlene at the bar.
CHARLOTTE CIGAR SCENE AND HUNTERSVILLE
Josh and Micah inform me that there are now about 25 cigar lounges in the greater Charlotte area, which is quite a robust scene. The cigar scene in Charlotte has been growing steadily over the past 20 years. So what would separate Burner’s from the other fine establishments besides the chill atmosphere and solid management? The answer to that is the spectacular standard of living in Huntersville! One can spend the day on Lake Norman, which is only about 2 miles away, getting their boating and fishing fix or enjoy a day on the many bike paths that the area has to offer. Wrap up the day with dinner, shopping and a stroll around Birkdale and finish it off with a cigar at Burner’s. That’s an itinerary so solid that I fully expect some travel websites to steal it for their own!
Burner’s Cigar Company
16620 Cranlyn Rd.
Huntersville, NC 28078
Food: none, but can be brought in
Cigars: yes
Alcohol: can be brought in to the lounge for a $1 year membership
www.burnerscigar.com
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