Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Florida is in kind of a weird spot. It’s nestled between the major highway — I4 — and the East Lake Park area, but also almost directly across from the Florida State Fairgrounds and the Amphitheatre — now called the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, which is the local go-to spot for big concerts and live events.
It’s not necessarily in a beautiful area, but the property itself is beautiful, and they’ve done a great job keeping up with it. Of course, there’s gambling, lots of entertainment, shops, and good restaurants. The Hard Rock is also a major spot for big events, even concerts. But one annual event in particular that I’m fond of is the Tampa Cigar Bash hosted by Casa de Montecristo. Having attended two years in a row, this year being my second, it’s always a blast and if you love cigars, in any capacity, it’s a great place to be.
The event area is outside by the pool, with lots of bars, and live music, and since it was held at the beginning of October, it was beautiful outside, instead of the usual sweat-inducing hot and humid Florida temperatures. Me and my partner in crime — my brother-in-law — sprung for the VIP tickets this year. Last year, we bought general admission. The two biggest differences between general and VIP are a bigger swag bag, which means more cigars included, and access to the open bar during the event. Let me tell you, the open bar alone is worth it. But for anyone who hasn’t attended anything like this, what does the event entail? What do you get for swag and cigars, and is it worth the cost?
Since there are a few events like Tampa Cigar Bash, held all across the country, this might provide a good comparison for you depending on what that event offers. Big Smoke in Las Vegas is another great example, but it’s a much bigger fanfare over there for sure.
What happens at Tampa Cigar Bash stays at Tampa Cigar Bash
After parking and winding your way through the Hard Rock Hotel to the venue area, you wait to be allowed into the enclosed event space. Before going in, you’re sorted into two lines: VIP or guest admission. Of course, that didn’t matter as much when we got there because VIPs were allowed in an hour early, and most general admission guests weren’t lined up yet.
As soon as you’re allowed in, you collect your swag bag with your free cigars, head up to the event area, and find a space to relax. The bags change from year to year. Last year, for instance, general admission came with a cooler-type bag, while VIPs got a mini Casa de Montecristo-themed backpack. This year, general admission got a mini backpack, and VIPs got a fantastic Casa de Montecristo duffel bag. I actually used it as a carry-on during a recent trip to the Dominican Republic to visit La Aurora — but that’s a different story.
Inside the bag, we got about 40 cigars from various brands featured at the event, including Southern Draw, AJ Fernandez, My Father, Oliva, Perdomo, Plasencia, Tatuaje, Rocky Patel, E.P. Carrillo, Crowned Heads, Black Label Trading Company, Alec Bradley, Camacho, Espisona, Arturo Fuente, and more. VIPs got a few extra — I believe general admission gets about 30 cigars. Plus, we got some ashtrays, cutters, bottle openers, lighters, and a few other things. One notable piece of swag we received is a handheld flame lighter from Romeo y Julieta. It is badass but I’m not sure if I’ll use it often because seriously, this thing will absolutely roast the foot of your cigar. It’s the kind of torch lighter you might use in the kitchen to make some creme brulee.
Anyway, after sifting through your bag and admiring your booty, you just relax, smoke, and have a good time. Spread throughout the venue are stands or tables dedicated to the brands participating where you can buy more cigars and take advantage of some great deals. In some cases, it’s less about the deals and more about getting your hands on a rare blend — I bought the 2024 Tatuaje Monster Smash sampler and a box of the Casa de Montecristo Exclusive Southern Draw Rose of Sharon Salomon.
Those Southern Draw boxes sold out fast as hell, which is pretty insane because the deal wasn’t that great, they’re just an exclusive size, blend, and hard to find. But you’ll also find a lot of that sort of thing at big events like Tampa Cigar Bash.
Why attend an event like this?
For starters, you go to something like this to simply have a great time and it is a wonderful time. You rub elbows with others in the cigar community, especially those who travel from elsewhere. We met a few guys from Pittsburgh, Chicago, New York, and some other places. They either came for the event or were in town and saw the event was happening. But you have drinks, enjoy the cigars, discuss pretty much anything you’re interested in and that’s it. There are no obligations to buy anything, after all, you’ve already spent on your ticket.
Another reason you might attend something like this is if you’re just getting into cigars. Or if you want to try out a bunch of new brands. The cigars alone, which technically weren’t free because you paid for your ticket, give you an opportunity to try singles and new blends. You don’t have to buy them from a shop or track down an online vendor. At events like Big Smoke, you visit different stations and collect the cigars, almost like trick-or-treating. At Tampa Cigar Bash there’s no battle to get your cigars, they’re already stowed and humidified in a Boveda bag inside your swag kit.
Then, of course, you can peruse the stations and buy, or not buy, cigars at your leisure. There are also a ton of raffles, free giveaways, and cool things you can collect. For example, most of the vendors give away free swag if you spend a certain amount like stickers, hats, tees, ashtrays, cutters, lighters, and more. I got a really cool wooden bottle opener from Southern Draw for my purchase.
No, freebies and extras should never be the main reason you’d go to an event. That’s because they’re fairly common in the cigar industry. But it’s always a nice bonus when they do show up.
Enough formalities; what did you do there? Was it worth it?
Cigars from the picture:
Honestly, I’m repeating myself, but I kicked back with my brother, had some drinks, talked to people who were at the event, and smoked a bunch of cigars. They also served food which was delicious, by the way, so we had some of that. The food is included in the ticket price. This year, there was a prime rib sandwich, some salad, and various munchies like cookies or bread rolls. The first year they had some lobster mac and cheese and that was phenomenal. While I didn’t see that this year, what they did have was good.
Overall, with the swag, 40 cigars, and the experience, I feel like the ticket was worth it. VIP admission was $245 and after fees and everything it worked out to about $258. With 40 cigars, if you estimate each cigar is worth about $8, that’s $320 for the cigars alone, not including the other gear or the bag. Plus, the free drinks, and I definitely got a few
For me, it was worth it and it was a great time. I’ll let you be the judge of your own experience and who knows maybe next year I’ll see you there.
