A Visit to Fincato (Rome LCDH)

[Puros Y Vino]

I have a bit of personal history with this place. And it is brief. I've been trying to get to it several times with no success.

Tried to get to it back in 2006.  Came too late it was closed and our tour was moving on from Rome.

2010.  No luck again. Find the doors closed.

2011. Nope.  Find a sign saying it is closed for 3 weeks. (Vacation)

2013. Success! Kinda. I called ahead to reserve their last two boxes of La Escepcion Selectos Finos.  On the way down, my cell service craps out, so I can't confirm with them. My wife and I find the Fincato by the Piazza de al Colonna.  I rush over and a few gents start coming out and the door and starting to close the security door. I'm thinking WTF?!  I rush over and mention I had reserved some boxes.  They stated they were heading out to lunch and would be back in 3 hours.  I gently insisted I only needed a few minutes. One gent stayed back, he remember my emails and conversations about the LESF.  But, he stated that since he hadn't heard back from me, he sold 3 sticks from one box.  My mind was thinking full boxes only, so I passed (stupidly in retrospect) on that partial box.  On the plus side. I had managed to buy my favourite cigar ever on my birthday, in Rome. 

2019.  On my last day in Italy, which happened to be in Rome.  I bolted to the Fincato in search of the LGC Invictos.  I found it open, much to my delight and proceeded upstairs.  Sadly, they had sold out of Invictos and wouldn't be getting a new shipment until Saturday.  I was leaving the next morning so that was no good for me.  A salesman talked to another about any stock held back for customers that they could sell to me and back fill to the local purchaser.. No luck there.  I appreciated the effort. Defeated, I thought I'd at least take some photos as it is a very nice shop. Classy throughout.  I asked one of the gents there if that was OK, and it was.  I must say, the staff were fantastic.  Very courteous and professional.  Even though they couldn't help me, they tried.

Below are some shots of this stunning LCDH.

And while I left Fincato empty handed. One salesman did give me a tip on another tobacconist that might have some Invictos in stock.  And it was closeby too.  So I rushed over and struck some gold.   

I sat one to enjoy one and it was magnificent.  Medium to bold in body and very smooth.  Not rough like the Casanova.  This stick could be up there with the greats of the Italian RE line.  I grabbed several boxes and a single to enjoy right there.

Ciao

[Edward7]

Haha that's quite a string of years of bad luck getting in. I only grabbed one box of Invictos in Milan last month. Your review is making me wish I bought more. I'll smoke one soon and when I return next year for my wedding, perhaps I'll grab more.

It makes me wonder....if Italian LCDH's are the best for stock. Italian law doesn't allow for marketing of cigars online, nor shipping them out of the country as far as I understand. You'd think that it really curtails their customer base. 

[SenorPerfecto]

...and this is why I didn't choose Rome in the "Paris or Rome" poll. Hard to find cigars there. When I went to Fincato, they had almost nothing. No regionals or LE's, no Cohiba... just a couple RjY and Montes laying about. Good staff, yes, but when there are no cigars? That's rough.

[Puros Y Vino]

6 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

...and this is why I didn't choose Rome in the "Paris or Rome" poll. Hard to find cigars there. When I went to Fincato, they had almost nothing. No regionals or LE's, no Cohiba... just a couple RjY and Montes laying about. Good staff, yes, but when there are no cigars? That's rough.

That first photo tells a story.  The amount of stock in there seems ridiculously sparse. Either their customers are ravenous and buy the hell out of anything that comes in or they don't move a lot of stock in general?  FYI, the top shelves of both units, are empties.

[SenorPerfecto]

The Italians were saying how hard it is to get cigars lately. This was last autumn. And Fincato is the only real cigar shop in Rome! There's a great cafe near the Pantheon called Di Rienzo, they have lots of accessories and some Habanos. Great place to smoke and watch people and sip something outside. Probably murder in the summertime though with the heat and tourists.

[Puros Y Vino]

21 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

The Italians were saying how hard it is to get cigars lately. This was last autumn. And Fincato is the only real cigar shop in Rome! There's a great cafe near the Pantheon called Di Rienzo, they have lots of accessories and some Habanos. Great place to smoke and watch people and sip something outside. Probably murder in the summertime though with the heat and tourists.

That's where that last shot was in front of.

 

[benfica_77]

Great read and photos. I hope you enjoyed that invictos! I love the chase of a good cigar, it makes them that much more special and in my mind taste that much better. 

I hope Rome treated you well! Great city if you can get away from the major tourist areas. 

 

[El Presidente]

The rewards of perseverance! 

[ChanceSchmerr]

Your experience mirrors mine at Fincato too - visited many time, was able to gain entry only once, and no RE's to be found when I did get in. That was back in 2011. Lovely store, great ambiance, terrible stock situation.  Still, i'm glad you found the Invictos after all!!!!!

[gcman68]

I found the same thing last September the stock was very low and I wanted to spend but only managed a few singles of things I hadn’t tried.

[Drguano]

I was lucky enough to find one box in this tiny Tabacci in Maiori last month and nabbed it after smoking one the night before at an AMICIGAR event the night before. Very tasty.

[Dmpotocek]

Bummer. I found out yesterday that I’ll be in Rome this October, and was looking forward to checking this place out. I’ll still go, assuming I can get in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zyxwvu44]

I went in there during a holiday a couple years back, picked up a Trinidad topes because I was already stocked up from other places and looking for the regionals... very friendly staff and great place.

They had boxes of 1966 on the shelf and I asked if they were available...he smiled and said nope, as expected

[mozart23]

Hehe, I may have been the one who bought the last box when I went there on the 2nd during a cruise stop  

Only annoying thing was that I didn't have enough cash, so they charged an extra 3% to use a credit card.

[GasGuy82]

Personally disappointed in Fincato, found them lacking in terms of stock. In addition, the kiss of death was when I asked about aged or vintage stock and they imm ediately tried to push Hoyo and Partagas Anejados on me...

[MountainMilG]

Was hard to get in (weird hours), but picked up couple boxes of regular stock when there last year and smoked a RGPC on the street in front since they don’t allow smoking inside anymore. 

Ill go back to Spain to buy cigars.  Italy was underwhelming to me. Amazing food, less so cigars