Back at the end of July ’24, I found myself in LA (lower Alabama) for a launch party for the “Mean Jean” from Lure Cigars. That cigar launch just happened to be at Boll Weevil Fine Cigars in Enterprise, Alabama. When I asked owner Stephen Frank why the shop was named after an insect, he explained why the Boll Weevil was so important to the community. Essentially, the boll weevil was first spotted in Alabama in 1915. A few years later it had wiped out most of their crops. Someone then decided to replace the traditional crops with peanuts and thus, brought more money to the area. Huzzah! It saved the local economy and now, more than a century later, the locals still recognize this little insect for how it changed their fortunes.Â
Besides featuring a pretty cool statue of a boll weevil in a top hat and old-timey suit while sportin’ a cane, Boll Weevil Fine Cigars also happens to have a very large cigar on top of their building. Is it the world’s largest cigar? Maybe? It’s pretty big, but so is their selection. Boll Weevil Fine Cigars has one of the largest walk-in humidors I’ve been in.
OVERVIEW
ADDRESS:Â Â 200 N Watson St, Enterprise, AL 36330
PHONE #:Â Â (334) 417-1108
HOURS:Â Â Sunday & Monday: 12pm-6pm; Tuesday & Wednesday: 10am-6pm; Thursday – Saturday: 10am-8pm
BOOZE AVAILABLE:Â Â N
DRINKS AVAILABLE:Â Â N
FOOD AVAILABLE:Â Â N
SPECIFICS
SMOKING LOUNGE:Â Â YÂ
WALK-IN HUMIDOR:Â Â YÂ
SPONSORED LOUNGE:Â Â N
OUTDOOR SMOKING AREA:Â Â N
MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE:Â Â Y
THE LOCATION
Boll Weevil Fine Cigars isn’t hard to find in a city with fewer than 30,000 citizens. The building, according to Stephen Frank, has been a few different things before becoming BWFC. The building offers great natural lighting due to the large windows in the front. Not to worry, the humidor is in a window-less room to the left of the front door. It’s a spacious building that allows room for a large main lounge area, a very large walk-in humidor, lockers, cabinets, and humidors and other accessories along the wall and behind the counter. Being a stand alone building there is plenty of parking and no other businesses to have to share it with.
HUMIDOR
SELECTION/HUMIDOR SIZE
When you first walk in to BWFC you wouldn’t be at fault if you missed the humidor. It’s to the left behind glass doors. I first missed it. Then I found it and upon first glance at the door, I was a bit disappointed. That disappointment quickly turned to an overwhelming sense of cigar euphoria. They have…a lot. That door hides a massive walk-in humidor that is more reminiscent of a department store from the late 1980’s. The laminate floor and fluorescent lights brought back a lot of nostalgia for me. The cigar selection brought me back to the present. Boutique? They have a lot. Usual suspects? They have a lot. Hard to find? They’ve got that, too. There’s not a lot they don’t have. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.Â
HUMIDOR MAINTENANCE
Clean. The humidor at BWFC was one of the cleanest I’ve been in. It’s obvious that the managers, the husband and wife team of Jason Rittichier and Wendy Eisel Rittichier, take a lot of pride in their store. The shelves are stocked, well merchandised, free of dust, and (more importantly) free of mold. There is no clutter on the ground; all of the overstock is located on the top shelf.Â
THE LOUNGE
CUSTOMER SERVICE/STAFF KNOWLEDGE
The pride that Jason and Wendy have in their store is shared with the other employee I met while there, Scott. The three of them have a depth of knowledge that I do not see that often. With such a large selection, it would be easy to get lazy and just let customers sort of fend for themselves. They don’t do that. They know what they have in stock, what the new releases are, what the new releases coming are, and are very in-tune with their customer base.Â
LOUNGE SIZE
How much can I complain about the size of a lounge in a city of under 30,000? Probably a little. With so much room, it was a bit disappointing to not see a few more seats. The upshot is that you’ll never feel cramped at BWFC. Even during the launch event for the “Mean Jean,” which was busy, it never felt overcrowded or confined. Now, it could be that because of the event, the shop moved around some chairs and made some space for our set-up and Lure Cigars’ table; however, I can only go off of what I saw while there.
AMBIANCE
If I was told to describe the ambiance of BWFC it would be old school retail meets cigar minimalist…and there’s more old school retail than cigar minimalist. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Boll Weevil Fine Cigars invites you to leave your pretention at the front door. Come as you are, buy a cigar, or a box of cigars, sit down, relax, and get to know someone. That’s honestly what it’s all about. With that said, a few more matching leather chairs, and few less accessories might make a big difference. Â
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
HUMIDOR EXPERIENCE
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve walked into a humidor and not been followed or watched like a hawk. Maybe I just have the look of a kleptomaniac? I did not have that experience at BWFC. The entire staff at BWFC were friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. I asked Scott a few questions as I bought some more cigars before we left for the day. He was just as knowledgeable as Jason and Wendy were earlier in the day. The selection was just unbelievable. Foundation, Micallef, RoMa Craft, Lure Cigars, Espinosa, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust to name just a few boutique brands. CAO, Drew Estate, Cohiba, Arturo Fuente, J.C. Newman, and so much more. If you want it, they probably have it.
LOUNGE EXPERIENCE
The staff and patrons of BWFC are some of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I had a nice conversation with the owner, Stephen Frank, about how he got to where he is. He also owns a sister shop in Dothan, Alabama called the Humidor Fine Cigars. Another great place that will blow you away with their selection. There is more seating at BWFC, but if you’re ever in Dothan, it’s another great option. I also got to speak with Jason and Wendy, the managers of BWFC. They are extremely knowledgeable and very nice. You won’t be be disappointed.
RATING BREAKDOWN
2..95Â / 3.00 … Customer Service/Staff Knowledge
2.97Â / 3.00 … Selection/Humidor Size/Humidor Maintenance
3.10Â / 3.50 … Ambiance
0.37Â / 0.50 … Lounge Size
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- The selection of cigars at BWFC is almost unmatched outside of Florida.
- The staff have a passion for the industry and lifestyle.
- The ambiance could use a bit of work and updating.
HAIL TO THE BOLL WEEVIL!
Have you ever walked into a cigar shop and immediately felt at home? I can only think of a few shops that do that: FatAsh, Capitol Cigar, The Drawing Room, The Cedar Room, and now Boll Weevil Fine Cigars. That’s not to say other shops aren’t great or have as good of a selection…but at BWFC they make you feel like family. They invite you in, offer you a very large selection of cigars, and great company to enjoy them with. Is it perfect? Of course not. It is damn close. Outside of needing some more ambiance and a few more seats, Boll Weevil Fine Cigars will blow you away by just the friendliness and knowledge of their staff. Then you get to walk into their humidor. If you don’t smile when you do, are you really a cigar smoker? Boll Weevil Fine Cigars is worth the trip to Enterprise, Alabama!
