Charles Dimino, the owner of Cigar Charlie’s in West Point, provides a critical and rare service to his clientele–providing one of the only sources for premium cigars in the Golden Triangle area. The hand-rolled cigar eludes many who shop for it in small towns like West Point and Starkville, making a shop that sells it a rare jewel.
According to Dimino, this is the only store with a good selection from Memphis to the coast.
Dimino mostly bases his orders on what his customers request, and now he showcases some of the most popular cigars in the industry, such as Arturo Fuente, Ashton, C.A.O. and Padron.
“People want the names here,” Dimino said. “I’ve built my inventory on what people ask for.”
Brice Young, a Mississippi State University graduate and Cigar Charlie’s shopper, recalled some of his favorite facets of the store.
“The quality of the cigars is excellent, as is the selection. They are a passion for the manager,” Young said.
Dimino set up shop on May 29, 1999. He remembers the date easily because the Women’s U.S. Open started that weekend in West Point.
As an education graduate from Mississippi State University in 1974, Dimino taught school for seven years. He spent his last three years teaching in Marion, Ark. before coming back to West Point, because he has lived in the town all his life. He then opened a liquor store, which shares a building with what has now become Cigar Charlie’s.
“I started to smoke cigars and liked them, so I decided to start selling them,” Dimino said.
In November 2000, Dimino sold the liquor store, which he had owned since 1983, to concentrate his efforts on selling cigars. He feels that the two businesses existing side by side complement one another.
“Sometimes people who drink enjoy smoking, too” Dimino said. “It’s convenient to stop in one place and have the ability to purchase both.”
Upon opening the store, Dimino received help from his son, Chase, and his nephew, Charlie Dimino.
“They’ve both been with me since day one.” Dimino said.
Both assistants go to college, as well as work at the store. Even with the help, Dimino spends most of his time running the business.
“He stays here mostly all day; he doesn’t need much help,” Charlie said.
While very little competition exists in selling premium cigars in North Mississippi, Charles struggles against the increased availability and sales of cigars online.
“Lots of people think they can get a better deal online, but they don’t consider that the cigars they order may have been stored for a very long time or that they could be counterfeits,” Dimino said.
A cigar needs storage at a relative humidity level of around 70 percent and temperature near 70 degrees to maintain freshness because they are made of full tobacco leaves, not processed tobacco like a cigarette. The cigars at Charlie’s are stored in a walk-in humidor that keeps them at these optimum levels for buyers. Rare cigars can receive vast mark-ups on the Internet, another disadvantage of shopping online. Cigar Charlie’s may present such hard-to-find brands and cigars such as the Fuente Opus X, for which a waiting list exists because of the extremely low production.
“We will get Opus X in the near future,” Dimino said.
Concerns that already exist regarding the purchase of other products online may soon extend to cigars for state economic benefits.
Wine cannot be shipped to Mississippi merchants from other states, according to state law because such shipping does not allow for taxes to be imposed on the products. If a similar restriction were imposed on cigars, the state would benefit from increased tax revenues, and businesses like Cigar Charlie’s would benefit from lesser competition.
“The attorney general is trying to put a stop to the shipping of cigars so that Mississippi can get the 15 percent tax that we’re required to pay on all tobacco products,” Dimino said.
Because cigars are not meant for inhalation but rather for savoring the unique flavors the smoke produces on the tongue, people commonly enjoy them as a means of relaxation.
“We sell more cigars to students and professionals because they have learned how to smoke them and have less stress in their lives,” Dimino noted.
“We’re thinking about starting a cigar club to help attract and benefit more customers,” Dimino said.
He also specializes in the sale of other fine tobacco products and accessories, such as pipes, lighters and pipe tobacco.
“We sell Savinelli Pipes,” Dimino said. “They’re considered by most to be the best in the industry; they’ve been around since 1876.”
Dimino said he’s happy to operate his store in West Point and frowns at the idea of relocating.
“Sure, the business would do better somewhere with more traffic, but I won’t move. This is my home,” Dimino said.
Cigar Charlie’s is located at 902-A Miss. Highway. 45 S. Alternate in West Point.