Ashes N Embers
11 Division Street
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 393-4062
Hours:
Monday - Wednesday
11 AM - 9 PM
Thursday - Saturday
11 AM - 11 PM
Sunday
12 PM - 3 PM
(Hours subject to change)
Central Jersey's newest premier tobacco retailer in a prime location...right off of historic Main Street in Downtown Somerville. Surrounded by an extraordinary diversity of restaurants featuring all types of international cuisines, as well as various historic arts and cultural attractions, Ashes N Embers opened on April 30, 2012, followed by a ceremonial ribbon cutting on May 4th. The store is located on a street that was once largely ignored and dimly lit; however, in March 2012, the street was closed off to traffic and underwent massive redesign and "artsy" modernization - now the home to several business, including Ashes N Embers.
Ashes N Embers is co-owned by Bryan Butensky and his 20-year-old son, Ethan, both from Branchburg, NJ. Bryan has a 40+ year family history of retail, and he has been a firefighter in North Branch, NJ for about 25 years. The father-son team literally built out the store themselves, and there are plenty of pictures available to support their claim - they built everything including the counter and the humidor...everything except for finishing the floor. Ethan has recently become a Certified Retail Tobacconist - his personality and youthful vigor make it fun to talk tobacco with him. The Butenskys are extremely personable and engage with each and every one of their customers.
The parlor features a custom handcrafted walk-in humidor, with a state of the art humidification unit. Bryan boasts that the humidor stays consistently at a room temperature of 70 degrees and 70% relative humidity - with room for very little deviation, due to a unit that will send him a mobile text message if the temperature and/or humidity rise or fall outside of a pre-programmed range. This level of accuracy ensures that the stock of hundreds of cigars remain properly stored. The walk-in humidor has a store-front window and is well-stocked with the finest premium brands, such as Rocky Patel, Liga Privada, Tatuaje, Cuenca Y Blanco, La Flor Dominicana, Gurkha, Padron, Avo, and Arturo Fuente to name a few. Like a kid in a candy store, it's very easy to lose yourself in the humidor...the stock is simply incredible.
Ashes N Embers also features a tasting room, with a 42-inch HDTV, plenty of table seating, and annual rental lockers. The ventilation system changes the air 16 times per hour. On warm nights, smaller tables and chairs are placed just outside of the parlor for smokers to people-watch on Division Street and periodically enjoy the sounds of the various bands that play during the evenings from Thursday through Saturday during the Spring, Summer, and early fall. Ashes N Embers hosts many special cigar events sponsored by many of the top manufacturers and distributors.
The Butenskys' hospitality is unmatched - there is no way that you can just walk in for a quick purchase. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, so you just can't help but want to hang out for awhile.
Amenities
Walk-in humidor: YES
Lounge area: YES (with limited availability of cigar lockers)
Accessories for sale: Humidors (tabletop and travel), humidification devices, ashtrays, cigar cases, cutters, butane lighters, butane refills
Sales assistance: SUPERIOR
Ambience: Inviting; relaxing; great place to watch the game with the guys