You wouldn’t expect to see a cigarette that runs on batteries sold at a prestigious tobacco shop where they still roll the real thing by hand. But that’s exactly what La Case Grande Tobacco Company owner Paul DiSilvio sells at the counter when customers are coming in for his famous cigars.

Non-flammable and driven by a rechargeable battery, this electronic cigarette may prevent forest fires, but is it the same thing? Manufacturers claim it is a great substitute. The electronic cigarette contains nicotine to satisfy cravings, water, and propylene glycol (also used in smoke machines to create artificial smoke) that mimics the inhale/exhale smoke of traditional cigarettes. The result is an odorless nicotine satisfaction. Rumor has it that the e-cigarette is flying off the shelves almost as quickly as it’s restocked.

Manufacturers tote the many positives of the e-cigarette. Purported to be cheaper and less toxic than cigarettes, the electronic version is also marketed as a non-offensive way to satisfy a nicotine craving, especially in social environments. For cigarettes, which can have literally thousands of chemical, the electronic cigarette may be a good thing. But will it replace cigars? We don’t think so.

Call us partial, but cigar smoking is a savored pastime. Tobacco blends and brands are steeped in old world traditions and at the heart of cigar smoking is an appreciation for hand-craftsmanship. Something that cigarettes miss the mark on completely.

What do you think cigar aficionados? If an e-Cigar could be manufactured with the same blends as some of your favorite stogies, simulated smoke could be created, and the entire smoking scenario could be reproduced, albeit electronically, would you buy it?