Take a look at Teddington's Casa...

FOR those of you thinking of heading to the Casa del Habanos in Teddington - stop thinking and go. To entice you, I enclose some video I shot there the other week.




It's like stepping into another world once you're over the threshold, and if you care to venture downstairs to the Lounge - well, you've got a whole new ballgame indeed.




Make a trip and tell Ajay and Bhavna I sent you. It's a great place to enjoy a smoke.

Monty.

Summer Cigar Party at The Langham, London

WHAT a terrific evening last night at London's Langham for the Hunters & Frankau Summer Cigar Party.

A great turn out and the chance to meet faces new and old was not to be missed, and the Cuban band and live cigar roller didn't disappoint.

Shame that the expected Partagas Serie E Regional Edition couldn't join the fun, but the wonderful little Flor de Cano Short Robusto and the Por Larranaga Regalias del Londres made up for it.



Thanks to all of you who came up to say hi - never enough time to talk to you all properly, but hey! We'll have to meet up again and smoke :)

Hope you enjoy the vidblogs. More soon.

M.

Treasure trove of rare Havanas at Cgars Ltd

BUSY week last week, none more so than when I visited Mitchell Orchant, MD of Cgars Ltd, to inspect some of the Lots for the forthcoming Rare and Vintage Cigar Auction.

Mitch has just built a new humidor storage which is already overflowing with smokes; you can watch a guided tour of this wonderland with MontyCristoTV below:



Plenty more to tell you about, and it's nearly time for the Hunters and Frankau Summer Party! Look forward to catching up with many of you then, come and say hello. I'll be posting more later in the week, so stay tuned.

Best,

Monty.

It's an exclusive - tasting the Flor de Cano Short Robustos

DING dong, as they say - what I day I had.

Plenty of fine smokes, Champagne and whisky, vintage humidors worth hundreds of thousands and the chance to smoke the most eagerly-awaited cigar for years.

Stopping off at the Casa Del Habanos in Teddington, I was delighted when Ajay Patel asked me to join him in tasting the first box of Flor de Cano Short Robustos he has received. We've got it on video and I'll post it as soon as I can.

Suffice to say, it's a cracker of a small smoke; light and creamy with real substance, it'll be unbeatable with Champagne. Lots of floral notes and a subtle swipe of caramel, it's a real beauty. Will age superbly and a great investment, IMHO.

Then I was off to Cgars Ltd to inspect the Lots for this year's auction on July 4. Oh boy, what a line up; some real stars including one special Cohiba humidor expected to fetch in excess of £150,000! Awesome, report to follow shortly.

Exciting times in the UK cigar industry!

Best,

Monty.

Monty Reviews Casa Del Habanos

I'VE been meaning to post this for ages, and what with being a bumbling sort of fool, just haven't got round to it.

Well, here it is at last - a snapshot of the lovely Casa del Habanos in Teddington, London, where the cigar lover can kick back, relax and enjoy a great smoke in lovely surroundings.

You'll find a walk-in humidor stocked with incredible smokes and in Ajay Patel, one of the finest hosts in the business. Let me know how you get on once you've visited.

Download Monty Reviews Casa Del Habanos here.

Best,

Monty.

Never say never again...

I SHOULD have known better; I had spent the evening before talking about cigars with perhaps one of the most knowledgeable men on the planet in regard to such things.

And perhaps I was feeling the need to impart some wisdom, however minor, of my own in the face of such expertise.

Whatever the reason, we found ourselves discussing the 'under the radar' Cuban marque, Diplomaticos.

It is supposedly aligned with the flavours of Montecristo - featuring identical sizes to the original Monte brand - and was aimed at the French market.

"Hardly anyone smokes them these days anyway," I opined to my chum. "Not a lot to them and much better things to be spending your money on."

It took just 24 hours to prove me a charlatan.

Taste testing a pair of these sticks from a recent box, I was blown away. Smooth, creamy, sweetness filled the palate with every puff, with a lingering taste of caramel on the long, soft finish.

Shows what I know. Get yourself a stick and remind yourself how good a mild cigar can be when it's flavoursome; mild these days is too often associated with blandness.

I was tasting the sticks for a forthcoming tasting article you'll be able to download here - A Tasting of Current Production Pyramides. Snappy title eh?!

So wish me luck as I descend into the tasting pit with a pair of Partagas Serie D No 2 tonight. How will they match up?

Best,

Monty.

"Taking things steady so far - major wedding at weekend which will involve multiple herfication!"

The old and the new...

A quick dash to London this week for meetings and the chance to revisit some old haunts.

I was delighted to get back to JJ Fox for the first time in a while and carry out my own personal 'mystery shopper' excercise, which they passed with flying colours.

Courteous, knowledgeable staff allowed me to pick my smoke without intrusion or bluster, from where it was up to the Sampling Room for coffee, conversation and a pleasant little Hoyo Petit Robusto while watching the traffic below.

Fox's is such a lovely store, a visit there is always a treat.

Then, a dash across town to Marylebone and one of my favourite smoking dens - Number Ten Manchester Street.

I was delighted to see the inestimable Simon Chase of Hunters and Frankau there and even more pleased to hear him talk on the provenance of the evening's cigar - a Monte D from 2005. You will not find a more knowledgeable man on Havanas than the delightful Mr Chase.

I won't go into details on the smoke and it's pairing, as that's due to be aired elsewhere, but suffice to say a pleasant evening was had by all.

Summer is a great time for cigars in the UK. I'm looking forward to a good one.

Best,

Monty.

"Monty's back to his best. Maximus Herfus."