|
IT'S a dreary morning as I write - dreach, I believe the Scots would call it; but last week saw some beautiful autumn sunshine and London made the most of it.
I popped into the old metrop for the first time in ages to catch up with cigar chums and set up some new and interesting articles for my magazine and website clients.
First stop was Davidoff of St James's Street. Never a chore to visit this store! Eddie Sahakian, joint owner, is the model of decorum, and we shared a little while discussing blends old and new and planning ahead. Good to see the store busy with cigar lovers choosing sticks left right and centre.
I then scooted five minutes up the road to see Danny at Alfie Turmeau's little shop in Shepherd Market, Mayfair. Great stock in the walk-in and my first chance to sample the newly-released Partagas Serie C No 3, LE for 2012.
It's a super smoke, nice maduro wrapper and a clean, sweet, earthy blend which should age really well. Not sure on numbers released yet, but really enjoyed this stick.
Good company and coffee too, at Alfie's, as I met two young cigar enthusiasts keen on experimenting further and expanding their knowledge. They were off to a good start - one was smoking a BHK 52!
Next stop was No Ten Manchester Street Hotel and a meeting on the cigar terrace. This was accompanied by a brand new full flavoured stick - but I can't tell you about it! Top Secret at the moment, but you'll be amazed and I hope to be able to reveal all before long.
Finally, my weary feet carried me to the oldest cigar store in the world. JJ Fox is celebrating an incredible 225 years of business and a gathering of friends, colleagues, partners and cigar lovers was invited to share the moment.
A specially-produced cigar from the Padron family was unveiled and Jorge Padron himself was on hand to introduce it and say a few words in praise of the Fox family institute. The 6 x 52 box pressed maduro is a very tasty stick, medium to full and complex. Pricey at £400 per box of 10, but a stick to mark an important anniversary.
It was great to chat to members of the Fox family, and I also enjoyed a smoke with cigar maestro Simon Chase and old pal James Leavey.
All in all, a packed itinerary and it was a weary Monty who climbed aboard the rattler to head home. Some great things going on in UK cigarland, you'll hear about them here first.
You can catch up with one of my latest articles here. It will soon be up on the Press Page with my other cuttings.
Happy Herfing.
M.
A LONG, lazy, blazy week in Madrid is the perfect antidote to the deluge we've been experiencing in England this summer.
With temperatures soaring to 37 degrees and barely a cloud in the sky all week, my all too brief holiday was spent lounging by the pool, shooting the breeze with my oldest pal, supping Rioja, eating wafer-thin slices of acorn-fed ham and smoking a nice variation of Habanos.
The children enjoyed the pool, my wife enjoyed the shopping and I enjoyed the tranquility and smokes of this very cool - although not temperature wise - city.
My friend and I spent a long, languid evening in the capital itself, dodging a protest by striking miners to enjoy some hotplate minute steaks in the 'Laughing Bubble' (inclusive of a bottle of fresh, tarty cider) a glass of palo cortado in the wonderfully evocative La Venencia sherry bar and finally, a middle-of-the-night smoke in what must be the finest cigar terrace in the capital.
Club Privado Pasion de Habanos seems to be a very well kept secret. Hard to track down, it is based within the inner sanctum of the Casa de America, a beautiful old building at Plaza de Cibeles 2.
The club itself is an artful leather and lighting affair where members (its free to join) can enjoy a drink and smoke during the week. But it's real treasure lies in the top class walk-in humidor, filled with a wide selection of Habanos. We selected a beautifully humidified BHK 52 each just before the Club closed and retired to the futuristic terrace bar outside where we enjoyed Mojitos, Talisker whisky and the statuesque blonde waitress. Drinks were very pricey, but it was a magical night, soaking up the warmth of the evening air and the atmosphere of such a vibrant city. Only the 2am closure of the bar could remove us from our seats.
During my stay I discovered plenty of cigar stores, but many with appallingly humidified sticks. My advice would be to shop around and look, feel and smell the smokes before parting with your cash. You should do that, wherever you are anyway.
A pleasant surprise was found at the Tabacos in Las Rojas, where a torcedor from the Romeo y Julieta factory was hard at work rolling freshies! After I purchased a few sticks from the outstanding selection in the humidor (full gamut of Cubans and also Padrons, Davidoff, Joya de Nic and more) I was kindly offered a freshly-rolled canonazo to take home. Make sure you take the drive to this store, very friendly manager and cigars in the finest condition. Best place in the region to stock up.
Overall, Madrid exceeded my expectations. The memory of a lingering Partagas E2 while bats swooped at giant moths in the starry sky overhead will always bring a smile to my lips.
Meanwhile, safely back in Blighty, I'm looking forward to meeting friends old and new at the Harts Hotel Cigar Night this Sunday. Looks a super menu of food, drink and cigars, and I'll also be interviewing an avid cigar collector for a newly-commissioned article.
Hope you enjoy a peaceful weekend full of smokes - I know I will.
Happy Herfing,
M.
DESPITE my debonair exterior, it's not THAT often I'm up and about at 1am on a school night.
But I was last week, all in the name of research. Well, cigars actually.
I tuned into the first event of its kind available on the internet - a live cigar blending seminar with the charismatic cigar guru Jose Blanco of Joya De Nicaragua.
A veteran blender, and a cigar rock star in the States, Jose may be little known in the UK, where Cuban smokes dominate the long filler market.
But he is worth listening to. And so, thanks to the technical wizardry and can-do attitude of Kevin Paige of Buttheadstobacco.com in Connecticut, there I was, sitting comfortably in my office as the rain lashed down, patiently waiting for the 1am UK start time.
I had received through the post my blending cigar - a fresh stick rolled with five different wrappers. And I would be smoking it simultaneously with scores of patrons in the Connecticut shop, and many more in several different countries around the world.
It looked like the team at Buttheads were having a blast as they herfed their way towards 1am. And then, with some microphone adjusting and judicious herding of the throng, we were live online with Jose, able to see and hear him - and ask questions via a chat link below the screen. Wonders of modern technology eh?
Anyway, it was a revelation. I've never personally believed the "wrapper accounts for 60%" of a cigar's flavour brigade; I mean how can it with all that filler in there?
But I was surprised by how much the flavours were affected as we went through the wrappers. Connecticut was fairly easily recognisable, but others were trickier. We went through the gamut of Nicaraguan, Cameroon and even Peruvian, and each definitely affected the flavour of the stick to quite some degree.
An eye opener indeed. And, dare I say it, an excellent lesson in palate education.
There's no doubt there are some stunning Cuban smokes out there with a host of different flavours and nuances. But don't forget the rest of the world; you are not embracing the true journey of a good cigar until you adopt more catholic tastes!
I'm looking forward to reporting on the Vintage Cigar Auction at Boisdales next week - always some mouthwatering lots on offer. One can but dream...
Until next time,
Happy Herfing.
M.
If it wasn't so enjoyable, I'd say it's all been a bit of a blur.
Recent weeks have zipped past but I can assure you plenty has been going on at Cristo Towers.
Good to see new cigar stores and venues still opening - a recent new smoking terrace in Mayfair was launched at the Millennium Hotel. C.Gars Ltd is stocking the bar with fine Havanas and newcomers smoked up a storm at the recent opening. Check it out at Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HP.
I've smoked some nice sticks recently - in fact, I can't remember a bad one, which is a good indication of how good both blending and quality control is at the moment. I particularly remember a really mouthwatering Bolivar Inmensas, slightly box pressed and loaded with black pepper. I will be sourcing some more.
I'm looking forward to a most unusual event this week - a live internet 'webinar' featuring the legendary cigar blender Jose Blanco. Jose, formerly of La Aurora cigars in the Dominican Republic is now plying his trade for Joya de Nicaragua in that country.
Jose is a really lovely guy and I'm looking forward to watching him 'do his stuff'. Organised by www.Buttheadstobacco.com the event is being 'shown' live in several different countries. I have taken ownership of my specially blended webinar cigar - wrapped and filled with a variety of different tobaccos so that Jose can explain the nuances and flavours of each.
The webinar doesn't kick off until 1am UK time - but I'm willing to suffer for my art.
I was also delighted to see my article on Cuba published in the Cigars & Spirits magazine from the US. It's the one with Charlie Sheen on the cover - preview available here. Once I have a hard copy in my hands, I'll scan it in and place on the press page of the website.
Anyhoo, enjoy what you can of the sunshine, it it's out there. And keep puffin'.
Best,
M.
HOW very special it is to be an Englishman on the cusp of another summer and in particular, another cricket season.
The finest time of the year - if only the weather plays ball - coincides with the finest sport ever devised by man beginning its life-affirming ritual and annual cycle.
The cricket lovers among you won't need telling of that indefinable tingle on the morning of a Test match. A spring in the step, a lightening of the heart.
And for cigar lovers, cricket is also, for the most part, a most generous host. For many years I've enjoyed memorable days of sport in some of our finest cricket grounds, nearly all of which offer at least a bolt hole where one can squeeze the pleasures of a fine cigar into the smorgasboard of delights a day at the cricket holds.
Trent Bridge, the finest Test ground bar none in my opinion, offers the casual decking of the Larwood and Voce pub where many a rained off session or lunch has been spent in friendly conversation along with a smoke and a pint of ale from the bar. Lords offers a lovely little undercover spot beneath the Compton Stand where one can stand to watch play. It's not normally too busy either, so it's no problem to light up something mild and thoughtful to enjoy with your sport.
Long gone are the days when you could enjoy an after lunch Upmann with your Champagne in the terraces; my last such cigar moment is poignantly captured in a still photo on my kitchen wall, which was taken from the final moments of Channel Four's superb TV coverage of 'those' Ashes of 2005. As England finally hammered the last nails into the Australian coffin at the Oval, I fired up a Monte 2 in my seat - and unwittingly became a shot for the nearest cameraman.
But in many county grounds around the UK, the open stands are still places where a peaceful pipe or cigar can be enjoyed.
Cigars and cricket are two of my great loves and I'm lucky enough to be able to combine them regularly during the glorious English summer. I live just across the road from the village recreation ground and so can stroll across on a summer's afternoon or evening with something refreshing, commandeer a park bench, and smoke a fragrant cigar while the gentle sounds of leather on willow permeate.
God is in his firmament and all is well with the world. Cricket is back.
Happy Herfing.
M.
WE'RE all guilty, I would suspect, of over egging the pudding once in a while.
When it comes to cigars and you're as passionate as we are, it's easy to get carried away.
We enthuse about the wrapper, extoll the virtues of the aroma, test the pre-light and seek colourful and original explanations of the tastes we're enjoying.
Dangerous game to play, imho. Nothing says 'steer clear' to me more than someone playing the expert.
There aren't many of them around, believe me, and those that experts are not the ones crowing about it!
I'm certainly no expert and although I like to think I'm learning about this fascinating subject all the time, I doubt I ever will be.
I try and relay my experiences vicariously through my keyboard because that's what I'm good at - words. It doesn't make me an expert on cigars any more than commentating on the Cup Final makes John Motson a great striker.
Of course, everyone has the right to an opinion and the right to express it however they like, within the bounds of decency. I'm just very wary of straying over the line and treading on the toes of those who really do know what they are talking about.
Which leads me to a cigar I enjoyed last night. Instead of striving for flavours or trying to find an angle to write about, I simply enjoyed a smoke from the bottom of my humidor. It was a non-Cuban, nothing to write home about, but it made me realise (again) why I love cigars so.
After a taxing time of late, when I sat in my armchair and lit up the stick, it was as if my subconscious finally had permission to switch off. I read a book, chilled out and enjoyed the simple flavours of the cigar.
I find its sometimes all too easy to strive for something from a cigar and forget the simple pleasure of just enjoying one.
Sit back, take the weight off and let the stick do the talking.
Happy Herfing.
M.
I was lucky enough to sample a 1990 Partagas Serie D Number 4 a while ago.
Now the D4 as many of you already know, is a classic Cuban cigar, and rarely lets you down. Lots of spice, top quality tobacco, signature rosado wrapper and a lovely aroma, these sticks are among the best selling Habanos worldwide and (touching all available) are very reliable on the quality control side too, in my experience.
But smoking one that's 22 years old and which came from the depths of the cigar vaults at JJ Fox of St James's? Now that's an entirely different kettle of fish. For starters, I got a kick from the old-fashioned band. I'm so used to seeing the newer version that every time I brought the cigar to the mouth I was mesmerised by it.
Anyway, before that stage, I had been pleasantly surprised by the delightful pre-light aroma; sweet hay and freshly cut grass mixed together. And then it was time to fire the beauty up.
I've discovered it's quite difficult describing an aged cigar. For one, I've not had as much experience as I'd like :)
And for another, it's a very unique experience.
If any of you have ever smoked any cigars that have 'gone over' - ie have been aged too long and are past their best, even though they've been well kept - you will know there is a cloying floral note that soaks across your palate.
This aged Partagas displayed elements of a floral note, but in an entirely different - and more pleasant - manner.
The tobacco had obviously matured slowly and calmly over the years, all the 'hard edges' having been knocked off the smoke, to reveal a smooth, clear, sweet and very rounded character.
The spice was there, but in a very refined form, almost tea-like. The draw and burn was magnificent, as you can see from the photograph.
I paired this beauty with a very nice bottle of Argentinian Malbec and I found myself staring at the cigar and wondering about all the things that had happened during its long life. I had married and had children; wars had been won and lost, boundaries ripped down, new world orders created. This beautiful stick was older than my nieces and nephews who were now off to university.
A quite remarkable and ethereal experience and the finish was everlasting and so pleasant that I avoided going to bed and brushing my teeth to keep the moment alive.
Thanks to JJ Fox for having the presence of mind to stash this cigar away 22 years ago. Just think, I was still in school. What a wonderful adventure.
Happy herfing.
N.
SOME top notch cigar tasting this week, largely courtesy of The Montague on the Gardens Hotel in Bloomsbury.
I was fortunate enough to attend their cigar dinner on Wednesday night, which featured a stunning menu of wine and food, all paired with no less than three Havanas of impeccable quality.
You can read about my full exploits in a forthcoming edition of The Arbuturian, but rest assured the three smokes - the Short Hoyo Piramides, the Vegas Robaina Famosos and a simply classic Cohiba Behike 54 - were something to write home about.
The hospitality at The Montague was second to none, and I thank Manager Dirk and his team for making me feel right at home. I look forward to returning to enjoy the peaceful terrace again in the near future.
While in town I popped into regular haunt at Number Ten Manchester Street Hotel, for a tasty Party D4 and chat to mixologist Joel. I love this spot - such a cool place to spend a little chill out time.
Then I was back out in the glorious sunshine of London in its finest - shirtsleeves only. I also popped into Mayfair's Alfie Turmeau's cigar store to try the recently-released Orchant Seleccion Bolivar Royal Corona. Ding dong! What a smoke, lovely smooth core of flavours, a little tasty tingle of salt on the palate and a beautiful cocoa wrapper. There are apparently a few boxes left, so if you fancy some, get in touch with Mitch at CGars Ltd sharpish.
Time left in the week now for perhaps a couple of Monte Edmundos and a dip back into the bag of non-Cuban smokes too perhaps.
Coffee is calling - have a great weekend all and, of course, Happy Herfing.
M.
IT'S been a hectic week one way or another at Cristo Towers, and I'm glad to see the weekend looming ahead for a short break from the madness.
I have spent much of the week revisiting favourite old cigar haunts and finding one or two new ones in London for a new luxury article I'm putting together. I'll give you a heads-up once it's published, of course.
In my travels, I came across some news that will please those of you who frequent the lovely Garden Room at The Lanesborough. You read it here first - as of Tuesday April 10, the Garden Room, which is one of London's finest spots for enjoying a fine cigar, will be open from 12pm daily instead of 4pm as it has been for some time.
This means that lunchtime guests will now be able to take full advantage of the facility - which includes a very well-crafted cigar menu, cocktails, Champagne, underfloor heating and more - for a post-prandial cigar.
Good news, as I've dropped past more than once in the hope of an afternoon cigar, forgetting that the room doesn't open until teatime. Happy days.
I smoked through a superb Montecristo Edmundo from '09 this week, a truly mouthwatering smoke, plus some Arturo Fuente cigars made in the Dominican Republic. I'm taste-testing these for a future article. Have also been enjoying some full-bodied Nicaraguan smokes from Joya de Nicaragua for the same feature. Cigar smokers have never had it so good!
Enjoy your weekend and long ashes to you all.
Happy Herfing.
M.
One of the new cigars announced at the February Habanos Festival and 'hot off the presses' is the new Reserva Romeo y Julieta Churchill.
I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of the current production Churchill, although statesmanlike it undoubtedly is among Habanos. It's just too mild for my taste and while a corona of this blend would pass half an hour pleasantly, an hour and a half's worth is not my idea of fun.
Don't get me wrong, it's a very refined and cultured blend - just not a favourite.
So onto the Reserva - does it offer anything different? Sort of.
It comes with two elegant bands, the standard Churchill band and another to demonstrate this is a Reserva production of aged leaves. The blend is smooth and light, but because of its mildness, one has to question whether it will improve much with age. It will be interesting to see.
It burns well and has an elegant bouquet. But, like its poorer cousin, it becomes a little 'samey' after a while and I found myself longing for some more oomph.
A suave smoke then, for the lighter palate, but as it's likely to be a very expensive stick, I do have my doubts about it. Be interested in your thoughts.
Happy herfing.
M.
FOLLOWING the announcement of new Havanas at the annual Festival in Cuba last week, it's always an interesting time for cigar lovers.
I nipped into London for a catch up today, firstly stopping in at Tom Tom Cigars and Coffee in Belgravia for a chat to owner Tom Ashheton.
Lovely chap. Over a delicious cup of Nicaraguan filter coffee, he told me how he has built up his business in this hip area of town, and of his plans for the immediate future. The cigar shop is delightful, very boutique in its feel. Once you've made a selection from the fine Havanas that line the walls, you can stroll the few yards up the road and settle yourself under the heated awning of the coffee shop itself.
Order yourself a brew and settle down to people watch, surf the net or chat to the friendly patrons of this much-loved den.
After my talk with Tom, I sauntered peaceably down to Buckingham Palace and along the Mall, finally weaving my way to the well-worn pavements of Jermyn Street. At the excellent Franco's restaurant, I shared lunch and a superb little Bolivar Belicoso LE from 2009 with Davidoff's Eddie Sahakian.
A punchy little number, it came on strong, mellowed for the mid third then powered on to the finish - real old fashioned, meaty Bolivar, described perfectly by Eddie as 'gamey'. Smoking beautifully now.
More news on new releases to follow - including the newly-released Romeo y Julieta Churchill Gran Reserva, which I'll be taste-testing soon. Happy herfing.
M.
Dear fellow cigarophiles,
At last. One of those times of the year when one can light up with impunity. No hectoring, badgering, snide comments, disdainful looks. Christmas is a green light period for cigars.
Other green light occasions include weddings (positively encouraged) the birth of a new child (expected) funerals (defiantly offering the two-fingered salute to the Grim Reaper) and on one's birthday (one-day pass).
At all other times of the year, the discerning cigar lover knows he may well face anything from nagging to downright abuse before he gets to relax with his beloved stick.
I've stocked up on all relevant materials for this year's festivities; bubbly, whisky, sherry, beer, port, wine and of course, cigars. Never pleasant to run out of sticks at such a time of excess.
It's been a blitzkrieg of a year at Cristo Towers; from launching the website in April, through a summer of London cigar events including auctions, dinners and taste tests through to a late flurry of articles including my piece on vintage Havanas for the FT How To Spend It magazine at the end of the year, it's been a blast.
Personal highlights for me have been a mind-blowing cigar luncheon at The Lanesborough, a wonderful evening of like-minded company at my first Prohibition Dinner and last, but by no means least, the long-awaited trip to Cuba in November.
This was a pilgrimage and a privilege, the first of what I hope will be many trips to this incredible, pulsating, paradoxical Caribbean island.
I thank you all for your feedback, especially those who have been good enough to say they have enjoyed some of my pieces; there's nothing worse than a wall of silence after pouring your efforts into a project.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas - and a sackful of smooth, complex, flavoursome smokes this festive period. It's time to light up.
Best,
M.
IT was a lifetime ambition to meet him. Alas, I was a year or so too late.
I stood outside the gates of the rustic Robaina farm in the heart of Pinar del Rio and said a silent prayer for a man I had never met last week.
Such was his fame and magnetic personality that I, like many lovers of the Cuban cigar, felt like I knew him a little anyway.
I had bumped, swerved, dodged and scraped my way to the sacred plantation from Havana, losing my way several times and finally finding the rough mud track to the farm more by luck than judgment. The directions of young boys, old ladies and more than one mangy dog were taken en route.
Today, the Robaina plantation feels more like a museum than it perhaps should, only because of the huge numbers of pilgrims who visit to pay homage to the greatest wrapper producer the island has ever known.
Today, the last of the 150,000 tobacco seedlings have been planted in the red, dusty, mineral-rich soil of the hallowed Vuelta Abajo. Incredibly, in just 45 days, they will be 7ft tall and ready for harvest.
We stood alongside the limp looking seedlings, had a quick tour of Alejandro's former homestead and watched a 76-year-old minus a finger make short work of rolling a Robaina-grown Churchill.
But in reality, the place must surely be a shadow of its former self in the absence of the old man. His incredible wrinkled visage stares out benignly from umpteen photographs and drawings on the wall and while his nephew Hiroshi has now taken on the farm more than adequately, I can't help but feel sad I didn't make it to the Robaina farm just a little bit sooner.
In the red dust of twilight, I climb back into the car and begin the long journey home, the sound of crickets lining my route along the potholed farm track.
I'm back and recovering from as intense a few days as I can remember.
I have a stinking cold, have to keep crashing into sleep every few hours and am drinking copious amounts of water in an attempt to make up for rum overdose.
But my trip to Havana was a blast, an incredible mix of old and new, prehistoric landscape and a timeless, pulsating culture of cigars, rum and people.
There are several articles to be written and photos and videos to be processed and tweaked. Highlights were a trips to Vuelta Abajo, a tour of Cohiba factory at El Laguito, a quick visit to the Robaina farm. Rest assured I will lead you through my experiences in the coming weeks. Now I'm back off for a crash on the sofa...
Enjoy this bird's eye view of Vinales.
http://m.youtube.com/?client=mv-google&appcache_off=1321942960&errmsg=E-SER%3AQUOTA_EXCEEDED_ERR%3A%20DOM%20Exception%2022&rdm=4oox72hw1&reason=1#/watch?v=QwttvSS46ls
Best,
M.
Just sinking into my bed at the Nacional. Been up for 24hrs so need my sleep ready for a big day of cigar shops and hopefully Pinar del Rio plantations tomorrow. Weather looks set fair, city buzzing for Partagas Festival. Ended tonight with Bucanero beer and smokes on the sensational terrace at The Nacional overlooking the Malecon sea wall. Watch this space... M.
AS usual, I've left everything far too late.
I haven't packed a thing, not sure what I'm taking and I have an awful lot of work to do before I depart; but the flipside of that coin is, I'm flying out to Havana tomorrow lunchtime for a whistlestop tour of the capital taking in the Partagas Festival, the city's best cigar shops, bars, music and atmosphere. If I can squeeze it in, I'll also be jumping into an old Buick and cruising down to the sacred Vuelta Abajo to check out this year's crops in the plantations.
Follow @MontyCristo1 on Twitter and keep your eye on this blog over the next few days. If I can get a reliable enough internet signal(!) I'll be blogging words and pics of the trip to give you a little taster of this Caribbean cigar Mecca and the amazing things it has to offer lovers of the leaf.
I'll smoke one for you.
M.
I'VE only just recovered from a barnstormer of a cigar luncheon at The Lanesborough last week.
It was so good I've taken a few days off the cigars for my palate to recover!
I'll be writing about the occasion for the lovely Arbuturian, so I can't go into too much detail, but I can tell you it was sensational. From the moment I was welcomed to The Lanesborough by the Royal Household Cavalry (an accident - I think) to receiving a cigar-shaped dessert, it was the height of food, drink and cigar pairings. Or is that treblings?
Anyway, I include a few taster snapshots for you and will of course let you know via my Twitter feed when the story proper is published. How's about this for a menu?
Not a bad drop this...
Now for the Cognac - now that's a quality pairing
The elegant Garden Room transformed:
And how about a little cigar-themed dessert?
Hope you've enjoyed the sneak preview. May there be many, many more ahead. My thanks to Ajay Patel of Casa del Habanos, Teddington, for his kind sharing of photos.
Best,
M.
I spent one day this week in the welcoming environment of the Cigar Terrace at Number Ten Manchester Street Hotel.
Armed with an Americano, wifi, walk-in humidor and my iPad, I was all set up and ready for meetings by 11am.
It's a great place for a catch up drink or business meeting; on a fine day, it's a pleasure to stroll down New Cavendish Street from Euston for 20 minutes or so before the welcome sight of the Number Ten fluttering flag greets you as you round the corner.
From there it's the work of but a moment to be ensconced on the warm, friendly terrace. Unusually for me, as I tackled the first emails of the day, I fired up a Montecristo Open - the Master to be precise.
I say unusually, because I've not tried the line before. I wasn't impressed with this one either.
It started dull and bitter and got worse. I discarded it with a third left.
It was incredibly boring, and while it's unfair to judge a cigar based on one stick, a Havana of this price point should be better.
I bumped into Dan from Hunters & Frankau and by an amazing coincidence, he recommended I try another Open - this time the Regatta. I told him of my disappointing experience earlier, but to his credit he stuck to his guns and won me over by telling me Simon Chase had been known to wax lyrical about this cigar. Sold.
I'm pleased to report it was a much better smoke; mild, yes, but flavoursome and with a really superb draw. Good daytime smoke. Thanks Dan.
Just goes to prove you don't know 'til you try...
M.
I'VE had a blast in the last couple of weeks, really getting stuck into some exceptional cigars and some cracking events.
I can't say too much at this stage as recent jollities are forming the basis of two new articles which I'll direct you to in due course, but suffice to say, a good time was had.
I snipped my way through red-tape with gay abandon last week when I attended a Top Secret Prohibition Dinner.
A gathering of like-minded friends made use of the fine facilities of a city eatery to enjoy some tantalising food, wine, Cognac and cigars - without leaving the dinner table!
The event was a little two-fingered salute to the over-zealous health police who have held sway with their repugnant smoking ban for far too long. So we practiced a little civil disobedience - and it felt naughty but nice ;)
I've also enjoyed some wine and cigar pairings with some thoughtful advice from @DuvaultBlochet of esteemed London merchants Corney and Barrow. These pairings will form the basis of future articles. Anyone interested in a red wine and cigar pairing evening?
Plenty going on and lots to write about. Give me a shout and let me know what you'd like to see covered.
Happy herfing.
M.
LAST week I drew a deep breath and herfed like I've never herfed before, Dear Reader - just for you.
In a whistle-stop tour of some favourite haunts, I first had a quick coffee with Will Hargrove, part of the team at London's long-established wine merchant, Corney & Barrow.
Will's a cigar lover as well as an oenophile and we are cooking up some plans that should prove of interest to many of you.
Next was a brief stroll to Mayfair where I introduced Will to the guys at Sautter. As luck would have it (okay, okay, it was all planned), Cuban roller Senora Berta Corzo was in situ and just getting started on some juicy looking robustos. After a croque monsieur and a two black coffees, I was in the mood and fired one up on the spot.
Will was more discreet and headed off to meetings with one safely stashed in his jacket. The next hour or so was spent in pleasant conversation with Magali, Michael, Senora Corto and customers while I enjoyed the feisty little stick, still fresh and spongy but all the more enjoyable because of it.
When all was done, I strolled off next for a chat with Eddie Sahakian at the Davidoff store. Ever the gent, Eddie ushered me towards the humidor, but I explained I had just put one out and would prefer an espresso. The espresso duly arrived - as well as a Partagas Serie E No 2! It would be rude not to wouldn't it?
After an enlightening conversation - the fruits of which you will see in a forthcoming article - I next headed for the tube and a trip to the offices of CGars Ltd.
It's always a pleasure to catch up with Mitch and Mish and relax in their comfortable office with some nearby refreshments.
"Here, have you tried these?" Mitch asked as I collapsed into a chair. You've guessed it - a Party E2...well, it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?
We had a wide-ranging discussion and then as evening beckoned and we still had much to discuss, headed for a sharpener at The Lanesborough. Over chilled white and a bite to eat, we enjoyed the stick of the day - a stunning Diplopmaticos Number 2, full of chocolate and smooth coffee. Delicious.
Finally concluding our discussions (I reckon we could talk cigars all night long given the chance), I ended the day's proceedings with a nightcap of Flor de Cano Short Robusto.
Smoked out, I made my weary way to the train station - only to discover the intended train had been delayed. Ho hum.
I finally laid head to pillow after 1am. Hard work, but somebody's gotta do it...
I have more frolics in the capital planned for later in the week, with a hotel review and at least two cigar events planned. No rest for the wicked. Keep me posted with your ideas for articles, thoughts for future filming and more at askmonty@montycristo.com
Happy herfing,
M.
|
|
|
