Herftastic!

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.

Tasting the Partagas Serie E No 2

THIS chunky monkey has finally put in an appearance - stylishly late, as is always the way with these little gifts from our Cuban cousins. Timing means very little to them.

However,this 54 ring, five and a half inch silky beauty was worth the wait if my single tasting stick was to be held an an example.

A really stunning wrapper, one of the best I've seen this year; nice weight and balance and a rich, enticing aroma all noticeable on pre-light.

Right from the first puff, this stick shows its class, being relatively light in body but with some underlying earthiness that rewards those used to a stronger smoke.

Indeed, although the flavour profile remains pretty linear throughout the smoke, I reckon there's some sneaky ligero popped in there; little hints of smooth power rumble away beneath that wonderful 'old Cuban' earthiness.

I really enjoyed the size too, unusual as 52 ring is usually tops for me. The stick reminded me - in a good way - of the best Edmundos; a hefty-sized, tasty, man's man of a smoke for when one has time to enjoy them.

The Serie E No 2 should be a hit and one would like to try it after a couple of years age. But rumours abound that it will be priced at £22 - and a regular production cigar, at that!

If that is the case, tasty as it was, I'll stick to the Edmundos.

Best,

M.

Spark one up for the girls...

STOP PRESS: THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN OPENED TO GENTS AS WELL AS LADIES; PITCH IN FELLAS...


AN interesting new development on the cigar scene has been quietly building up over the summer at Boisdale Canary Wharf.

A group (flock? Herd? Gaggle?) of young ladies has been gathering in some style, mixing fine wines, spirits, food and yes, cigars.

The new Ladies Cigar Club, run by Lalla Kaur, has been attracting increasing numbers of ladies keen to enjoy the finer things in life - and find out more about cigars, their production, tasting and pairings.

"It's been more popular than I imagined," Lalla told MontyCristo.com. "We've had some really fun nights and I've made a whole new set of friends. We are looking to host more and more events, so anyone interested is invited to get in touch."

We're happy to pass on the good news here, and to let you know that Lalla's next event is on September 13 with an afternoon experience of a two-course lunch with wine, followed by a cigar and Armagnac tasting. It's all in a good cause too, with an Action Against Hunger fundraising raffle. If you know have a friend of the fairer persuasion who might be interested in attending, please pass on Lalla's contact details. She can be reached at lallakaur@waitrose.com or on +447899931233

M.

The Art of Barbecuing...

This made me smile:

"Whether you are smoking, baking or braising, the month of May is the beginning of the BBQ season. The BBQ season is the ideal excuse to light up a fat Cuban cigar to slowly enjoy throughout an afternoon. Do not risk being disappointed; consult our procedure –

1. The woman buys the food.
2. The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables and makes dessert.
3. The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - Habano in hand.

Now, here comes the important part:

4. THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

Back to the routine...
5. The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
6. The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will get him another Cuban while he flips the meat.

Important again:

7. THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

More routine...
8. The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces and brings them to the table.
9. After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

10. Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
11. The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ' her night off ', and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women!"

Courtesy of TopCubans.

Best,

M.

Peace, love - and a fine handrolled cigar

THE unsavoury scenes from London and beyond this week got me thinking.

Red Indians used to smoke the pipe of peace at their pow-wows; I reckon there's a lot to be said for people settling their differences with a sit-down and a cigar.

The calming ritual of choosing and lighting up gives time for tempers to cool and hard lines to soften; the social side of cigar smoking means that we're perhaps more open to other points of view.

There's no coincidence that the world's leaders have come to some of the biggest decisions in our times over a good cigar. Perhaps we should start up a 'Cigars for Society' non-prejudicial, open think tank where, as long as they are calm, civilised and respectful, people can come and air their views over a good cigar and build bridges where none currently exist?

Best,

M.

Warm welcome at Sautter

I SPENT an enjoyable couple of hours last week interviewing Laurence Davis, owner of Sautter of Mount Street.

I met larger than life Laurence at the tiny but cigar-packed Mayfair store and he kindly handed me a 'Flying Pig' before we settled down to start our discussion. This fat monster is custom-rolled for the store and is not for the faint hearted - it must be ring gauge 60 + and is packed with ligero-laden leaf. Wow. I had to concentrate just to think straight enough to ask questions!

Sautter is now in it's 50th year, and serves a roster of wealthy and famous clientele, including cigar lover Alec Baldwin, who lists the store as his favourite place in London.

You will be able to read my story on Sautter in due course at Cigar Aficionado Online, but suffice to say, Laurence, Johnny and the rest of the gang all looked after me and were a mine of information. Thanks guys.

I sneaked a peak at the amazing cabinet of smokes recently uncovered by Sautter - century-old cigars that still look in remarkably good condition. You can see a pic of them below, as well as a short vid from MontyCristoTV that gives you an idea of this remarkable little store and its amazing inventory. Look out for the Elefantes!

Happy herfing.

M.

Soggy and inspirational north

I've spent the last couple of days exploring the wonderful Hotel du Vin outlets at York and Newcastle - not to mention the lovely Mal Maison in Toontown too - researching for a forthcoming series of articles.

These classy outfits provide everything that cigar-lovers enjoy; fine food, vintage wines, whisky and spirits of every hue and description, comfortable and well-equipped rooms - and best of all, humidors stuffed with delicious Cuban smokes and heated, covered Cigar Shacks to enjoy them in.

Not all 14 HdV hotels have a dedicated shack or bothy because of lack of room, but half or so do. Replete with a small gas fire, leather chairs, cushions, lighting and table service, it's a simple matter to adjourn from your meal with a coffee and Scotch and light up in comfort outside.

And inevitably, when a group of disparate people with similar tastes are thrown together, you make new friends. Over the course of two nights, I met a millionaire Scottish IT wizard who hardly drew breath; a proud mum and dad celebrating their son's graduation (brandy and port cocktail anyone?!) and a smashing group of ex-Navy lads computer mapping the bottom of the Tyne.

There's no doubt that without the cigar shack, we'd have slipped away forever, never having exchanged a word. But thanks to the brotherhood of cigars, we shared a laugh, a smoke, taste-tested each other's drinks pairings and learned something new about the world.

Tell me that's not healthy.

I've put together a little compilation video that gives you a flavour of what Hotel du Vin is all about. Once your appetite is whetted, go one step further and visit yourself. The hotels regularly join forces with local shops to host cigar dinners, and each outlet has a dedicated 'Cigar Champion', trained by Hunters and Frankau. Find your nearest HdV hotel at www.hotelduvin.co.uk





While in the soggy north, I made a point of dropping in on city newcomers, Cuban Cigar Club. What a pleasant surprise to dash in out of the rain to a warm, well lit and beautifully presented cigar 'showroom' with a large and extremely well-stocked humidor. Two real enthusiasts in Justin Clayton and Manager Nick Houghton treat visitors with respect and understanding, and are building up quite a following. Plans are afoot to build a lounge under in the cavernous back of the shop - can't wait for that. Watch this space for further details and get up their and support the lads if you can. You can find them at www.cubancigarclub.co.uk
To send you on your way, here's a quick wander around the shop, courtesy of MontyCristoTV.





All the best,


M.