Sanctum Hotel and Bolivar Gran Belicoso

Every time I speak to cigar smokers, they always point out how difficult it is to find a good place to smoke cigars in London. That's certainly the case, but thankfully there are many new places - particularly hotels - launching dedicated smoking areas. Amongst the most recent, besides the ones already mentioned here like 10 Manchester Street or the Montagu Hotel or indeed the Lanesborough, the Ritz and the Langham hotels are coming out with smoking lounges. 

Tucked away in Soho, probably unknown to many, the Sanctum Hotel also offers a cozy roof garden which is cigar friendly and gives an opportunity to smoke a puro and enjoy a nice drink at the same time. For hotel guests it is open 24 hours, but as long as it's not too busy anybody can access the roof garden in regular hours (say up to 10pm, though I have never been there in the evening and usually go there in the afternoon).

As you can see from the pictures, comfortable seats are available outside and there are also some small heaters that can help make the space more comfortable these days, when it still gets quite chilly after dusk.

Last time I went there it was arguably a few months ago now - in October to be precise - and I also had the opportunity to enjoy a pretty superb cigar, the Bolivar Gran Belicoso, the 2010 release of the cigar book-shaped collection, the 10th in its series (only 1,000 "books" with 20 cigars have been made but standalone cigars can also be found...). These books - also known as "Habanos books" - are only available at La Casa del Habano stores. Previous cigars in this collection included for example the Cohiba Sublimes. I understand this year they will do a book which will contain 2 cigars of each of the 10 special cigars made so far - it may be a perfect own gift for me so I can taste them all :)

The cigar measures 7 1/8 inches in length for a 54 ring gauge - this is a Rodolfo or double Pyramid size which is not very easy to find (only the San Cristobal de La Habana Murella shares this original size). A perfect example of an earthy Bolivar which is certainly worth trying for the many Bolivar lovers!

A new COSA! and one more Canadian cigar...

Due to the smoking ban in the UK, it is becoming more and more difficult to enjoy a good cigar in a comfy place, which partly explains why there are so many new cigars which are relatively smaller... if you have to enjoy them outside, you may want to be quick, particularly during the colder months. Thankfully, London is seeing a good number of new COSA, or "Comfortable Outdoor Smoking Area", as defined by Hunters and Frankau, the UK leading independent cigar importer. 

The 4-star Montague Hotel, right next to the British Museum, recently opened theirs, which I tested a few weeks ago. I took the occasion to smoke the Bolivar Simones, Canadian Regional Edition, a Hermoses No. 4 in size, firstly issued in 2007 but re-released last year in 1,200 numbered boxes of 25 cigars each (the original release was of 600 boxes but with 50 cigars each)

The cigar terrace has a good number of seats and overlooks the private gardens of the Bedford Estates, a nice change relative to other COSAs which don't really offer any views (e.g. 10 Manchester Street Hotel or Lanesborough).

The seats are overall comfortable, although not as roomy as in others. There are also heaters on the wall, that should allow to exploit the terrace during the winter (at least during the day). An awning contributes to make the area more enclosed, although having been there during one of their recent tastings, I should warn you that it is possible for the occasional drop of water to get through... not a big deal, but something that may impair the use of the terrace when is really cold and rainy.

As you can see from the picture above, some drawings perfectly in line with the overall ("smoking") theme of the hotel hang on the wall. 

As for the cigar? well I found the Simones to be sweet to start with, honey like taste with a very good draw and plenty of smoke. The cigar developed then into a more traditional Bolivar type flavour, like a Belicosos Finos, a very spicy cigar getting of course stronger towards the end.

It is possible to purchase cigars at the Montague Hotel, the selection is not the largest but very interesting. I also understand that during the summer there will be barbecue organised. I think that as the personnel builds knowledge of cigars, the terrace has got full potential to become another regular spot for cigars smokers. If you want to test yourself, the next event is just around the corner, on October 20th. Check the link for full details. 

Holidays cigars

As I mentioned, I was recently on holiday and of course, thanks to my travel humidour, I couldn't miss the opportunity to sample some good cigars... I was in Italy and therefore had the occasional Toscano (more about these cigars will need to come in separate posts) and some of my favorites of all the times (for example, a Cohiba Siglo VI, a perfectly elegant cigar, with a hint of chocolate and vanilla and great burn throughout, really a must have).

However, one of the drawbacks of travelling is that you may not always have good locations for cigar smoking available at your fingertips. I therefore had to also sample some short smokes.

Amongst those I can mention a Pleiades Paris cigars which I picked up in France. 

As I understand, the Pleiades is made with a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-leaf tobaccos. The one I smoked was a short piramide 1984-2004 with a light wrapper; the filler tobacco was certainly not abundant and the overall construction not perfect. It was an easy light smoke with an earthy, woody taste. An ok smoke, most importantly, for being a non-cuban, not acidic!

Another day I also sampled a  short Bolivar Petit Libertador, a 2008 French Limited Edition, shown in the picture below.

This was an excellent short smoke, immediately kicking in with a good flavour, mostly vanilla in my view but also very spicy throughout. The burnt was ok, although a bit uneven and I entertained myself with one of those long-ash-gallery-type pictures below... 

Finally, a little curiosity... I was in Verona as well during my holidays and after a good dinner with steak and Pergole Torte (great Italian Tuscan red, a must try!), I lighted up a Partagas D Especial, the recently released Limited Edition. What I didn't realise is that I kept on smoking it while also in the Arena di Verona, before watching the Aida... Luckily, I asked if it was possible to smoke inside before it was too late... while I had to interrupt my very good smoke - see my review at the bottom of this post here - I finished the D Especial after the Opera... 

Canadian limited editions

My girlfriend was recently in Canada and I therefore asked her to kindly stop by the La Casa del Habano in Yorkville, Toronto, to grab some regional editions cigars. I love that store... The first time I went to Toronto I immediately visited the shop, in part as it is run by Andy, a friend that has basically introduced me to the real word of good cigar smoking when he used to run the former La Casa del Habano in Soho, London. I still remember the time he spent with me in the humidour, describing cigars, the various brands, the flavour and how to enjoy them... so much so that I had to buy the bible of cigars to learn more... "An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post Revolution Havana Cigars"

Andy suggested, amongst others, a newly released Bolivar  B-2, a 2010 Canadian Limited Edition, a piramides in vitola which I'm enjoying in the picture below in the garden of Caldesi in Campagna, a nice Italian restaurant in Bray, an hour drive from London.

The B-2 is crafted with tobacco leaf from Vuelta Abajo in Pinar del Rio. The selection is limited to 1,000 numbered boxes containing 25 habanos each with primary distribution, obviously, restricted to Canada.

The cigar had a very nice wrapper, with really good construction for a Bolivar... It did show some venatures but it smoked really nice. The flavor was a lot of pepper to start with but developing into a spicy blend with a hint of coffee. A very nice compliment to the Grappa Poli di Sassicaia I was also enjoying!

More to come with a Bolivar Simones (a Hermos 4 size), a Ramon Allones Petit Unicos (a short piramide) and a Vegas Robaina Short Robaina (a Gordito), all shown in the picture below.