2011 Limited Edition from Cuba

Since 2000, Habanos launched every year Limited Editions cigars (Edicion Limitada), introducing to the market cigars not in regular production, in limited quantity, of course, as the name says. Usually these cigars have been issued for the most well-known brands (Cuaba possibly being the exception with their 2008 Piramides).

I understand that initially they were made using regular tobacco and with two-year old tobacco for the wrapper, which was also selected from the upper part of the plant (was it the famous medio tiempio tobacco currently used for the Behike? We will never know! :) ). However, since 2007, all the tobacco used in Limited Editions is at least two-year old. This should contribute to a more enjoyable cigar as the tobacco has had longer time to develop its unique flavour, although not in an assembled cigar (which means that it may still be good not to smoke Limited Editions straight away).

Over time, there have been some magnificent Limited Edition. One I'd certainly like to mention is the Partagas D No. 1 from 2004. Or maybe the Montecristo Sublimes from 2008 (by the way, I felt that these cigars were really good when they first came out, they then lost somewhat strength for a couple of years but they seem to have gained again in flavour over the last 12 months... the power of aging!)

In 2011, Habanos issued three Limited Edition. In classic cuban style we only saw some of them in 2012 but here they are in the picture below:

They include:

1) Hoyo de Monterrey - Short Hoyo Piramides, a 5 3/8 inches long, 46 ring figurado

2) Ramon Allones - Allones Extra, a  5 5/8 inches long, 44 ring gauge

3) Cohiba - Cohiba 1966, measuring 6 1/2 inches long by 52 ring gauge

They are still relatively fresh and they need further time to develop. Generally, I have not been too impressed by them, particularly the Allones Extra which seems to be very much a hit or miss (ie they don't seem to have consistent quality). The Cohiba - which name was chosen to commemorate the 45th anniversary since the launch of the brand - seems to have great potential but it needs a bit of time and it certainly comes at a significant price. The other two are interesting because the Hoyo is a bit stronger than the traditional Hoyo while the Ramon Allones is a bit lighter than the traditional Ramon Allones. But then, why would I buy a Hoyo or a Ramon Allones? I think I'd rather have brands that stick to what they are good and known for, but perhaps time will prove me wrong and with aging I will be praising all of these cigars... In the meantime, I would suggest to stock-up if you can, particularly on the Cohiba. You can most likely expect those prices to go up and once the cigars have run out you will find some major aficionado (or some wealthy newcomer) ready to spend money to still smoke them (assuming that you will have the strength to sell them!). Enjoy!

Partagas E2

A number of new cigars have finally made it to the UK. Over the last couple of weeks, the Limited Editions for 2011 have finally arrived. These include the Ramon Allones Allones Extra, the Cohiba 1966 and the Hoyo do Monterrey Short Hoyo Piramides (more to come on those cigars in forthcoming posts, for now I can say that I tasted the Ramon Allones enjoying it quite a bit...). More importantly, we finally got delivery of the new regular vitola introuced by Partagas, the E2.

We were expecting the launch of the E2 a the Hunters & Frankau summer party back in June. However, due to delay with the production, Hunters was unable to present the cigar and promised to send it to all participants in due course. It was September when I finally got a package with the following message via post

The wait was definitively worth it. I almost immediately tried the E2 and I smoked a few more since. This is certainly a different Partagas. It is a fat cigar, being a 54 ring gage x 5.5" (140mm long), same size as the Romeo & Julieta Limited Edition Duke from 2009. More interestingly, it is not a usual Partagas.

Like many others regular cigar smokers, I love my Partagas. Generally full bodied, they consistently offer best value in my view vs. other more well-known brand (like Cohiba, but also Trinidad). However, the E2 is a bit different. It is certainly not as strong, which means that it is easier to enjoy also after a not too heavy meal... It is a very creamy and peppery smoke, getting stronger of course as you get closer to the top; I have no doubt that it will benefit from a bit more aging but in my view it is a great smoke already.

Here it is again in more detail.



Apparently, E2s are already running short in the UK, but hopefully a new batch will be coming soon from Cuba. Don't miss out!

Roller!

I stopped by Ajay's La Casa del Habano in Teddington on Saturday and, to my surprise, Yoel Ulacia Diaz was custom rolling cigars in the shop. Yoel has been in the UK for a couple of months already demonstrating the art of cigar rolling around the UK, showcased by Hunters and Frankau.

Yoel is a 9th grade roller - the highest ranking you can achieve - and currently is a Master of Quality Control at the Partagas factory. And of course he definitively knows how to roll good cigars... Some of his goods are shown in the picture below

I tasted a freshly rolled puro while in Teddington and I can say they have a very distinctive taste, with a coffee flavour small to my palate and a hint of mint. 

Here is Yoel at work. If you want to see directly, next week he will be at Sautter's, in Mount Street, Mayfair, London - worth a visit to take a look and sample!

Have been out of touch but have a lot to report on from a trip in Italy, at the V Amicigar Day in Naples, organised by the local club (pictures already available on facebook) and a week holiday in Hong Kong!

Cigarando back in Milan

During the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday, my girlfriend and I decided to visit Milan. I'm not a big lover of the city but as my girlfriend had never been there, and my best friend Matteo recently moved to Milan, it was a good opportunity to spend some time visiting the Duomo, the Castle and of course the Quadrilatero d'Oro, an area in the centre of Milan which is supposed to have the highest concentration of fashion boutiques in the world. 

With regard to smoking lounges, I already posted some ideas here. This time, thanks to the nice weather, I smoked at the Bulgari Hotel both inside their internal lounge (picture below while enjoying a nice grappa) and in their garden.

My first smoke was a Partagas D3, 2006 Limited Edition. This cigar is not easy to find anymore, I think - I got lucky to find a few at a local cigar store in my hometown (when I was actually looking for Toscanos!). The cigar is a re-release of an original 2001 Limited Edition, corona gorda in size (46 ring gage for 5.6" in length). I was not blown away by this cigar which is spicy as you would expect from a Partagas, though a touch light to start with. It certainly improved in strength as the smoke went by and I deserve my final judgment after having smoked at least another one...

In addition, as mentioned, the Bulgari Hotel also has an amazing private garden which is of course a great venue to enjoy a cigar - see pictures below



The cigar in question was a present from my girlfriend from last August. A Petit Unicos (50 x 5.0") by Ramon Allones which was released exclusively for the Canadian market, as a result of a consumer survey. Very much an excellent choice, being an enjoyable smoke with a good draw and leaving
a complex flavour in the mouth!



And here is me! Enjoying the Ramon Allones Petit Unicos! For these sort of experiences, I wouldn't mind going back to Milan!

 

Partagas D1

The Ten Manchester Street cigar terrace has invested in some really great cigars lately, including some aged ones which are definitely worth a try... Amongst those, I recently caught the opportunity to smoke again the Partagas D1, a Limited Edition released in 2004 which has become really difficult to find over the last couple of years.

I have to say I love Partagas - they are amongst the most full body cigars you can find and they have that combination of wood and leather flavours that just makes it a cigar to smoke again and again. 

In this picture, Cristiano - F&B manager at No. 10 - is preparing my cigar for an afternoon of pleasure

And here is the cigar in all his beauty - a double-robusto (50 ring gage for 6.7" in length). I hadn't smoked one of these for quite a while and I have to say it continues to be a smoke not to be missed, peppery to start with evolving into a lot of spice with wood and leather - like a Partagas should be. The good news in my view is that the new 2010 Limited Edition - the Serie D Especial - seems to evoke some of the same flavours. Happy smokes!

Christmas cigars

Like every Christmas, I went home and spent some time with my family, eating and drinking loads, opening presents, etc, etc... but what would Christmas be without good cigars? :)

Thankfully, my parents put together a great area outside their house with a nice and cozy area to enjoy some great puros, a personal "smoking lounge" well protected from the wind and therefore great to smoke (for me - not sure that was the intended use :))!

On Christmas day, after an amazing lunch, I therefore enjoyed a nice Partagas P1 (see my review here) with my brother; I somewhat felt that wasn't enough for such a special day and therefore I doubled-up with a Montecristo Maravilla. While smoking, I got a little bit carried away with the Christmas spirit and therefore I took also a picture of the nativity representation my sister Francesca had prepared in the "lounge" :) 

As you can see, I had with me all you need for a great smoke starting from my inseparable travel cigar caddy, a cutter, some matches and in this case a nice bottle of port - my brother Marco was recently in Portugal and brought back some bottles of this Portuguese internationally famous export...

And here is the Montecristo Maravilla, a limited edition issued in 2005 for the fifth release of the Habanos Collection "Book" series and the 70th anniversary of the Montecristo Brand, an amazing double-robusto size 55 ring gage for 182 mm.

This was definitively an outstanding smoke. A very classic Montecristo flavour, with lots of spice, tons of smoke and a great aroma from pretty much the beginning till the very end, one of those cigars that you wish you could smoke more often but are unfortunately not so easy to find, since they were produced in a somewhat limited number (well, in theory only 500 copies of the book containing 20 cigars each where made, or 10,000 cigars in total; in practice I think a few more of those cigars were made available for my own luck...)

Happy New Year!!!

Dear all - this is just a quick post to wish everybody a very Happy New Year!!! Hope you all had a chance to spend some quality time with your family and friends and, of course, enjoy some great cigars!

I certainly did! To prepare for the holidays, in fact, I paid a much deserved visit before Christmas to Ajay, at La Casa del Habano in Teddington, and bought some outstanding cigars...  More to come on them in future posts.

Instead, let me quickly describe some of the latest aged cigars that Ajay managed to obtain, including in particular some historical Partagas cigars.

For example, some Partagas Special Cabinet Selection for JJ Fox, probably from the 60s, in the picture below...

... as well as the original Lusitanias, again from the 60s, which were then made in a 109 format rather than the standard double-corona (note that the head is smaller - the 109 has since been reproduced in various occasions, at least in terms of format, including recently for the 2010 - 165 Aniversario Humidour which was presented at the Partagas Festival in Cuba last November)

Ajay also managed to put his hands on some aged "traditional" Lusitanias (not sure but at least from the 80s). What can I say... if any of you is wondering what could be a good present for next Christmas, just look at the picture below! :))

Where to smoke in Milan?

Although I'm Italian, I don't really know Milan well. I have never lived there and to be fair, being from the centre of Italy, I much rather prefer Rome. However, I do travel to Milan a few times a year on business and therefore I did need to find out where are the good places to smoke cigars. I reported in the past about the local Casa del Habano, but where else?

The Westin Palace in Piazza della Repubblica used to have a smoking area but I think that since the new law came into force they shut it down (if any of you know whether or not this is the case, please do let me know). Fortunately, I did find another hotel, conveniently located in the city centre, with a small but fairly homely cigar lounge: the Bulgari hotel! 

The pictures below that I took with my blackberry really don't do it justice (and apologies for the bad quality!), but the space is a little heaven for the frantic traveller like me looking for an oasis of calm :) There is a little humidour with an overall acceptable selection of cigars (no surprises, but more famous brands like Cohiba tend to take most of the space), comfy leather chairs and of course a good selection of drinks. Only thing I'd warn you about is that you may hear quite some big mouths while there... but who cares :)

Yesterday night I was in Milan and smoked at the Bulgari's lounge a Partagas Serie D Especial Limited Edition I purchased in Dubai (by the way, I'm not sure if I'm being unlucky but generally find the cigars from Dubai not as well kept and therefore somewhat less enjoyable..). Since the area was full, I sat down at a table with another cigar smoker - the funny thing is that the gentleman I shared the table with is from London and literally lives 10 minutes walk away from my place. What a small world!

In the last picture you can see some images of chocolates on the wall in the background. I will do a little digression on this, as if you are going to be in MIlan this week - up until the 19th of December -  the Bulgari Hotel will be home to a unique event featuring the handmade Bulgari chocolates. From 7 pm to 9 pm it will be possible to admire the Japanese maitre chocolatier Miura Naoki while he creates the exclusive collection of Bulgari chocolates (amongst some of the chocolates available, you can have panettone or truffle!). You can also enjoy a daily chocolate tasting at 5:00 p.m. and a special sunday  brunch menu featuring the chocolates as dessert. The chocolates are not cheap but really delicious and they are also available in a special box combination with a bottle of Dom Pérignon for a luxurious Christmas gift for the real chocolates lovers amongst you!

Romeos and P1s!

One of the (many) beauties of smoking cigars is that you can never get bored. There is always a new cigar to taste, always a new limited or regional edition to try or, to be fair, a moment to smoke one of your old favorites (D4 or Siglo VI anyone?)

Thanks to Ajay at La Casa del Habano in Teddington I can often get my eyes on some special cigars (and really thanks to Ajay - just managed to sample an amazing Partagas Sublime 165th Anniversary - really a very very spicy and full bodied smoke, rich and peppery which will become an absolute outstanding smoke in a year and beyond).  

A few weeks ago we had a get together at 10 Manchester Street to celebrate the birth of my friend Mo's third (I think! he has so many I'm getting confused - sorry!) child. Mo was kindly offering P1s from the travel retail exclusive Jar (and yes! I have managed to get hold of one thanks to the friends of the Cigar Club Alejandro Robaina in Matelica) and beforehand I tasted a Romeo & Julieta Romeos.

R&J, one of the most well-known cuban cigar brands worldwide, brought back this astonishing size, a double figurado, in 2008. This cigar was discontinued in the 70's but for the 125th anniversary of the brand, Romeo & Julieta did a commemorative Humidour which included 25 double-corona and 25 Romeos. Only 250 Humidours were produced worldwide. The cigar is a blend of selected leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region resulting in a classic medium bodied cigar. The one I got was a replica from 2008, from the third release of the Ancient Humidour Series.

Looks good, doesn't it? It's a size 52 x 162 (6.4") - a very solid smoke!

After the Romeos, it was time to spice up the evening with a Partagas P1, a petit piramides, smaller than a P2. This cigar was released in a special collector ceramic jar which is made exclusively for travel retail (although - if you look for it, you can find it in many other shops...) I heard different judgements about this cigar and not everyone seems to be very fond of them at the moment. I think with a little bit of aging, though, these will become incredibly sought after cigars and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the one offered by Mo. Thanks again and congratulations!!!

Here is Mo holding the P1 Jar - it is beautiful, a perfect item for a collector! - below Mo amongst some of our cigar smoking buddies!

I'm back... from Dubai...

Apologies for the lack of blogging but it has been a very busy month (and a bit) at work... The good news is that I spent some of this past month in Dubai, which is certainly a very convenient location for a cigar smoker!

You can buy cigars - at prices usually at least 50% cheaper than the UK (probably currently helped by the FX a little) - as soon as you land, at the duty free shop in the airport (not quite sure why you would have a duty free in a country with no VAT, but that's another story :))

There are, of course, many Casa del Habano. Here is the local symbol from la Casa in the shopping mall by the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, right next to the DIFC, Dubai International Financial Centre. If you go to Dubai, you are most certainly going to spend some time in the area - even if you have nothing to do with the financial industry, as there are plenty of shops and restaurants (read alcohol...) 

I have to say that some of the cigars I sampled in Dubai were not smoking too well, sometimes they smoked very fast, sometimes they just were too dry. Perhaps the conditions in which they are kept are at times sub-optimal and my suggestion is probably to buy the more famous brands as the turnover would be quicker and therefore they are less likely to have not been stored properly...

The airports has got also its own La Casa del Habano shops - wnhere on my last visit I bought some D Especial. You can see a couple of snapshot of their assortment. Note in the second pictures some Behike (they had BHK 56 the first time I visited in early October but since then I have only seen BHK 52 and BHK 54 if at all). Also note the Partagas P1 jar in the middle on the far right of the second picture. This is a cigar exclusive for travel retail. More about the P1s to come soon.

Quick post... Good to be back! 

Partagas limited edition - guest blogger

On the way to a holiday for the next 2 weeks, I should be out of touch but wanted to leave you with one interesting article by James (who made his appearance below) on Partagas limited editions... Happy Smoking! 

The Partagas Serie D No.4 is a cigar recognised and loved, by cigar enthusiasts and beginners alike, as one of the greatest robustos available on the Market - especially with age on it. However this lonely regular production cigar was one of a family of 16 cigars - the alphabetical series of Partagas cigars. 

Discontinued one by one, the D4 is all that remains in regular production. In the 1930s, the cigars ranged from the Serie A No.1 through to the D No.4. The 4 A Serie being of a ring gauge of 38, B Serie a ring gauge of 42, C Serie was 48 and the D Serie 50. 1 equating to 6 5/8 inches in length, 2 - 6 1/8, 3 - 5 1/2 and finally the "4" were all 4 7/8 inches in length. 

Several of these cigars have been reproduced as an Edición Limitada (Limited Edition) to commemorate these sizes; the D No.2 in 2003, the D No.1 in 2004. A Serie D No.3 was also released however it was not in keeping with the orginal size; the Edición Limitada for 2010, the Partagas Serie D Especial has taken this size (for some more colour on this cigar, see the last part of this post by Mass). 

An extremely limited release, in the book series of cigars, showcased the C No.1 in 2002, which I have yet had the pleasure to track down and smoke, but I hope is just a

matter of time. The picture below, courtesy of Hunters & Frankau, shows them.

Those of you who haven't had the pleasure of igniting any of these limited release cigars, I  urge you to try and find them as they are fast disappearing and worth the effort.

by James

V° Encuentro Amigos De Partagas En Italia - part 1

I have been living in London for over 10 years now (with some break in the middle) so didn't realise until recently that right next to my hometown in central Italy, Fabriano, there was a group of great cigar lovers that founded the Cigar Club Matelica Don Alejandro Robaina (no, Matelica is not a rock band, but just another small town in Central Italy). Between June 25th-27th they organised an amazing cigar event, the Encuentro Amigos De Partagas. I couldn't miss it, being so close to Fabriano...


The first part of the event was a sampling of special cigars from a humidour containing puros hand-rolled by La China, which I learned is one of the best torcedores in the world together with Cueto, another special guest at the event... Both are with me in the below picture





Going back to the first cigar I sampled from the special humidour, the first point to note is the top, which was basically closed with a small "flower" made of tobacco.








To smoke it, full picture above, I just took the flower out of the base. This cigar is a Ideales Flor de La China, and the Honorary President of the Cigar Club Association Luigi Ferri and Angelo Bigi explained how the cigar is basically perfect as a morning smoke, being a relatively small gage which needs to be sampled in meditation, being careful not to draw it too strongly as it could otherwise get burned. I got lot of spice out of this cigar. The sampling was accompanied by two grappa from the Distilleria Segnana.


After the sampling, my brother Marco, his wife Anna, my friend Alessandro and I attended the welcome dinner (Cena di Benvenida). The menu -shown below - included a sample of local cuisine (lasagne - or vincisgrassi - big torterllini - or cappellacci - and pork loin - arista)





The dinner was also the occasion to launch in Italy the Partagas Serie D Especial, the new limited edition which was also included as part of Ajay's cigars goodie bag (see my old post). Well, what can I say. This cigar was a great complement to the evening. Quite similar in taste to the D1, I think, full and peppery but smooth throughout and with a touch of cream. I can see this as being well worth a box purchase...