Cigar school

Have you ever wondered what's a chaveta? Or what's the name of the different type of tobacco that goes into a cigar? Or even what is right etiquette of smoking cigars (should you take the band out or not, where do you actually cut it, etc. etc.)? Well, if you'd like any of these questions answered and enjoy a nice saturday of cigar smoking you should join Nic Wing and Sautter's Cigars on their "Cigar Day".

Many of you cigar smokers would know Nic - he's a cigar aficionado with encyclopedical knowledge of cigars and their history. Besides the cigars days at Sautters, he also runs the Cuban Cigar Walk, showing some of the most famous cigars shops in central London.

As for the Cigar Day, which I attended a couple of months ago, it all started in No. 10 Manchester Street Hotel with videos and talk covering introduction to cigars, history of Cuba and the Cuban cigar industry, tobacco growing and maturing, cigar manufacture, quality of aged Cuban cigars and aging. Here is Nic training some fellow cigar aficionados

After lunch, we moved to Sautter shop in Mount Street, Mayfair, to talk about the correct way to keep cigars, how to cut them and lighting them, and various other tips.

Here is Sautter's shop. Amongst the regular cigars, they keep a great collection of aged cigars, for example some pre-Castro Henry Clay as well as their own blend - mostly large gage - cigars

Last but not least, Magali DeLa Cruz, in the picture below, has now moved to Sautter. Magali is one of the most knowledgeable person in the world about cigars - she is the third generation in her family to work in the tobacco industry, her family grew tobacco and her mother has been a cigar roller all her life! 

To learn more don't miss out - I think the next Cigar Day is scheduled for July 2nd! 

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!

BHK 52 - Best Cigar of 2010 by Cigar Aficionado

I am just back from a tasting at Ten Manchester Street Hotel in honour of the freshly named Best Cigar of the Year 2010 by Cigar Aficionado - the Cohiba Behike 52 (or BHK 52)!

Many amongst the cigar community have been surprised by this choice... Cigar Aficionado is often very kind to non-Cuban (since it caters to mostly American readers for whom habanos are still off-limits, or theoretically are...) and it also tends to favour big sizes/ring gages. The BHK 52 (at 52 ring gage as the name says and 4.7" in length) is not necessarily small but most would have probably expected Cigar Aficionado to at least prefer its bigger brothers BHK 54 (5.7" x 54) and BHK 56 (6.5" x 56).



While these are all incredible smokes for cigars lovers (with still a lot to offer, given that they are still quite young cigars) I overall love the BHK 52 and I have been saying often to my friends that this is probably my favorite amongst the Behike, a reasonably short and incredibly punchy smoke, rich of aroma and coffee flavour.

At No. 10, the tasting was accompanied by an Irish Coffee which I thought was a pretty nice complement to this strong cigar. A great evening thanks to Ten and Hunters & Frankau.

P.S.: If I can give some simple advice - definitely have it on a full stomach! 

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!

A usual sunday with a special cigar

Back from a week off, I can now continue reporting about the cigar I mentioned but that I said deserved a post on its own... It is a Behike 56-equivalent made by La China - one of the top cuban roller (9th grade - the highest achievable which means she is able to roll cigars of any size/vitola). I got that cigar at the Partagas Festival I already raved so much about in previous posts.

The Behike 56-equivalent cigar

A close up to better show the logo

I however wanted to also take the opportunity to introduce you to what it is, in my view, a superb place to smoke cigars in central London. Recently, in fact, I have often been enjoying a coffee (or a whisky/calvados...) together with a cigar at the terrace of the 10 Manchester Street Hotel. Cristiano and his team offer a great service in the heart of Marylebone, with a well assorted choice of cigars and a terrace which is heated and therefore perfect also in the colder months. 

In the picture below I am smoking the Behike 56 made by la China - you can see I'm thoroughly enjoying my Sunday...

As for the cigar... well, light and peppery to start with, also gave a touch of cream. At the end I felt it to be a pretty earthy smoke, possibly not as a strong as a pure Behike 56 I had sampled beforehand but gaining in strength throughout... all in all, another great smoke :)