On Friday after Christmas, Simon Chase found himself in St. James’s Street, where on the corner lies Davidoff of London. Usually he would have called in advance to see who was in, so imagine his delight when he found Edward Sahakian, the proprietor, and his son Eddie there to greet him. For the next hour and a half he enjoyed a discussion on the state of the cigar world, which he shall treasure for a long time.
Blind Tasting of the the 2013 Ediciónes Regionales
In the Edición Regional 2013 tasting we rated the following cigars: Ramon Allones Petit Allones, La Flor de Cano Gran Cano, La Flor de Cano Grandiosos, Bolivar Presidentes, Ramón Allones Specially Selected Robusto Corto, Ramon Allones Sidón, Por Larrañaga Secretos, Quai d’Orsay Royal, Bolivar Rodolfo, El Rey del Mundo Infantes, Rafael Golzalez Petit Piramides.
Top 25 of 2013 – The Complete List
Every year the members of our tasting panel blind-taste hundreds of cigars. At the end of the year we take time to look back and compare the best of the cigars once again. The Top 25 are our absolute favourites from the 2013 tastings.
Daniel Marshall: Passion for Luxury
Daniel Marshall has been successful in the humidor business since 1982, and embodies the lustrous pioneering spirit that surrounds the American dream. In 1995 he got into the cigar business.
Birthplace of the Montecristo
If these walls could only talk, what stories they would tell! Over the years, the legendary Empresa de Tabaco Torcido José Martí manufacture produced many beloved cigar labels such as Byron, Particulares and Montecristo.
Why Spend $2,000 on a Cigar?
Why would anyone be prepared to spend this much money on a cigar, particularly when it is over 50 years old? Is there any way that such extravagance could be justified? The venue was the outdoor cigar terrace at Boisdale’s Restaurant in London’s Belgravia district. The event was the third auction of aged and vintage cigars organised by C.Gars Ltd.
Arnaldo Bichot, Maestro Ligador
A true Marvel – over the last 15 years, the now 80-year-old Arnaldo Bichot has shaped the brand Partagás. The Partagás Lusitanias Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007 is his masterpiece.
Hendrik Kelner Honored for Lifetime Achievement
Hendrik Kelner is probably the most well-known tobacco expert in the world and a living legend. For more than 40 years he’s been cultivating the best tobaccos and, with his name vouches for, among other things, the quality of the luxury brand Davidoff.
Nestor Plasencia Sr. Can’t Be Beaten. Comeback King.
Losing all its property in a revolution is enough to take most companies out of an industry. Nestor Plasencia has suffered this loss in both Cuba and Nicaragua. He is now in control of tobacco growing on perhaps the largest scale in Central America.
Job: Test Smoker at Partagás
Cuban manufacturers rely on test smokers, called catadores, to perform quality control. We spoke with Gerardo Álamo Gómez, usually responsible for machines and electronics at Partagás and one of twelve Partagás test smokers, and we were able to take part in a tasting session.
Beautiful, Slim and Sexy: The Panetela
In times when more and more Habanos are becoming shorter and thicker, Cigar Journal columnist James Suckling remains faithful to the elegant format. Panetelas seem to feel so right in his hand – moreover, they are packed with flavor due to the ratio of ligero to others in the blend.
Cool Storage for Cigars – Part 2
With more cigar lovers using wine coolers as humidors, we set out to explore the topic of cool storage in greater depth. As long as the cooled cigar storage area is hermetically sealed from the outside environment, stored cigars are in good shape.
