The Rake's Editor-in-Chief Tom Chamberlin picks out a consummate selection of cigars for the festive break.
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Everyone has their Christmas vice, it is a paradise for the glutton. We gorge and merrily partake in the festival of more, and with the frightful weather outside and delightful fires inside, who can blame us? Making large dents in my humidor is my vice, and with cigars on the mind I thought it may be useful to give you a list that should see you into 2022 in great, combustible company. Head on over to our great friends Edward and Eddie Sahakian at Davidoff on Jermyn Street and stock up…
Edward Sahakian with Dr. Ernst Schneider and Zino Davidoff at the shop’s opening in 1980.Aged and Rare cigars from Hunters & Frankau: The UK is very fortunate to have Hunters & Frankau. The 230-year-old importer of Cuban cigars run by Jemma Freeman has maintained a continued special relationship with Habanos, which has guaranteed the best quality cigars which smokers can rely on. Every time a cigar comes in to market, they put a few boxes aside for aging, in what they call their House Reserve. Some no longer exist due to market pressures but those that do, every now and then reach their aging potential, and they release them in what they call their Aged and Rare range. There will be nothing in here that isn’t astonishing in taste and quality. You may see the presentation humidors in cigar terraces and merchant’s humidors but smoking any of these is getting a glimpse of what makes Cuban Cigars equal in stature to any Haut-Brion or Puligny-Montrachet.
Quai d’Orsay Limited Edition: Quai d’Orsay have crept up on a lot of people. Initially intended for the French market, who were keen on softer cigars which might accompany their matutinal café au lait. Their range is small but their two releases in 2017 (the 50 and 54) are wonderful smokes. The brands efforts were rewarded with a 2019 limited-edition release, the Senadores, which has not yet cleared the Hunters & Frankau shelves, which means there is appreciation to be had. So buy one box to smoke, and one to invest in.
Quai d’Orsay Senadores
Trinidad Robustos Extra: The Robustos Extra from Trinidad is one of those classic Cuban cigar stories. It was a regular production cigar that was enjoyed by everyone, a beautiful, smooth, tasty hour-long cigar, affordable to everyone. So of course the Cubans discontinued it in 2012, to everyone’s confusion but to the delight of people who had a stash already, as prices shot up. In line with the latest packaging craze in Havana, the good people at Habanos released a ‘travel retail exclusive’ box of 14 in a lovely-looking travel humidor. But as travel was kiboshed by Covid, stock got released to certain markets, including the UK.
Trinidad Robustos Extra
Trinidad Robustos Extra
Hoyo de Monterrey Primaveras (Year of the Ox): Released this year, I smoked my first while shooting in the Yorkshire dales. When I think back to that I scratch my head as to what brought me away from that moment of excellence, to the honks and drudgery of dear-old London. Probably my wife and Children. But anyway, the point is, it’s a tremendous cigar, whose namesake is also produced by Davidoff, but in a much bigger format but is actually a beautiful New World cigar. Perhaps buy both?
