007 and cigars

[Ken Gargett]

a while back, one of our tv channels showed all the bond films bar the daniel craig stuff. taped them and slowly working through them. up to moonraker or thereabouts.

interesting that i never saw connery with a cigar at any stage. can't recall lazenby but if he did, very quick. roger moore, for all his shortcomings - and i wonder if too much of that came from lesser scripts, dire efforts to include more humour and inane plots - often has one. almost always a double corona though sometimes a lonsdale. my issue is that the bugger keeps throwing them away as soon as something happens. and not one has had a band.

i know brosnan visits a cigar shop in the halle berry one.

and i am thinking that bond is not quite the winelover suggested. the 57 dom? seriously? what planet?

another bottle is served in 'man with the golden gun' and he notes that it reminds him very much of the 34 mouton. yet it was a burgundy bottle - we are not told what it is. that is a touch ironic as that mistake was exactly how he caught out the villians, wint and kidd, on the boat at the end of 'diamonds are forever'.

and as for claiming to be able to tell the vintage first used in the solera in an old oloroso, absolutely impossible.

most bizarrely, in 'you only live twice', he insists on his martini 'stirred not shaken'. i think they made the same error in the book. certainly, in one of the books, he gets it around the wrong way.

[Montaigut]

Thanks for sharing that Ken. Never paid much attention to cigars in the 007 movies. Perhaps I am not the only one that was too preocuppied by the likes of ***** Galore?...

But for me if there is an entertaiment phenomenon that did as much to promote cigars as anything yet I have two words for you:

Denny Crane!

[MIKA27]

Great topic Ken, I remember the shows and as I recall, we posted often on the other thread of yours, "Bond burbon and a Cohiba".

Interesting you mention not seeing Bond with a cigar as there are some examples where he does have them in the scenes and Roger Moore is also seen with a stogie in mouth and hand.

Note below the following:

In Thunderball, Q presents Bond his underwater breather, which comes disguised in an aluminum cigar tube (R&J tubo)

In The World is not Enough, Bond finally gets the chance to enjoy the cigar itself, in the pre-title scene, when he is offered a Romeo Y Julieta Churchill in the Swiss bank in Bilbao. But in the end, he doesn't seem to have time to even light it.

The fact that the Swiss banker, who smokes a Churchill as well, holds on to it, even after falling on the ground and held at gunpoint, shows how good these cigars really are.

Bond finally gives the cigar (still in it's aluminium case) to Moneypenny:

Bond: "I thought you might enjoy one of these."

"How romantic. I know exactly where to put one of these.", Moneypenny replies.

Now, I am certain it's in Live and Let Die where Roger Moore whilst hand gliding in the dark, attempting to get to Kanangas island, is briefly seen with a cigar (That is supposed to be an R&J Churchill) but he flicks it away barely having enjoyed it.

[Warren]

Ken last time I saw you I meant to tell you that you were a shite for shaw eysh.

[laficion]

I've always enjoyed the James Bond series but for old timers like me, It's Sean Connery who always played

the best & a more believeable Bond on the screen even if we didn't see him with a cigar very often but on the

whole , he had more credibility then the others.

However, I must admit that Roger Moore was the most British of them all.

I mean , come on !!!!!!! who else but a Brit would travel to the Caribbean, Malaysia, south America or anyother

hot climate , wearing a suit and tie .

[Montaigut]

I've always enjoyed the James Bond series but for old timers like me, It's Sean Connery who always played

the best & a more believeable Bond

This old timer agrees!

[Guest Robusto 107]

007， I would think about Martini first.

[StumpyJoe]

I believe in From Russia With Love there is a scene where M and Bond are offered cigars where Bond refuses...deep wood flip top box I believe although I couldn't make out any markings. Bond drinks the Brandy...and when asked why the brandy is disappointing he remarks there's too much bon bois...Ken...you have a super palate...is that possible?

[Ken Gargett]

I believe in From Russia With Love there is a scene where M and Bond are offered cigars where Bond refuses...deep wood flip top box I believe although I couldn't make out any markings. Bond drinks the Brandy...and when asked why the brandy is disappointing he remarks there's too much bon bois...Ken...you have a super palate...is that possible?

remember that but i think it was goldfinger?

i suspect that cognac blenders and their ilk could tell something like that. basically a lesser region and grapes from it would not be in the best cognacs.

[StumpyJoe]

remember that but i think it was goldfinger?

i suspect that cognac blenders and their ilk could tell something like that. basically a lesser region and grapes from it would not be in the best cognacs.

You are absolutely correct Ken, Goldfinger it was...thanks for helping my memory. 'Ilk?'. This is interesting. Since I can be daft and am not that knowlegable regarding wine and it's derivatives/distalates...I tend towards whiskys...why the comment of ilk?

[Ken Gargett]

You are absolutely correct Ken, Goldfinger it was...thanks for helping my memory. 'Ilk?'. This is interesting. Since I can be daft and am not that knowlegable regarding wine and it's derivatives/distalates...I tend towards whiskys...why the comment of ilk?

i simply meant those people that spend their entire lives in the cognac industry tasting the various components endlessly.

[StumpyJoe]

i simply meant those people that spend their entire lives in the cognac industry tasting the various components endlessly.

Thanks for the explanation. I have to admit that at times I'm amazed by your and Smithy's ability to pin down flavors while smoking a fine...or not so fine...cigar. I've read about 'super tasters' and believe that unfortunately that I am not counted among them as you most certainly are. On the other hand, you and Smithy have pointed out flavors in the video reviews that I have afterwards been able to link to the cigar. I had a Cohiba Siglo II recently and while I didn't get exactly lemongrass, probably because I don't think I ever hadit, I could taste a lemon shortbread that was incredibly distinct and enjoyable.

[samb]

I think Bond's tobacco usage is based primarily on current cultural trends. When Connery was bond, smoking cigarettes wasnt nearly as taboo, and the middle Bond's smoked cigars, perhaps cigarettes really are bad for you and cigars are more elegant? Daniel Craig has to appeal to a new audience, and unless they want shards of glass attacking his image, he should probably stay away from smokeables.

[joeypots]

Is is true that Bond likes the Martini stirred because shaking bruises the gin?

[Van55]

Ahhh the Bond "Cigar Girl" -- Maria Grazia Cucinotta

[Ken Gargett]

Is is true that Bond likes the Martini stirred because shaking bruises the gin?

most of the time he insists on shaken not stirred. all sorts of nonsense spoken about a lot of spirits (wines as well). there have been tests to ascertain bruising etc but it all seems a bit dodgy to me.

but who knows?

[Ryan]

There's a nice scene with Pierce Brosnan with a cigar and a mojito watching Halle Berry, supposedly in Havana, actually filmed in Cadiz which has quite a similar malecon.

[baragh]

Denny Crane!

Denny Crane....name on the door

every time I see the balcony scene at the end of an episode I feel a strong urge to light one up

[thechenman]

There's a nice scene with Pierce Brosnan with a cigar and a mojito watching Halle Berry, supposedly in Havana, actually filmed in Cadiz which has quite a similar malecon.

Halle...now there's a hottie...

[joeypots]

most of the time he insists on shaken not stirred. all sorts of nonsense spoken about a lot of spirits (wines as well). there have been tests to ascertain bruising etc but it all seems a bit dodgy to me.

but who knows?

Wow, I thought it was a joke. Goes to show that people get serious about their spirits.

[StumpyJoe]

most of the time he insists on shaken not stirred. all sorts of nonsense spoken about a lot of spirits (wines as well). there have been tests to ascertain bruising etc but it all seems a bit dodgy to me.

but who knows?

Again, I do not have the most descerning of tastebuds...they're good, just not super taster level. I've also heard the claim of bruised gin...and I cannot not tell any difference in taste. The difference I can tell is in texture and appearance. Shaking will invariably give the drink a cloudy look as stirring will not. The difference in texture can be from small bits of ice being suspended in the drink and aeration depending on the strainer used.

Nice to know some of the claims in the Bond movies about beverages were flights of fancy. My favorite was an episode of the Avengers where John Steed is in a 'duel' of calling a wine's vintage...he, of course, in a blind tasting gets the vintage and vineyard correct...and then claims the grapes come from the north end of the vineyard. Nice touch!

[matt14]

http://www.tjbd.co.uk/james-bond-smoking.htm

[Ken Gargett]

My favorite was an episode of the Avengers where John Steed is in a 'duel' of calling a wine's vintage...he, of course, in a blind tasting gets the vintage and vineyard correct...and then claims the grapes come from the north end of the vineyard. Nice touch!

as bizarre as it might seem, there would be vineyards - sometimes quite small ones - where that could easily be possible. an example would be the shiraz vineyard in the clare owned by tim adams. his aberfeldy shiraz, his top wine, comes from three or four rows at one end of the vineyard. i think they might be much older vines but the soil varies and these vines provide brilliant grapes. if you picked the wine as tim adams and/or aberfeldy, which is entirely possible (though they would be far better palates than i could ever claim to be), you could name the part of the vineyard as well.

[cigcars]

*While I'm not a Bond fan, I DO love the theme songs and a few of the opening title sequences of those films...not Maurice Binders' necessarily (just naked bimbos swimming in different colored waters), but Robert Brownjohn's "Goldfinger" and Daniel Kleinman's "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig title openings. I do find those electrifyingly haunting and effective. Apart from that for me, YOU guys go knock yourselves out. Just in parting, if there was going to be a particular cigar for Bond should it make its debut of the "shaken, not stirred" realm it would be in my opinion, discontinued Cuban Davidoff & Dunhills ('cuz he'd find a way to get all he wants - the bum!)

[StumpyJoe]

as bizarre as it might seem, there would be vineyards - sometimes quite small ones - where that could easily be possible. an example would be the shiraz vineyard in the clare owned by tim adams. his aberfeldy shiraz, his top wine, comes from three or four rows at one end of the vineyard. i think they might be much older vines but the soil varies and these vines provide brilliant grapes. if you picked the wine as tim adams and/or aberfeldy, which is entirely possible (though they would be far better palates than i could ever claim to be), you could name the part of the vineyard as well.

I just did a search on YouTube withe the words "avengers wine duel" and sure nuff someone posted it. I unfortunately don't have the knowledge to attach a link, sorry bout that.