An Especial Esplendidos

[foursite12]

Last weekend was the 6^th anniversary of the death of a friend and mentor. A well-known lawyer in Chicago, he took me under his wing when I was still in school in the late 70s and I worked alongside him for 5 years or so after passing the bar. He was one of those larger than life guys. You didn’t have to like him but most people ended up grudgingly admiring him. He also had the best palate I’ve ever run across, particularly when it came to French reds, cognacs and armagnacs. His collection of wine was remarkable, including items such as Imperiales of 1949 Lafite and on and on. He was not a wine snob and he did not just collect. He drank it liberally and shared generously.

He was also a cigar guy; a Churchill lover. At the time of his death his Churchill of choice was the Esplendidos. At the memorial event in his home boxes were passed around alongside double magnums of ’82 Latour. The cigars were likely 2006 or 2007. I smoked one at the event and kept a second to celebrate again down the line a few years.

“Down the Line” came along this last weekend. It was time. The memories of my friend were not all pleasant; he came at you all knees and elbows and you had to work to get at the brilliance and warm heart that you knew were in there somewhere. I needed to put those thoughts away for good.

That first Esplendidos at the memorial party was my friend's mirror image; rough, unyielding but betraying greatness at its core. I recall chuckling to myself at the obvious parallel. The second Esplendidos was burned this past Sunday, a spectacular Indian Summer day heralding the changing season, celebrating life and death, with a faint whiff of new growth over the horizon. In the intervening 6 years the Esplendidos had given up all its bluster and dropped all its defenses. Finally fully revealing, it was easily the most remarkable cigar I’ve had in nearly 40 years of trying. The parallel reappeared. Only this time, the cigar's graceful maturation opened the door for me to put all those elbows and knees to pasture and see only a unique human being who was my friend. Sometimes a cigar is so much more.

[luv2fly]

Very touching tribute! Indeed sometimes a cigar is much, much more.

[packerjh]

That was very well written...it's nice that something as simple as a cigar can bring back such fond memories. Thank you for posting.

[JamesNYC]

I know some people like that.

Glad you had a good remembrance.

Reminds me of this poem:

HEAVEN


It will be the past
And we’ll live there together.

Not as it was to live
but as it is remembered.

It will be the past.
We’ll all go back together.

Everyone we ever loved,
and lost, and must remember.

It will be the past.
And it will last forever.

(Patrick Phillips)

[Elvis]

Thank you for writing that.

[msm1771]

Beautifully said. Thanks for posting brother and god bless

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[CoCigarSmoker]

Wonderously written a beautifully felt. Salute! To a great friend. As I am getting older I can only hope to such a lasting impact on friends and family. What an honor to have known a man like that! Best wishes to him, his family, and his friends!

All the best,

Seth

[archosaur]

Great vignette on friendship, life, cigars. Well done

[dt2]

Thank you for sharing, that was a wonderful read

[ToothlessCog]

Great story. Thank you for writing it.

[SMQQKIN]

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

[Mr.T]

A wonderful tribute and very well written. He had great taste! Thanks for sharing.

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[Ken Gargett]

really lovely story.

[ChiTownHuck]

Very cool tribute.

[ehdg]

Very nice n thank you for sharing your friend n story. May he continue to RIP

[RijkdeGooier]

Nice story. Initially thought you were referring to OSU NOV 02.

[CanuckSARTech]

Phenomenal. Well done.

[cigarbigboy]

just bought a box. smoking them will definitely push me toward the philosophic as I smoke them and think of this post.