Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill '11 - Maybach Zeppelin DS 8 (CCCCRW)

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While I haven't found a time slot for smoking this weekend (have to finish some work, well I should....), I couldn't hold back:

This combo immediately sprang to mind:
Maybach Zeppelin DS 8 - RyJ Short Churchills

You may be surprised about the pairing, but in fact they both have a few things in common:
Sturdy and powerful yet still so beautiful to look at. Both at their time of introduction marking new eras, setting benchmarks and even being ahead of their time.

The cigar? - Came with a new, more 'modern' blend of what I tend to call the "immediate gratification" type. Voluminous smoke, full-flavour, medium-full body. At times even powerful, but blended more towards the sweeter side. For me, combining characteristics of Partagas and Romeo y Julieta. Prime examples are best being pictured as the "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte" of Cuban cigars (Black Forest cake).

In 2006, this had been the first new release for RyJ in years, actually in decades, somehow marking a modernisation of the marca and the start of a new line of robusto-ish "Churchills"-derivated vitolas, catering to a so-called "new type" of smokers. Also its introduction came with the first use of the new-stile tubos. And not least, it was setting a new format margin within the brand with the at that time widest ring gauge of a parejo available in RyJ. With rg50 beating the up to that moment widest and more towards refinement blended sister, the Hermosos No.4, aka Exhibition No. 4. It surely is not the cigar expressing the most 'decency', but, hey, this is not what you're always looking for in a cigar.

 

The car? - Most certainly likewise not being the most decent one. The company, having made for themselves a name in aviation motor engineering at the beginning of the last century, had to look for new business segments following WWI when the Treaty of Versailles set a full stop to the German arms industry. From then on, for Maybach-Motorenbau - founded by protégé, scholar and mastermind behind Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, a pivotal character in the history of the automobile - locomotives and cars it was. At least for a brief period of freedom and peace before the next apocalyptic events befell the world....

And what cars! With their roots in aviation their engines were still powerful but relatively lightweight, coming with a particular attention to dependability and safety. These were cars built around an engine. The Zepp DS 8 (cabriolet pictured) sported features such as aluminium motor block and pistons, and also what may be seen as - sort of - the first half-automatic duplex gearbox with pre-selection of gears. Among other specific features were four inbuilt lifting jacks (!), plus a couple of controlling instruments - again hinting at aviation - to protect the motor. This 'automobile' was made for power (and speed, among the first 'regprod' 12-cylinder-motor cars in Europe), comfort, dependability and elegance, even fun (later, there was also a 'sports' version). The same could actually be said about the cigar, were it not for its occasional consistency issues - this is actually where the commonalities end.

(bit cheating here: neither have I smoked the cigar for the review, nor is it my car... haha)

credits: DaimlerChrysler AG, CC BY-SA 3.0

 

Still, both at their time emblematic figures in their respective industry segments. Both, while coming with a lush, luxurious aura, neither marking the top tiers nor entering the price regions of some of their contenders. And while I've smoked the cigar, what would I not give to once be given the chance to move that car, and were it only for a few 100 metres!