If you could arrange a long lunch with three insiders of the cigar world today.....who would they be?

[El Presidente]

If you could arrange a long lunch with three insiders of the cigar world today.....who would they be? 

 

So four people at a long lunch. You are one of them. 

List the other three 

[El Presidente]

 

 

1. Steve Saka (Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust). 

Steve is one person on my cigar long lunch bucket list. He has "long lunch danger" written all over him. 

 

2. Jemma Freeman (Hunters and Frankau). 

I have had lunch with Jemma in the past. Delightful, insightful, sassy. 

 

3. Ravi Mahbubani  (COH)

Great mate and the most dangerous lunch companion one could imagine. He should come with a warning sign. 

 

That would be a lunch for the ages 

[loose_axle]

For me it'd be: 

Jeremy Casdagli (Casdagli Cigars)

Eddie Sahakian (Davidoff of London)

El Presidente (FOH) 

As I reckon you/they would all be very good value at a long lunch. Gemma Freeman is a close run up, but would love to meet Mr Sahakian just a tad more. 

 

[Ford2112]

Kirby Allison

Jemma Freeman 

Ken Gargett

I want to watch Ken decimate Kirby verbally while I try to get in good with Jemma.

[Li Bai]

Man it's a tough question 🤔

El Presidente

John Stivaktas/Ken Gargett (it's a tie, availability would be the decisive factor)

Hamlet Paredes

If it had been "a long lunch with four insiders" I would have chosen Ravi of COH, you've sold him very well Rob 🤣😂

[BrightonCorgi]

Tough one.

Mitchel Orchant

Urs Portmann

El Presidente

[Cigar Surgeon]

Skip Martin, Steve Saka, and Dion Giolito.

If my Spanish was fluent it'd be Raul Disla, Henke Kelner, and Hector Alfonso. Maybe swap Henke for Ernie Carrillo. 

I'd never get in a word edgewise, but the amount of tobacco knowledge in that time frame would be invaluable. 

[Chitmo]

Good luck finding anyone willing to spend 3 hours in a room with me!

[Lamboinee]

The person who has trained the most cigar rollers in the most complex vitolas and techniques. 

The person who has the most experience and knowledge with growing and breeding and fermenting the largest variety of tobacco types in the most countries over the longest period of time.

And then maybe the owner of a tobacco growing megacorp or placencia, Blanco, Eiroa Sr., or the eldest padron.

[Ken Gargett]

On 10/31/2024 at 10:56 AM, El Presidente said:

 

 

1. Steve Saka (Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust). 

Steve is one person on my cigar long lunch bucket list. He has "long lunch danger" written all over him. 

 

2. Jemma Freeman (Hunters and Frankau). 

I have had lunch with Jemma in the past. Delightful, insightful, sassy. 

 

3. Ravi Mahbubani  (COH)

Great mate and the most dangerous lunch companion one could imagine. He should come with a warning sign. 

 

That would be a lunch for the ages 

well, unless ms freeman is finally speaking to you after that really embarrassing incident in Havana some years ago, it might be a very quiet and very awkward lunch. 

 

 

[Ken Gargett]

as for three for lunch, i'd need to know what they are bringing. 

[BrightonCorgi]

6 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

as for three for lunch, i'd need to know what they are bringing. 

Thirst and an appetite. 

[MrBirdman]

One thing I know for sure is that I want Kirby to be the waiter. 

[westg]

John De Costa I did meet him once and we had a blast. I think his jewellery line is amazing and he does some cool T-shirts.

Nick Hammond. One of the nicest people you could ever meet and a superstar when it comes to smoking cigars. He is the real deal.

Condesa Bencomo can come along as well. Without her cigars though. They have the aroma of a wet dog, hit the palate like a tonne of razor blades and give you blinding headache. That said, of course she bring her cigars. 😍

 

[99call]

On 11/1/2024 at 4:12 PM, Ken Gargett said:

well, unless ms freeman is finally speaking to you after that really embarrassing incident in Havana some years ago, it might be a very quiet and very awkward lunch. 

I feel as if we must know more...

[Ken Gargett]

27 minutes ago, 99call said:

I feel as if we must know more...

i'd be happy to comply but i have not been suspended for some time and would like to try and keep it that way. plus how long do you reckon it would stay up uncensored? i'm surprised my original post is still there. 

[99call]

On 10/31/2024 at 11:56 AM, El Presidente said:

lunch with Jemma in the past. Delightful, insightful, sassy. 

If I invited Jemma to Lunch, I'm not sure I would even notice or remember who else was at the table...or that I was in a restaurant...or my name.

[CaptainQuintero]

  Johnathan Drew always sounds like an incredibly interesting person to spend an afternoon sharing stories and picking their brain with. 

 There's a guy in Belgium who grows a dark, and seems like swampy/heavy tobacco and rolls then into short cigars to be smoked in pipes. I forget his name though, but it seems such a unique and artisan product. I'd love to hear his story and tales too

[Li Bai]

1 hour ago, CaptainQuintero said:

There's a guy in Belgium who grows a dark, and seems like swampy/heavy tobacco and rolls then into short cigars to be smoked in pipes. I forget his name though, but it seems such a unique and artisan product. I'd love to hear his story and tales too

That would be Jean-Paul Couvert 👍

(I don't know if posting the link is ok so mods feel free to remove it of course)