El Presidente Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Somehow Ken and I were deemed worthy enough for a select invitation to an exclusive vintage champagne and 2008 LE tasting at the Nacional hotel on Wednesday night before the Distributors dinner hosted by 5th Avenue (Germany/Switzerland). After going to the wrong location we arrived 15 minutes late but in true Cuban style nothing was on time and we found ourselves near the front table in a room of 50 "connoisseurs" for this tasting. Lined in front of us were the three LE releases for 2008 (Cuaba Piramide, Partagas SD No 5 and Montecristo Sublime) as well as 4 empty Champagne flutes which were to shortly hold Champagne from current to 1986 from memory. Suckling and various Habanos sa heads were at the lead table on the podium taking us through the tasting which was designed to showcase this marvellous new mix of "Habanos and Champagne"....something I have done for years...but apparently something so new it was akin to the second coming. Ken was in his element. Upon firing up his Cuaba Piramide he coughed up a lung for 5 minutes as Suckling detailed its smooth and suave flavours. "it's the secondary smoke" says Ken....."stop blowing the smoke in my face you Bastard!" I relented and Ken settled down to writing copious notes as he invariably does looking a mix between Hemmingway and a homeless person at the local bus station. The Cuaba Piramide was indeed excellent. Medium in body with some excellent complexity including an edge of savoury spice. The best Cuaba I have had since the Millenium Jar release. Even Ken liked it which says something since his dislike of Cuaba's is legendary. They rolled out the Champagne which was from a minor house I had not heard of. Good indeed but my eye was distracted to some very attractive ladies at the other tables including a red head to my left. I looked to my right and saw Ken....mental note to change seating arrangements in future. The second cigar was the Partagas LE SD No 5. Petit Robusto which to almost all present (particularly the Spanish and Cubans) was the best cigar of the tasting. Medium full in body with some serious flavour but to me it showed elements of youth. Consensus was that it worked better with vintage champagne than non vntage. I couldn't tell the difference. Some dipstick stood up to extoll the theory that only vintage champagne should be drunk with LE's...."what a wanker" went immediately through my mind but before I new it the room appeared to agree. I really don't like these events. Ken continued onto his 4th page of notes. Photographers were snapping pics left right and centre and Ken was a star attraction I assume because he appeared to be the only one in the room (excluding Suckling) taking the tasting seriously. The final cigar was the Montecristo Sublime....sensational. Complex with a capital "C". Smooth, rich and I struggled to come to terms with the fact that it was a fresh rolled cigar. Ken had a similar opinion and we both agreed that it was the best cigar of the night and later....the best cigar of the week. An important point was made by one of the chairs of the tasting which resonated with me. "We believe that it is important that in future, the LE concept develops cigars which are different, where the wrapper does not have such a dominant effect on flavour". I am paraphrasing here but the message was not lost on me. A criticism in the past of the LE cigars is that the wrappers used have such an effect on the cigar that many taste similar. This criticism could not be be levelled at the three cigars we were currently tasting. All were unique in flavour...distinctive...excellent. We were served the last of the Chapagnes and were made to suffer through some self serving sycophancy. People really like to kiss arse at these events. I looked across to Ken who had a very nice ash on his Sublime. A European photographer was taking some closeup photo's of Ken and his ash and Ken had his best "Constipated Thinker" pose....he sucks in his cheeks...looks skywards...and thinks about lunch. This is where all of kens calm, debonaire demeanor came crashing down like a house of cards. The minute the photographer moved away...his beautifully crafted ash fell on his notes.......and started a fire. :rotfl: :rotfl: I had tears rolling down my cheeks as Ken did his best to put out the flames with his hand....while trying to look calm and relaxed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenpimp Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 . :rotfl: I am so happy that you guys started a fire there! Well, Ken, but you went together so... May you always be the rowdy bunch in the experts club. I can only imagine the level of self-impressed affect, especially with Suckling seeing himself at the helm and adjectiving away on all the many things he knows. How well could you enjoy the vintage Champagne after the second cigar? I have this argument with a friend, Personally I cannot appreciate a very good wine or champagne after mpre than one cigar. I enjoy it, but the cigar overwhelms the delicate tastes to me after more than an hour of smoking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokinLightning Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I was waiting for the stories to come rolling out... and the Pres does not disappoint. And now for Ken's rebuttal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » The minute the photographer moved away...his beautifully » crafted ash fell on his notes.......and started a fire. » :rotfl: OMG! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIGARHead Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 this is why I love you guys. No bs, no ass kissing, just bumbling idiots...in the nicest way possible mate! I am a bit intrigued about the new ELs. I have read from others that were able to smoke these and it seems the consensus is that they are all good. Do you think pricing will be in line with last yrs ELs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 » this is why I love you guys. No bs, no ass kissing, just bumbling » idiots...in the nicest way possible mate! » » I am a bit intrigued about the new ELs. I have read from others that were » able to smoke these and it seems the consensus is that they are all good. » » Do you think pricing will be in line with last yrs ELs? They will be in line with last years pricing ....maybe 5% more. If you haven't heard....Habanos smokers are flush with cash, price is not an issue, every LE produced is being sold, all is good in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 The combination of cigars and champagne has certainly been discussed here for some time - I have to give KG his due here. If there is such a thing as pride through osmosis, I'm feeling it right now :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokinAl Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » The final cigar was the Montecristo Sublime....sensational. Complex with a » capital "C". Welcome home Rob. The new Monte sounds interesting. What size is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenpimp Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » The combination of cigars and champagne has certainly been discussed here » for some time - » I have to give KG his due here. I agree--and sure would have liked to see him run the tasting. Hey Rob--are the Monte Sublimes coming in boxes of 10 too, or just 25? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIGARHead Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » » this is why I love you guys. No bs, no ass kissing, just » bumbling » » idiots...in the nicest way possible mate! » » » » I am a bit intrigued about the new ELs. I have read from others that » were » » able to smoke these and it seems the consensus is that they are all » good. » » » » Do you think pricing will be in line with last yrs ELs? » » They will be in line with last years pricing ....maybe 5% more. If you » haven't heard....Habanos smokers are flush with cash, price is not an » issue, every LE produced is being sold, all is good in the world » Oh yes. I wasn't asking price for me, but for this cheap ass guy I know real well:lookaround: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 54 x 164 from memory. I suspect packaging will be in 10's but to be honest I cannot recall. Smaller packaging appears to be the focus for HSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Hemingway Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » crafted ash fell on his notes.......and started a fire. :crying: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Now's not the time to hold back Rob. Show us the fiery aftermath! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortsqueeze Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 LMAO:lol2: Rob, you are a hell of a storyteller. I can't wait to hear Ken's angle on this. Seriously, I'm with you guys ... I can't stand the pompousness of some people in these kinds of situations. They take themselves way too seriously. "Flush with cash" Yeah, that's it LOL Get a f'ing clue Habanos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Great stuff! Good laughs and very interesting info on the new LEs. Looking forward to them. Any interesting info on the Regionals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP012 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 LOL, sounds like a great time. Do you know what publications or websites the photographers were with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazypoet Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 The minute the photographer moved away...his beautifully » crafted ash fell on his notes.......and started a fire. » :rotfl: » » I had tears rolling down my cheeks as Ken did his best to put out the » flames with his hand....while trying to look calm and relaxed. What? No pics of the fire? What kind of journalist are you, anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike33 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Great story Rob!! I don't know which are more fun to read, your reviews or the stories from your trips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aavkk Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 :rotfl: Great stuff Rob. I love the fact that Habanos is looking to move toward smaller packaging on the EL's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Candido Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » Before the "fire" No shot of the fire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 no time to digest all but i did post on all of this a little while ago, still if you prefer the fictionalised movie version.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 okay, yes, we were late and i can't even blame rob. we were given the wrong hotel. the mad dash was funny enough. the malecon was closed as waves crashed right across it and the taxi was blaring out age of aqarius. from memory, the champagnes (a small producer that no one had heard of - i will check it when home - that was imported by the croatian ambassador to cuba but they were excellent champagnes) were 98, 96 and 80 i think, perhaps 81. the red head was a bloke but don't tell rob. agree re the cuaba but given that everything else they have ever made has tasted like toxic sewerage wrapped in a rotting banana leaf, not hard to top it. but it was good. i took only three pages in total. completely agree re the tosspots pouncing on about on using vintage not non vintage. so krug grand cuvee is not up to their standards. i'll swim to cuba next year if half, no make that 99% of them, could pick the difference. the thing is to allow them to bang on and make fools of themselves and not get bothered. i liked the partagas but for me it was way too young. i found it the least of the night, but given that a cuaba was involved, that inj itself is something. the pick by a mile waqs the glorious monte sublimes. as i posted elsewhere, aside from some of hamlet's stunners, it was my cigar of the trip. agree with rob 100% and if i am never reminded of that, i probably won't mind. and yes, some woman from one of the spanish cigar mags, for reasons best known to herself, took about 130 photos of me with the sublimes and the long ash. i was doing my best james bond. thank god that the ash waited till the second she stopped clicking as it fell off landed on the notes and to be faair there was a small flame. it really was all too funny. pierce brosnan to woody allen in two seconds. then off to a night of yodelling, cow horns, xylophones, accordians, digestible floral displays, soup served, sometimes even with soup in the bowl and then our waiter completely outdoing me by setting fire to our entire table. off to some dodgy club where we watched one of the local pimps (no, not rob) prance about in the darkest ever sunglsses in a club where the only light came from two very distant tv screens, a sequinned denim jacket with the odd feather (rob made him give that back after the night) and a black plastic fedora. you can't make this stuff up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » The combination of cigars and champagne has certainly been discussed here » for some time - » I have to give KG his due here. » If there is such a thing as pride through osmosis, I'm feeling it right » now :lol: colt, if in any way i can add to your happiness then my work on this planet is complete. just remember, sometimes it takes the world a little time to catch up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » » Before the "fire" » » No shot of the fire? in truth, it was a momentary flame gone in less than a second but who are we to ruin a good story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 » » Any interesting info on the Regionals? just tried the ramon allones for the swiss this arvo, first cigar in a week as throat has been stuffed. hated it. very young (tho to be fair, probably way to young to give a fair review) and very bitter. harsh and unpleasant. justice sending this to the swiss. teach them not to remain neutral next time. any other markets i can help you with, rob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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