Cigar etiquette
It has nothing to do with envy. Nor has it to do with size. It’s not that it’s cool. Or sexual. There is nothing about a long brown object in their mouths that most men find erotic. It’s about a smoke. That’s all there is to it. It’s about...
Arran Sauternes Cask Finish – Review
It’s hard not to think of sauternes cask finishes as anything but an after dinner drink, sipped in a pairing with dessert. Arran’s offering, perhaps because it’s bottled at 50 percent, brings a bit more of a kick to the table than you’d expect. Nose: An immediate hit of...
The New Cigar Store Indian
There are a number of reasons to like Dubai. Most of them centred around a shopping mall. But since it’s one of the few cities in the world where a man can sit in a bar with a glass in one hand and a cigar in the other, it...
That One Perfect Drink
“Where’s the bubbly?” asks one of my guests. It is, after all, a milestone anniversary. Which has me wondering why we have such stereotypes about the drinks we consider special. Take champagne. Since every two-bit, trumped up, tax dodger in the world orders it by the bucket in nightclubs,...
Cocktail Craziness
“Can I get you a cocktail,” asks the bartender at a new watering hole, putting a menu in front of me. I look askance at him. What kind of place asks if you want a cocktail for pity’s sake? Ask me if I want a drink, and I’ll answer...
Bar Basics
Life used to be so simple. We were young. We had a bar at home. It was called the refrigerator. A perfectly handy device used to store beer and left-over pizza. When friends visited, we’d offer them a drink. Pop the cap. And hand over the bottle. Glasses were...
San Cristobal De La Habana El Principe – Review
Warms up nicely after the first 1 cm. Not a great deal of complexity, but that’s to be expected in a cigar this size. A little acrid initially, but it settles down to a more muted flavour, with shifting spices and woody notes. Towards the end, a hint of...
Hoyo De Monterrey Le Hoyo De San Juan – Review
This cigar did a really good job of surprising me. The flavour profile was totally unexpected, with an unlit aroma that had me wondering whether it had been dipped into a stagnant pool before being dried and put into a box. Expecting the worst, I got instead a topnote...
H Upmann Magnum 54 – Review
The H Upmann Magnum 54 is a delightful smoke that offers complexity from the first draw. Little to no acrid burn when it’s first lit, moving gently after across flavour and aroma profiles. The first draw takes you back to a schoolroom with pencil shavings and bits of rubber...