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No
120 - July 28, 2005 A recent phone call from a prestigious niche hotel requesting a selection of good cigars, in small quantities, in glass tubes, re-emphasized the fact that the demand for good cigars still exists. The demand is actually growing. We see this in the shops, and it is feeding on some of the exotic Cuban cigars such as Trinidad, Montecristo Edmundo and the Partagas Serie P #2 and the ultra-exotic Partagas Serie D#4 Reserva 2000 (5 year matured). Our suggested
selection did not include all these exotic cigars, but rather
a range to cover most tastes and
price categories: However,
a thought came to mind - if you are going to visit a restaurant
or hotel, with the intention of including cigars in the visit,
you could confirm which cigars they offer and, if there is nothing
exciting, enquire whether you might bring your own. To supplement
our range of top quality Spanish cigar cases, we have just received
from India some excellent, firm telescopic
cases for 2 or 3 Robusto to Churchill size cigars at R160.00
and R175.00 respectively. Ideal for an evening out. So for that
single visit to a restaurant, or for a week away in the bush or
at the coast, you can make sure that your cigar enjoyment is complete
in both selection and condition.
Colin
Wesley You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library.  |
No
121 - August 11, 2005 We have been dealing with the Savinelli pipe company for just over 40 years - and for very good reasons. Their Dry
System pipes which we introduced to South Africa in 1981,
are still considered to be the technically best designed pipes
for both experienced and new pipe smokers who accept a bent pipe. As expected they had some very good ideas:
It comes
with a very agreeable price tag of R355.00.
The pipe
I'm holding in my hand is a truly handsome specimen, displaying
a firm, close grain with a good proportion of hard wood. And it
is difficult to find the specks that must be there for it to be
offered at only R715.00
Savinelli is a world class pipe manufacturer, with a tradition of service - we are proud of our association with the company. Colin
Wesley You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library. |
No
122 - August 25, 2005 I'm sure we all have stories of unplanned incidents, events or experiences which have turned out to be beautiful, or very good for us - sometimes you just strike it lucky. While we didn't resort to the "pin and closed eyes" method for our next cigar selection "special", we did ask a cigar supplier for a list of some of the slower selling, lesser known brands of Cuban cigars available in South Africa. Given this list, we looked carefully through it (with our Rudman on hand) and have come up with three cigars, to each of which the late Theo Rudman awarded 4 stars (his comments are included). How lucky can you get! Ramon
Allones - Established in Cuba in 1839 by Ramon Allones, immigrant
from Galacia, Spain. First person to put colourful printed labels
on boxes. Favourite amongst connoisseurs of full bodied cigars.
Juan Lopez
- Old Havana brand presently enjoying revival, particularly in
Switzerland and Spain. Saint
Luis Rey - Created more than 50 years ago for the British
market, it is rated amongst the best Havanas. Frank Sinatra and
James Coburn were amongst devotees of these cigars.
Colin
Wesley You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library. |
No
123 - September 8, 2005 Would you recognise a 1950 limited production, large size, Dunhill Shell Briar - or the original Dunhill Zulu shape? Well they are there in our latest collection of Mature pipes - along with several other classic Dunhill pipes. With the help of a recent fortuitous article in a trade magazine on the history and intricacies of the Dunhill stamp dating system, we have been able to establish most of the pipes' years of manufacture. I think we have them right, but some of the digits are not all that legible and we could only establish a 5 year window. It has taken us 10 months to assemble this collection of Mature pipes, and it is by far the biggest, best and most comprehensive collection to date. It includes Savinelli, Stanwell, Dunhill and a variety of other English brands, the star of which is a Charatan Cavalier stamped FH. This is a rare pipe, and its excellent condition makes it a candidate for any collector's serious attention. To any of
you reading this article who are unfamiliar with the concept of
"Mature" pipes, let me explain: These pipes come from
many sources - an estate, a smoker who has had to give up, a pipe
that just didn't suit the smoker.
I expect
the real gems to move very quickly, but the pipes are all gems
in their own right so don't delay - look, see and buy before somebody
else does. Colin
Wesley PS And now we need to start assembling the next collection - know of any? You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library. |
No
124 - September 22, 2005 In previous
articles we have discussed the relevance of length and ringsize
to the draw and the taste of a cigar. Some conclusions of these
articles are that But what
if we look at these conclusions more carefully, and raise questions
about the exact construction of the cigars being compared. My wife and
I have always been very keen on the Pyramid - Torpedo
as it was known BB (before boom). She enjoys the easier way the
narrow end fits in her mouth while she can still enjoy the benefits
of the broad burning area. I just like it. The third cigar in the pack could be even more interesting. It is a Perfecto with a ringsize of 45 at its widest point. I say more interesting because, at the outset, the burning leaf is a combination of wrapper and binder only, with no hint of the full flavour of the filler to come. This flavour comes slowly into play and reaches fullness at the peak ringsize point, after which it should strengthen as the cigar narrows and shortens. This selection pack of 3 cigars in glass tubes won't give you a perfect comprehension of the effect of shape on taste - none of the cigars is even of the same brand, let alone the same blend; and the ringsize for each cigar (at its widest) is not the same either. But
it does have one great plus - So they are
excellent examples of their shapes - and each will give you a
splendid smoking experience in every sense of the word.
Caution: None of these cigars should be smoked in less than 50 minutes. Make sure you have the time! Colin
Wesley You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library. |
by the late
No
125 - October 6, 2005 A few years
ago while enjoying some Italian wine (Piemonte) with friends in a restaurant in Turin, the conversation turned to defining Classical music. What about fields
other than music - architecture, art, clothing design? Are classical
pipe shapes to be confined to the billiards, pots, apples, lovats,
liverpools and canadians - both straight and bent (where applicable)
- made originally by the French and English pipemakers of the late 1800s
and early 1900s? What about colour
finishes? For our next pipe
special we have chosen two ranges that fall into both these categories
- pipes that we have been importing for more than 15 years.
As is said on Classic
FM "Are these a hit or a miss?" Colin Wesley PS Do you
live in the Lowveld, shop in Nelspruit? You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library. |
No
126 - October 20, 2005 - not at the Royal Livingstone, Zambia, in any event! Friday (7 October) started as normal for us – up at 6, breakfast at 7, then to the office. We had been invited to present the position of cigars in “The Good Life” – we offered Davidoff Petit Corona, Millennium Blend, which is a fine example of a smooth smoking, flavourful luxury cigar. The non-whisky drinkers (Gillian included) had sipped and appreciated the fine quality of the whiskies, and the non-smokers had nearly all been adventurous enough to try the cigar, several even lasting beyond the halfway mark. A fourth ingredient for “The Good Life” was also present – the care and attention paid to every guest by the management and staff of the “Royal Livingstone” the whole weekend. They really went the extra mile. A fifth ingredient was the proximity of the majestic Victoria Falls - one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. (Do you know the others?) On a warm (40ºC) Sunday morning, “life is good” was the general feeling as we dispersed to our various destinations. Tonight we are experiencing another “life is good” function – a Wesley’s Cigar Dinner at The Grillhouse in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The “Evening with Montecristo” has been sold out for nearly a week, even though we managed to squeeze in more than 70 guests.
Colin Wesley PS Are you familiar with the local pronunciation of Zambezi?
You can read previous articles from "Across the Counter" in The Library. |
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