2009 UK Habanos Regional Edition Launch 28/9/2009

[Simon-JG-hr]

You and Big_T should have a grump-off ;-)

They look like someone's just kidnapped their dogs.

[Lascaux]

looks great, was it a decent venue, possible future herf location?

[Big_T_UK]

OK, so my account of the regional cigar launch last night, I know you have all been waiting, LOL.

I toddled on up to London for around lunchtime and headed straight for Dunhill as I wanted good espresso and to buy some backup cigars. After the disappointing “Open” range of cigars at the last H&F event we knew to take alternate smokes. I had a look at the new cigars at Teddington the week before so I knew they would not be so disappointing this time but I still like to have options. I had taken a Hoyo Churchill and a Por Larra?aga RE from home, the Hoyo was to be passed onto a friend. I grabbed a Monty sublime and a RyJ Duke from the Dunhill humidor along with a Hoyo petit robusto for Jimmeh. I enjoyed the ambiance, coffee and chat but eventually moved on to Sautters. The deal I had been waiting to start there is now not going to happen but they did help me out with another desire I had.

At the mega herf the VERY generous Bnelly was passing out cigars. Amongst the selection was the Partagas Charlotte that went out of production in 2002. Talking with friends during the evening, and especially Ajay from Casa Teddington, made me believe I had missed something very special. A few days after the herf I contacted Bnelly and enquired about obtaining one to sample, he was unable to assist but pointed me in the direction of its “replacement”, something very similar. This too is now hard to find but Sautters found me a few, which I grabbed.

After making my purchases (and charging the painfully crap iPhone on the customer charger) I made my way over to Casa Soho. I had a chin wag with my friend working there and I grabbed a Hoyo DC. I drank a couple of large cappuccinos and made my way to meet Jimmeh on the tube. Too much coffee and being stuck in public transport with odious people, few of whom appear to be able to speak the Queens tongue is not a good combination on old Trevor, I was put straight into a bad mood. Then again, when am I not in a bad mood?

Jimmeh and I finally exited the tube and walked the not inconsiderable distance to the venue. As it turned out we arrived horribly early so we adjourned to the terrace and had a smoke and drink while we awaited the H&F crew to setup.

I started with the little Partagas I had acquired and Jimmeh had the Hoyo petit robusto. We both started with non-alcoholic drinks as we remember the free flowing booze at the last event.

The first familiar face was Simon Chase from H&F and we had a brief but pleasant chat. We let them get on with it and returned to our drinks and smokes. Many of the H&F crew started to arrive and we said our hellos to those we knew and got introduced to others. Nicwing and Deano arrived and joined us. We caught up and they immediately rubbed me up the wrong way by revealing they had been drinking and smoking at the Bluebird for the afternoon, wish I had known, gggrrrr….LOL.

Jimmeh took out the Cuaba Diademas that I had purchased for him the week before at Teddington. It genuinely did look like the Hindenburg in its silver foil wrapper, inside its own coffin. It was comedy huge but we had heard many good things about it. Jimmeh still managed to find time to moan about the ?42 I had spent on it!

More faces from the forum arrived, including HabbonSy and his brother-in-law. The first cigar of the evening was passed out with notes (that I did not get), matches and a rather usable cutter. Jimmeh and I put our two in my bomb proof travel humidor and selected alternate smokes. He started on the Hindenburg and I started the Por Larra?aga.

Over the last few months Jimmeh and I had gotten to know the guest roller from Cuba, Armando, rather well. He left last week (not until he said we should meet up when we do Cuba and exchanged contact details) and the new guest roller, a lady, arrived yesterday. Well H&F put her straight to work and she was doing demonstration cigar rolling in the conference room. At the “Open” launch Jimmeh and I totally failed to obtain sample cigars but Armando had seen us proud in the following months. These sample cigars always take up residence in a backup humidor to rest a while before I even think of smoking them. The first time I met Simon Chase was at a cigar dinner and I ended up walking away with three freshly rolled cigars. One of these was VERY special and still lives in my humidor. I wanted to get one from the new lady last night but she was mobbed rather quickly.

The champagne started to flow, Veuve Clicquot NV which I have to admit being a little sniffy about but on this occasion it worked reasonable well with the cigars. More friends from the Boisdale arrived as did Ajay, his wife and the core crew from his place. Good chat was had but I got a little flustered as I did not know who to talk with, I felt I was being rude to everybody!

Deano and Jimmeh sat chatting as I mingled and they also “networked” with familiar faces. Nicwing disappeared completely, he is up to something, I know…LOL. Deano had offered me a JL No.2 earlier in the evening and although I very much wanted it manners prevented me. Well after a few too many glasses of fizz and very few of the nibbles (the good ones came on a stick, a rich source of comedy, considering it is Jewish new years) I was feeling a little bolder. The JL went straight into the travel humidor, how rude of me; I will make things even soon.

Deano and I had a grump off. He is a bit miffed I wrote on the forum I thought he was grumpy, particularly at the mega-herf. I was kidding, but all good humour has an element of truth to it. There is photo evidence of this earlier in this thread; I think I won the grump-off, LOL.

The huddled masses found themselves being summoned into the conference room to hear a short talk from Simon Chase and the representative from the drinks people. The cigar group being a stubborn lot they insisted on smoking constantly, this set the alarms off much to the distress of the hotel staff but we soldiered on regardless. The alarm must have been silent and fortunately the sprinklers did not come into action. After the short chat from two speakers we received the second and larger cigar along with a glass of a particular Glenmorangie scotch (as a scotch bore, dubious one this).

As I was still smoking the PL and Jimmeh was still raving about, and receiving oral satisfaction from the Hindenburg, we placed the second cigars in the humidor and started drinking and chatting all the harder. Nicwing was still AWOL but everybody else was mingling and chatting about cigars.

I got dragged away as I wanted to introduce a friend from the Boisdale to Ajay. My friend is semi-new to cigars and buys his at heavily inflated prices. He is looking for lots of advice and I thought Ajay could impart knowledge and offer good prices.

After introducing the people I wanted to meet each other, I nipped off back inside and managed to acquire the last, and largest freshly hand rolled cigar of the night.

Upon my return many guests had started to leave. Deano and Nicwing had left without saying goodbye. I was a little miffed but it was just as much my fault for being on the hunt for a fresh cigar. Ajay was in chat with his crew so Jimmeh and I left with three other friends and headed by taxi for the Boisdale.

The elevator ride to the ground floor was an interesting side note. We shared a full elevator with a very drunk comedy German. Comedy accent, dialogue and mannerisms all present and correct. If I had acted like him I would have been looked at as being very politically incorrect but as it was a German being “German” we could all have a good laugh at him. I tried to get him started in conversation about how vulnerable the Polish border currently is, but he seemed far more interested in apologising for being German in the first place. Too little too late I thought.

At the Boisdale the Mallard sounded too yummy to say no too but after a very good gin and tonic and a couple of glasses of the house red I thought it a wise to make my way home, while I still could. Jimmeh and I made our excuses and headed home. He made his way back to what ever hellish pit he resides in and I went back to the green and pleasant land.

T.

[HabanoSy]

Nice review of the evening T

Good meeting up with you again, if only very briefly...

Hopefully catch up again soon...!?!

Cheers, HabanoSy

[nicwing]

Hey T, Deano and I were convinced you left before us as it was thinning out and you were no where to be seen, I didn't realise you had slipped up the rollers skirt!

Catch you soon big boy

[Big_T_UK]

Oh god, YUCK!

[Jimmeh]

Jimmeh took out the Cuaba Diademas that I had purchased for him the week before at Teddington. It genuinely did look like the Hindenburg in its silver foil wrapper, inside its own coffin. It was comedy huge but we had heard many good things about it. Jimmeh still managed to find time to moan about the ?42 I had spent on it!

I would like to point out that i didnt moan - and that you were the one moaning that i looked pleased with myself - when actually i was pleased with how DAMN good that cigar was!

[cohibaIV]

Are you two married????

[jpmoore]

I thought they were father and son