Eggs, Bacon – and a Bolivar?

IT’S not everyone’s cup of tea – but the Breakfast Smoke is a big deal, nonetheless.

While many brothers and sisters of the leaf recoil in horror at the thought of lighting up shortly after completing one’s morning ablutions, plenty more seasoned pros will tell you that their early smoke is the finest of the day.

Sautter owner Laurence Davis fires up his first – Cuban – cigar at around 6 am each morning. Before breakfast. But then, he’s not exactly representative of the rest of the human race, let’s be honest.

But many a cigar lover holds that first puff very dear to his or her heart. To have a clear palate (and hopefully head), a day ahead full of possibility and quite likely some peace and quiet and solitude in which to enjoy it, the dear old BS is not for the faint-hearted, but nor should scorn be poured upon it.

We’d be interested to hear your predilections – on the BS, please, and not on anything more sordid. What is your preferred stick of choice to shake hands with your coffee and cornflakes? Or are you a confirmed ‘only after the sun is over the yard arm’ kind of smoker? One of the many beauties of our enthralling little passion for cigars is that there is plenty of room for all, no matter which way up you tend to look at things.

LD likes to start the day with a mild, yet flavourful, cigar. His go-to is the Open Eagle. A massive stick for that time of day (or any, come to think of it) but certainly very light in flavour. By lunchtime, El Jeffe is smashing his way through E2s and lord knows what else, but he does at least start with a light and easy introduction.

Some go further and have a bold and peppery powerhouse to kickstart their motors. It’s not to be recommended for a newbie, for sure, but once again, it highlights the breadth of choice, options – and opinions – that surround the world of the hand-rolled cigar.

So why not let us know your recommended Breakfast Smokes (perhaps you’d also like to include what you’d eat with, before, or after them?) and perhaps we could put together our very own Sautter Breakfast Smoke Sampler?

Is it kippers and Cuabas for you? Fruit with your Fonseca? Juice followed by a Joya de Nicaragua? Or Marmalade and Montecristos? Whatever your preferred way of starting the day, like most other things in life, it will be personal to you and you’ll go about it in such a way that is not quite the same as anyone else’s routine or preferences. That’s one of the great joys of being a free human being.

Take heart from whatever you enjoy, don’t let others tell you you’re wrong or how you should like things; experiment a little to confirm your preferences; and don’t forget to say thank you when you light your little hand-rolled miracle, wherever it may come from. It truly is a gift from the Gods.

As usual, the experts at Sautter will be happy to advise you on some suitable Breakfast Smokes.