There’s something about the first faltering steps of Spring that set the heart soaring.
The long, dark, night is coming to an end. There’s a bluish tint to the dawn, which means that although the halcyon days of hazy, lazy Summer afternoons is not close yet, it’s becoming more of a reality day by day.
And it’s a time of hope – life springs eternal and all that.
It’s also a good time to have a think about your cigar Wishlist, we reckon. What your hopes and aspirations, fears and ambitions for your cigar future hold. Perhaps you’d like to try more Cuban cigars of a lesser known pedigree, or maybe you’ve been meaning to see what all the fuss is about for New World cigars but have never known where to start?
At the risk of cheesing off El Jeffe, we’d like to see the current trend in ever larger, ever fatter cigars mediate just a smidge. Believe it or not, there are a considerable number of cigar lovers who get sick and tired (as well as jaw ache) trying to work their way through endless sticks the size of telegraph poles.
The good news is that Hunters & Frankau, the UK’s importers of Cuban cigars, have relented and concentrated their efforts for their next Regional Edition on – so rumour has it – a Lancero sized cigar. For the uninitiated, that’s a long, thin cigar; elegant in the extreme, very hard to roll and blend and very unfashionable these days. Connoisseurs love ‘em.
We haven’t seen this cigar on the ground as yet, but it’s eagerly awaited. Not by Laurence Davis, admittedly, but eagerly awaited nonetheless.
So, what would be on your cigar Wishlist? More Maduros, less Ligero, bigger Bolivars or feisty Fonsecas? It’s both good fun and educational to have a think in this way, for it will lead you to try new brands and blends and also think more carefully about why you buy the cigars you do.
We’d also like to see a really good value, really good smoking, Half Corona. There’s the excellent H. Upmann which is very good when it’s on form, but you couldn’t call it a great value smoke at £65 for a tin of five.
Davidoff make a truly superb Nicaraguan of a similar size, named, aptly enough, Davidoff Nicaragua Short Corona. But it’s even more expensive than its Cuban counterpart.
This is a superb size for when you really fancy a smoke but don’t have the time or facility for a bigger size. If well blended, you can hit the sweet spot of a good cigar without the time and expense, and have it done and dusted in half an hour (15 minutes if you’re Laurence).
But that aside, we’d also like to see more Cohibas back on the shelves, a resurgence in Double Coronas and a zero-tolerance policy on quality control. One can but wish.
Close your eyes – what would you wish for this Spring?
Sautter Cigars is London’s leading retailer of Cuban cigars. Cuban cigars are our heritage and they’ve been our passion since the 50s.
The wonderful “New World”, a term given to any cigars originating from any country that isn’t Cuba! We hand-pick a selection of our favourite brands from around the globe.
Have you seen our humitrunks? Vintage designer luggage converted into breath-taking humidors! Browse our accessories to find a deep treasure trove from the last 60 years.
Cigars are so much more than tobacco, they are a way of life for us and our customers. This section is home to everything from events to slippers and all in between!
