Happy Birthday

Well that completes a weekend of double birthday celebrations 🙂 double as my wife Karyn has the same birthday as me ! (no way of forgetting that then!)

 

Mitchell & Karyn

 

Outrageously perfect dinner at my favourite restaurant http://www.philpotts-mezzaluna.com/map.htm and yes you can even smoke a cigar on their front terrace !

 

Perfect service, ambience and food accompanied with Bilecart Salmon 1989 Champagne and Chateau Haut Brion 1964 (my birth year of course) and 2 Habanos 1492’s back to back.

 

Life really doesn’t get much better but I’ll still try and do a little better next year !

 

Many thanks to family, friends and clients for the numerous emails, card and gifts…. always sincerely appreciated

 

Peaceful puffing

 

 

Mitchell

WHYTE & MACAY WHISKY & CUBAN CIGAR TASTING AND DINNER


Talk about an evening to remember ! possibly the best cigars and whisky tasting I have ever been to…..and I’m still recovering today 😉

 



WHYTE & MACAY WHISKY AND CUBAN CIGAR TASTING AND DINNER


 


Hosted by


 


Richard C Paterson & Simon Chase


 


MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER , BOISDALE OF BELGRAVIA 7.30


 


 


 


Master Blender for Whyte & Mackay since 1970, Distiller of the Year 2001, Blender of the Year 2002, a cult figure in Japan (a significant character in “Oishimbo #70” a hugely popular cartoon series devoted to food and drink connoisseurship) and a wonderful host, Richard C Paterson will guide us through a superb selection of Whyte & Mackay whiskies on Monday 8 September at Boisdale of Belgravia. 


 


Co-hosting the evening will be Simon Chase of Hunters & Frankau, the exclusive trade distributors of Havanas in the UK and many other fine cigar brands.  Cigar roller Eduardo Diaz,  the head of production at Cohiba, will be present throughout the dinner to prepare custom made cigars for guests (subject to the number of guests attending the event each person will have a cigar to take home) with the tasting taking place on the Cigar Terrace and the dinner enjoyed on the ground flood in the Back Bar.


 


Dalmore Whisky


 


MENU


 


 Dalmore 15 Years Old, Single Highland Malt


 


The H. Upmann Magnum 46, 5 5/8”/143mm x 46 ring gauge


Light to medium flavour


 


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Atlantic prawn cocktail with green harissa mayonnaise & mixed leaves


Montagny 1er Cru- La Grande Roche 2005, Louis Latour


 


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Aberdeen Angus purebred sirloin steak (served medium rare),


freshly shaved summer black truffle, soft polenta & Parmesan


Domaine des Anges Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse


 


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Selection of farmhouse cheeses served with grapes, celery and quince jelly


 


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 Whyte and Mackay, 22 Year Old, “Supreme Limited Edition”, Blended Scotch Whisky


 


The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial, 5 ½”/141mm x 50 ring gauge


Light to medium flavour


 


 


The Dalmore, 1263 King Alexander III, Single Highland Malt


Cigar


 


The Romeo y Julieta Hermoso No. 2, Limited Edition 2004


6 ¼”/157mm x 48 ring gauge


Medium flavour


 


 


 


TASTING NOTES


 


Dalmore 15 Years Old, Single Highland Malt


 


Good attack on the mouth, more elegance than muscle.  The aged Matusalem, Apostoles & Amoroso Oloroso butts smooth its rich, fleshy body with great harmony.  Almost a concentrated citric mouth-feel captivates and tantalises the middle part of your tongue.  Thanks to the great influence of the finest sherry wood – three styles no less we have produced a single malt of unsurpassed quality. An aftertaste of great abundance rewards the palate.  Truly a Highland malt of great distinction.


 


Whyte and Mackay, 22 Year Old, “Supreme Limited Edition”, Blended Scotch Whisky


 


The nose is reflected on the taste a rich fleshy body with positive full flavour drifts long on the tongue. The hand of time has fashioned this blend into a class of its own. To appreciate this high quality, this Masterpiece must be sipped and savoured. A good even balance prevails which results in a classic finish – long and deep. The sensual Speyside malts linger lovingly on the aftertaste to complete this golden nectar.


 


 


The Dalmore, 1263 King Alexander III, Single Highland Malt


 


This gallery of ecstasy continues to unfold on the palate with immense pleasure. These enticing complex flavours are attributed to one thing only – wood. Not just any wood but six different styles of casks specially selected and meticulously blended to produce this Royal Dram for your enjoyment. Aged Oloroso and Madeira provide the perfect backbone and structure, displaying warm flavours of crushed almonds and rich citrus fruits. While the heavy Port and Marsala casks add hints of wild berries and fleshy ripe plums. Warm whispers of vanilla and creamy caramel from Bourbon barrels combine perfectly with the sensual elegance of the Cabernet Sauvignon.  A feast of flavours which reflect Dalmore’s royal heritage and noble spirit.

Rolling cigars in the C.Gars office!

Yes rolling fresh robustos in the C.Gars offices today!


Eduardo rolling cigars in the CGARS office


Eduardo Diaz Gonzalez – Head of Production at Cohiba


33 year-old Eduardo Diaz, Head of Production at Havana’s top cigar factory El Laguito – the headquarters of Cohiba, is in the UK for a ten week tour to demonstrate cigar rolling from mid-July to the end of September 2008.

Eduardo’s path to his present, prestigious post has been unusual. He started his career in photography where he developed visual skills. Then twelve years ago at the height of the cigar boom, his ability was spotted by the H. Upmann factory, which recruited him as an escogidor or colour grader.

Colour grading in Cuban cigar factories has always been one of the most respected and best paid jobs. It demands an acute sense of colour because the finished cigars must first be sorted into over 60 different shades and then all the cigars that will be placed in a single box must be matched precisely so that they please the eye.

Eduardo proved so adept at this task that a year later he was appointed to manage the colour grading department at the Romeo y Julieta factory.

Romeo’s Director at that time insisted that all his senior people should be able to roll cigars, so Eduardo was sent to the school where he soon qualified as Grade 8, which allowed him to make cigars like Robustos.

Since then he has not only achieved the top grade in rolling, which means he can make cigars of any size, but also, when the Romeo factory was closed for refurbishment in 2006, he went straight to El Laguito first to manage its colour grading department and now to be Head of Production.
Eduardo has two children, a girl of seven and a baby boy. The baby was born just one week before Eduardo came to England giving him the perfect excuse to celebrate with his favourite cigar – the Cohiba Robusto.

Popped over to Paris for lunch!

Popped over to Paris for lunch yesterday to work on a very exclusive humidor project 😉

Lunch was first rate at my usual hang out Cafe Ruc (159 Rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris, France) just opposite the beautiful Hotel du Louvre and round the coroner from my favourite cigar shop A la Civette – Palais Royal (- 157, rue Saint Honoré 75001 Paris ) which is always well worth a visit.

 

We smoked the delicious Bolivar Libertador followed by the Juan Lopez Obus ( French regional edition cigars)  accompanied with a copious quantity of Chateau Becheval 2004. Splendid smokes and delightful wine.

 


 

I rate the Bolivar as one of the finest regionals that has been made and there’s nothing wrong with the Juan Lopez either.

 

Since the smoking ban in France of course it is no longer possible to smoke indoors but the weather was glorious and sunny so no problem sitting outside watching the world go by. ( many many restaurants in Paris have covered outdoor dining areas ( sadly not as many in London!)

 

Eiffel Tower

 

Back to the office today and in fact for the next couple of weeks as my lovely assistant Michelle is on vacation so I’m stuck here with the lovely Eli,Marci and Lucy…could be worse;-) and yes now I really have to work terribly hard!

 

My favourite rep Ken from Hunters and Frankau popped in for coffee this morning and kindly gave me a delicious Monte C Limited edition which I am smoking as I blog….full flavour and full strength,doesn|’t taste anything like a Monte but what an excellent smoke. Ken also brought us some delicious hand made chocolates….there goes my diet…yet again!

 

Ken tells me that the Partagas P2 tubos should be out next month which I’m looking forward to ( it’s my favourite Havana) as the tube should be very cool ( torp cigar in a tube…great idea!)

 

No confirmed dates yet for the UK regionals or limited edition but we are still hopeful for something new and interesting in lat September

 

Looking forward to the cigar and whisky tasting evening at my current favourite restaurant Boisdales Belgravia on the 8th September. ( email me if you would like details [email protected] )

 

Oooops…there goes the phone… I better get back to work!

 

Peaceful puffing

 

Mitchell