On Friday 26th June 2026 I was invited to join New World cigar supplier TOR at Boisdale of Canary Wharf in London for the ‘Rock ‘n’ Smoke’ tour.
Now, this was no ordinary event – but then again, TOR don’t do ordinary events – they always go above and beyond for not only consumers, but also friends in the industry.
Let’s start at the beginning of the day, where I take from journey driving from Great Yarmouth to Norwich Train Station. The heat was blistering at an overwhelming 33°C at only 10 in the morning, and considering I was going to London, I knew it would only get worse. In fact, I was informed it could reach temperatures of up to 39°C, which I wasn’t looking forward to.
What I thought was going to be a simple journey from Norwich to London, turned out to be more of a nightmare than anything. We reach Stowmarket Station and then were told that the train electrical cables were broken, so we’d have to wait for it to be fixed. Little did we all know, this would not be a quick solution. I, alongside many others, sat there waiting for 3 whole hours. In 35°C weather? Yuck. I grab some lunch including a well-needed ice cream and debate whether I would even make the event or not, which was supposed to start at 6pm and it was currently 1:15pm. I think to myself “in for a penny, in for a pound” and bite the bullet. Shortly after, what seemed like thousands of us on the platform were informed that the issue had now been fixed and we could return to the platform for boarding.
We continue our journey just to stop again for another 30 minutes. Great. Then we are told we’d have to get another 2 trains from Ipswich, so as you can imagine, by this point I was pretty fed up, sweaty, and tired. Anyway, after an eventful journey, I arrive in London for just after 5pm, so I immediately head outside for some fresh air and to book an Uber to my hotel. I couldn’t get an Uber, great! So back into the station and onto the tube it is – forever thanking God that the Elizabeth line has AC! I finally make it to the hotel and check in. By the time I check in, have a quick shower and get ready, it’s almost 7pm, so I’m already an hour late – S***!
I get to the event at 7:25pm, just in time for the meal, so I miss the initial meet-and-greet with Rob Dietrich, who is a Master Distiller that worked on the Drew Estate Blackened cigars, alongside Jonathan Drew (Founder of Drew Estate) and the one and only James Hetfield, frontman of the legendary Metal band Metallica. I was pretty stressed, but my good friend Cally from TOR was incredibly helpful and grabbed me a goodie-bag and seat at the table before I arrived.
Photo credit: Blackened Whiskey
Firstly, I want to just say how impressive Boisdale of Canary Wharf is. It is located on Cabot Square just on the inside of a very extensive shopping centre, and I believe it to be one of the UK’s largest whisky bars, two restaurants, Hine bar & garden terrace, which also boasts a cigar humidor and lounge.
The energy as you walk into Boisdale is electric – an interesting contrast to the calmness I felt down in the shopping centre. It felt like I was walking back into the 1970’s, with live jazz playing, people wearing smart outfits and enjoying food and drink as they vibe along. I didn’t see a single phone in anybody’s hand – everyone was living in the moment.
As I walk into the private hire room, Cally greets me to show me to my seat. I felt awkward because Rob Dietrich was giving a speech and I had to walk directly past him. I swiftly took my seat and pull my phone out to take pictures, which was a common theme across the table. I was situated near Cally, James Quantrell (Surrey Cigars) and Rekha Patel (No. 6 Cavendish), all great friends of ours in the industry and good fun to be around.
Photo credit: Boisdale
Rob talks a little about his friendship with Jonathan Drew and the Metallica band members, and how the Blackened cigars are a form of artistry, crafted in dedication of the journeys travelled and friendships made along the way. He then moves on to thank Scott Vines and the rest of us for joining him on this fine evening.
Rob finishes his speech and we all start to chatter away with each other whilst the food makes its way over.
I think a handful of us were hoping to also meet James Hetfield, wondering if he was suddenly going to walk into the room, but he didn’t come. Metallica were on tour and so were no doubt tired and needed some rest, especially in this heat.
The food makes its way out and we are all eager to see what was on the menu. This was a set menu, so was a surprise to us all. The starter was a Haggis dish (no shock since Scott is Scottish!), with gravy, mashed potato and swede. For the main course we are served venison sausage and mash with trimmings and gravy, and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream for dessert. A meal fit for Royalty, that’s for sure. The food was very high quality, and everyone was very impressed, though some of us did struggle to finish our plates due to the heat.
The sound of cutlery tapping crockery, laughter and chatter fills the room as people enjoy their meals, with many itching to get back onto the terrace to sample more cigars and enjoy some nice drinks.
As we finish our food I get curious and decide to see what was in the goodie-bag. There were four things in these bags: a lighter, cigar case, cutter and of course, cigars. Now, the cutter and cigars, you know what to expect – high quality materials and some Blackened cigars. However, the lighter and case were something special. The lighter was in the design of a spray paint canister, and when you shake it, it makes the sound of an agitator that normal spray cans have. It’s a pretty large table lighter, so I haven’t filled it up or tried it yet, but I am certainly excited to do so. As for the cigar case, you think it’s just a cool case, providing more storage for the safe transportation of your cigars – but it had something extra. Inside was a magnetic wireless speaker, something I’d never have even thought of. Talk about bringing art and music to cigars!
When I saw these, I thought that it did make a lot of sense. Metallica, of course produce music, and Drew Estate are known for their crazy artwork, showing heavy links to street art.
After looking through these items, I pack them away as everyone is starting to make their way to the terrace. The terrace was beautiful. I wouldn’t say it was too spacious, but maybe that’s because we had a ton of people at the event, so everybody was crowding around each other.
Photo credit: Boisdale
I take a handful of photos and some videos of the area and get chatting away to different people. I had the opportunity to chat with Rob Dietrich for only a couple of minutes before he was swept away by a fan who wanted to chat with him. Rob asked what I did, so I told him but unfortunately our conversation was cut short. From what I saw and listened to, Rob was extremely humble and honoured to be there with everyone. He also told us that he was touring alongside Metallica, which was really cool.
The night goes on, drinks get poured and cigars get smoked, and everyone is having a great time. Around 10:30pm I decide to head back to the hotel and get some well-needed rest.
Thank you to Scott Vines, the rest of the TOR team and Rob Dietrich for such a wonderful evening, I was truly grateful and it made me feel honoured to be a part of this wonderful industry.
If there’s any reason to try the Blackened cigars from Drew Estate, take it from those who have sampled them at these events who love them. They are beautiful, and a testament to the quote from James Hetfield “We’re not going to start compromising now.”
I hope you enjoyed my first blog post; I look forward to posting my next!
Lewis
