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Some of you have taken the “Mickey” out of my reports regarding my shenanigans in the past when I discuss certain cigars that are at the much higher end price bracket. I have discussed before how I found it strange that some of you expressed shock that I would smoke a few Cohiba Gran Reserva at ?85 each but that you would happily go and spend considerable money on entire boxes of Behikes without having even tried one. Well this weekend I had it illustrated to me that you really do need to break the bank once in a while to experience some of the really good examples of cigars.
“Back in the day”, when I used to regularly smoke at the old “La Casa Del Habano” in Wardour Street, Soho, before the unofficial boycott (don’t ask), I had an occasion that caused me pause for thought. I went in one day and was taken into the humi as usual. I was presented with a shiny, oh so shiny, black box in velvet with a lovely little push button catch. This box was far more suited to a fine watch than a batch of twenty five cigars. Emblazoned on the top of the box was the Montecristo motif and the word Reserva. I quickly realised that this was the latest ultra premium release. I had been burnt with the Reserva series before though. The 2003 Cohiba Reserva release, the first, was very ordinary and nothing special at all. The Partagas Reserva in 2005 was much better, rather good actually, but not stunning. These previous experiences had given me pause for thought regarding this series of releases so I was not going to be instantly swayed into paying out as the previous two had cost a good premium. If the cigar is great then the cost is not so much of an issue but if only so-so then I would rather spend my money on something else. I proceeded to open the cold, heavy, enticing, teasing and tactile box (the velvet, well that is just a bit too gay for my taste, but I digress) and with the box open and covering tissue, labels and cedar (I think) removed I was presented with.....a box of Montecristo No.4.
Okay, so this was a VERY good smelling box of No.4’s but they appeared to be No.4’s none the less. Before somebody corrects me, I know the Montecristo Reserva was never called a No.4 in the same was that the Partagas Reserva was never called the D4 but the vitolas are the same.
This was all very well and good and I was of the opinion that this small cigar had to be tired, like any other cigar, before I could make a judgement. Just because it looked like a No.4 did not mean it would be like a No.4. This logic failed me though when I was told the price. I cannot be sure but I think the going price at the time was forty something quid. My cheap bastard side kicked in with that and I could hear myself thinking, much to my disgust, “forty quid for a Monte 4, bugger off”! Needless to say I did not smoke it, I think I had a Partagas D1 instead.
Skip forward to a few months ago. I am smoking with the usual group of people in a place I won’t mention as I talk about it far too much I suspect. One of the assembled extracts a batch of Monte Reserva from their keep. He and I start off a conversation about this cigar. I am part way through a cigar of note and have no intention of abandoning but I take the brief chance to sample the Reserva that this chap has started off. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD what a great cigar. More rich and creamy than anything I have had. With that first puff I can see what a stellar cigar this is and what a mistake I had made by not smoking them when I was originally offered. Had I tried them back then I would have smoked several and maybe even obtained a box. This friend offered me one but I did not accept as I had a cigar on the go, it was late in the day, I did not want to smoke the Reserva on anything but a clean palette and it seemed far too generous a gift.
As the weeks past this conversation faded into the background but I still had a desire to smoke one. My usual source could not furnish me with any for once since the person who offered me one turned out to have purchased the entire supply. Then this weekend I find myself smoking with this person, Jimmeh and Ajay. I am in a foul mood as for once I do not really want to be in Teddington, I was there on Thursday and smoked some vintage cigars, being there on Saturday was too much. I wanted to be in the sun smoking a cigar outside of my favourite coffee shop outside of London (Redroaster in Brighton if you want to know). This was perhaps the last nice Saturday we would see and I was stuck indoors after spending near three hours on the M25 due to some crazy traffic. As a result I was not in the mood for any cigar that crossed my mind. I looked in the upstairs humi and nothing appealed to me. I looked in the members humi and I fancied nothing, at least nothing I could afford. The others all had smokes on the go and started to make fun at my continued indecision. Even the infinitely patient Ajay looked slightly miffed that I did not just get on with it. I purchased Jimmeh his belated birthday gift which he appeared to half enjoy and Ajay smoked an H.Uppman from the mid-eighties I gifted him. The Reserva owning friend was smoking.....a Montecristo Sublime. I mentioned to him that I have seen him smoking these almost exclusively of late. He said yes, he loved them utterly and they had supplanted his Reserva smoking habit. I expressed surprise at this and the conversation snow-balled from there.
Before I knew it I was presented with the Montecristo Reserva I had coveted so much.
Now after all this waffle you are expecting a review. Well I cannot. I tried to write one but I cannot put into words this cigar. I am not saying it was a religious experience but it was utterly amazing. When smoked slowly this cigar gave me more cream and flavour than any other small to medium format cigar I have smoked. This was even more satisfying than my beloved Ramon Allones Phoenisios but that is probably the closest I can think of in terms of satisfaction from cigar. Do not get me wrong, they are totally different in every respect but I find it interesting that a small No.4 format cigar can satisfy me as much as the big sublime size RA.
If you get the chance to try one of these, which is increasingly unlikely, I implore you to try one, no matter the cost. This is another example that whilst it may hurt to spend a significant amount on a cigar it is sometimes worth it to sample an example of the real upper echelon of cigars. If you do not you may regret it or end up paying way more in the future.
“Back in the day”, when I used to regularly smoke at the old “La Casa Del Habano” in Wardour Street, Soho, before the unofficial boycott (don’t ask), I had an occasion that caused me pause for thought. I went in one day and was taken into the humi as usual. I was presented with a shiny, oh so shiny, black box in velvet with a lovely little push button catch. This box was far more suited to a fine watch than a batch of twenty five cigars. Emblazoned on the top of the box was the Montecristo motif and the word Reserva. I quickly realised that this was the latest ultra premium release. I had been burnt with the Reserva series before though. The 2003 Cohiba Reserva release, the first, was very ordinary and nothing special at all. The Partagas Reserva in 2005 was much better, rather good actually, but not stunning. These previous experiences had given me pause for thought regarding this series of releases so I was not going to be instantly swayed into paying out as the previous two had cost a good premium. If the cigar is great then the cost is not so much of an issue but if only so-so then I would rather spend my money on something else. I proceeded to open the cold, heavy, enticing, teasing and tactile box (the velvet, well that is just a bit too gay for my taste, but I digress) and with the box open and covering tissue, labels and cedar (I think) removed I was presented with.....a box of Montecristo No.4.
Okay, so this was a VERY good smelling box of No.4’s but they appeared to be No.4’s none the less. Before somebody corrects me, I know the Montecristo Reserva was never called a No.4 in the same was that the Partagas Reserva was never called the D4 but the vitolas are the same.
This was all very well and good and I was of the opinion that this small cigar had to be tired, like any other cigar, before I could make a judgement. Just because it looked like a No.4 did not mean it would be like a No.4. This logic failed me though when I was told the price. I cannot be sure but I think the going price at the time was forty something quid. My cheap bastard side kicked in with that and I could hear myself thinking, much to my disgust, “forty quid for a Monte 4, bugger off”! Needless to say I did not smoke it, I think I had a Partagas D1 instead.
Skip forward to a few months ago. I am smoking with the usual group of people in a place I won’t mention as I talk about it far too much I suspect. One of the assembled extracts a batch of Monte Reserva from their keep. He and I start off a conversation about this cigar. I am part way through a cigar of note and have no intention of abandoning but I take the brief chance to sample the Reserva that this chap has started off. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD what a great cigar. More rich and creamy than anything I have had. With that first puff I can see what a stellar cigar this is and what a mistake I had made by not smoking them when I was originally offered. Had I tried them back then I would have smoked several and maybe even obtained a box. This friend offered me one but I did not accept as I had a cigar on the go, it was late in the day, I did not want to smoke the Reserva on anything but a clean palette and it seemed far too generous a gift.
As the weeks past this conversation faded into the background but I still had a desire to smoke one. My usual source could not furnish me with any for once since the person who offered me one turned out to have purchased the entire supply. Then this weekend I find myself smoking with this person, Jimmeh and Ajay. I am in a foul mood as for once I do not really want to be in Teddington, I was there on Thursday and smoked some vintage cigars, being there on Saturday was too much. I wanted to be in the sun smoking a cigar outside of my favourite coffee shop outside of London (Redroaster in Brighton if you want to know). This was perhaps the last nice Saturday we would see and I was stuck indoors after spending near three hours on the M25 due to some crazy traffic. As a result I was not in the mood for any cigar that crossed my mind. I looked in the upstairs humi and nothing appealed to me. I looked in the members humi and I fancied nothing, at least nothing I could afford. The others all had smokes on the go and started to make fun at my continued indecision. Even the infinitely patient Ajay looked slightly miffed that I did not just get on with it. I purchased Jimmeh his belated birthday gift which he appeared to half enjoy and Ajay smoked an H.Uppman from the mid-eighties I gifted him. The Reserva owning friend was smoking.....a Montecristo Sublime. I mentioned to him that I have seen him smoking these almost exclusively of late. He said yes, he loved them utterly and they had supplanted his Reserva smoking habit. I expressed surprise at this and the conversation snow-balled from there.
Before I knew it I was presented with the Montecristo Reserva I had coveted so much.
Now after all this waffle you are expecting a review. Well I cannot. I tried to write one but I cannot put into words this cigar. I am not saying it was a religious experience but it was utterly amazing. When smoked slowly this cigar gave me more cream and flavour than any other small to medium format cigar I have smoked. This was even more satisfying than my beloved Ramon Allones Phoenisios but that is probably the closest I can think of in terms of satisfaction from cigar. Do not get me wrong, they are totally different in every respect but I find it interesting that a small No.4 format cigar can satisfy me as much as the big sublime size RA.
If you get the chance to try one of these, which is increasingly unlikely, I implore you to try one, no matter the cost. This is another example that whilst it may hurt to spend a significant amount on a cigar it is sometimes worth it to sample an example of the real upper echelon of cigars. If you do not you may regret it or end up paying way more in the future.
. . 
. 
. You learn something new everyday.
... but, there's no need to rub it in 'Old Boy!'. 
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