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Had a splendid weekend. Went up to the Smoke to celebrate our daughter's 30th & my sister's 60th. Spent Sat morning in Harrod's, as the ladies were getting ideas & trinkets for Chrimbo. I popped into the Humidor (cigars supplied by JJ Fox) & was recognised! Quite surreal someone could actually spot me for some posts on FB. Does anyone know Habib Khan? Quite a gentleman & although I had no intention of buying anything, I felt it would be rude not to so I chose a SP Belicosis. I ran out of these a while ago so thought I'd stick it in the back of the boli Cave for a few yrs.
Late afternoon pre-theatre dinner at the Palm Court Brassiere, Covent garden. Excellent meal there, can recommend it, but book early as we had to take a booking for 16:00, which is early, even for children.
Then onto the London Coliseum for ENO's performance of Tosca, my fav opera, which I first saw in Sydney Opera House back in '88. I thought it would be an ideal one for my daughter's & sister's first. Apart from some rather bizarre costume mixes, that left the audience wondering which era they had set it in, the singing was excellent & the theatre very grand. For those who don't know, the ENO perform in English & there are sub titles on the pelmet. There is no formal dress code but you are encouraged to wear smart casual up to haute couture. I did put on a black tie & did find one other gentleman wearing one but otherwise very casual. Which makes it easier if you have been in Town all day.
Sunday we had brunch with my Mother & arrived back home in the afternoon. I felt the need for a smoke, not having had the chance so far (shame I hadn't had time to enjoy my SP in the Sampling Lounge) so smoked it in the garden. So much for waiting yrs! It showed it's youth with a bitter edge, that was not unpleasant, if your used to old fashioned Cuban machine mades, you'll know the edge I am thinking of, this would have mellowed out with more age. It required several touch ups but otherwise it was a pleasant smoke. Paired with Coffee & a Duvel.
Very soon after I felt the need to for something more celebratory to mark the weekend & trawled through the Boli Cave & found a Tubed Sig IV, gifted to me in 2016 by my OIM of the Maersk Curlew. We were founding members of the CCCC, the Curlew Cuban Cigar Club! Every Oil installation should have one. I had waited to smoke this as 5yrs aging is usually when I start smoking Cohiba's but tubes usualy slow maturation so I could have been tempted it leave it longer, there was certainly a tasty aroma on cracking the tube.
I double punched it & pre-draw was slightly easy, made me glad I hadn't cut it. Lit well & had a razor sharp burn for most of the smoke. The flav was on the mild side for a tubed cigar of 6yrs+, so I was glad I hadn't waited longer. But it was just perfect for this occasion. I had to smoke this one in the shed, as it was raining quite hard by then. Matched with another Duvel & then I cracked a bottle of Guayabita del Pinar, dry version. This is a HTF Cuban rum, that my Wife I saw being made in the Bacardi distillery, on our first visit to Cuba. It's like sloe gin, in that they add flav to a spirit. The old ladies thought it hilarious to get me to bite into the Guava fruit, bitter as hell. Still, does make a smooth accompaniment to Cuban's finest cigars IMHO. I managed to get 4 bottles shipped from Germany of all places, just before I left Belgium.
All in all, a red letter weekend. Will add photos in a sec.
Late afternoon pre-theatre dinner at the Palm Court Brassiere, Covent garden. Excellent meal there, can recommend it, but book early as we had to take a booking for 16:00, which is early, even for children.
Then onto the London Coliseum for ENO's performance of Tosca, my fav opera, which I first saw in Sydney Opera House back in '88. I thought it would be an ideal one for my daughter's & sister's first. Apart from some rather bizarre costume mixes, that left the audience wondering which era they had set it in, the singing was excellent & the theatre very grand. For those who don't know, the ENO perform in English & there are sub titles on the pelmet. There is no formal dress code but you are encouraged to wear smart casual up to haute couture. I did put on a black tie & did find one other gentleman wearing one but otherwise very casual. Which makes it easier if you have been in Town all day.
Sunday we had brunch with my Mother & arrived back home in the afternoon. I felt the need for a smoke, not having had the chance so far (shame I hadn't had time to enjoy my SP in the Sampling Lounge) so smoked it in the garden. So much for waiting yrs! It showed it's youth with a bitter edge, that was not unpleasant, if your used to old fashioned Cuban machine mades, you'll know the edge I am thinking of, this would have mellowed out with more age. It required several touch ups but otherwise it was a pleasant smoke. Paired with Coffee & a Duvel.
Very soon after I felt the need to for something more celebratory to mark the weekend & trawled through the Boli Cave & found a Tubed Sig IV, gifted to me in 2016 by my OIM of the Maersk Curlew. We were founding members of the CCCC, the Curlew Cuban Cigar Club! Every Oil installation should have one. I had waited to smoke this as 5yrs aging is usually when I start smoking Cohiba's but tubes usualy slow maturation so I could have been tempted it leave it longer, there was certainly a tasty aroma on cracking the tube.
I double punched it & pre-draw was slightly easy, made me glad I hadn't cut it. Lit well & had a razor sharp burn for most of the smoke. The flav was on the mild side for a tubed cigar of 6yrs+, so I was glad I hadn't waited longer. But it was just perfect for this occasion. I had to smoke this one in the shed, as it was raining quite hard by then. Matched with another Duvel & then I cracked a bottle of Guayabita del Pinar, dry version. This is a HTF Cuban rum, that my Wife I saw being made in the Bacardi distillery, on our first visit to Cuba. It's like sloe gin, in that they add flav to a spirit. The old ladies thought it hilarious to get me to bite into the Guava fruit, bitter as hell. Still, does make a smooth accompaniment to Cuban's finest cigars IMHO. I managed to get 4 bottles shipped from Germany of all places, just before I left Belgium.
All in all, a red letter weekend. Will add photos in a sec.
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