Shortly before the pandemic, while in London, I ran into one of those rare London days of unending rain. Tired of fighting the crowds, I took shelter in the Ritz Hotel, specifically in their cigar lounge. Ah, what a relief! The room was quiet, beautifully decorated, and barely occupied. The room attracts a certain type of individual, one who does not even bother to look up to inspect whoever enters. I noticed that they were all males, well dressed (as you would expect at The Ritz), not a sneaker, hoodie or backpack in sight, my type of place.
Picking a nice seat near a curtained window where I could just hear those unfortunates stuck in the crowds and rain, I picked up the bar menu to inspect the excellent listing of cognacs, wines, whiskeys, scotch, etc. One of the staff approached to take my order and asked if I would like to choose a cigar; of course! We went over the beautiful walk-in humidor, and I found an goodly selection of cigars, including those make in the Dominican Republic for The Ritz under their label. Fortunately, I was prepared for the “premium” price that would be charged for any cigar and I was certainly not disappointed. Being a thrifty Polish American for the south side of Chicago, I do like to watch my pennies, but this was a special occasion.
Going back to my seat, I found my very tasty cognac waiting for me and the staff member took great pains to light my cigar. It was an experience, one that would only have been better had I been wearing one of my smoking jackets.
After a while, the young man from the staff asked if he could bother me with some questions on bringing Cuban cigars into the U.S. Of course! We discussed the issue of inspections, the removal of bands, using boxes from non-Cuban brands, and so on for about fifteen minutes, then that having run its course, we both went our separate ways.
After an hour or so, my cigar was finished, and I motioned that was ready to leave and waited for the bill. The same young man came over, provided the bill, and gave me a blue labeled “Coco” Ritz cigar. He mentioned how he appreciated our conversation and hoped that I would enjoy the cigar in the future. It was a very nice touch and I realized that the series, in the Churchill size had a price tag of one-hundred pounds, or about one-hundred sixty-five dollars. Quite a nice gift!
I had that cigar in my “A” humidor for years, tending to it, leading it mellow and saving it for a special day. Several very nice business deals have been completed but it still did not seem like the right time. Finally, this January 2, the day after my birthday, I decided to smoke it. It was to be a day of quiet: reading all day, not touching the computer, enjoy the rare day of California rain while safely sheltered in the library.
How was the cigar? I am not a reviewer who will claim to taste a blend of cinnamon and birch bark in each draw, or marvel at hint of molasses that is in the first draw. But it had an excellent white ash that was firm and had an even draw. It burned smoothly, not too quickly and did not require an extra light. It was on the mild side and did provide with excellent plums of smoke that hung lazily until they drifted to the open window. I must admit that I have enjoyed other cigars more both in terms of flavor and gauge, but it was fun to remember back to that enjoyable afternoon at The Ritz and know that I sampled their prize product and did not have to pay for the pleasure.
