MI CASA ES SU CASA INTERNATIONAL VINTAGE CIGAR TASTING JUAN LOPEZ REGALIA PERFECTA 1931

MI CASA ES SU CASA

International Vintage Tasting Juan Lopez Regalia Perfecta 1931

Saturday 2nd May 2009, was one of the best days in the world of Vintage Cigars. At La Casa Del Habano we organised the first International Vintage Cigar Tasting with Aficionados attending from Italy, UK and USA.

Prior to the tasting we had to find a Vintage box, so Magali and I were downstairs in our private keeps where we store all Vintage cigars…box by box…Hoyo Selecction, Partagas Dunill Selecction, Don Candidos 502, 501, 504, RyJ Corona, Davidoff Cuban’s, Bolivar Dunhill Selecction Cab 50’, the list just goes on and on…we found the oldest box we had ‘Juan Lopez Regalia Perfecta’ from early 1930’s.

Magali and I opened the box and the smell was just amazing, aromas of old books, toast, spice. The cigars were in perfect condition some frayed at the bottom but hey with this kind of age and the hands it had passed before we acquired this fabulous box, it had been stored in our keeps for over 7 years and the cigars were alive!...those who understand Vintage cigars will know what we mean!...

We were like two children in a candy shop!...We took two from the box, before lighting we just held these in our hands, looking, smelling the aroma, oils on the leaf, the cigar band, the gold they used was far more than today!…you can see the detail on it as well…with age the bands had changed shape and become a hexagon shape (6 sided).

We decided to cut one, the other had a small hole already so we left it, the draw was fabulous, taste was floral, woody, peppery..old smell…we used matches to light each cigar, taking the match letting the sulphur burn away first, taking the match to the cigar just flirting with the tip of the flame to the tip of the cigar and rolling the cigar around the flame. It lit very quickly being a figurado shape.

The flavour? Very peppery right on the front of the tongue! The flavours spread around the mouth which changed to floral, toasty, woody, sweet on the outside of the lips, as Magali puts it ‘its like an orgasm, and lasts longer’

This was the cigar we decided to open for our International Vintage Cigar Tasting.

On Saturday, we had 15 Cigar Aficionados to taste what Magali and I had experienced. To share this with others was just overwhelming…

Our tasting started about 3.30pm, I explained the history of the cigars and each person was handed a tasting sheet which was in English and Italian, the tasting sheets where given to us by Alex Lapichino who explained this was taken from "Cigares de l`initiation à la maîtrise" of Gilbert Belaubre, a Frenchman.

The tasting was conducted by Giuseppe Elefante (Italy) and Alex Lapichino (England) who explained how to fill the tasting sheet in and the way to smoke a Vintage cigar…the way the cigars were aged and kept.

A few cut their cigars, others made a small hole, just to experience what Magali and I had…and they did experience this…

The overall conclusion of the cigars was:

ANALYSIS BEFORE LIGHTING

Wrapper : Colorado

Evenness of colour and filler: Regular, Springy

Aroma: Woody, spicy, earthy

ANALYSIS WHEN LIT - THE FIRST PUFFS

Drew: Good

Unpleasantness on the palate: Non

Aroma: Fruity/citrus, woody, spicy, toasted, earthy

ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS

Burn: Regular

Flavours (on the palate): Sugary, dry

Aroma: Woody, spicy, earthy, toasted

Strength: Medium-full

MAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CIGAR

Complexity: Pronounced - Exceptional

Evolution: Excellent

Finish: Long

Balance: Harmonious

Body: Medium - Full

OVERALL GRADEO (emotional experience): Excellent - 'coup de coeur' (medal)

The pictures will give you the full story of the event and evening. In the evening we headed across the road to 'Shambles' restaurant, the menu was put together by Bhavna (my wife) which was outstanding, well done Bhavna.

A place to visit when coming to Teddington. Shambles, 83 High Street, Teddington, 0208 977 9398, shambles@aol.com just mention our name Ajay and Bhavna of La Casa Del Habano, you will be well looked after.

We would like to thank all who participated the event and we look forward to other Vintage Cigar Tasting at our La Casa Del Habano.

We have about 15 sticks left of Juan Lopez Regalia Perfecta 1931, which are £87 per stick, these can be viewed and purchased by clicking here:

www.broadweighs-cigars.com/juan_lopez_regalia_perfecta_1931.asp

Pictures: click on the photo to see more....

LCDH Pictures