Gourmet Gentleman
An Introduction
to
Cigars
Cigars & Time
by Manny Brefin
When people ask me what in my opinion the
biggest luxury of all in the world is then I only
ever have one answer. It is time! Time is
something nobody has more off than anyone
else. Time is the equaliser of everything and
all people. When they then ask me how I most
like to spend that limited spare time then my
answer is also always the same smoke and
share a delicious Cuban cigar with great
friends.
My love for Cuban cigars started many years
ago in my in my mid-teens when I nicked
(yes, I am not proud of that terrible action, but
yet so glad I did it) a handful of them from
one of my fathers cherished humidors. To be
smoked in the woods behind our family home
back in Switzerland with a couple of equally
naughty but good friends. None of us really
knew what to do with these beautifully hand
rolled Cuban Davidoffs,
other than we had to cut it in the back and
light in the front.
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We did not know anything about the difference
between Cuban or new world cigars,
construction, rolling, blends, brands or ageing.
But we quickly, almost instantly knew that we
had started something special here. At that point I
could have never guessed that by lighting this
cigar I would enter a completely new and
fascinating world. A world, that over time, has
allowed me the privilege of meeting and
spending quality time with and in the process
getting to know some fantastic people of all ages
and cultures. Many of which have become great
friends all around the globe. It was the beginning
of, yes I would go as far as calling it a love story
and a passion that has been a large part of my life
ever since.