A Belgian LCDH Tour With The Brits – Hasselt

Nothing better than to have time and enjoy summer in Europe – especially so if you are meeting a friend like Stephan again, coming over from London with some friends to tour the Belgian LCDH for a few days.

Luckily I had something to do in Antwerp that week-end and so I could join them for a part of their most interesting trip.

They, Stephan, Harry, Elliott and Tom, all friends an members of a London cigar and whisky club, have done this last year but we could not hook up then due to Cliff’s cigar BBQ.

This time it worked out. And, living next door to Hasselt, Frank also agreed to join us for a cigar there.

So after a short 3hr drive I arrived at Hasselt in time for the opening of the Casa at 11 – to find the guys already sitting in the cozy terrace starting the day with a Bolivar Poderoso ER Belgium … and a bottle of a tremendously rare and tasty 25 yr old single Malt courtesy of Ms Dominique, the owner – all served in style and most professionally by Willi, the friendly manager of the store.

Frank and I grabbed our Poderosos and toasted to a great day with the delicious Littlemill lowland specially bottled for the opening of the Hasselt Casa.

The London gang had sent a request to all Casas to serve them 2 cigars paired with a nice beverage at a 35 € budget to have fair and level comparison point.

Well, Hasselt could not have chosen better cigars or beverages, as we had the Poderoso, which we all loved, a very smooth and creamy cigar, not usually my vitola to start the day with, but most pleasant and suitable for it, followed by a H.Upmann Royal Reserva LCDH and a Gin Tonic.

In between we had a great light seafood lunch from a nearby seafood delicatessen, Lobster on Fruitmarkt, including Matjes filets, salmon, Garnaalsalad etc. Great little place for take away !

Dominique shared an hour of very interesting conversation with us and again went out of her way in offering us a rare and excellent Hasselt Jenever – good that Antwerp was only an hours drive away … 🙂

And off to Antwerp it was after we all said good-bye to Dominique, Frank and Willi.

Truly an excellent experience and great hospitality – especially so for the Brits after their disappointing day before in Brussels where the Casa was closed with no further information on a Thursday … they vowed not to pass by that Casa in the future.

Certainly not when you have such great alternatives nearby, and surely, who needs the traffic and congestion of Brussels when you can have the calm and stylish charm of Hasselt ?

And from what Dominique told us, we can look forward to a new Casa in Bruges as of late October !

Nino