{"id":13994,"date":"2015-12-15T17:09:48","date_gmt":"2015-12-15T15:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/?p=13994"},"modified":"2015-12-15T18:37:51","modified_gmt":"2015-12-15T16:37:51","slug":"excelencia-cigar-weekend-with-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/flyingcigar.de\/startseite\/excelencia-cigar-weekend-with-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Excelencia – Cigar Weekend With Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"nfc<\/a>A wonderful and impressive cigar week end in Belgium and the Netherlands sharing with good friends.<\/p>\n

It started Friday noon when I arrived in Overijse at De Kelle, an amazingly interesting store with a wide selection of books, comics and … cigars.
\nYes, both Cuban and Non-Cuban cigars in a very well kept walk-in humidor by the very knowledgeable owners Nancy and Christophe.<\/p>\n

Christophe attended to my coffee needs after selecting a perfect PL PC to be smoked at the relaxing smoking lounge in the rear part of the store, in itself an amazing bar and very civilized & cosy lounge.<\/p>\n

Cliff arrived from Kortrijk and we exchanged some rare cigars before walking next door at “Lunch & Cookies” for a very satisfying Pasta lunch.<\/p>\n

It was back to the lounge for another Pt Corona and coffee before continuing to Leuven where I met a good friend at ( I guess ) the only indoor smoking room in a public bar in Belgium, Metafoor, near the Oude Markt.<\/p>\n

Smoking a very good Cohiba Reserva we exchanged plans and information on Cuba and I gave him a nice P 170 with the special band from the last Encuentro.<\/p>\n

Matthias and Karen arrived and we had another cigar before going for some delicious mussels and back again to Metafoor for a last cigar.<\/p>\n

Next day, after some walking around the Leuven Christmas market I drove to the south of the Netherlands to meet Jan and have one of the most memorable cigar evenings in memory.<\/p>\n

To call him a collector would be an understatement, he is a cigar smoker who collects cigars, humidors and memorabilia, but most of all an extremely hospitable and generous friend to his friends.<\/p>\n

After a short while we were joined by some old and some new friends, all passionate cigar smokers, for a long session of smoking, sharing and enjoying only interrupted by an excellent homemade dinner cooked and served with love by Jan’s wife.<\/p>\n

I had brought a box of Diplomaticos Excelencia ER Cuba from my last trip to Havana to pass around and share, a cigar that was OK, being very fresh now and might improve with some years on it. We all liked it and had positive words.<\/p>\n

The negative factor is trying to find a box in HAV as they seem to be sold “under the counter” with a “win-win” profit factor for both sellers and buyers ( merchants in both cases ) that leaves out the regular smoker or collector.<\/p>\n

I received some interesting BS when asking around for them last month in HAV, like : They all sold immediately the first day, they all went to Venezuela, only 7.000 boxes is too few for such a big country of 11 million ( wonder how many Cubans bought a box … ), known foreign merchants bought them all, etc.<\/p>\n

Back to cigars – we passed around some incredibly good cigars like an Aroma de Cuba stick from 1959, Rodolfos, and I shared very rare Lanceros with some age on them as well as Coronas Extra.<\/p>\n

It was simply a dedicated & in<\/strong>clusive cigar gathering with good friends and real<\/strong> people, without the BS and the fuss and the circus of an ex<\/strong>clusive organized cigar event and the difference was remarkable, it was familiar, simple and real.<\/p>\n

One of the discoveries made was an interesting cigar passed by Pieter that both the others and I liked a lot – when it was revealed as a Don Tomas I could not believe it, I had smoked them so many years back and now, after smoking so many excellent Cubans I was to re-discover them. Amazing.<\/p>\n

It was a most wonderful afternoon and evening with some very interesting and extremely friendly people sharing the same passion for the best cigars there are. I am sure not the last gathering with these open, down to earth and generous guys that welcomed me so warmly.<\/p>\n

Next day it was lovely to share coffee and a cigar before breakfast with Jan and to end it with some serious cigars before leaving Jan back to his tranquillity and his famous cigar remote control.<\/p>\n

Truly a memorable cigar session that words cannot describe – Thank you Jan<\/strong> !<\/p>\n

Nino<\/strong><\/p>\n

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