55 at 55 South

                            55 at 55 South

In July of this year, I started working on a project, a new hotel located in Puerto Williams, the Southernmost city in Chile.  We are still in the middle of the construction phase, but we are planning to host our first Silver Sea clients in October.  This is a very challenging and special goal.  As with every new project, we are starting from scratch, recruiting the best talent and attempting to have the best amenities possible given the remote nature of the location: a secluded island in the South of Chile, called Navarino Island, located on the 55 South Latitude.

One of the reasons I chose this project is to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a distillery and aging warehouse in this area, featuring an additional small, cozy space for cigar smokers to enjoy great cigars with a range of distilled spirits produced and aged locally.  There are many other aspects of the project, but I’ll be sharing those in due time, as we make progress along the way.  

For this pairing, I had to work around the work schedule to find the time to enjoy the terrace at the Lodge where I’m staying.  Finally, Sunday arrived, the day was sunny and the view of the snowed landscape was perfect to celebrate the first pairing done here.

Among the cigars I brought with me for the pairings, I selected a Rocky Patel that is homonymous with the Hotel: it was a Fifty Five, launched to celebrate the 55th birthday of Rocky Patel.  It is a premium cigar from the Artisan Series, Small Batch.  It is an unusual Robusto, featuring 55 ring and 5.5” in length, made with Nicaraguan wrapper and filler, and with Costa Rican binder.  

Upon visual examination, the cigar’s semi-dark (Maduro) wrapper suggests the flavor intensity made with Nicaraguan tobaccos.

I performed the cut using a cigar scissor.  Lighting the cigar was a challenge due to the weather: it was -4 degrees Celsius and, despite the sunny day, every fingertip was feeling the intensity of the cold.

The first third of the cigar was solid and had a medium intensity, it featured hints of dried fruits and wet soil.  I thought that the draw was going to be challenging, but it was surprisingly good and deep.

Keeping the weather in mind, my initial plan was to do the pairing with a warm drink, even something along the lines of an Eggnog, but the hotel’s bar is not yet ready for this type of preparation.  Consequently, I opted for an Espresso Martini made with a rum that was available at the bar, the goal was to end up with a simple cocktail that featured both the coffee and the rum.  The best thing about this outdoor pairing was that the cocktail remained cold for the duration of the cigar smoking, something that every cigar smoker appreciates.  My fingers, on the other hand, were not quite so happy, it would have been better to be wearing gloves!

During the second third (the “heart” of the blend), the cigar continues to showcase the same profile, with emerging spicy notes at the end of each puff.  It is possible that the notes emerged due to the increased frequency of my puffs (brought on by the cold), but regardless of the cause, it fit very well in the pairing.

The cigar in its entirety was spectacular, excellent draw and consistent intensity that was not overwhelming (as it is sometimes with Nicaraguan cigars).  It is a highly recommended pairing.

If we end up having a Cigar Lounge in this new luxury hotel, this is definitely a cigar we’ll be keeping in stock.

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing