I first visited Cuba in 2007. That was ten years ago, so not all that long ago, yet it was a different era altogether.
It was there that I smoked my very first cigar, a Vegas Robaina Únicos, and I was instantly hooked. I spent €400 on my return flight to Cuba and twice that amount (!) on cigars. That was where my love for the leaf was born.
When I returned home, I would only visit restaurants that had a humidor. After all, back then you could still enjoy a cigar after a lavish meal. A gift from heaven!
The last of my 2007 Únicos finally went up in smoke in 2014. Now that’s what I call ageing.
My love for the leaf eventually brought me to AromaG, five editions ago. And that is how my love for this magazine began. Hardly surprising, really.
For this edition, AromaG visited cigar festivals in Nicaragua, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. We attended the opening of Royal Agio’s new headquarters, as well as that of Premium Spirits. We were also guests at AJ Fernandez’s factory.
And, true to our nature, we went in search of the people behind our industry. We spoke with Eduard Bouten of J. Cortès, Tony Hoevenaars of Cubacigar and Frank Evens of Huis Verloo.
There was plenty to celebrate over the past year. Undoubtedly, the highlight was the acquisition of Oliva Cigar by the Vandermarliere family of J. Cortès. Manolo Quesada of Quesada Cigars also celebrated a milestone birthday, and he did so in style.
But the news was not always good. With the passing of Arturo Fuente Sr. and Avo Uvezian, we lost two giants of the cigar world. We can, however, take comfort in their legacy: the magnificent creations they left behind.
Last but certainly not least, we did a great deal of tasting.
Cocktails paired with Havana cigars, for instance. Or 40 cigars, tasted blind, so that we could give each one a proper and impartial assessment.
Strict but fair. That’s simply the way we are.
A love for the leaf. Five proud editions of AromaG.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our writers, tasters, translators and designers.
And to you, our readers, I wish you every pleasure in reading and smoking.
