I was 20 years old when I first put a longfiller cigar to my lips in 1999. It was a Zino Tubos No. 1 – Gold Series, which I bought at my local newsagent and tobacco specialist, Huis Vierstraete in Ostend, run by Jos and Nancy at the time. Their little shop has since grown into a much larger establishment, and their daughter Alana, just a little girl back then, now works alongside her parents in this remarkable specialist shop. My heartfelt thanks go to them for introducing me to the wonderful world of cigars.
This newfound love eventually led me to establish my very own cigar magazine, AromaG, in 2012, with the mission of bringing together the epicureans of the Benelux. And what an extraordinary journey it has been since then! Legends of the cigar world have become friends, and once-unknown destinations have become second homes.
You understand perfectly well: I am in love with the wonderful world of cigars. A world of pleasure and hard work, but also one where we find the time to sit down with friends, or alone in a comfortable armchair, enjoying a fine drink and watching the worries of the world disappear in a cloud of smoke.
Those journeys to Latin America certainly do my heart no favours. It simply races with excitement as I savour everything that countries such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras and so many others have to offer.
Some time ago, Perstablo president and amigo Yannick Gyssens called me to ask whether I would like to become the cigar sommelier for Perstablo magazine. It was an honour I simply could not turn down. After all, it was right up my street!
As a Brother of the Leaf (BotL for short), I will be delighted to take you on a journey through the wonderful world of cigars and the other pleasures of life in every edition.
The world may be small, and the Benelux even smaller, but one thing is certain: we Belgians are gourmands with a passion for cigars.
