📩 Davidoff London

In Todays Letter...

• Davidoff London

• Rafael Gonzalez Coronas de Lonsdales

  • Behind The Cigar

• Community Notes

  • The Question

  • Previous Poll Results

Sat in a courtyard in Mayfair, London - the sun is shining, it’s 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit); an iced Americano in one hand and a Rafael Gonzalez Coronas de Lonsdales in the other.

I had just been recommended this cigar by Edward Sahakian (founder of Davidoff London - 1980) _{after answering a variety of questions about what kind of cigar I was after.}

If you find yourself lucky enough to visit Davidoff London, there is a good chance that you will find the man himself, now in his early 80’s, gracing the shop floor or standing outside smoking a cigar. A true gentleman and arguably one of the best dressed men in town.

I had the honour and pleasure of being shown round the humidor by him, I am almost certain I left the store wiser than I entered it.

The Rafael Gonzalez is a cigar I've often overlooked. Quiet in appearance, with an understated brown band that almost disappears into the wrapper, it does little to demand your attention.

Nevertheless, as we know, one should never judge a book by its cover.

The stick started off strong. It has a distinct flavour and has no intention of hiding that from the smoker, you learn it at the first draw.

I wondered how it would evolve…

Interestingly, it didn’t, it stayed consistent throughout, potent and to the point.

Woody. Leather. Fresh bread. Mixed into one distinct flavour.

There was something very matter of fact about this cigar, it attempts to be nothing more or less than it is.

It is a pure cigar, what you see is what you get, there is no hyperbolic aesthetic nor intricate complexity to it.

You cannot fault it, for it does not falter, from start to finish, it is a fine distinct cigar.

I am incredibly glad to have known this cigar at the recommendation of what can only be referred to as a legend of the industry.

A little-known gem. Consistent. Honest. Unpretentious.

The great thing about such a cigar is that the mind knows whats coming due to its consistency and is therefore free to spend its energy on uninterrupted thought. A truly grounding cigar.

Life is fleeting, but in-between the fleeting moments we find connection.

A person who has seen the things you have seen, whether in the beauty of a cigar, the aesthetic of a place, or in the madness of a crowd, you share an understanding of the world.

So explore.

Try the new and the old.

Sit with those who have seen more than you.

One day, someone may say the same about you.

Behind The Cigar

Rafael González was introduced in Havana around 1928, with the trademark formally registered in 1936. Although the brand bears the name Rafael González, little is known about the man himself, and his identity remains one of Havana's enduring mysteries.

From the beginning, it was produced with the British market in mind, where demand favoured lighter, more refined Cuban cigars. The brand later became part of the company behind El Rey del Mundo and remains one of the smallest marques in the Habanos portfolio.

Rafael González sits firmly at the lighter end of the Cuban spectrum. For almost a century, it has remained remarkably consistent in both style and character.

It has never enjoyed the fame of Cohiba, Montecristo or Romeo y Julieta. Instead, Rafael González has become something of an insider's cigar - a brand often recommended by experienced smokers to those looking beyond Cuba's better-known names.

Open a vintage box of Rafael González and you'll find a note unlike any other:

"Smoke these cigars within one month of shipment... or age them for a year."

A simple reminder that, while cigars are made by hand, they are finished by time.

Pull up a chair.

The Question

Previous Poll Results

Had you heard of Dominique London before this letter?

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes (17%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 No (83%)

Until next time.

Yours truly,
The Cigar Love

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