Cuban cigars come in all shapes and forms and today there are 27 different brands. While all Habanos are Cuban, by no means all Cuban cigars are Habanos. The title ‘Habano’ is the Protected Denomination of Origin —Denominación de Origen Protegida D.O.P—, reserved for a selection of the most outstanding brands whose cigars are manufactured to highest standards from tobaccos grown only in particular areas of Cuba.
Posts filed under Food Wine & Cigars
Experience: Hendrick's Orbium Limited Edition. Its Bottle Matches the Dial on the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time.
Hendrick’s Gin is produced by the family-owned William Grant & Sons distillery in Scottland and their gin is distilled at the Girvan distillery that mainly focuses on distilling whiskey. What makes Hendrick’s so unique is their blend of nine botanicals that include Bulgarian roses and specially selected cucumbers. While the rest of their botanicals —orange peel, yarrow, juniper berries, angelica root, and orris root amongst others—…
Experience: Creyente Mezcal Joven. Perfectly Paired with a Rolex Yacht-Master 40 ref. 126622.
As we’ve discussed before, Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave and the word comes from the Nahuatl language mexcalli, which means ‘oven-cooked agave’. While all tequilas are considered mezcals, not all mezcals can be tequilas. Even though tequila and mezcal are both agave-based distilled spirits, tequila can only be made out of blue agave —agave tequilana— and that is one of the main differences between these two Mexican spirits, not to mention the prominent smoky flavor of mezcal on the palate.
Experience: Ardbeg Ten Years Old. Scottish Tweed, a JLC Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Green and one of the Best Single Malt Whiskies.
Scotland gives the world some of the most beautiful landscapes and two things they excel at, their tweed and their scotch. Honoring the green luscious landscapes of Scotland and the deep green bottle of Ardberg Ten Years, we decided to pair this Islay Single Malt with the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Green. Ardbeg Ten Years Old was launched in 2000 as an extraordinary balance of peaty notes and floral sweetness that makes it one of the best single malt whiskys in the world.
Experience: Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 12 Years Rum. As Scarce as a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980R.
Just as scarce as a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980R is one of Cuba’s most legendary rums. Less popular outside Cuba than the well-known Havana Club —produced by the same state company Cubaron—, Ron Santiago de Cuba takes its name from its birthplace, Santiago de Cuba a.k.a the cradle of Cuban light rum. Established in 1862 and produced by Cubaron since 1960 when the revolutionary government nationalized the Bacardí and Matusalén factories.
Experience: Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky. Honoring the Father of Japanese Whiskymaking.
Tracing the footsteps of its founder, the father of Japanese whisky Masataka Taketsuru, the Japanese Nikka Whisky distillery brings the Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky as a homage to this great visionary. In 1918, Taketsuru went by himself to Scotland to unveil the secret of whisky making, becoming the first Japanese ever to master this complex art. After enrolling at the University of Glasgow and taking chemistry courses, he apprenticed at three Scotch distilleries. Upon returning to Japan, Kotobukiya Limited —what is today Suntory Distilleries— hired him to build the Yamazaki distillery as he was the only Japanese who knew how to produce whisky at the time.
Experience: Nusr-Et Steakhouse. You Come to see #Saltbae's Patek and you Leave in Awe by his Food.
When you're a watch collector and a foodie, a visit to one of Nusret Gökçe's restaurants Nusr-Et Steakhouse is a must. Better know as #Saltbae, Nusret is one of Instagram's biggest hit stars with more than 33 million followers. However, what makes Nusret more interesting to us, is his fascination for watches, specifically Patek Philippe timepieces that we've spotted a dozen times on his wrist throughout his posts on the gram.
Experience: Partagas 8-9-8 Cigar Jar Meets a Platinum Offshore
Cuban cigars come in all shapes and forms and today there are 27 different brands. While all Habanos are Cuban, by no means all Cuban cigars are Habanos. The title ‘Habano’ is the Protected Denomination of Origin —Denominación de Origen Protegida D.O.P—, reserved for a selection of the most outstanding brands whose cigars are manufactured to the highest standards from tobaccos grown only in particular areas of Cuba and fully hand made.
Experience: Deep Dive into Havana Club Profundo with a Rolex Submariner ref. 116610LN
Here at WCL, we’ve talked about high-end spirits since day one and it is no surprise to see us talking about Cuban rums, one of our favorite spirits and one that pays homage to the Cuban heritage of our founder and Editor-in-Chief. Since ‘Profundo’ means deep in Spanish, we couldn’t think of anything better than a Rolex Submariner ref. 116610LN to deep dive into one of the rarest rums we’ve been able to source from Cuban brand Havana Club —the authority of rums and the real deal.
Experience: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin. Influenced by World Travel, Like a Vacheron Constantin Overseas.
Infused with twelve botanicals like the twelve months of the year, the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is as well balanced as the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar. Distilled at the edge of a lake in a shed in a small Irish town called Drumshanbo —like the Vacheron Constantin manufacture founded at the edge of a lake—, the ordinary is made extraordinary. Within this small shed, the laboratory of PJ Rigney is located. PJ is a begetter of handmade spirits who slowly distills this gin with nature’s finest oriental botanicals and gunpowder tea.
Experience: Happy New Year. Best Wishes in Style with the Art of Sabrage.
Wishing all of you the best wishes for the year that is about to start. We couldn’t be more grateful for your readership and loyalty. Because of you, our readers, we strive to do better every day. How about a little feature on Sabrage to welcome the new year in style. The act of Sabrage refers to the act of opening a bottle of champagne by sliding a saber over its neck. Now, while many believe that the saber slices the neck of the bottle or pushes the cork out, what in reality happens is that the slight impact of the saber on the seam of the bottle creates a chain reaction that makes the bottle release its pressure by breaking its top cork included.
Experience: Hendrick's Orbium Limited Edition. In a Blue Bottle That Perfectly Matches the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time.
Hendrick’s Gin is produced by the family-owned William Grant & Sons distillery in Scottland and their gin is distilled at the Girvan distillery that mainly focuses on distilling whiskey. What makes Hendrick’s so unique is their blend of nine botanicals that include Bulgarian roses and specially selected cucumbers. While the rest of their botanicals —orange peel, yarrow, juniper berries, angelica root, and orris root amongst others—…
Experience: Hendrick's Midsummer Solstice Gin with an Armin Strom Edge Double Barrel for Those Longer Summer Nights
On June 21, the midsummer solstice will take place and the days will become shorter, while the nights become longer. This is the day when the Earth's axis is most aligned with the sun, providing us with the longest day of the year. That’s the time when a black PVD watch like the Armin Strom Edge Double Barrel captures the essence of the night dressed in its dark cloak and when a Hendrick's Midsummer Solstice washes away all worries.
Experience: Havana Club Unión. The Only Time You'll See a Rum of this Caliber Alongside a Pepsi.
There are rums made to be mixed with cola and there are others that you just don’t even dare to do so and you drink either neat or over a big rock of ice. While a Cuba Libre —Rum with Cola— calls for cola in the mix, it’s sacrilege to ever mix it with a Pepsi and not with a Coca-Cola. Here at WCL we like to go against the tide and we are mixing this Havana Club Unión with a Pepsi, at least just from a photo essay standpoint. If you ask us why?, we’ll tell you that the reason behind is because a Rolex GMT Master Pepsi was the iconic watch that Fidel Castro —the former dictator of Cuba— used to wear after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution he once led.
Experience: Las Garrafas Máscara de Xaguar Naranja Mezcal. Like a Daytona and a Royal Oak, Always Evolving.
Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave and the word comes from the Nahuatl language mexcalli, which means ‘oven-cooked agave’. While all tequilas are considered mezcals, not all mezcals can be tequilas. Even though tequila and mezcal are both agave-based distilled spirits, tequila can only be made out of blue agave —agave tequilana— and that is one of the main differences between these two Mexican spirits, not to mention the prominent smoky flavor of mezcal on the palate.
Experience: The Art of Sabrage. The Finest Champagne Ritual to Celebrate Your Watchlife.
A special afternoon ritual at the St. Regis hotels, Napoleon’s way to celebrate a victory in the battlefield or simply the coolest way to open a bottle of champagne, that’s exactly what the art of sabrage is about. Sabrage refers to the act of opening a bottle of champagne by sliding a saber over its neck. Now, while many believe that the saber slices the neck of the bottle or pushes the cork out, what in reality happens is that the slight impact of the saber on the seam of the bottle creates a chain reaction that makes the bottle release its pressure by breaking its top cork included. If you want to experience the art of sabrage yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Experience: Le Jules Verne Restaurant at the Eiffel Tower in the Company of Monsieur Emmanuel Breguet
The legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris is something undeniable as the watchmaker from Neuchâtel came to Paris to set up shop in 1775 at 51 Quai de l'Horloge. Ingrained in many parts of the city of light, Breguet left behind an array of discoveries, inventions and of course one of the most powerful horological legacies in the world. The Eiffel Tower in Paris features 72 names of scientists, inventors, engineers, mathematicians and Breguet’s last name is there along with those other 71 last names. Located on the eight position from left to right on the Northeast side of the tower, Breguet’s name stands in all glory in one of the most majestic architectural marvels of the 19th century.
Experience: La Flor de Las Antillas 'Toro'. Number One Cigar in 2012 and Still as Good as Back Then.
La Flor de Las Antillas 'Toro' was ranked by Cigar Aficionado as the number one cigar for 2012 made by the renowned Nicaraguan cigar company My Father Cigars S.A. which is owned and lead by acclaimed Cuban cigar maker José 'Pepin' Garcia, his son Jaime and daughter Janny. My Father Cigars is a company that started as a small family operation out of Miami with a dozen rollers that slowly grew into one of the most prominent cigar makers establishing their factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. This company is also well known for being the manufacturers of Tatuaje when that brand was first started by Pete Johnson.
Experience: Sipsmith London Dry Gin. As Refreshing as the Look on the Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Collection.
A few months ago while we attended the release of the Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Tourbillon, we visited the Sipsmith distillery in London. Sipsmith is the first copper pot distillery in London in nearly two hundred years. A classic and refreshing London Dry Gin that is bold, complex and very aromatic, this well balanced gin is perfectly suited for a Negroni or a classic Gin and Tonic. As refreshing as the look on the recently launched Vacheron Constantin FiftySix collection, Sipsmith is produced using a complex mix of botanicals that include the fundamental juniper berries —without them you can’t make Gin—, Bulgarian coriander seed, Belgian angelica root, Chinese cassia bark —from the same family as cinnamon—, Italian orris root, Spanish ground almond, Madagascan cinnamon bark, Spanish liquorice root, Seville orange peel and lemon peel.
Experience: Moët & Chandon Ice Imperial. The Only Champagne to be Served Over Ice.
Moët & Chandon Ice Imperial is still a relatively new champagne launched a few years ago but one that have not gotten as popular in the U.S. as it is in the rest of the world. This is the first and only champagne especially created to be served over ice. Refreshing, crisp and ideal for champagne based cocktails, this new champagne combines fun, fresh and free sensations while remaining true to the Moët & Chandon style, a style distinguished by its bright fruitiness, its seductive palate and its elegant maturity.
