Scotch & Cigars at the Wharf

Thanks to a chance encounter at El Cielo with a portfolio manager, I was able to snag an invite to the exclusive LVMH whisky and cigar night at Officina at the Wharf, a fancy Italian spot on the waterfront in DC. LVMH stands for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, a luxury brand conglomerate which owns a wide variety of goods (you can probably guess a few of them.)

Despite recovering from the previous night's Premium Cigar Association holiday party, in which I definitely overextended myself, I made it out to Officina at the Wharf for some whiskey, cigars, and holiday cheer. 

Started out with a Penicillin cocktail, using house-made ginger syrup and Ardbeg (also a LVMH product.)

I mingled and networked, connecting with a few of the LVMH folks I know, and as the clock struck 9, we lit up. My first cigar was a Cohiba Red Dot, which was fine for the first half before deciding to burn unevenly then self-destruct. So I turned to the star of the night: Cohiba Royale, a medium-full bodied smoke made with Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Honduran tobaccos. It was remarkably well-rolled with a nice structure, presenting some darker natural flavors (soil, coffee, wood) with a touch of sweetness. 

Glenmorangie was the other part of the night, with three whiskies on offer: the 14yr "Quinta Ruban" port cask; the 15yr, and the 18yr. All were good; I have not had the 15 or the 18 before. Both were lighter than I expected, and I used distilled water only for the 15. The 18 was quite delicate and wasn't overly sherried, which was nice. 

Aside from great networking, I was able to meet some new folks and also got to reconnect with Sam Huston, one of my old vendors at D'Vines. He's now with Westward Whiskey, and we'll talk about them in the New Year once I have the chance to try some of their stuff. Overall, a nice event, private and fun, with some promo cigars to boot on the way out (and a Glenmorangie gift bag!)