Will his Lordship be requiring The Upsetter or a Wise Man this evening post-prandially? Or might we call upon David and Goliath once more? Or perhaps Sir will be staying within the family, so to speak, and taking up with one of his very own favorite Edwardians or Victorians?
If I may be so bold, a meticulously handcrafted cigar, rolled in Estelí, Nicaragua, embodies the very sophistication of a bygone era. Its silky Connecticut Shade wrapper paired with a rich Mata Fina binder, dark and flavorful Brazilian tobacco and Nicadan, an exclusive hybrid seed combining Criollo and Corojo fillers cultivated in the volcanic soils of Jalapa and the island of Ometepe, makes for with an exceptionally smooth and refined profile, unveiling delicate and delightful notes of pepper, citrus, and leather, with a warm, lingering essence reminiscent of a crackling fireplace.
All in all, an Edwardian or a Victorian stogie makes for the perfect ending to another successful Open Day at the north Hampshire, England, titular home of the Carnarvon family and one shared so happily for over a decade now with the Crawley and Downton Abbey family.
Open Days at Highclere Castle, sixty miles west of London, are as popular as ever, ten years after the final episode of the sixth Julian Fellowes hit TV series and in the lead-up to the September release of the third film in a franchise that brought such memorable lines as:
“What’s a weekend?”
“Hope is a tease designed to prevent us from accepting reality!”
“One should always travel with optimism.”
“Never complain. Never explain”
“All smart people sleep in separate rooms.”
Highclere is a Grade I listed country house, built in 1679 but renovated in the 1840s to designs by Sir Charles Barry who, with Augustus Pugin, designed London‘s Houses of Parliament. The setting for the fictional Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, Highclere, is the country seat of the Earls of Carnarvon. The 5th Earl, Lord Carnarvon sponsored archaeologist Howard Carter, and stood alongside him in 1922 as he opened the tomb of Tutankhamun. There is an exhibition in the cellars.
The 300-room castle is estimated to receive around 90,000 to 100,00 paying visitors per year. It has attracted 1,000 visitors in one day. It has been the home of the Carnarvon family since 1842. The estate was opened to visitors for the first time in 1954. But it wasn’t until 1988 that the castle began regular public openings under the stewardship of Jean Herbert, Countess of Carnarvon (Earl Carnarvon’s mother).
“My favorite room is The Smoking Room”, says the 8th Earl, “With its Jan Weenix paintings, wonderful studio of Venetian Canalettos, and above all, the Petro Dura marble side table with exotic bird carvings. There’s a wonderful view of Siddown Hill to the south and Heaven’s Gate folly arch at the top of the hill. As a small boy, I loved the room as it was my grandfather’s day room where he had his TV and watched the racing!”
“The chimney only partially worked, so it was a smoking room in all senses. We redecorated it in 1988. It has a small version of the vast Cube Room at Wilton House’s painting of Charles 1 and is family by Van Dyke.”
Old Etonian George (*Geordie” to his pals and chums) Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert, now 69, is the godson of the late Queen Elizabeth 11 and was a Page of Honor. His father was her racing manager.
“It’s been quite a journey since the first days of filming in 2010, and now our home is known to millions around the world. There are so many stories. Such as when one crew member used a valuable table as an ironing board and a scaffolding pole nearly hit a Van Dyck on the first day!”
A new Downtown Abbey movie is out in September.
Highclere Castle cigars have become popular takeaways from tours of the star of the show and its Capability Brown grounds.
Along with Egyptian vases and planters, King Tut kitchen aprons and tea towels, Highclere Gin, The Orangery Hand Cream, cupcake plates, trays, Cheddar cheese bites, butter shortbread, fudge, jam, chutney, dressing gowns, a Lamb Box, along with recipes courtesy of the modern chatelaine and current materfamilias.
Highclere is high maintenance. “We have to find ways to cut our cloth!” says Fiona, the Countess of Carnarvon, who worked as an auditor for Coopers Lybrand. “That I am a qualified chartered accountant is of constant amusement to my husband!”
Highclere Castle Cigar was created by Adam von Gootkin, Lord Carnarvon and renowned cigar blender, Nicholas Melillo, owner of Foundation Cigar Company which produces cigars like the Upsetter, Charter Oak, Olmec, Aksum and Tabernacle Knight Commander.
Melillo was perhaps best known in the industry for running production at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Nicaragua. The foundation’s first cigar, El Güegüense (or “The Wise Man”), debuted in 2015, and a Maduro version followed in 2017. Both El Güegüense cigars are made at the Tabacos Valle de Jalapa (TABSA) factory in Nicaragua. The foundation’s other two brands—The Tabernacle (2016) and Highclere Castle (2017)—are made at A.J. Fernandez’s namesake factory, Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua. The company headquarters is located on the grounds of a 50-acre tobacco field in Melillo’s home state of Connecticut.
The Highclere Castle Cigar range has varieties – Edwardian, Senetjr, and Victorian.
Says von Gootkin: “Highclere cigars came about by accident. I remember walking into the library with Lord C and him telling me that Sir Winston Churchill and his cigars were frequent visitors. Cigars were always smoked after dinner by the gentlemen as they are in Downton Abbey. A month later, we were in the tobacco fields of Nicaragua planning our premium cigars. The Highclere Cigar honors history and craftsmanship.
Says the Earl: “Highclere has always been full of the smoke of fine cigars, mostly fine Havanas. My father used to smoke cigars in the winning circle at Ascot. I do like a cigar with a single malt whisky or glass of our Highclere Castle Barrel Aged Gin which cleanses the palette beautifully.
“Senetjr is named after the Egyptian word for incense. It was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut. The presentation box is an exact relic of boxes found in the tomb. The cigar transports you to the echoes of history. A bit like Downton Abbey does!”
