FROM LONDON TO LA,
THE TRAVELS OF A HUMIDOR
By Bill Frio
All these years later it’s easy to admit, but
back then, standing in front of those two
glass doors, I was actually intimidated. And
that’s really saying something when you
consider I was a 17 year veteran of the Los
Angeles Police Department.
The Davidoff of London shop, located in the
exclusive area of London, famous for Gentlemen’s
bespoke tailoring and accessories, was imposing.
My goal for that day in London was to visit the
world- renowned cigar shops around St. James in
Mayfair, so, I gathered up my nerve and walked
inside. By doing so, I had no idea it was going to
alter my life forever.
I headed straight for the walk- in humidor as
my wife took a welcome seat in the main shop.
Looking at all of those beautifully hand-rolled
Cuban cigars was a wonder to behold. My
concentration was interrupted by the polite
English voice of Douglas Elliott, a sales consultant
in the shop, asking if he could be of assistance.
Douglas helped me pick out several cigars and
he led me to the till to work out the damage! As
I passed my wife, still sitting comfortably, I saw
an array of humidors that I hadn’t noticed before.
One humidor in particular, a chest, caught my eye
and I stopped to look at it. Mr. Elliott explained
to me that these were Elie Bleu Humidors,
considered the Rolls Royce of humidors for
domestic storage.
The words: “Rolls Royce” should have been
my clue to leave, but the wood on this box was
absolutely beautiful and I wanted to spend a bit
more time examining it.
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