Flor de Selva Salomón 30 Años at the event in Basel: 5 years of waiting - and then something happened
Maya Selva has held back this cigar for five years - deliberately against the market. Now the Flor de Selva Salomón 30 Años has been smoked for the first time at the House Of Smoke event in Basel. Was it worth the wait? And then something unexpected happened right there that changed everything. But before the event, I asked Filippo Costi (Chief Commercial Officer Maya Selva Cigars) four unusual questions. I got some surprising answers. Read the article to find out what was really behind this cigar and this evening.
Two moments that changed everything
Rolled in 2019, originally intended for the 25th anniversary of Flor de Selva - and then came 2020. Standstill. And Maya Selva decided to wait with the launch. Five years of maturation instead of a quick launch. This decision was now in the hands of the guests at House Of Smoke. A cigar that doesn't follow the calendar, but patience. The claim is clear - but does it live up to it? - That was the first moment and the article will answer the question.
But that's not all! Filippo Costi was also a guest that evening - and I asked him four questions before the event, which you can find in a Cigar interview normally does not ask. No polite standard sentences. No predictable answers. And Costi? Answered them with a precision and aplomb that brought a broad, satisfied smile to my face. His later presentation captivated the guests so much that they clung to his words like dry sponges to water.
Then came the second moment: Something happened, which suddenly took the evening in a different direction: The guests got up and went to get their food. The cigar stayed behind. Cooled down. And when they returned and continued smoking, there was a break. The finest nuances - gone. Covered up. Almost extinguished.
It was precisely at this moment that I realised: this cigar forgives nothing. No distractions. No sideline. And suddenly it was no longer just a question of whether five years of waiting were worth it - but of how to make a cigar like this at all. right experienced.
That's exactly what this article is about: a cigar with a delayed destination, an evening of special excitement - and about Answers, that you not expected would have.
QUICK BOX 5-second decision
For you, if you like it: Matured cigar wonderfully balanced | Strength: 2.5/5 / Smoking time: 2.5 hrs. 3 flavour points: Cream, umami, coffee beans
Philippo Costi, Chief Commercial Officer Maya Selva Cigars
Four unusual questions for Philippo Costi
1 - If terms like „flavour“, „strength“ and „quality“ were banned, how would you explain what makes a truly great cigar?
For me, the cigar is always associated with time. We learn that tobacco has its own time. You can't buy time with tobacco, you can't speed it up. And if you respect the time of tobacco, it will give it back to you as soon as it has become a cigar.
It is a way to take back your own time. The cigar is the reason to be master of your own time again. So what is a great cigar? It's the cigar that allows you to control your time and enjoy it.
„Time, on the other hand, is independent. Time is the only thing we can't get back. If a cigar is worth your time, then for me that's the definition of a great cigar.“
- Filippo Costi
A great cigar also creates rhythm. It's not about what you taste technically - it's about how the cigar behaves with you over time. Does it develop or does it remain flat? Does it force you to slow down, or do you find yourself simply finishing it? A great cigar has tension and resolution - like good music. It keeps you in the moment without you having to think about it. You don't analyse - you stay in it.
And above all: when it ends, you have the feeling that something has happened. Not that you have smoked something „good“ - but that you have experienced something that was complete in itself.
2 - Imagine if the cigar world had to completely reinvent itself due to new regulations. What would remain - and what would disappear immediately?
New regulations are a very sensitive topic. This year in Europe, in certain countries, we are seeing what this means in concrete terms. What would remain? Something that nobody can take away from us: our freedom. And our ritual.
Rules are necessary - also to find ways to overcome nonsensical rules. So what remains is our freedom and our time again.
„What would disappear immediately? Bad cigars. Cigars that aren't worth fighting for our freedom. And that don't deserve the time we give them.“
- Filippo Costi
Fire, time and the human need to get out - that doesn't disappear. The cigar is just the medium. Even without brands, formats or classic presentation, people would seek this moment: to pause, to have time.
Everything superficial would also disappear immediately: exaggerated stories, unnecessary product diversity and much of this contrived differentiation that does not survive without marketing. It would actually be a healthy reset. The industry would have to get back to the truth: to what you feel when you smoke - not what you are told about it.
3 - What stays longer in an aficionado's memory: perfect construction or a single emotional moment with a cigar - even if it wasn't technically perfect?
I don't know if the first part of my answer is politically correct, but when we talk about perfection, we immediately think of what a beautiful woman is to a man - and vice versa, what a beautiful man is to a woman.
It is often the case that the whole is not perfect. You might see a woman with beautiful eyes, a perfect nose, very beautiful lips and hair. If you look at everything individually, it's perfect. But together, sometimes something is missing.
Conversely, there can be a woman with very beautiful eyes and lips, but with a slightly crooked nose - and that's what makes her unique. This is exactly what becomes your personal ideal. You fall in love with her, even if she's not perfect. It's the same with cigars.
„A perfect cigar tends to scare me. Perfection is at odds with uniqueness. When you consider that up to 300 people work on a single cigar, it is by definition something unique. What appeals to me is the cigar that you can fall in love with - even if it has small flaws and brings its own uniqueness.“
- Filippo Costi
Nobody remembers a perfectly rolled cigar if nothing has happened around it. But everyone remembers where they were, who they were with, what was said - or what wasn't said. A very good construction is a prerequisite. But it must never be the story. The story is the context. A slightly imperfect cigar at the right moment becomes unforgettable. A perfect cigar at the wrong moment disappears.
4 - How do you specifically recognise the moment when a cigar is technically perfect but has no character - and what has to happen for it to become interesting for you?
It's a little difficult to answer - or rather, you have to turn your perspective. Instead of focussing on the cigar, you should concentrate on the moment. It often depends on the situation. For example: you're sitting on a terrace in Paris in the morning drinking coffee. The cigar is in the ashtray. You take a sip - and suddenly a ray of sunlight hits the smoke of the cigar, while the aroma of the coffee combines with it.
And that is exactly what makes this day so unique.
„The perfection of the cigar lies not 100 % in construction or blend, but in the overall picture of the moment. Again, we are talking about time - about this very specific moment. And about emotions. Emotions that are in turn linked to the cigar.“
- Filippo Costi
The cigar connects two people or two moments. For example, smoking a cigar with a coffee or a rum. It puts everything on the same level. Nothing is more important than the other. The decisive factor is the moment in which you experience it.
Or maybe like this: You can recognise it by the fact that everything is right - and nothing is at stake.
The cigar works: Burn, draw, consistency. But it never surprises you. No change, no tension, no moment when you stop and think: „That just changed.“ It's like a technically perfect musician who never takes a risk. For it to be interesting, the linearity has to be broken. Not loudly, not aggressively - but noticeably. A transition, an unexpected twist, perhaps even a slight imbalance that creates personality.
Perfection is not the goal. Identity is. And identity is always created with a touch of imperfection.
Thank you, Filippo! You've given us some marvellous answers. You are a philosopher. Your business card should say: Filippo Costi - Cigar Philosopher.
Now: The review, my moment and how something suddenly changed
A room, subdued lighting, conversations. In the House Of Smoke, there is a special calm in the air that you only feel when something important happens. When you sit here, cigar in hand, you quickly realise that this is not a quick indulgence. This is a conscious pause. You are taking your time. And that's exactly what this cigar demands of you. Filippo Costi is our guest today at House Of Smoke and tells us all sorts of interesting things about the brand. You want to know what he told us? Well, then visit the events at the House Of Smoke. My article focuses on the flavour of the cigar and what suddenly went wrong. 😁
Filippo Costi (right) hosted the programme and Giuseppe Spiga (employee of The Royal Cigar Company AG, importer of Maya Selva Cigars in Switzerland) provided the translation.
Setup & cold draw
I cut them at an angle - this cut is crucial for a figurado format. The draw is controlled, neither too open nor too harsh. The smoke stays cooler with this cut method and, thanks to its wide cut surface, all channels are open and provide you with the optimum, full-bodied flavour. But first the cold draw: it already has a certain depth to it, nothing intrusive, rather a calm promise. I can perhaps already feel it: This cigar has had time.
By the way:
In some forums I have read before that the cigar is peppery, hard, almost alien to the typical profile of Flor de Selva. Honestly? That doesn't surprise me. After all, if you smoke a cigar like this so quickly that after a half Hour Once the Anilla has arrived, nothing remains of the subtle nuances of a cigar that has been aged for over 5 years. Then everything seems sharper, edgier, more unsettled. - This is the case with every cigar.
That's exactly what I observed at the event: Over 30 guests were present - and some of them pulled on the cigar as if it were a speed competition. Puff after puff, without a break. But this cigar is not a sprint (no cigar is a sprint). It is a slow, „precise“ construction. If you rush it, you don't get the experience - just the rest of it; namely hardness, bite, bitterness and spiciness.
The first five minutes
The flame touches the foot end, slowly, evenly. The first puff is soft, almost restrained. No loud start. No „look at me“. Instead, a quiet start that only unfolds when you give it space. The smoke is dense, but not heavy. It settles like a fine veil.
Flavour progression
First half
The cigar develops calmly and stably with a wonderful, fine balance and a beautiful complexity that does not overwhelm you. The flavours appear mature, not edgy. Everything seems harmonised, nothing pushes itself to the fore. It's like a conversation in which every sentence fits. The strength remains controlled, a 2/5 on the scale. You stay relaxed. Marvellous - the nicotine has already largely dissipated, thanks to the cigar's long ageing period of over 5 years.
Second half
Now it becomes denser. The cigar gains depth without becoming aggressive. The warmth increases, the structure becomes more compact. You can tell that it wasn't just rolled here - it was planned, maintained and decided. The last puffs feel more concentrated. More present. But never overwhelming. Umami, wood, sweetness, cream (lots of cream). Strength max. 3/5 in the last third. Retronasal wonderful flavours of roasted coffee, burning wood and fine leather. All gentle and yet strongly present. Marvellous!
When suddenly something was no longer right
I deliberately give the cigar time to open up. Do not draw hastily or often, do not rush - Just let it work. And it is precisely at this moment that something decisive happens: The guests get up, get the food that the team from the House Of Smoke with a lot of love has prepared. Plates, conversations, new flavours. The cigar stays put, cools down.
Then they return, take another train - and this is where something goes wrong.
This cigar lives from its fine balance. From nuances that Build up slowly, layer by layer. And then the food comes in between - stronger, more direct, louder. It's as if someone bursts into the middle of a quiet conversation and according to call in between. The cigar loses its stage. Its precision is covered up.
With this cigar, that's a mistake. A clear mistake.
Filippo pulls me aside for a moment. In private. Calmly, precisely, like his previous answers, he says: „I'd like to organise the next event differently. First a small cigar as an aperitif. Then a meal. And only then - full attention for the Flor de Selva Salomón 30 Años.“
I nod immediately. The feels right at. „You didn't get any food,“ he continued. „No,“ I reply, „this cigar must not be interrupted.“ - He smiles and says: „Exactly!“ A little later, he comes back to me and says: „The House Of Smoke team has put your food in the fridge. So you can eat in peace later.“ What a wonderful courtesy ❤️
And it is precisely at this moment that a thought becomes more. The idea of a Master-Class begins to take shape. Clearer. More concrete. Triggered by this evening - and reinforced by Giuseppe Spiga's suggestion. Thank you!
The guests were literally glued to Filippo Costi's lips - so close that you could almost forget the room. His words carried weight, they stuck. I later picked up on this exact moment with Giuseppe Spiga: Why not create a master class where you learn to really understand a cigar - not just smoke it?
„Are you interested in a Master Class event? Please sign up for the Zigarren.Zone INSIDER. You will be notified as soon as such an event takes place. Click here for the INSIDER.“
- Vasilij Ratej, Cigars.zone
Draught & combustion and yes, the Anilla
The pull remains constant. No struggle, no readjustment. The burn is clean and calm. The ash is stable, the smoke temperature remains pleasant. This is craftsmanship that works.
The Only, The only thing that bothers me about this cigar is the anilla. It looks like high-gloss plastic to me - smooth, cool, almost a Foreign body. And for me, that's exactly what doesn't fit the story of this cigar. There is too much depth, too much patience, too much time in this cigar, only to be accompanied by anilla that looks more like surface than substance.
A finer paper, more structure, more feeling in the hand - that would have given this 30th anniversary the dignity it deserves.
But, hey: I'm not smoking the Anilla. I smoke the cigar. And it's just great! (If you know how to smoke them and how to prepare your palate beforehand. And here we are again - with the idea of a master class) 😀
Honouring the grand dame of the cigar industry
Maya Selva has created more than just an anniversary cigar with this release. She has made a statement. Three decades of experience, combined with the ability to make decisions against the market - in favour of quality.
The Flor de Selva Salomón 30 Años was rolled in the Tabacos de Oriente factory in Honduras. A total of 25,000 pieces were made by hand. Tobacco from the Valle de Jamastrán forms the heart of this cigar - a valley known for its aromatic depth. The binder leaf also comes from this region. It acts like a connecting band that holds the different tobaccos together - calm, stable, invisibly strong.
Maya Selva says: „This new release opens a new chapter in our history. We are better than ever.“
Picture credits
- Vasilij Ratej
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