Night to Remember Charity Cigar Dinner Raises More than a Million Dollars

Jack Bettridge
Posted: April 20, 2012

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Levin took the next lot for $23,000 and with it the chance to create his own 30-year-old Glenfiddich single-malt Scotch. The package, donated by Simon Hunt, managing director of William Grant & Sons, includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the dunnage warehouses with the malt master as well as samplings from select barrels and a four-day stay in the Torrent House on the grounds.

Janelle Rosenfeld, Gene Tipton and Javier Estades (left to right) all of Altadis.

The last lot, a collection of 453 Fuente cigars went to Celani for $23,000. It includes 11 boxes of select Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars, plus The Lost City version, a box of Casa Fuente and three Don Carlos Aniversario boxes. Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia provided the package.

With business out of the way, guests set to enjoying their scrumptious meal, starting with the Four Seasons’ signature wild mushroom risotto. Rack of lamb with Chanterelle, Rösti potatoes and black truffle sauce made up the main course. It was paired with Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Special Selection 2007, which scored 96 points in Wine Spectator. Chocolate Mousse and petit fours followed.

Former NBA star John Salley amuses the crowd with a few choice remarks.

Also speaking at the event were the basketball star John Salley, a perennial favorite, Limbaugh, Alan Rubin, owner of Alec Bradley Cigars, Gordon Mott, the executive editor of Cigar Aficionado, Giuliani, and Chuck Wagner of Caymus Wines.

As the meal concluded, waiters passed out the dinner cigars, contained in bags supplied by Humidipak, and including the top three cigars of the year: (in order from first to third) Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso and Illusione Epernay Le Taureau. The package also included a lighter and pocket humidor provided by Xikar.

As well as the celebrities who spoke, many of the diners made up a virtual Who's Who of the cigar industry, including Matt Arcella of the Davidoff shops in Las Vegas, Michael Giannini, Victoria McKee, Benji Menendez and Ricky Rodriquez of General Cigar Co., Javier Estades and Janelle Rosenfeld of Altadis, Wayne Suarez of Arturo Fuente, Janny Garcia of My Father Cigars, Rafael Nodal of Habana Cuba Cigar Company, Tony Gomez of La Flor Dominicana, Pete Johnson of Tatuaje, Sathya Levin of Ashton, Les Mann of Colibri, Eric Newman of J.C. Newman, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Sr. and Jr. from EPC Cigar Co., Jorge Padrón of Padrón, Bill Paley of La Palina, Alejandro Turrent of Te-Amo cigars.

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