A bit rundown but Cigar Heaven inside

As I was driving to my next meeting in Toronto I stopped at my favorite cigar place in the entire world.  For cigar fans Frank Correnti Cigars on King St is the place.  I discovered them while living in Toronto in 2000 (I don’t know where Sam the shoe shine man from the Westin is these days but thank you Sam for that recommendation!)  Correnti imports their tobbaco and wrap from Cuba and rolls them in their warehouse in Toronto.  When you walk in, you know you’re in cigar heaven.  The place is permeated by the rich smell of tobacco and cigar paraphernalia covers the walls.  Correnti cigars are every bit as good as any Cuban I’ve ever had and they’re a fraction of the price.  Having them shipped to the US can be a problem so whenever I’m in Toronto I usually stop by to stock up.  I ordered a mixed batch of cigars, some Churchill’s and Robustos and left happy.

The trip home was a bit of an ordeal, flights from Boston to Toronto are insanely priced right now so I flew in and out of Buffalo and took a rental car to/from Toronto.  Saved a small fortune but traffic on the QEW back to Buffalo was the usual nightmare so I was in dire need of some libation when I finally made it home.

Naturally I needed some sake to go with those excellent cigars.  I’ve always found that you need a special sake the stands up to a cigar.  Correnti’s tend to be on the mild side but you still need a sake with some body to go with them.  The lighter sakes tend to get overwhelmed so my choice was a Diamond from Momokawa, a nice Junmai Ginjo produced in the Hokkaido region of Japan.  Diamond is off-dry and has a deep rich flavor that stays long on the tongue.  The bottle mentions melon, tropical fruit, and spices but these were extremely subtle and made for a nice experience.  This sake would also go very well with anything on the grill.  To top it off, Diamond is an exceptional value, $13.99 at my local package store and as low as $11.99 on-line.

Sitting on my terrace with Sibelius’ Finlandia playing in the background and a well balanced cigar and sake in each hand was an excellent way to wrap up a successful business trip!

Momokawa Diamond Junmai Gingo Sake
Region:  Hokkaido
Sake Meter Value:  +4
Alcohol:  14.8%
Price:  $13.99 at Fresh Pond Liquors, Cambridge MA; $11.99 at www.drinkupny.com

Frank Correnti Cigars
606 King St West
Toronto, ON
416-504-4108
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