AFICIONADO. SOMMELIER. STYLE INFLUENCER
Jasim Ahmed has certainly something to say when it comes to Habanos, lifestyle, and, of course, fashion. A true gentleman as much as a down to earth professional, Jasim talked to us about his first experiences in the cigar world, his views on style and how fashion is related to the Cuban Cigars industry.
THE CIGAR JOURNEY BEGINS – “My entrance into the cigar industry was pure coincidence”. Jasim’s career into the world of Habanos is the living proof that your talents find you and not the other way around. From a young age, Jasim became actively involved with the luxury market, working for the Habanos distributor of UAE. Jasim’s first Habano experience came entirely out of the blue. “The first Habano I ever smoked was the Cohiba Coronas Especiales and it was gifted to me by a very important gentleman who was representing Habanos Internationally.” Being an experienced cigar aficionado now, Jasim looks back at the man’s kind gesture with great respect, being grateful that he had the chance to start off his cigars journey with such an exceptional habano. “Back then I didn’t know the value of it. Because today I do and I appreciate the significance of that particular cigar”.
Despite being neither a cigar nor a cigarette smoker at that time, Jasim’s first habano experience immediately fascinated his taste buds. “I smoked a couple of puffs and then I started to realise the lingering flavour that resulted from the smoke”. Many appreciate the flavours of a good Habano but not all are capable of developing such a refined taste when it comes to appreciating the true flavours of a cigar. Being a man of exquisite taste, Jasim’s longstanding affair with cigars was triggered by the captivating flavours produced by such an unconventional product. “Flavour is what triggered my interest and that lingering taste was what made me want more. I never got such kind of flavours in my mouth from a product like this. We eat, we drink, but we never expect these flavours to come from a cigar”.
Left: Jasim Ahmen with a Trinidad Fundadores Cigar, Right: Jasim Ahmed puffing a Ramon Allones La Palmera Cigar (Ex. UAE 2016)
“MY PASSION FOR THE INDUSTRY IS MY MOTIVATION”
HABANOS MASTER TRAINING – Today, Jasim is a senior territory manager for B.M.E. and a certified Habanos Master Trainer and Sommelier, specialising in pairing cigars with spirits, wine, and food. “I finished my training in 2012 and I was amongst the first 40 in the world to pass the Master Training”. It is not a programme that anyone can follow, not to mention, succeed in it. Nonetheless, hard work, strong work ethic, and an undeniable passion for the cigars industry made Jasim Ahmed the cigar expert he is today.
CHOOSING CIGARS – When asking someone as experienced and passionate about cigars as Jasim is, to select three of their favourite cigars to smoke for the rest of their lives, it can certainly cause quite of a struggle. Regardless, his selections were very much impressive, not that we expected anything less. His first choice is the Cohiba Behike 40th Aniversario. “This one I would really love to puff even if it is the last cigar I smoke”. Amongst the rarest and most unique habanos, we can all agree with Jasim that the Behike 40th Aniversario is truly one of a kind, possibly the best to come from Cohiba Cigars. Following this perfect smoke, the Davidoff 80th Aniversario Cigar was Jasim’s second habano selection. “It is one of the highest ranked Cuban Davidoff cigars. Of course, now, no one has it and whoever used to have it, I'm sure they have smoked them all”. The Davidoff 80th Aniversario is a very special release, introduced in 1988 to commemorate Zino Davidoff’s birthday. Last but not least, Jasim’s third and possibly most favourite Habano is the Trinidad Gloriosos. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Trinidad Cigars launched the Gloriosos, a Limited Edition release of 100 humidors, including a total of 50 cigars each. “It’s the only one I have out of the three and it was gifted to me by a close friend in the industry at the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona Gran Reserva Night during the XXI Festival del Habano”.
Left: Jasim Ahmed relighting his Habano, Top Right: Jasim Ahmed with his Montecristo Cigar Case, Bottom Right: Jasim Ahmed lighting a Montecristo Dantes Edicion Limitada 2016 Cigar
“I INTERPRET STYLE AS A WAY OF COMMUNICATION”
PERSONAL STYLE – Besides his exquisite taste in cigars, Jasim is a man of great taste in clothing too. From vibrant colours to exotic prints, Jasim has a very refined, unique, but, also, controversial style identity. “I try and mix unusual colours. Some will say that it is too much but I don't listen to them. As much as I appreciate their feedback, I like to be innovative”. Being always creative with his fashion choices, we can all agree that his style is inventive in many ways while, simultaneously, maintaining a high level of class and sophistication. But what does style mean to the cigar expert? “Style is attitude, a way of communication. It is very personal too. That’s why I always try to stay true to my style identity.”
There is no doubt that the cigars industry intertwines in many ways with fashion and vice versa. “Cigars are becoming all the more related to your style. For me it’s lifestyle that has fashion connect with the cigars world.” Although lifestyle is very crucial when it comes to linking cigars with the fashion industry, the origins of this marriage date back to the creation of the first habanos as Jasim suggests. “Cigars and fashion go hand in hand since the birth of the cigars world. If you really look back to the history of the people who smoke cigars, class and elegance are the first things to pop into your mind.” Lifestyle, opulence, and elegance are all important factors that contribute significantly to the connection between the worlds of habanos and fashion. However, Jasim points out that both cigars and fashion follow a quite repetitive pattern when it comes to trends, something that brings these two worlds even closer. “The cigars industry is very much like fashion; there are trends of smoking certain cigars that constantly change over the years.”.
“ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THE TEXTURE OF YOUR HAT”
INSPIRATION AND STYLING HATS – When it comes to the influences that inspire his style and fashion choices, Jasim is very clear and straightforward. “I draw inspiration from a lot of different subjects. For instance, it could be a vintage design introduced by a designer or style by my own means of research, experience and knowledge about certain fabrics, experimenting taking risks in mixing colours and more...”. Although his overall style remains very personal and, thus, unique, when it comes to his hat, Jasim mentions Carlos Fuente Jr. of Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. as being an inspirational figure. “The person who connects me with the hat is Carlito Fuente who I met in Abu Dhabi and fell in love with the way he treats his hat. I look up to him when it comes to hats”.
From Panamas to Fedoras, choosing the right hat can be a tough challenge, however, Jasim knows exactly what we should all keep in mind when looking for the perfect hat. “The most important part is the comfort”. Fashion and the right colour choice are equally important, but being aware of your head measurements is even more. “Don't forget about your head size. It is very important for you to have the hat sit on your head comfortably”. Before we close the interview, Jasim shared one last tip with us to make our process of choosing a hat even easier. “Always keep in mind the texture of your hat as well as its shape – both of these factors are crucial”.
Top Left: Jasim Ahmed lighting a Cohiba, Bottom Left: Jasim Ahmed smoking a habano, Jasim Ahmed lighting the Ramon Allones La Palmera Cigar (Ex. UAE 2016)
Experienced cigar aficionado, certified cigar sommelier, and style icon, our discussion with Jasim Ahmed was both informative and fun. From his habano master training experience to what style means to him, Jasim is an important figure in the cigars industry whose voice is of great value. Do not miss the second part of our conversation with Jasim where we discuss cigar pairings. Make sure to follow Jasim on Instagram where he shares his insights about Cuban Cigars Online, pairings and, of course, more of his exquisite style.
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