Rolls-Royce Cellarette
Where Cigars & Whisky meet
I must admit, it came as a big surprise to me to learn one of the industries most affected by the pandemic is the cigar market.
In fact just yesterday morning, I received a received a message asking if I knew anyone that supplied Cohibas due to a shortage of cigars for a top client in Hong Kong; such was his desperation that he thought I was worth a try.
Thankfully (for me) whisky is far more free flowing, our Scottish neighbours doing their best to keep the country — and the world — adequately supplied inline with incessant demand. Incessant demand you say? Indeed, perhaps the work-from-home culture is allowing for some more expansive lunchtime habits… I’ll leave that there.
There is however, one “world” where the humidors never lie vacant — the world of the super wealthy. In this world ritual is as important as the subject itself; the cigar and whisky are to be enjoyed synonymously, adding a sense of occasion to any chosen situation or given moment. The perfect pairing.
To this end there was no doubt in my mind who best to translate this ritual into a luxury lifestyle experience — The House of Rolls-Royce.
I recall in 2012 when Rolls-Royce launched the Phantom Series II in Monaco, there was one special model that stood out, a Phantom with a Humidor in the glovebox. Open said glovebox and the humidor was presented to you, filled with your chosen cigars.
The House of Rolls-Royce have taken this one step — or more accurately, a giant leap — further and embellished the out-of-car experience to reflect that which a Rolls-Royce patron is accustomed to. Introducing the Rolls-Royce Cellarette.
This is not their first segway into the home, with products such as the Rolls-Royce Champagne Chest forming part of their acclaimed Rolls-Royce Connoisseur’s Collection.
A bespoke Whisky and Cigar chest, the motorised Rolls-Royce Cellarette houses a selection of accoutrements, opening with a warm glow and a sense of theatre to reveal all the requisite components for the perfect pairing.
“Historically, Cellarettes were used to secure wine and spirits. This bespoke chest can be configured to stow aperitifs or digestifs, depending on the client’s preferences, alongside prized cigars, in a spectacular fashion.”
— Nicholas Abrams, Bespoke Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
While many will point to the Cellarette’s various features, for me it’s the purity of the cigar experience that shouts; the lighter being made by S. T. Dupont, delicately engraved with the Spirit of Ecstasy. The cigars themselves are housed in a Spanish Cedarwood casing, with the levels of humidity monitored by a hygrometer, whose somewhat familiar design recalls the hands of the fabled Rolls-Royce clock.
I think it’s fair to say the House of Rolls-Royce have the cigar & whisky pairing ritual (spectacularly) well and truly sorted. Now all I need to do is find some cigars.
The Rolls-Royce Cellarette is available to acquire through Rolls-Royce dealerships, with prices starting from £40,570 excluding local taxes.
