A couple of years ago, I made a trip down to Shenfield Wines Co in Essex, for one of their Sip & Smoke events. It was a brilliant experience. The wine shop housed an impressive cigar humidor, the outdoor seating was spot on, and there was already a strong sense of community among local cigar enthusiasts. Following that visit, I even had the pleasure of interviewing the talented humidor maker Matthew Mason.
What really stood out to me at the time, though, was The Tasting Room tucked away at the back of the shop. It felt like a space waiting to evolve — almost destined to become a cigar sampling room.
Fast forward two years, and that vision has become a reality. The Essex Cigar Company (the name of the sampling room) has officially opened its doors as a new cigar sampling room, marking an exciting addition to Shenfield and the broader Essex cigar community. 🎉
I was lucky enough to be at the official opening night last night and watch everything come to life.
First impressions
I arrived early, around 5:30pm, which gave me the chance to catch up with Nish Patel (the owner), and Jerry Mir who was there on behalf of Tor Imports before the evening got into full swing.
Both are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable — and it was inspiring to see how much dedication has gone into making this cigar sampling room – open as of today 1st March.
Ventilation is absolutely key in any indoor cigar room, and Nish has spent ages finessing it here. The space genuinely reminded me of Boisdale of Canary Wharf — but right in the heart of Shenfield. That’s no small achievement.
Nish, in particular, deserves enormous credit. While not a cigar smoker himself, he is deeply committed to creating the best possible experience for his customers. The lengths he has gone to in order to ensure proper storage, quality control, and a welcoming atmosphere speak volumes. It’s taken years of work to reach this point, and that perseverance shows.
The Host & Cigars
The evening was hosted by Tor Imports (one of the UK’s importer/distributor of New World Cigars), with Jerry Mir and Alfonso Sherzi guiding us through the selections.
Alfonso’s depth of knowledge was fascinating — hearing about blending, production, and the stories behind the cigars from Nicaragua added real substance to the tasting. Something that really resonates with me following my recent trip to the Dominican Republic.
We sampled:
New World by AJ Fernandez
Oliva Serie V Melanio
We also had paired this with Hine Cigar Reserve XO.
My personal preference on the night was the New World by AJ Fernandez. It kicked off peppery in the first third, with a creamy profile during the second third and got punchier towards the final third. I’ve enjoyed before and continues to impress. The Oliva Serie V is consistently good value for money.
Beyond the cigars themselves, it was fantastic to connect with fellow enthusiasts. I met Steve, who’s been following my cigar journey — something that still blows my mind — and he is now a part of it! Alongside Ben! — and it was great to share the experience together. That’s what evenings like this are all about: community.
Jerry was particularly compelling to listen to. His journey within the cigar industry, his consultancy work, and his refreshingly direct perspective on what it takes to create and sustain a cigar shop and sampling lounge in the UK was fascinating. I’d love to sit down and interview him for the blog properly in the future — he has such a wealth of experience and insight into UK cigar culture — real legends of the cigar industry that we don’t often get to hear about.
The sampling room
The room seats approximately 14-15 guests across eight tables. Each table is thoughtfully equipped with:
- Cigar cutters
- Cigar lighters
- Quality cigar ashtrays
- Cigar rests
When you step inside, you genuinely feel transported. The outside world fades away, and you’re left to focus on the cigar, the conversation, and the atmosphere.
In the warmer months, there’s also a terrace space outside the front of the shop used for events.
The humidor at the front of the shop — previously highlighted in my earlier post — continues to impress, stocked with both New World cigars and Cuban cigars, and beautifully crafted by Matthew Mason.
Location
Shenfield is well positioned for visitors. There’s convenient parking nearby, and it’s only a 7–8 minute walk to Shenfield Railway Station, making it easy to get back into London Liverpool Street Station after an evening sampling.
The sampling room is open during the day and evening, with plans for monthly tasting events — well worth attending if you get the opportunity — keep an eye on their social media for those announcements.
Final thoughts
Last time I visited, I was impressed but now with the added cigar sampling room its even better.
It shows what patience, persistence, and passion can achieve. Nish has spent years building toward this moment, and the result is something the Essex cigar community — and the wider UK scene — can be proud of 👏.
My rating: 8 out of 10
Here’s hoping we see even more sampling events in the months and years ahead.
Interested in visiting?
Essex Cigar Company (aka Shenfield Wine Co)
86 Hutton Road
Essex
CM15 8NB
Telephone: 01277 204899
Social media:
Instagram
If you like this review, check out my other reviews at Cigar bars, terraces and smoking-lounges
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