[Guillaume Tesson interview] The cigar in all its forms

This month we had the pleasure of interviewing Guillaume Tesson, a specialist in the world of the cigar and the author, among other titles, of the Petit Larousse des cigares. Here is what this aficionado had to tell us…

GUILLAUME TESSON, CIGAR EXPERT – AUTHOR AND CONSULTANT.

Smoking > Who are you? // Introduce yourself to our readers.

Guillaume Tesson > Born in Saint-Nazaire, I did my secondary schooling in Nantes, up to the baccalauréat. I preferred side roads to university benches. I trained as a journalist at Presse-Océan, then during my military service on the airwaves of Azur FM Sarajevo. After that I wrote for the teenage press, for Playboy and Newlook, France Soir, the television press… Today I run the Paris office of Cigar Journal magazine, published in German, English and Spanish, and I contribute to NEZ, a magazine devoted to smell and perfume. Alongside that, I set up my own company to run workshops and discovery evenings around the cigar. That is how I came to run a cigar corner for Michael Jordan and his friends in Paris in June 2015. I am also in charge of the Big Smoke Paris, the French leg of the Cigar Smoking World Championship, which takes place in the capital on 18 June. Lastly, I am the spokesman for the Confrérie de Jean Nicot, which brings together more than 600 enthusiasts around values such as respect and living well together.

Smoking > When and how did your interest in the world of the cigar begin?

GT > First there was an uncle, when I was a teenager, who passed on his interest along with a few sensible pieces of advice: « never force yourself to finish a cigar, do not bother the people around you, choose quality over quantity ». It was great, but I did not keep it up. At the end of 2004 my father-in-law rekindled the flame, so to speak, by offering me a Montecristo. The interest has stayed with me ever since.

Smoking > The world of the cigar is often seen as elitist. Do you think it is set to become more accessible?

GT > But it has always been accessible! The trouble is that clichés die hard… And yet, from the smoking rooms of Paris to the Vieux-Port in Marseille, you come across plenty of young enthusiasts, men and women, who could not care less about gold-priced watches and made-to-measure suits! Taken for what it really is, an age-old craft product of the kind ordinary Cubans smoke, the cigar has no need to be a flashy accessory like a cufflink. There will always be smokers who want to be seen, but I can tell you that the current trend has more in common with lovers of wine, tea or chocolate who want to know everything about production methods, the various terroirs, and so on. All of it with curiosity, and without any fuss.

Smoking > Who are your readers?

GT > I hope I have managed to bring together those who thought they knew everything and those who need a key to get into this world. It is always a great pleasure to learn that I have allowed some of them to find their own way, thanks to a few pieces of advice and a few explanations… Every chapter of the Petit Larousse des Cigares was written with the concern of being clear, accessible and enthusiastic.

Smoking > What would you say is the essential accessory for a cigar enthusiast, humidors aside?

GT > I would be tempted to answer: « a quiet place suited to a proper pause », so complicated is it at times to smoke a cigar while complying with the law… But let us say that a good case, a reliable lighter and a cigar cutter remain the indispensable holy trinity.

Smoking > Which humidor model do you own yourself?

GT > I store my cigars in modest-sized humidors spread across several rooms, with capacities of 30 and 50 modules. I am planning to treat myself to a fine cigar cabinet with a glass front. I once had one that I had to part with for lack of space… I regret it today.

Smoking > What information or innovation would you like to see in this field this year?

GT > I think two trends have a future: the affordable, good quality cigar humidor, which is a real demand from enthusiasts, and beginners in particular, and the made-to-measure humidor that can be built into a piece of furniture or into a room…