Over the last year Plasencia has come back stronger than ever in the UK with an assortment of new premium cigar ranges blended with the best aged tobacco. I am a big fan of Plasencia, the prices at CGARS and Turmeaus are almost the same as the rest of Europe. Amazing value for such a great tobacco with different ages, strength and flavours. Today I would like to talk more about the 3 Alma (Soul in English) lines.

The common feature of 3 ranges, ALMA FUERTE (Strong Soul), ALMA DE FUEGO (Fire soul) and ALMA DE CAMPO (Countryside Soul), is they all are blended with 100% Top A aged Nicaraguan tobacco. Every line is for a different occasion. The ALMA FUERTE is a medium to full bodied cigar blended with tobaccos aged for at least 12 years, ideal for expert aficionados for maximum enjoyment that delivers dark chocolate, a bit of cinnamon, oak, leather and plumb notes.

This great blend is wrapped in an oily Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper. One of my all-time favourite wrappers. The Sixto II vitola is a really unique line having a hexagon shape that allows a slower smoke experience. Before enjoying the Alma Fuerte I usually recommend you to start with this little brother from the 1898 line. An extremely great value for the quality of the tobacco and then move to the longer aged version Alma Fuerte.

ALMA DE FUEGO I usually recommend to the Partagas smokers. First time I sampled this cigar it reminds me straight to the Nicaraguan brother of the Old school partagas. Medium to Full bodied and great spiciness, blended with tobacco aged between 4-5 years. These spicy notes remind me of the classic spice of old Partagas. I would like to recommend it as well to spicy food lovers. This spicy blend also delivers fruit flavours like tangerine, wood, roasted nuts and a sweet background thanks to the sun grown Jalapa wrapper that balance all flavours.

If you prefer a milder aged and smoother smoke, I would definitely recommend the ALMA DE CAMPO Tribu Robusto. Smooth, creamy, lots of milky coffee notes, almonds, cedar and a tiny hint of spice. Blended with tobaccos aged between 4 and 5 years.I usually recommend the little brother of this line first. Reserva original robusto, blended with 100% organic Nicaraguan tobacco for a great value for quality.

All Plasencia lines in the UK are available now at Turmeaus Liverpool retail shop and CGARS LTD online.

Enjoy!

David

Cigar Ambassador

[email protected]

It’s Festival time of the year again! This will be the 21^st Festival I have attended out of all 22.  Though I was in Havana for the first Festival but could not afford the ticket to the Gala back in those days! Over the years the Festival and the Gala in particular has grown bigger and better year in and year out. It’s an incredible industry and aficionado gathering from all over the world. Like minded cigar lovers sharing their passion for cigars in Havana, the home of the finest cigars in the world.

The Festival showcases new releases that are planned though they don’t always come to fruition, at least not in the time scale the cigar specialists would dearly love them to. The UK is still waiting for the Hoyo Gran Reserva to arrive which we sampled 2 years ago but we are about to be introduced to the Bolivar Belicosos Reserva in Havana. I’m super excited about this cigar (tobacco from 2016/ limited edition of 5000) as BBF’s have long been my favourite cigar. The Festival will highlight the 145^th anniversary of the Romeo y Julieta brand and the 85^th anniversary of Montecristo. The La Casa del Habanos chain which we are proudly part of celebrates its 30^th anniversary lots to celebrate!

I used to enjoy the whole week of festivities but due to the scale of C.Gars these days I just zoom in for the Gala dinner which is a star studded, entertainment filled event with awards being handed out to the industry, an incredible rare humidor charity auction and of course copious quantities of cigars and rum being enjoyed. It’s the greatest event on the annual Havana cigar industry calendar and as ever I’m proud to be on the Hunters & Frankau table.

Full report on my return… I’ll be happy to have a few days of herfing in the sunshine.

In other news…

Siglo VI are back in stock in small quantity in both 25 cabs and tubed packs of 3, Lanceros and Esplendidos have also returned to our shelves. Still no sign of Piramides Extra but we are ever hopeful (I love these big flavourful cigars)

We are still hoping to see the long awaited/overdue UK regional La Gloria Cubana Britanicas Extra in the Spring…perhaps even soon after the Festival and just in time for some better weather in the UK.

I recently enjoyed a few weeks in Florida and the Caribbean and had a splendid time visiting our colleagues at LCDH – St Kitts.  Super hospitality and quite a few of the Caribbean regional edition La Gloria Cubana Paraiso 2014 were thoroughly enjoyed in this beautiful cigar lounge. The store has an incredibly stocked humidor and bar. A must stop for anyone visiting the island. Thanks to Mike and Orlens for the super hospitality.

No shortage of places to herf in Florida that’s for sure but I made myself very comfortable in the Montecristo lounge in Boca Raton and herfed my way through a load of Davidoff Late Hour Robustos. I absolutely love this cigar. it’s a total flavour bomb that is great from the first puff to the last.

It’s the last days of our February competition for a Quid you just may win a Game of Thrones set!

It’s also the last days of our end of line clearance sale lots of bargains to be had.

The Spring Vintage cigar auction catalogue is filling up fast. We have some splendid Dunhill cigars, pre embargo cabinets and magnificent limited editions that will be sold. The catalogue will be online on 7 days before the sale concludes on the 15^th March.

Righto… I better get my suitcase packed… Havana here I come.

Have a smokey week

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Drew Estate is at the moment the biggest Nicaraguan Cigar factory which I personally visited couple of years ago. The professionality of each member of the Drew Estate family is amazing. First thing I have seen when I came in was a pile of cigars that has been rejected to warranty aperfect experience in every single stick in the box. Each step needs to be taken as maximum professionalism and care. From the seed in the ground until the customer enjoy it is a long process that evolve hundreds of people.

Drew Estate rarely make private blends, but we are extremely pleasant that they made this wonderful line exclusive for us. The wrapper that we use is one of the most expensive and rare wrappers in the world that only Drew Estate cultivate. Stalk-Cut and cured sun grown Habano cultivated in Connecticut river valley, USA. Connecticut River valley is famous for their silky, creamy and rare expensive wrappers. Now days most of the Connecticut wrappers are cultivated in Ecuador and Honduras and just a few in the original USA Connecticut.

Drew Estate wanted to create something unique and special, so they grow Cuban seed in the river valley but cultivated in the traditional Stalk cut way. The result is this amazing oily, dark colour and rich wrapper. This wrapper is exclusive use by Drew Estate in their top rare cigars of the Liga privada T52 and Unico line until now. But also used to blend our Orchant Drew Estate range for an amazing quality – value. The filler is a combination of tobaccos from Nicaragua for intense and rich notes; Dominican Republic, for a bit of sweetness and creamy notes; Connecticut broadleaf for an intense rich dark chocolate and oily notes; and Indonesia, famous for their spicy and hazelnuts notes. The binder is also from Indonesia cultivated in the Sumatra island that gives an interested spicy-woody note.

And finally, the extremely rare stalk cut Connecticut that delivers great sweet nuts, bit of dark cocoa and caramel. A great value for such a rare blend in 3 different sizes that allow you to enjoy them at different times including a 3.5” x 46 for a short break at work perfect with your espresso.

If you want to try this unique blend and combination of flavours this is your opportunity for such a great value.Enjoy!

David

Cigar Ambassador

Happy Luna year and it has been for us as we were taken somewhat by surprise by the release of the Romeo Maravilla Year of the Rat cigars. Popular with our customers in the UK, Far East and throughout the world and in fact our fastest selling new cigar so far this year. Presented in the most magnificent red boxes with (lucky) 8 beautifully hand crafted cigars measuring in at a hefty 6 1/8” length and 55 ring gauge. These medium strength and medium – full flavour cigars are fast becoming a collectors item.

The Trinidad Topes and Media Luna have also soared in popularity and it’s proven impossible to satisfy demand. I love Trinidad as a brand and can’t think of a size in the range that I don’t enjoy but the Topes has now surpassed my previous favourite Vigia. It’s a little more gentle in terms of strength and better balanced in terms of flavour. So far, the construction of all samples I have tried has been flawless.

I’ve been zooming round our Turmeaus specialist cigar and whisky shops over the last few weeks and can’t believe how busy they are for a January. I think the Brexit feel good factor has much to do with it or possibly the fact that we finally have some political normality and stability that people are finally just getting on with normal lives and enjoying themselves a little more.

Puffin Rooms echoes that sentiment with record breaking figures this month as this venue just gets more and more popular (be sure to book as its often jam packed and you can’t get in). Such an amazing venue with the best of live music 7 nights a week, 200 whiskies by the dram and the most incredible signature cocktails and tapas menu from Chef Chris German. And if that’s not enough, you can always sample a good cigar at the Late Hour – Turmeaus cigar shop next door till 1 a.m. and select any cigars you like by the box to take away from our vast range.

We’re still waiting for the long overdue release of the 2018 UK regional edition La Gloria Cubana Britanicas Extra but hopeful it will make an appearance finally following the Festival in Cuba at the end of February.

Supplies of Cohiba are still patchy but we have seen limited stocks of Lanceros, Esplendidos and Siglo VI over the last few weeks though Piramides Extra are now out of stock and there is little sign of BHK’s still, and the Hoyo Gran Reserva has still not been released in the UK.

I’ve already started listings for the March 15^th vintage cigar auction and expect another interesting catalogue as we have already accepted entries of some magnificent Dunhill and Davidoff cigars as well as vintage, limited edition and mature Havana cigars.

Valentines day is coming up soon…click here for a few treats. My sales team have been doing a bit of a crazy January sale last few days of it to pick up a bargain or two. I’m heading off for a few weeks leave soon and looking forward to visiting our friends at La Casa del Habano – St Kitts. I’m well prepared with a baggie crammed full of my current favourite smokes including:

Trinidad Topes . I love these anytime cigars.

Romeo Maravillas… get them while you can.

Plasencia Alma Fuerte one of the best New World smokes I have enjoyed in a long time

Davidoff Orchant Seleccion Lanceros. Just released another few boxes from our reserve (prices going up next month)  this is simply the finest cigar in our Orchant Seleccion range

Regius 2020 – Orchant Seleccion. Just released and smoking beautifully.

Alec Bradley – Orchant Seleccion Skinny, the sweetest blend I have ever made. Can’t get enough of them!

Have a smokey week

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Well that was fast year ! I can hardly believe it’s Christmas already.

I spent the last week up North at our Turmeaus shops in Liverpool and Chester, our La Casa del Habano shops in Knutsford and Chester and of course Puffin’ Rooms in the evenings.

To say we were ‘busy’ would be a bit of an understatement. Perhaps the feel-good factor has returned to the UK after the General Election as it has finally put a little more direction and certainty back into the economy…. Thank goodness!

It’s been a banner year for the C.Gars Group , having opened our new HQ building in Norfolk in the first quarter of the year which included an all singing and dancing Turmeaus retail cigar and whisky shop and comfortable sampling lounge.

We also dramatically increased our premium spirits division with a massive range release and unbeatable pricing. Our Independent bottling Stalla Dhu range of single malt whisky won multiple awards and goes from strength to strength.

We launched the Orchant Seleccion by Drew Estate  to add to our very successful and popular Orchant Seleccion ranges of Oliva, Alec Bradley and Regius cigars.

Our exclusive ranges of AVO ( a Davidoff brand)  and Inka- Secret Blend cigars from Peru clocked up record sales. Our exclusive range of Arturo Fuente had a record year as so many cigar aficionados are now trying out these incredible premium cigars.

We refreshed the image of Turmeaus – Mayfair, our smallest but one of our busiest locations. I think I will have to open a larger Central London store very soon to cope with the demand.

The auction department again held 4 very successful sales with record prices being achieved. Our next sale will be held on March 15^th and we are considering consignments now.

It’s been an interesting year on the Havana cigar scene. I attended the Festival in February as usual and am looking forward to the next Festival. Supply in the UK was generally pretty good it has to be said thanks to our brilliant importer Hunters & Frankau.

We hit some dry patches with Siglo VI, Behike, Esplendidos and Lanceros but they do come in from time to time in small quantity so we have been able to keep the majority of our customers well supplied thankfully. We are hoping that supply will improve next year.

The high point was the release of the UK regional El Rey del Mundo La Reina which was quite superb and sold out in record time. We hope to have more available soon.

The Trinidad Topes and Media Luna cigar were released and the blends are quite stunning so we are confident that the tobacco quality coming out of Cuba is first rate.

The last minute of the year surprise was the release of the Romeo Maravilla. The presentation is superb. Probably the best I have seen and the quality of the cigar is magnificent. This has proved to be a madly popular cigar.

All in all a great year!

So my thanks to my brilliant Turmeaus Retail and C.Gars Mail Order Teams for all your hard work and the biggest thanks to all of our loyal customers. Our database has finally hit the 100,000 mark which is quite a milestone for a cigar business that started out with just Laura and I some 22 years ago.

We continue to be the most successful cigar specialist in the U.K. and look forward to bringing our customers more exclusive products in 2020 as well as more exciting expansion plans in the new year.

I’m heading home soon for the holidays with a bag rather stuffed full of my favourites from 2019 including :

El Rey del Mundo La Reina

Romeo Maravillas

Trinidad Topes

El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme Orchant Seleccion

Punch Short de Punch

Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva ( bit of a treat)

Cohiba 1966 ( a lot of a treat!

… and a bottle of Orchant Selection Cigar Malt ( BIG award winner this year!)

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah.,. Whatever you are celebrating – I hope it’s with a great cigar and a good dram or two of our award winning single malt whisky !

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell