Hi everyone, it’s that time of the year when the nights are drawing in and it’s time for something to lift your spirits and inspire you to try and enjoy some exciting new drinks!

One of my favourite tipples has to be aged rum. The Santiago de Cuba aged 20 years. Flavours of butterscotch, toffee and spices just explode on the palate, and the finish is incredibly smooth!

As a lover of Sherry cask finished whiskies I was excited to sample the Benriach 17 year Pedro ximenez finish! Coffee, dark chocolate, figs, Christmas cake flavours, everything I look for in single malt and what a polished finish! This is one superb bottle to enjoy now and a definite one for the Christmas holiday!

Even though our summer has come to an end I still love to relax at the end of the day with a super smooth gin and tonic. Having been spoilt and sampled most gins we stock I always return to my favourites!

The Botanist from Islay, with 22 foraged botanicals from Islay in Scotland. An absolutely stunning gin!

Another firm favourite has to be the new Skin Gin from Germany. Flavours of lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, coriander! These gins are so unique and incredibly well made!And what stunning packaging!!

Til next time,

Slainte

Peter

Yes it’s that time again, a happy birthday to C.Gars Ltd, 19 years old late Thursday 🙂 and a very fast and enjoyable 19 years that was! If you want a laugh have a look at some of our old website versions: C.Gars through the ages.

I was in fact selling cigars on the internet way back in late 1993 as ‘Mitchell’s Cigar Company’ which I reckon makes me the first cigar merchant in the UK to have gone online. Our website was originally created by my Co-Director Laura and in fact Laura and her Team at C.Gars Norfolk still take care of all of the website stuff in house from start to finish leaving me with the fun stuff to do in the business 😉

The business has grown to a staggering size over the years, with specialist mail order offices and warehouses in London and Norfolk and specialist cigar shops that I reckon are the best in the UK in Liverpool, Chester, Knutsford, Mayfair and Norfolk. We also opened our La Casa del Habano a few years ago in Chester and also have an interest in the fabulous Robert Graham whisky and cigar business with shops in Glasgow, Cambridge, Edinburgh and London. Along the journey I was one of the owners of La Casa del Habano in Hamburg but sold out some year ago to concentrate on my growing UK business. You could say I am well experienced in the cigar trade by now… (but ever learning).

It’s hard to believe that the business that Laura and I created from our homes all those years ago has become our little cigar empire employing over 50 people. Not to mention the complete madhouse of mail order with 1000’s of orders going out every week.

Laura and I used to play a game years ago that every time a client would phone us we would remember what they last ordered. They were very impressed! We got it right most of the time and made the service very personal. Though the business has grown, our management team is still deliberately tiny so we can ensure a real high level of consistent personal service. In fact I am more or less online 24/7 and always pleased to help and advise our clients. I can always be contacted at [email protected]. If you don’t get a reply within a few minutes… I’m probably on a plane!

Next year we will be celebrating the 200^th anniversary of Turmeaus Tobacconist. Quite a milestone which I reckon makes our retail cigar business one of the oldest in Europe (I think we are still just about in Europe!) We are already making plans for celebrations including anniversary tasting events, special release cigars and a limited edition humidor (200 of course) of Havana cigars.

Onward and upwards as we say and the C.Gars expansion marches on. We have finally cut the ribbon on our London C.Gars expansion which has given us more warehouse and packing area as well as a super new walk in humidor that we are using just for aged and rare Havanas and client lockers. We store our aged and rare Havanas more cold and dry to slow down the maturing process and it’s great to finally have the space to show off some of the rarest Havana cigars.

Our Liverpool expansion is cracking on with the builders now bashing away at the second phase of the project. This will feature a whisky bar and tapas restaurant as well as another cigar shop and sampling lounge that will be open till 11 pm. I’m planning on opening early in the new year.

Where do we go next though? Lots of requests for another shop with a larger sampling lounge in London. Hmmm… very tempting.

Lots of panicky debate on the forums about bloom/plume/mould again. Everyone is an expert as we say. My colleague James did  Facebook post with a photo of a beautiful mature cabinet of BBF’s which had a lot of bloom on the wrapper and there was outcry lol ‘How can you sell mouldy old cigars?’ Well I will stick to an earlier article I wrote some time ago https://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/cigar-library/plume_or_mould.html relax, don’t panic, brush off smoke and enjoy.

Winter auction catalogue closed and at the printers. Over 350 Lots will be knocked down by C.Gars auctioneer Jonathan Humbert. Lots will be online two weeks before the sale. Tickets for the auction and the tasting event available now. Hurry, limited availability.

Tickets have been selling like mad for the Cigar Smoker of the year event at Boisdale canary Wharf on the 12^th December. I reckon the event will be sold out in the next few days. Here’s a link if you would like to join me and Karyn on the C.Gars tables for a truly incredible and decadent event.

I’m off to Turmeaus Norfolk on Thursday for a cigar and whisky tasting event. If the weather is as beautiful as today it will be a brilliant topless herf all the way. Turmeaus Norfolk has a fabulous range of cigars and very comfortable sampling lounge. Looking forward to catching up with the team as well as our local clients.

It’s a pretty long drive to Norfolk so I have the boot’ador well stocked with:

Ramon Allones Orchant Seleccion
Macanudo Inspirado
Oliva Orchant Seleccion
Bolivar Belicosos
Inka Secret Blend Robustos

That should keep me in good shape for the drive 🙂

Have a smokey rest of the week.

Peaceful puffing,

Mitchell

The most interesting news recently is the breaking down of the US trade embargo with Cuba. If I understand the latest changes, American citizens are now legally allowed to purchase Cuban cigars and rum in any country and bring back 100 cigars for personal use.

Mail order is still not allowed as far as I know and over 100 cigars can be brought in to the US but will be taxed. Interesting situation for us as retailers with some cigar shops in very busy tourist locations because we expect a spike in tourism due to the continuing weakness of Sterling following Brexit.

Even more interesting as this will likely dramatically increase demand for Havana cigars which are going through significant supply issues. The supply vs demand situation may well force prices up as we see stocks of Cohiba and other large formats dwindle or cease completely till the agricultural issues in Cuba are resolved.

C.Gars and Turmeaus are heavily stocked as ever to try and iron out the rough spots of supply but I gather even we will expect stock outs on popular large format Cohiba over the coming months. Stock up your humidors early for Christmas (or try some new brands!)

Our first cigars and whisky tasting events at Turmeaus Liverpool, flagship store, were a resounding success with two packed sessions. We enjoyed sampling some great Havanas (Montecristo Media Coronas and Bolivar Royal Coronas) and a ridiculously large range of Dalmore single malt whisky. Paul Williams from Whyte and Mackay gave a wonderful introduction to each single malt and a great evening was had by all. More events to follow in the near future.

Last Saturday I gave a little cigar talk at ‘ The Succa herf’ for friends in Hampstead Garden Suburb which was great fun. We enjoyed some 2007 H Upmann tubed Monarchs which were quite deelish. I was surprised at how many smokers weren’t aware to check box codes and buy certain years that are better than others. Hopefully my message was put across and they will all be searching for 2007’s!

Back to the office for a few days after yet another 4 days off and catching up on auction work. Catalogue now full and closed for the 28^th November sale which premises to be an interesting one. We have an incredible catalogue of aged and rare, pre embargo and limited edition cigars that our resident auctioneer Jonathan Humbert will be knocking down. It will be interesting to see where prices go given the weakness of Sterling and the fact that Americans can now bid/purchase/collect their cigars.

UK regional edition Juan Lopez Seleccion Superba is due for introduction to the trade on the 8^th November at a little industry bash at the Churchill, which I’m looking forward to. We expect to be selling these first from our La Casa del Habano and then roll them out across all Turmeaus stores and of course C.Gars online.

The Cigar Smoker Of The Year Event at Boisdale canary Wharf is now confirmed for the 12^th December and C.Gars Ltd are proud supporters as ever. Book tickets directly through Boisdale website or email me to join me on the C.Gars table [email protected]. We are expected a star studded evening and the best of Boisdale hospitality.

Final Orchant Seleccion releases of 2016 now available. Just 20 boxes each Ramon Allones Specially Selected and Bolivar Royal Coronas. Two of my very favourite Robustos.

That’s the news for now… I’m off to herf a RASS 🙂

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

As you may already know Japanese whisky has taken the world by storm winning many coveted awards particularly the Yamazaki 2013 sherry cask that won the award for the best whisky in the world 2014 according to Jim Murray! Having sampled a few malts from Japan very recently I was astounded by the quality of their single malts and there superb blends also!

Firstly I must talk about the Yamazaki 12 years. Scored 8/10 by Michael Jackson, whisky magazine back in October 2002.

Nose: A good body with plenty of nut oils and zest, a pleasant floral character with an equally as pleasant hints of tropical fruits and a rooty note.
Palate: Smooth and soft with a good sweetness to it with warming winter spices. A lovely citrus note soon develops with more tropical fruit notes and a little rum.
Finish: Medium with fruit and zest.

Another fabulous Yamazaki to try is the Distillers Reserve. A fresh and fruity whisky from Yamazaki, full of berry fruit and a hint of sherry cask. It’s features some mizunara (Japanese oak) matured whisky in the mix, providing a complex spicy character.

Nose: Classic Yamazaki strawberries and dried fruits with fresh floral notes which come from the Mizunara cask whisky. Fragrant sandalwood and coconut, overall certainly a whisky you could get lost in its nose alone.

Palate: The dried berries remain lively on the palate having even developed some raspberry notes along the way but they are slightly held back to make room for light oak, peach and just a hint of spice.
Finish: Vanilla lasts, with spicy but sweet cinnamon acting as a final touch.
Overall: Top quality Japanese whisky, can’t go wrong and excellent value too.

Another amazing malt I must highlight is the NIKKA From the Barrel! The quality and taste of this cask strength malt is outstanding! Fantastic value for the money, highly recommended and a real star, winning top prize in its category at the World Whisky Awards in 2007 and 2010.

Nose: Medium-body with good balance. Notes of cut flowers and fresh fruits appear with a kick of spice and a little oak.
Palate: Full-bodied and punchy. There is plenty of warming winter spice and toffee, a little caramel, vanilla and a good mouthful of fresh fruit.
Finish: Long, warming and fruity with a little oaken spice.

Something else unique and amazing is the Ryoma 7 year old is a Japanese rum from the Kikusui distillery. Ryoma Rum is produced from freshly pressed sugar cane, and is aged for 7 years in oak casks. Produced from a distillery located south of the archipelago on the island of Shikoku in a village in the east of the Kohi prefecture, which is known as the oldest producer of sugar cane in Japan.

This Rum is named after Sakamoto Ryōma, a prominent figure in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the

Bakumatsu period in Japan.

Colour: Pale light.
Nose: Relatively floral with typical fruit flavours.
Palate: Sweet and fruity with bananas. Slightly floral, like the nose. A vanilla flavour then arrives.
Finish: Mid-long.

Enjoy a taste of the orient and have a great weekend.

Pete

As a fan of Islay I was really excited to try these 3 fantastic single malts from these legendary distilleries.

First up was the Laphroaig Triple Wood 40%.

Bottled at 48%, this Laphroaig is a non-chill filtered whisky meaning the whisky retains its original colour, aromas and taste. This expression of Laphroaig, from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland, has enjoyed a triple maturation in 3 types of cask. Just as with the standard Quarter Cask expression, the first maturation is in American oak, ex-Bourbon Barrels. Next, the most suitable of these barrels are carefully selected, each of which containing a range of different aged spirit before being transferred into a small 19th Century style Quarter Casks for a second maturation. The final maturation is in specially selected, large European oak, Oloroso Sherry Casks. It is bottled at 48% ABV and is non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture. Here are the tasting notes to get your taste buds tingling :

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Initially a sweet hint with a gentle mixture of sweet raisins and creamy apricots with a trace of dry peat smoke at the back. Smooth nutty flavours combine all these flavours into one smooth, syrupy whole.

Palate: A large initial burst of peat which is then gentled on the tongue by the creamier flavours of vanilla and fruit with just a suggestion of sherry sweetness. Add water and the peat is gentled, allowing more complex flavours of citrus and spice to come through.

Finish: Mouth filling and extremely long but balanced by the sweet smooth caramel taste.

The next Islay malt was the Lagavulin Distillers Edition. From the Lagavulin distillery on the island of Islay comes this fantastic Distillers Edition, a superb single malt which has been maturing since 1997 and enjoyed a finishing period in Pedro Ximénez cask before finally being bottled in 2013.

Thick and honeyed with characteristic smoky notes, these Distillers Editions from Lagavulin are always an excellent excuse to crack open a box of dark chocolates alongside your whisky after dinner.

Nose: Smoked, woody aromas of truffle oak, allspice and dry hay with a hint of nutmeg, delicious rum and raisin ice cream before finally prunes.
Palate: Smoked prune juice, porcini mushroom. A rich taste of christmas cake with a nice helping of rum and rich chocolate.
Finish: Demerara rum, cocoa powder and black pepper.
Overall: Very rich and beautifully balanced.

My final tasting, and this one really did get my attention as this one is the darkest expression from Ardbeg!

Dark Cove is a limited-edition whisky released on 28 May in honour of Ardbeg Day 2016 – the distillery’s open day as part of the yearly Islay Festival.

The Darkest Ardbeg ever, take this whisky and hide it well. For its heart has been matured in a combination of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, this whisky is smoky and spicy imparting waves of treacle toffee, coal tar, squid ink noodles and toasted coffee grounds.

Colour: Copper stills in moonlight

Nose: Dark chocolate, rich treacle toffee and distant bonfires – betrays a secret: a clandestine meeting of Ardbeg matured in exBourbon casks and a heart matured in dark sherry casks.

Palate: Hints of pepper spice and zesty lime lure you in. Smouldering charcoal and wood with raisins, dates and ginger emerging from shadows of tarry creosote.

Finish: Echoes of cured smoked ham and squid ink noodles signal the arrival of a long, spicy aftertaste.

I know all you Islay fans out there will share my enthusiasm and I hope you get to try these true legends!

Peter