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

Balmoral Anejo XO Petit Robusto

Buy Now – http://bit.ly/36Rnyyj

Balmoral is the creation of Royal Agio’s 4th generation CEO, Boris Winterman who embodies the philosophy that relentless, passionate curiosity is essential to discovering and enjoying the best experiences in life. This philosophy has driven him to freely explore the globe in search of highest quality, select, exclusive tobacco that will ultimately combine to deliver a cigar experience unlike any other.

Balmoral Anejo XO cigars are the result of an intensive blending process with aged cigars combined with Balmorals exclusive, signature Brazilian Mata Norte.

XO stands for ‘Extra Old’, so each meticulously crafted and aged Balmoral Anejo XO cigar is crowned with a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper that is aged on average for 10 years.

After blending the cigar it takes another 6 months in the San Pedro de Macoris factory in the Dominican Republic to marry all its flavours.

Tasting Notes
You will note the brownish ash from the cigar that demonstrates the age of the tobacco.

It is a flavourful cigar with complex notes of cedar, cacoa and peppery spices that finish with a smooth underlying natural sweetness.

Happy Herfing!

Anthony