Last day in Vegas……

Last day in Vegas RTDA and I’ve made a few final purchases. Some pipes for the shops, a few more humidors, personalized Csonka travel cases (very cool)  some humidifiers, lighters, cutters and ever a few thousand printed humibags…that should do me till next years RTDA 🙂


 


Off to The Parasol bar at Wynn hotel for a herf organized by Rob from Cigar Czars, a first rate Havana cigar specialist based in Brisbane Australia. Met up with George, Ron, Matt, Bob, Dag, Peter and many other friends and smoked some pretty awesome cigars.


 



George herfing at the Circle bar in Palazzo


 


….5 hours later 🙂 and it’s time for some dinner at Bouchon in the Venetian Towers with dear friends George and Amy, capping off our trip with another nice meal and some delightful Californian red (and a BBF or two)


 



Mitchell, Vito (from the Sopranos) George and Barry herfing at RTDA


 


I’ve enjoyed this years RTDA more than all the previous ones I have attended, there seemed to be a great “buzz” about for the whole week and it was great to put so many faces to names of friends I have been emailing for many years. I’m not sure the same buzz will be around in New Orleans RTDA next year.


 



Mitchell and Vito 🙂


 


So I’ve walked my socks off and lost a couple of Pounds in weight 🙂 and not lost my shirt at the Casino 🙂 now I’m heading off to Miami for a few weeks.


 


Miami’s skies are blue and the sun is shining and it seems wonderfully quiet after Vegas. I’m taking a few days R&R and then it’s back to some serious herfing activities 🙂 If you are in or near Miami, shoot me an email  🙂

Click this link to see more photos from RTDA


 


Peaceful puffing


 


Mitchell

RTDA and more…….

100°F and they tell me its cool for this time of year but thats going to take some convincing!


This years’ RTDA show is bigger and better than any show I can remember.  It never ceases to amaze me how many changes on a theme of a humidor are possible, but I think I’ve bought most of them now 😉


Monday night I enjoyed dinner with friends at the SW Steakhouse at Wynn Hotel (thanks for the Port, George!)


We enjoyed some custom blends at the Parasol Bar after dinner enjoying the half hourly slightly bizarre show by the waterfall.


It was great to catch up with Gary and Tim from CAO at the show and very kind of them to give me VIP tickets for their party at Palms Hotel featuring the Lynyrd Skynyrd band, followed by an after party at the Playboy Suite on the 34th Floor which was pretty cool. Plenty of booze and plenty of cigars, thanks for a great evening CAO 🙂


The show is a great meeting place and I bumped into Gemma Freeman from Hunters & Frankau yesterday and I can only tell you we have some very exciting and exclusive products coming up in the next few months…… watch this space 😉


Also had a chat with David Savona from Cigar Aficionado.  David runs the cigar forums on CA and its a great place to learn about cigars.


Also bumped into Vito from the Sopranos! Fuggedaboudit!  He’s bringing out his own cigar line and I wish him the best of luck with it.


Hung out with Bobby at the Fujipub stand and as usual he was handing out shots of Scotch which went very well with our BBFs….. thanks Bobby!


Dinner was at ‘Table 10’ at the Palazzo and was probably the best meal so far in Las Vegas. Highly recommended with an impromtu herf following dinner at the Palazzo bar. Nice to hang out with Marc, Jack, Barry and George and finish the evening off with a delicious bottle of champagne. I’ve been gifted more cigars than ever at this show so thanks to all, I don’t think there’s enough hours in the day to get through all of these smokes, but I’ll try my best 🙂


I’ll post up some photos of the various herfs at the show in the next 24 hours if all goes to plan, but for now the show must go on! 


Peaceful puffing


Mitchell

Does life get much better??


Here I am in a bar,round the pool in 100 F heat of Las Vegas smoking a BBF with my friend George asking myself if life gets much better?

 

Well that’s a tough one as we just had dinner last night in David Burke’s (celebrity chef) restaurant in the Venetian Hotel… modern American cuisine at its best if somewhat over the top service.

 

After dinner we saw Jersey Boys at the Palazzo Hotel. Highly recommended (assuming you like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons music ,which I do) and it was great to see smoking on stage, common sense has prevailed on stage here whereas it seems to be an ongoing issue on the UK stage.

 

I’ve been to Vegas quite a few times,in fact I came here as an 11 year old kid with my folks a long time ago so I have certainly seen some changes over the years.Smoking wise,the main change is that whilst you can still smoke cigars on the casino floor and in the bars,it seems that just about every restaurant went no smoking 18 months ago. Of course if you are under 21 you can’t get into the bars…in other words,don’t bring your kids as Vegas is a Disneyworld… for adults.

 

So far so good at the tables,Karyns been shooting dice like one of the boys and winning 🙂 whilst losing her winnings on the roulette tables! we’re even so we may quit at this stage!

 

I managed to lose my gold bracelet and only realised it halfway through a gondola ride at the Venetian ( very funny being serenaded by an Italian living in LV!) but security at the Venetian found it and handed it to lost and found… not sure I would have been that lucky in London!

 

I’m in Vegas for the best cigar trade show on this planet, “RTDA” sourcing new products for my retail stores or existing ranges at better prices than before. It’s great to offer products in the UK that are generally only found in the USA. I reckon C.Gars Ltd probably sells more humidors that anyone else in the UK ( possibly than everyone else) and we have always prided ourselves on having the perfect humidor to suit anyone’s taste and budget.

 

Bumped into old friend Marc Aub from Palio (cutters) and had yet another BBF at La Scena bar in the Venetian.If you don’t already use a Palio… you should do as they are probably the sharpest and most precise cutter on the market as well as stylish and great value. http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/palio-cutter-p-3525.html

 

The registration starts today and the show tomorrow, so a bit more time today for some fun in the sun or at least a pina colada or two and some P2’s with my herf pal Barry from LA

 

I hear there’s a good CAO party going down on Monday evening so I’ll check it out and blog if it was fun:-)

 

Peaceful puffing

 

Mitchell

H. Upmann Magnum 50 & Hoyo Epicure Especial!!

Greetings from sunny and…rainy London!

The long awaited launch of the new H Upmann has arrived:-)

First production batch in English Market Selection ( EMS) sure to please even the most discerning Havana cigar smoker.

Available now:

The H Upmann Magnum 50 measures 6 1/4″ length and 50 ring gauge and was first seen as a maduro limited edition in 2005

Singles £14.50 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/upmann-magnum-p-5719.html

Boxes of 10 £139 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/upmann-magnum-p-5722.html

Cabinets of 25 £335 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/upmann-magnum-p-5723.html

Cabinets of 50 £669 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/upmann-magnum-p-5720.html

Expected next week:

The Hoyo Epicure Especial measures 5/12″  and 50 ring gauge ( gordito vitola) and was first seen as a maduro limited edition in 2004

Singles £13.50 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/hoyo-monterrey-epicure-especial-p-5718.html

Boxes of 10 £129 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/hoyo-monterrey-epicure-especial-p-5717.html

Cabinets of 25 £309 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/hoyo-monterrey-epicure-especial-p-5715.html

Cabinets of 50 £609 http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk/hoyo-monterrey-epicure-especial-p-5716.html


I smoked both of these cigars at the launch party in LOndon last month and can thoroughly recommend them
 
Peaceful puffing.




Mitchell

Chester Cigar Shop

Popped over to my lovely Chester specialist cigar shop last week to remerchandising an ever larger range of Havanas in our walk in humidor. Good old Virgin trains,travelled First Class and counted 20 times being offered tea and being called “mate”…fabulous <lol>

 

Still no sign of the eagerly awaited H Upmann Magnum 50 and Hoyo Epicure especial although we are ever hopeful that they will be available later this week or early next week

 

Smoked both of these cigars at the launch last month and they show great promise. Sure to be as popular as the limited edition versions that they’re being recreated from.

 

Blending just gets better all the time from  Havana…making my job far easier:-)

 

I’m off to RTDA in Las Vegas at the end of the week for the biggest cigar trade show of the year and looking forward to meeting up with many old friends and hopefully some new friends too.

 

I’m still stuck on a daily rotation of Ramon and Bolivar Belicosos,Monte 2’s and Partagas 2’s…simply unbeatable.2007 production and every one a winner

 

Have a great week

 

Peaceful puffing

 

 

Mitchell