Tomatin French Collection

Are you looking to dive into a fresh range of whiskies from an incredible distillery? You might have to make Tomatin’s new French Collection that new tipple.

Tomatin has been putting out solid offerings for a very long time, so no surprise here that the distillery has created something special. This collection is a way to showcase the exceptional  influences that using different types of French-spirit casks can impart on a whisky. The French Collection features four offerings from Monbazillac, Sauternes, Rivesaltes, and Cognac casks. The first three of these listed here have already been unveiled, with the fourth due to be released later this year.

The concept is one Tomatin championed in 2014 with the release of the Cuatro Series that was very well received. Graham Eunson, Master Distiller at Tomatin, maintains: “The French Collection is a great example of Tomatin’s dedication to craft and excellence, with each expression showcasing how respective finishing cask affects the original spirit.”

He continues: “We have produced four remarkable expressions, which will appeal, not only to whisky enthusiasts and collectors alike, but also a wider audience. On top of this, we are also very excited for consumers to be able to experience each expression with the ambisonic, content series  we have launched.”

 Of the three editions already released, the Monbazillac Edition was distilled on April 25, 2008. The Monbazillac aroma dances between notes of dark, maple syrup and intense espresso, balanced with cinnamon baked apples. On the palate, there is a sweet, cereal flavour combined with sweet, milk chocolate and honeycomb ahead of subtle spices and emerging nutty flavours. The finish is rich with walnut and maple syrup.

The Sauternes Edition was distilled on September 19, a few months later in 2008. This brings a burst of peach and apricot on the nose, calmed by rich Manuka honey. The sweet honey continues on the palate accompanied by coconut and ginger. The finish is wonderfully sweet and fresh with a syrupy mouthfeel indicative of the Sauternes wine that once occupied the cask.

The Rivesaltes Edition, distilled on the same day at the Sauternes edition, marries characteristic, fresh-fruit notes incredibly well with the sweet, nutty flavours for which Rivesaltes wine is known. Contrasting sweet and bitter flavours dominate the palate, held together by an underlying barley aroma. The finish is velvety with the flavours from the palate lingering for some time.

All three were moved to their wine casks in July, 2017.

So if you fancy a new whisky…or three even, do check out Tomatin’s French Collection, which is online now.

Slainte,

Elijah

Erik Nørding Pipes

 

Erik Nording, whose pipes are a firm favourite with those of us who truly savour such a smoke, as well as a great starting point for anyone new to the pleasure, has a reputation for excellence built up over more than half a century. From beginnings that included working as a blacksmith in his family’s successful razor-blade business in Copenhagen, the Danish entrepreneur has proved himself to be an ingenious technician, still at the very top of what became his true calling.

A fun fact; Erik actually started smoking pipes when he was 15. In an attempt to make him stop, his mother bought a pack of cigarettes and forced him to smoke the lot. Even after the last one, he was still keen for his pipe. Defeated, his mother made a deal with him that he could smoke a bowl a day at home.

His mother was also central to Erik studying the engineering that has proved a backbone to his business endeavours. Back in 1955, when Erik was 16, he was sent to study the discipline. Erik’s father had passed away so the family concern needed the son and heir to become the figurehead.

By 1964, Erik was indeed that figurehead. He was also an expert pipe smoker and regularly visited a pipe shop in Copenhagen where a repair man called Skovbo was working. Knowing about Erik’s foothold in the world of metals, Skovbo asked about machinery for his new workshop and, specifically, a pipe-making machine. What Erik devised worked so well that Skovbo, who was struggling to cover what he owed for the improved technology, offered Erik a partnership.

This was the beginnings of Erik Nording we know today.  The new collaboration, originally named SON, began with a range of classically-shaped pipes. But business was slow. Moreover, Skovbo was not a natural artisan. Their contractual arrangement meant that on his departure from the company, Erik became the sole owner.

Amid these hard times Erik prevailed because he was genuinely ingenious, and with an abundance of youthful energy that he was happy to channel in a way that ensured he didn’t follow directly in his father’s footsteps. While he knew how to make a smokeable pipe, beautiful ones were more of a challenge to an engineer’s way of thinking. At the same time, as a blacksmith, he could replicate anything given the blueprint, which meant he could do the same with pipes. He started to visit every pipe shop in Copenhagen, or further afield but still within reach, to find customers who wanted bespoke pipes.

Erik’s  first client was looking for big pipes. The efforts in meeting this brief were good enough to secure a devoted follower. As he established his reputation, Erik retained the name SON for about two years. The switch to Nørding meant a name that nobody could take from him. From one happy client, the Nørding company expanded throughout the 1970s and following decade thanks to a growing interest through these years in Danish Freehand pipes, which for an engineer like Erik were relatively easy to make. The company grew to a 52-head payroll.

Today, Nørding boasts a more modest six workers. Yet thanks to production line innovations, the company manages to produce about 15,000 pipes a year, ranging from Freehand pipes to the more classically-shaped  “Handmades”. Freehands are fitted with vulcanite stems and Handmades feature an acrylic mouthpiece.

About a quarter (3,600) of the pipes currently made by Nording are handmade, including the largest one in the world, which, as well as a good idea to raise the profile of the pleasure a pipe can give, was testimony to Erik Nording’s tireless creativity. Unlike many traditional pipe makers, he doesn’t believe in ageing the briar as, to him, the wood is ready to be crafted for smoking once fully dry.

Overall, the pipes, of unparalleled quality and ever changing in design, are the result of Erik’s determination as a young man and the strength of personality he has always brought to his business. ”I enjoy everything I do,” he maintains. “I live hard, play hard, and I work hard.”

If you want a pipe that will outshine its competition, I strongly suggest a Nørding pipe. You are just a couple of clicks away from owning what is a  Danish masterpiece. Head over to our collection and select your own. As for what you might smoke, tor a complete Danish experience, I strongly recommend  Nørding tobaccos.

More insight into the wonderful world of pipes when I next share a story here with you.

For now, cheers.

Christian.

Glasgow 1770 Single Malts

Although the revived Glasgow 1770 distillery, brought back to life seven years ago now, is perhaps not new to us, some additions to what was on offer may be something you haven’t tried before. 

The Original Glasgow 1770 single malt is a signature whisky created to honour the heritage of from when the original distillery dates. The focus in restoring what traces back now 251 years has always been on authenticity and quality, and those behind the effort successfully brought back whisky to the vibrant Scottish city, making it Glasgow’s first single-malt, whisky distillery in over 100 years.

With a great group of people running the distillery, they have been creating some fantastic products since this rebirth, in 2014. When you build a highly skilled team and match it with amazing equipment, you are bound to get something special. The 1770 range is created in distinct copper-pot stills named Tara, Mhairi, Margaret, and Frances. Fantastic Scottish barley and the refreshing waters from Loch Katrine do the rest.

There are now three whiskies that make up the 1770 Signature range with The Peated and Triple Distilled Release No. 1 both distinguished complements to The Original.

According to the distillery, “The Original” is: “Matured in first-fill, ex-bourbon casks (then) finished in virgin oak and non-chill filtered”. The whisky is described as “incredibly smooth, exceptionally fruity and complex” and, in all, “a single malt of sublime quality that continues the rise of a new whisky era in Glasgow”.

Added to this now is “The Peated”.  Along with the already-mentioned benefits that come from using Loch Katrine’s waters and copper-pot stills, this is a whisky that is “crafted with the finest malted barley which has been smoked with the aromatic heather-rich peat of the Scottish Highlands”, then “matured in virgin oak and finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in colour”. The end result is a “smoky, single malt with outstanding character offering vibrant vanilla, rich toffee, dried tobacco, salted caramel and a lingering lasting spice.”

Completing the trio is the “Triple Distilled Release No. 1”, which the distillery maintains is an “incredibly smooth and complex addition to the Glasgow 1770 signature range”.

Once again this is crafted from the finest malted barley and distilled three times in the distillery’s traditional, copper-pot stills, enhanced by the incredibly pure water of Loch Katrine and then fully matured in virgin-oak casks.

If you have yet to try a tipple from The Glasgow Distillery Company, give one of these a shot! My own preference; a particular fondness towards the Triple Distilled.

Slainte

Elijah

Record breaking auction…

Another record-breaking auction last week with Cigar Aficionado Magazine reporting on the £1,100 paid for the sale’s show-stopping Cuban Dunhill Estupendos, with the price well over the expected £700. Other highlights from a monumental few days of bidding also feature in the summary just published here.

I’ve no doubt that, on the auction’s close, there were a lot of very happy and successful bidders, as well as sellers, from this sale, not to mention a few bargains bagged amid the incredible ‘unicorns‘ on offer, ultimately selling for eye-watering prices.

I’m often asked, how someone can smoke a cigar for £100 or even £200? I think the best answer is that it’s like treating yourself to a splendid bottle of wine or a meal out. In fact, the cigar may last as long, if not longer. It’s all relative, I suppose.

Our auctions are not only about the most expensive Havana cigars. We always offer a wide variety of aged, mature and interesting smokes, including singles and part-boxes, so there really are opportunities for most smokers’ budgets.

We did have a staggering number of registered bidders this time and the highest level of website visits – and visitors –  we have ever seen at auction. We certainly have come a long way since our first sale, now way back in 2009.

You can see all of the results of what was sold and for how much in this link.

Over and above the Cuban Dunhill Estupendos that featured in Cigar Aficionado Magazine, my personal highlights include:

A box of 20 Davidoff 80th Aniversario including one cigar tube signed by Zino Davidoff that made £25,200.

A box of five Dunhill Havana Club that was sold for £3,880.

Cohiba Sublimes Extra Coleccion Habanos that made £15,300.

A cabinet of 50 H Upmann Dunhill Seleccion Suprema no.205, which went for £21,600.

I’m already putting together our next auction catalogue. We plan to hold the sale in late October.

In parallel with this, my – I am very glad to say – highly-popular Orchant Seleccion cigar range goes from strength to strength. I’m very proud to introduce the next in our Davidoff – Orchant Seleccion series.

Our first release was the Davidoff – Orchant Seleccion London Edition which was a Lancero. We have followed this up with the Davidoff – Orchant Seleccion Liverpool edition, which is a Toro.

Our new offering measures an extended 6” length and 54 ring gauge, so is one for the experienced cigar smoker. As well as offering a marvellous smoke for today, I’m also very proud to pay homage to our Liverpool roots  as the city is where Turmeaus Tobacconist started way back in 1817. Celebrating this history, we have what is a full-flavour, medium-strength cigar blended with filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, binder from Mexico and wrapper from Ecuador. In all, an exceptional smoke for now, and the blend will age very well over the next few years.

So you are fully aware, only 300 individually-numbered boxes of this exclusive Orchant Seleccion will ever be produced, so it’s likely to end up a collector’s item in the same way that the Davidoff – Orchant Seleccion Lancero became.

I enjoyed a herfette at  C.Gars – St James’s as usual this week and had my now-traditional Stalla Dhu Glen Elgin over ice – don’t knock it, until you try it! –  paired up with a couple of Cohiba Medio Siglo. This is perhaps not a cigar on my usual rotation but I just love this size, and the blend is right on at the moment. In all, huge volumes of flavour that complement the Scotch perfectly. I love herfing on the terrace at St James’s and watching the world go by. Right now, it’s like a never-ending “super cars” show!

Some more good news; Mitchellero  – are expect back in stock in the next week or so. The popularity of this super-value, best-selling range has taken us by surprise in the very best way.

I was interviewed by Cigar Journal Light ‘em Up on Wednesday, which was a lot of fun, especially as Jose Blanco and Joshua Meerapfel joined the Zoom. If you have an hour to kick back with a good cigar you can share the session. You can read the full interview here.

Whether you do or not, have a smokey weekend.

Peaceful puffing,

Mitchell

Cigar Auction… Cigar Shortage

Greetings from London, amid a heatwave. So perfect, cigar-herfing weather that we expect to continue all week, which I’m especially delighted to say as my new office is relaxing outside the C.Gars shop at 23a St James’s Street. With four shops, including us, now from Piccadilly down to Pall Mall, you might call this stretch Cigar Land. 

From the news of late, you have probably registered that the situation in Cuba is not good at all. I understand that there are quite a lot of fake updates, but also any number of accurate reports about demonstrations on the streets of various cities.

I believe the protests are largely driven by the chronic food shortages on the island as well as the slow vaccination programme.  The economy is facing horrendous difficulties for a multitude of reasons, including the ongoing US Embargo. I don’t recall ever seeing anti-government demonstrations of this nature while the Castro brothers were leading the country, so this is a very serious concern.  It’s a sorry situation for the people of Cuba,  who have my utmost sympathy.

The cigar industry has inevitably been affected by Covid and related issues – logistics and transportation – as well as slowdowns at the factories. We have had to manage stock carefully for the last 18 months. These supply problems are now getting worse by the day. As a benchmark, Montecristo No.4’s are out of stock with our importer.

Tubed cigars are in short supply and the available Cohiba range is pitiful with Siglo IV being the latest casualty of a shortfall. The Cohiba Lanceros, Esplendidos and Coronas Especiales became scarce ages ago, and all sizes of BHK’s and Siglo VI are rarely available at present. The entire Cohiba Maduro range is also incredibly thin on the ground. Last week’s casualties in supply included El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse and Choix Supreme so I am very sorry to say that there is practically nothing available from the El Rey de Mundo house for now.

There is an excellent article on the Cuban cigar shortage here by Laurent Mimouni. I am very apprehensive about how bad the situation could become with supplies likely to worsen further over the weeks and months ahead. We will, of course, be doing everything we can to ensure that we have the widest possible range for you. At the same time, be assured this is not an effort to bolster sales by suggesting a shortage.  I strongly advise you to top up with your favourites while they are available as we cannot guarantee that stocks will hold up.

The issues we are trying our best to manage are not limited to Cuba. We also face supply concerns of various sizes in brands of cigars from Nicaragua. Honduras and the Dominican Republic, too. Padron cigars are a good example of the struggle we have faced with New World stocks for 18 months, now.

I am glad that we can at least offer you a chance to secure some cigars that would otherwise be in only the shallowest of volumes. By this, I mean our Summer cigar auction, which will be live to bid on our designated auction website hopefully by Tuesday evening and at the latest by Wednesday. For this sale, we have almost 600 lots of aged, rare, mature and unusual cigars as well as single-malt whisky on offer. In all, I hope a welcome opportunity to pick up some of the cigars that are currently unavailable.

The auction will conclude on July 27. Bidders have to register to bid and confirm their credit limit before the sale. My helpful auction team are always available to advise every day, around the clock, at  [email protected]

Some of the Havana highlights include:

–       The rarest of Davidoff 80th anniversary presentation boxes, with 20 cigars and a cigar tube signed by Zino Davidoff.

–       A Davidoff Dom Perignon box of  25 cigars of impeccable condition and appearance.

–       A Cohiba Majestuosos 1966 humidors.

–       An H. Upmann 160th anniversary humidor.

–       A cabinet of 50 Dunhill H. Upmann No.205 that are pre-embargo and in pristine condition.

On Wednesday evening, by which time the auction should, as said, be up and running, I am looking forward to our next virtual tasting event featuring Bolivar Belicosos and Glenfiddich single-malt whisky. The brand ambassadors will take us through the event and share their considerable and compelling knowledge with us.

Bolivar Belicoso Finos has long been one of my favourite Havana cigars and we have selected certain vintages of merit over the years to brand ‘ Orchant Seleccion’  that have been terribly popular. It will be interesting how well current-production BBF’s compare.  Please do join me for what is sure to be a memorable tasting. If you, unfortunately, cannot be part of this, please email me and let me know if you are enjoying the blend on the current production cigars.

As well as virtual offerings, I am delighted to say that we have opened all of our sampling lounges at our choice shop locations. With the news about the Covid infection rates, can we, respectfully, please ask all of our valued customers to continue wearing masks when entering our shops and maintain social distancing with a view to everyone staying as safe as possible. Our staff will continue to wear masks, regardless of changes to national guidelines.

Have a sunny, smokey and above all safe week. My personal highlight is a visit to Boisdale Belgravia on Thursday. I have a table outside booked at a place that has long been one of my favourite, cigar-friendly venues and the menu looks better than ever. I dare say I will pop into C.Gars – St James’s for a pre-lunch cocktail before heading across the park to Eccleston Street.

Wherever you are, peaceful puffing…

Mitchell