Back from the sunshine of Havana to the rainy weather of London and already looking forward to my next trip to the Island which will be trip 55 for me! Not sure when it will be but perhaps later this year.

I wish I could say when the new UK regional Bolivar Britanicas will be released but at this stage my best guess is sometime late this month. I smoked 2 of these fabulous cigars in Havana and this is sure to be a hit with many of my clients who have a fairly sophisticated palate as the blend is bold and complex. Measuring in at 5 3/8” length and 48 ring gauge with a rich colorado maduro wrapper. Presented in wooden boxes of 10 and ready to smoke straight out of the box.

So for the Bolivar lovers out there who can’t wait for the new Britanicas the good news is that we are releasing today 100 boxes of Bolivar Royal Coronas Orchant Seleccion from July 2009. Selected for their perfect condition, wrapper and blend and presented with the distinct Orchant Seleccion banding and box labels. Medium strength and medium flavour, earthy and sweet with a cool clear draw. Singles here and boxes of 10 here.

We have had such great regional editions in the UK with superb blend integrity and great sizes and shapes too. See them all on this link.

To celebrate our wonderful EMS UK exclusives the first 25 blog readers that email or call in with an order can have one of these fabulous sampler packs containing 6 different UK regionals complete with an Orchant Seleccion Palio cigar cutter and free shipping.

Our fabulous UK regionals in a sampler including a Palio cutter at an unbeatable price 🙂

1 each…

-Punch Serie D’Oro no.1
-La Flor de Cano short robusto
-Juan Lopez Seleccion Suprema
-Por Larranaga Regalias de Londres
-La Gloria Cubana Gloriosos
-El Rey del Mundo Choix de L’Epoque

Palio cigar cutter

…all for £99 including FREE shipping!!

Call me on 07000 088 088 or email me at [email protected]

And for our whisky lovers the latest NEWS… 🙂 :

To The Ends of Earth Benrinnes 23 year old – 2nd edition £85 reduced to £75 – just mention ‘Mitchells blog ‘ in comments section of order form or when calling your order in.

Dancing Stag Tobermory £44.95 reduced to £39.95 – just mention ‘Mitchells blog ‘ in comments section of order form or when calling your order in.

We have two new releases in our range; The first is an  outstanding Dancing Stag 22 year Old Bowmore 46abv a sophisticated, beautiful fruit and elegant finish, available in Store now and soon online for just £85… first  25 orders will get a free miniature of our gold medal award winner 17 year Old Speyside.

The Other is our own Ailein Mor a delightful well balanced honeyed fruity 10 year old Highland Malt  a t an introductory price of just £32 for one month only.

Coming soon… Customers can purchase a customised small cask of Vatted Malt to their own preferred taste… Ideal gift for the person that has everything 🙂

Back to Havana cigars and Montecristo Gran Reserva are now available from C.Gars Ltd as well as Turmeaus shops in Mayfair and  Chester and Robert Graham shops in West Hampstead and Rose street Edinburgh

Have a smokey weekend.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

This week’s blog comes to you from sunny Havana 🙂 where I am proud to be participating in the 14^th annual Festival Habano.

After a rather bumpy Virgin flight (turbulence seems to be the same in Upper Class – even if laying flat!) I actually managed to zoom through immigration and grab my cases before I had time to herf a Partagas Shorts which is a record for Havana airport arrivals! Headed straight to Palacio for a smoke and to grab some Montecristo Gran Reserva to enjoy over the next few days… may as well enjoy Havana in style.

After a few worries as to whether I would even have a hotel room at the Nacional, it was a pleasant surprise to find I had been booked into a very comfortable suite with fabulous views of the Malecon. Spent the evening on the Terrace with numerous friends from all over the globe and ended the evening having a smoke with the Hunters and Frankau group. Simon Chase kindly gifted me a delicious San Cristobal (new size – looked like a Maravillas) and another friend gave me the new Cohiba Piramides extra which is not only a great size but also an excellent blend. I am looking forward to these cigars becoming available as I am certain they will be exceptionally popular.

Thursday has been a whirlwind days of herfing round the cigar stores starting with coffee and a BHK52 at Miramar LCDH and moving on to the Melia Habana where I hooked up my laptop and emailed the office 17 photos in 3 hours (so much for fast wifi!) but managed 2 BHK56’s whilst going through the painful email process. The cigar stores are well stocked and  there are plenty of the H Upmann Royal Robusto wooden boxes of 10 which I believe are only for sale in Cuba.

I visited the trade fair at the Convention Centre which was the busiest I can ever remember it (as well as the hottest) and collected some beautiful ceramic jars that were made for me. Some will be used to display Havanas in our retail cigar stores and a few may be sold in the future. Found a fabulous original photo of Che that will go nicely in our collection and a few large ‘tronquitos’  then back to the Nacional terrace for more smokes and drinks with Christoph from LCDH Hamburg and friends.

Hunters and Frankau invited the top UK cigar specialists including Eddie Sahakian of Davidoff and Parresh Patel of Regal to the first tasting of the UK regional edition Bolivar Britanicas – a celestiales finos shaped cigar – 5 3/8” length and 48 ring gauge cigar, presented in wooden boxes of 10 and hopefully due to arrive in our humidors this month.

After smoking two of these cigars I can report that this is another winner for the UK regional edition series. The blend is full flavoured, smooth, complex and medium to full strength. The construction was perfect with an even burn and an attractive Colorado maduro wrapper. Only 3000 boxes of 10 will ever be made and they are likely to sell out very fast. Despite having no confirmed price as yet we already have almost 500 orders!

This Festival has a buzz like no other I can remember. Havana seems jam packed this year and there is an amazing atmosphere. The weather is hot and sunny during the day and balmy in the evenings – just perfect.

There are some great cigars being introduced at the gala dinner including this year’s Romeo Gran Reserva which is a Churchill in possibly the most beautiful presentation box yet.

The highlight of the  Gala dinner of course was the Humidor Auction with all proceeds going to the Cuban National Health Service and conducted by Simon Chase. Each auction Lot can only be described as a unique creation. The cigars in the humidors are rolled by the most skilled master rollers and the humidors are quite breath taking.

Lot 1 H Upmann Humidor, ceramic jar and ashtray with 350 cigars, including H Upmann no.3 which has not been made since the 1970’s, as well as grandes and short piramides which are not commercial production vitola.

Lot 2 Hoyo de Monterrey, 350 cigars including specially made Obseqios, Extravaganza,Colosales and Belicosos no.1

Lot 3 Romeo y Julieta, 350 cigars including Fabulosos no.6, Seleccion de Luxe – a vitola not made since the 1960’s, Petit Piramides and Aguilas.

Lot 4 Partagas, 350 cigars including Serie D no. 1 and 2, Serie C no.4, Salmones no.2 and Sobrasalientes

Lot 5 Montecristo, 375 cigars including Gran Reserva, Double Coronas and Maravillas no.1

Lot 6 Cohiba, an incredible humidor of El Laguito complete with 520 cigars including the incredible 2009 Gran Reserva

I’ll scan the brochure and put up on the website soon as I get back to London so you can see the full descriptions.

I have been coming to Havana for 16 years, 54 visits so far! and have attended the last 12 Festivals but I think I have enjoyed this one the most due to the incredible atmosphere and the good times herfing with so many friends from all over the world.

The Gala dinner was a slick affair with nonstop entertainment by singers and dancers over a long evening that finished around 1.30 am. We enjoyed Romeo Exhibition no.4 on arrival followed by the new petit Churchill, Wide Churchill and finally Gran Reserva… with plenty of wine, port and rum served in a red Romeo imaged room at Pabexco that was very impressive.

Ana Lopez (marketing Director Habanos SA) welcomed us and the highlight of our evening was Jemma Freeman winning the Habanos award for business which was richly deserved. The UK market is a mature and sophisticated market and clearly a growing market. This is thanks to the stringent quality control by Hunters and Frankau that we believe make our English Market Selection (EMS) Havanas the finest in the world.
Results now in: Habanos Festival Gala dinner Auction results In Euros

Lot   

1. 60,000
2. 40,000
3. 130,000
4. 60,000
5. 80,000
6. 360,000

Total 730,000 Euros

Peaceful puffing  and best wishes from Havana

Mitchell

 

Looks like I brought the good weather back from my vacation in Israel last week as London is unseasonably lovely and warm… and perfect for outdoor cigar smoking of course 🙂

I had a fabulous week of herfing with my Father and enjoying our old favourites: Monte 2’s, BBF’s and PSD4’s as well as a few treats (Davidoff Chateau Latour and Dunhill Mojito)

My trip back started in style as the duty free in Tel Aviv had a fabulous cigar shop with a smoking lounge! So there I was herfing the Israeli regional edition Ramon Allones petit robusto and drinking a single malt at 8 in the morning (the flight went very smoothly for me at least!)

Back to London and that old tough routine which included a herf at the Lanesborough where a few friends and I got well stuck into the new Montecristo Gran Reserva 🙂 can’t even print the prices on the website as we are so competitive and as ever guarantee that our prices will always be the best in the UK. These cigars are Monte 2’s with a supercharger! Deep and complex, sweet and smooth from the first to the last puff. Perfect construction  and very good smooth wrapper (shades from colorado claro to colorado maduro) only 5000 cabinet made and selling like crazy as expected.

Available by mail order as usual and also now rolling out to our retail cigars shops too with Mayfair the first to get them.

Our humidor is full to capacity with auction cigars as they arriving daily for our July 2^nd auction at Boisdale Canary Wharf. Auction catalogue due out Mid May and there should be some great bargains potentially available. From Davidoff to Dunhill, pre embargo. Limited editions aged and mature Havanas. Always an exciting event.

I have selected a great new sampler made up of Havana cigars matured from 2007/2008. If you buy them separately they would cost around £140 but in our readymade sampler pack they are a bit of a steal at just £99 Inc VAT and delivery 🙂 so there you go… C.Gars Ltd still the biggest and best in the UK cigar trade (allegedly!)

-Partagas
Lusitania
-H Upmann Magnum
46
-H Upmann Magnum
50
-Cohiba Maduro
Genios
-Cohiba Maduro
Magicos
-Ramon Allones specially
Selected
-Hoyo Epicure
no.1
-Montecristo no.2

8 of the finest Havana cigars – well matured and ready for smoking

Drop me an email to order or to request a secure order link – only 50 sampler packs available so order early to avoid disappointment [email protected]

Off to Havana next week for the annual Festival del Habanos. Looking forward to meeting up with old friends and making some new friends too. I am massively excited about the first tasting of the UK Regional 2102 Bolivar next Friday and hoping it’s as good as expected. Planned for release in March from our importers Hunters and Frankau.

The Gala dinner will feature the next Gran Reserva which will be  Romeo churchill which is an interesting choice that I can’t wait to try.

I have commissioned some very special ceramic jars in Havana and I’m hoping that they will be ready for me to collect next week. I will be offering some of these complete with some of my Seleccion Orchant Havana cigars. Drop me an email if you would like details.

Have a smokey
weekend.

Peaceful
puffing

Mitchell

So the weather in London can’t quite make its mind up this week but it looks like more snow on the way. If it’s as bad as the last two years and I can’t get to the office (goodness knows my sports car is useless on icy roads) I may decide to do a sort of Desert Island Discs or should I say Snow Stranded Cigars!

I came up with this list to stash in the home humidor to last me through 🙂

1. Bolivar Belicosos – I can smoke these any time of day

2. Montecristo no.2 – My long standing favourite cigar that has been exceptional quality over the last few years

3. Punch Orchant Seleccion no.11 – Simply delicious

4. Juan Lopez Seleccion Suprema – Had to have a UK regional in the list as they are such great Havanas



5. Partagas Serie D no.4 – Had to have a robusto in the list of course

Now that would cover the flavour and strength profiles that I love but I would also need a few libations to match up so delving into the Robert Graham Ltd range it would have to be :

1. Allt-Bhainne 1997 – Delicious when paired up with the Bolivar or Punch

2. Benrinnes 1998 – Perfect with the Montecristo  and Juan Lopez

3. Glenallachie – Outstanding with just about any good Havana!

So that would be me set up nicely… as long as my Palio stays good and sharp!

Spent a little time herfing in our Mayfair cigar shop this week and have to say for a small specialist shop… it has one busy sampling area! On Thursday there must have been a constant stream of cigar smokers buying cigars  and sampling them on the premises. The extraction system is amazing – well done to our builders as well as the Rabbit air system. The coffee and Scotch are not too shabby either 🙂

Alfie Turmeaus cigar shop in Mayfair is open 7 days a week for our customers convenience with late nights on Thursday and Friday

The Mayfair shop is located in Shepherd Market which is such a gorgeous location and ideal for a cigar shop. The shops around us are so classy, from the top class florist and jeweller to fabulous boutiques. I popped in to one of the neighbours for a coffee and was very impressed to say the least check out Tanner Krolle next time you are in the area, great people and splendid leather craft. There are 2 great pubs as well and quite a few first class restaurants (some with outdoor seating – so they will be good for a smoke when the weather is better!)

Shepherd Market may well end up to be THE central  London destination point for cigar smokers especially when the new 5 Hertford Street club opens in the future. I can’t think of a nicer location in Town except perhaps St James’s where you can smoke outside the lovely Franco’s restaurant. There is still one Havana cigar specialist I can think of offhand which is the beautiful Davidoff shop.

A little further north you can also sample in peace at our West Hampstead Robert Graham Ltd shop… and you can also enjoy a dram of scotch there from our fabulous range of course. The walk in humidor has a great range of Havanas and non-Cuban cigars and you can usually find some discontinued and interesting Havanas that can’t be found anywhere else in the country.

So I’ve had enough of the cold, armed with a large humipouch full of large Havanas I’m off for a week for some Valentines sunshine where I will do my next blog from!

Have a smokey weekend.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

At last they have arrived! Feast your eyes on the latest  Orchant Seleccion Havana cigars:

Punch Royal Selection no.11. The cabinet selection version of the benchmark Corona Gorda Punch Punch but somehow always a better blend for my palate. 2007 was a fantastic vintage and the 32 cabinets I have selected from our importers Hunters and Frankau are all the finest English Market Selection 2007 code.

Available by the cabinet and in singles.

Measuring in at 5 5/58” length and 46 ring gauge this cheeky smoke is loaded with sweet, full and complex flavours from the first to the last finger burning puff. The tobacco is well matured and the wrappers generally silky smooth colorado – colorado maduro. During tests I only found 1 with a sub-par draw and the rest (quite a few so far!) have a cool, clear draw. A sophisticated blend not for the novice but the experienced Havana smoker will enjoy this smoke immensely. Get them while you can as most of the stock has already been pre ordered.

I’m planning a delicious Orchant Seleccion Havana sampler for next month as we have now had quite a few of the finest Havana cigars banded specially for us. It will be a great opportunity for my clients to try a few of my favourite Havana cigars.

Lunch at Boisdale Belgravia earlier this week, followed by a Partagas Serie E no.2 on the rather cold terrace where Ranald and I planned our next vintage cigar auction. This will take place on Monday the 2^nd July at Boisdale Canary Wharf. It promises to be the usual lively event with quite a few interesting vintage boxes of Havanas arriving daily. You can see updates on our auction website.

For a change of pace and some different flavour profiles check out our growing and massively popular Fuente range on this link.  My partner Guy Hancock from Decent Cigar Emporium in Dublin spent a day of serious Fuente herfing in the office on Wednesday as we discussed and tested out many of the new additions to the range.

Montecristo Gran Reserva first allocation came in… and then went back out. 5000 cabinets made but few seem to be into the marketplace as of yet. So, if you got hold of them – cherish and enjoy! We hope to have more substantial allocations available over the next few months although we already have many back orders. These cigars are made with tobacco aged from 2005 and don’t taste anything like regular production Monte  2’s. They are far more full bodied as well as stronger, bags of long term aging potential and no doubt an interesting potential investment. Drop me a line if you would like some [email protected]

 Valentines coming up soon 🙂 great range of Romeo cigars on the website and we are always delighted to gift wrap and add personalised messages of course!

Have a smokey weekend.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell