Isn’t marriage wonderful? especially if you have a cigar friendly wife, this is very important indeed, I got rid of the first wife as she was neither friendly nor cigar friendly. Conversely, Wife V.2 is both friendly and cigar friendly – problem solved

The last few days have seen a departure from my usual piramides smoking rotation and a thorough testing of marevas (petit coronas) Having tested every one available the winner by a mile is the deliciously sweet, complex and full flavour Por Larranaga petit corona. Consistent blending, great construction and a golden colorado wrapper. When you’re short of time, this is the ideal 30 minute smoke.

Vigia 18 year old Cuban rum seriously rocks – try some with a good Havana. If you don’t love it – I’ll give your money back!

I seem to be finding more first rate vintage Havanas than ever and I have given up putting the majority of them on the website as they are usually ones offs and just sell at a frightening speed. If you’re looking for something special, drop me an email as I probably have it or can source it sales@cgarsltd.co.uk

I’m looking forward to the RTDA trade show in New Orleans in a few weeks time and have just been invited to the European Cigar Cult Journal Cigar Trophy Awards party that should be a good evening

Herfed with friends at the Lanesborogh Hotel Cigar Terrace last night and smoked some delicious 1970’s Partagas Dunhill Seleccion No.150 matched up with Tatinger Rose – a heavenly combination for sure. If you’re in London you simply have to have a cigar or two at the Lanesborough. Pasquale and Giuseppe provide the most attentive service and are top knowledgeable cigar aficionado’s.

Enough of cloudy London – I’m off to Spain for the weekend to smoke my cigars in the sunshine

Have a smokey weekend

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

At least it was warm and dry on the Boisdale cigar terrace in Belgravia on Tuesday evening where I herfed with Brian, Zaff, Chris and Craig- steadily blasting through a humipouch full of piramides still the best spot for a smoke in London (well – I am biased but its certainly one of the best spots!)

Our West Hampstead shop finally had its finishing touches this week including a comfortable outdoor smoking area – plants and tables and chairs as well as great big cigar ashtrays and yes its covered so you can even smoke in the rain (or you can sample/smoke inside the shop with pleasure). I’ll shoot some photos and add them to the blog in the next day or two. So finally I have indoor and outdoor smoking areas in London !

Our business has always sold tons of Cuban rum and I am often asked’ what’s the best?’ well…. the answer is simple: Vigia 18 year old Cuban rum is THE best. We are the sole UK distributor so I have to say that! but its is indeed the truth and having drunk my way across Cuba for the last 14 years I am exceptionally qualifies in matters of rum drinking Try some,you won’t be disappointed as it compliments a Cuban cigar to perfection.

Our next most popular enquiry is what cutter should I use? Another easy one: Palio. I have been using Palio cutters forever. The style and design is perfect (slips in your jacket pocket and its light) and most important of all- it’s sharp and I mean very sharp. No snags to the cigar head just a clean cut. C.Gars Ltd are sole distributors of Palio products in Europe and they are highly recommended. Oh and the cutter come in a neat little pouch too

This week I have been totally hooked to Vegas Robaina Unicos initially as a change to my usual Partagas P2’s, Montecristo No. 2’s, Bolivar Belicosos and the fabbie Punch Serie D’Oro no.1 (get the picture of my favourite sizes/shapes?!) but it looks like these are now on my rotation.

Unicos are full flavour and medium strength but they have a sweetness that I don’t experience with the other cigars mentioned. The flavour is unique to the brand and having smoked some 20 Unicos this week from 4 different boxes I can confirm that the blend is absolutely consistent and complex. So yes – I know its not a sexy recommendation but the fact remains these are a seriously great smoke.

Aged recommendation of the week Punch 1960’s Air France case great value vintage cigars.

Something sexy? Check out this beauty sold at our last auction – would you like one to try? or perhaps like a full beautiful humidor? drop me an email

So another week done and I’m off home with the company of some UK regionals for the weekend El Rey del Mundo Choix De L’Epoque for the mornings and Punch Serie D’Oro no.1 for the afternoons/evenings ….with some Vigia rum of course – you have been tipped off!

Have a great weekend

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Tested the Wide Churchills out whilst herfing with friends at the Lanesborough cigar terrace one evening and was not disappointed. Matched up with a few bottles of Tattinger Rose, some good food and the best of company – this could become one of our regular herfing smokes ☺

I zipped over to La Casa del Habano – Hamburg for lunch with Christoph on Tuesday as I wanted to try out the German regional edition Ramon Allones. But we had sold out! Unbelievable – hoping for more to arrive any time now and that gives me a good excuse to go back to our, lovely Hamburg store.

2010 UK regional Por Larranaga Regalios de Londres expected in the next 6-8 weeks and the Flor de Cano we are all waiting for is not likely to make an appearance till much later in the year.

Busy weeks herfing in the London office with friend from New York popping in on Thursday and friend from Texas on Friday – the house champagne was going down fast and well matched up with Cohiba BHK 54’s Looks like Cohiba Behikes are more or less unavailable now and never really reached the rest of the world (or not yet as far as we can tell) we are hoping the UK market will get a further allocation in August. We have a few sticks stashed away if you haven’t tried these incredible smokes yet, you are really missing out!

Just heard that James Suckling has retired from Cigar Aficionado last week. I like James and I thought his style of writing about Havanas really developed over the years. For me, James really was ‘The’ Cigar Aficionado – enthusiastic and passionate about Cuba and Cuban cigars. I wish him well and am sure the cigar world has not heard the last from him.

Just read that Cubatabaco lost the appeal case in the USA regarding the Cohiba brand dispute with General cigar co and this coincided well with a few of my clients asking me ‘what will happen when the embargo ends’ so as well as my stock answer of ‘I honestly don’t know’ I think it’s safe to say that the trademark/brand disputes for just about all but the new brands should keep the lawyers and the court systems busy for some years to come.

Have a smokey weekend.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Most of our aged and rare Havanas are never advertised on our website for sale as it would be hard to cope with the demand of a massive client base when we have say between 1 and 5 boxes only available. Who do we upset ?

So we like to match smokers with the cigars of their dreams. Sometimes this requires some time and patience but generally over a reasonable amount of time we come across or source most cigars you can think or should I say dream of. Feel free to email me your wish list – I may just surprise you.

If you would like to be kept up to date with details of our vintage cigars, auctions and news you need to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter  sales@cgarsltd.co.uk

For those of you that wish to sell, we do offer a free valuation service and being experts in these types of cigars we are usually right on the prices as we have so much experience buying and selling. Word of caution though, we are not interested in recent production Havanas just brought back from Cuba! Or glass top Cohiba Esplendidos!

Tip of the week El Rey del Mundo Tainos -  a most delicate and sophisticated Churchill sized cigar.. In fact one for the connoisseur and my favourite Churchill for as long as I can remember.

We are planning the next Orchant Seleccion release with Hunters and Frankau with these wonderful mature Havanas. This will be a very strictly limited edition of just 64 numbered and signed boxes with double banded cigars. It would be a good idea to email me if you want to be put on the pre order waiting list. sales@cgarsltd.co.uk

I have been firmly stuck in the loop of UK regional Punch Serie D’Oro no. 1 and Partagas Serie P no.2  for the last week. I smoked so many I was just waiting for one to disappoint but not one cigar fell short of a great smoke, perfect construction and great appearance.

Last week I took the Squeezy jet up to Scotland and checked out our Robert Graham stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Now these are cool places to find the finest single malts, Cuban rums, Havana cigars and some delicious chocolate. I had to have a thorough sampling session obviously and as I have almost reached my target weight on my diet I thought- why not ? Do I have the best job or what?!  Treat yourself to a dram of my cigar malt -  This should be an award winner, it’s just perfect with a good full flavoured Havana

Next week I’m off to our La Casa del Habano in Hamburg  and looking forward to a little herfing time with Christoph is our lovely cigar lounge – could be worse !

Have a sunny weekend…  if it stays this warm it will be garden herfing for the next few days !

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

As I spent the day sampling Havanas (well Punch Serie D’Oro no.1 – 4 in fact back to back!) it made me think how sad it is that there are so few specialists cigar retailers around these days.

Clearly the demand is there, as both shops were a hive of bizziness with customers coming and going all day as well as enjoying the fact that they can sampler cigars and pipe tobacco on the premises.

It was particularly nice to hear so many customers commenting on how great it was to be able to sample a cigar instore. The smoking ban whilst annoying has been fabulous for business. I think it’s a bit like Prohibition- tell the person you can’t do this or that and they just want to do it more. So my thanks to the last stupid government and ….good riddance.

Managed to find some golden oldies stashed in the humidor including Por Larranaga Magnificos and Bolivar Centenary Royal Coronas and Belicosos Finos — yummmmmmm

Laura and her team are busy moving in to their new purpose built offices in Norfolk and we hope to stock the office up with all best selling Havanas during July which no doubt will be welcomed by our clients in Norfolk who are welcome to collect their cigar orders

I’m looking forward to heading up to our Robert Graham cigar and whisky stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh next week as I understand we are doing a special on a rather delish single malt this month check it out whilst stocks last – great with a Havana cigar

Have a great weekend

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

We had a great crowd at the fabulous Boisdale cigar terrace including Jemma Freeman and Simon Chase from Hunters and Frankau, Edward Sahakian from Davidoff, Adrian Leslie from Cigars Unlimited, Ajay Patel from La Casa del Habano as well as many bidders from the UK and overseas.

Our VIP dinner at Boisdale was a delight as always and my thanks to Ranald and his team for all their kind support

To say the last week was the busiest week so far this year is an understatement! our offices have been crammed with clients and friends inspecting auction cigars and the lucky winners – collecting cigars.

We have been offering our usual hospitality of copious quantities of our delicious house champagne as well as mountains of smoked salmon sandwiches, snacks of course plenty of cigars to sample. Indeed not all cigar merchants are the same !

We are aiming to settle with all auction sellers early next week unlike other auctioneers who I understand can take substantially longer !

Last night I had dinner with clients at the Ritz Club Casino (has to be one the finest restaurants in London) and found out they have a fabulous terrace for cigar smoking (as long as the weathers good!)

Our London cigar and whisky shop is now larger than ever as we bought the shop next door and we have added more tables and chairs and very large ashtrays for cigars smokers to enjoy an outdoor smoke whilst the weather so nice. Shoot me an email if you plan on visiting as my office is only round the corner so I can always pop over for a sampling session

Whisky and Cigars
by Robert Graham Ltd
4 Broadwell Parade
Broadhurst Gardens
London
NW6 3BQ
Tel: 0207 624 3351

I’m making a few more custom blend Havanas available , recently rolled at our London offices. Maximum 10 cigars per order – sorry!

Lots of requests for the 2010 UK regionals but I’m sorry to say you will have to be patient till around September when we expect them to be released- they will be worth the wait

Have a great weekend.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Thanks to Tillmann U. Pretscher for the photographs – http://www.pretscher.com/

The results are being brought to you live as the auctioneers knocks down the Lots but please treat this list below as ‘preliminary’ and; ’subject to confirmation’ as the auctioneer is very fast and we can’t always type as fast as he knocks down the Lots!

We will endeavour to reply to all your email queries as soon as practical but replies may be a tad slower than usual as my team are all at an after auction dinner this evening

Lot 1 – £155
Lot 2 – £190
Lot 3 – £650
Lot 4 – £700
Lot 5 – £580
Lot 6 – £1100
Lot 8 – £500
Lot 9 – Pass
Lot 10 – £280
Lot 11 – £280
Lot 12 – £400
Lot 13 – pass
Lot 14 – £170
Lot 15 – £360
Lot 16 – £1100
Lot 17 – £620
Lot 18 – £880
Lot 19 – £600
Lot 20 – £580
Lot 21 – £500
Lot 22 – £500
Lot 23 – Pass
Lot 24 – £250
Lot 25 – Pass
Lot 26 – £380
Lot 27 – £720
Lot 28 – £780
Lot 29 – £780
Lot 30 – £280
Lot 31 – £480
Lot 32 – £180
Lot 33 – £650
Lot 34 – £360
Lot 35 – £580
Lot 36 – £2200
Lot 37 – £300
Lot 38 – £300
Lot 39 – £1000
Lot 40 – £210
Lot 41 – £380
Lot 42 – £380
Lot 43 – £200
Lot 44 – £480
Lot 45 – £480
Lot 46 – £420
Lot 47 – £480
Lot 48 – pass
Lot 49 – £360
Lot 50 – £280
Lot 51 – £380
Lot 52 – £320
Lot 53 – £650
Lot 54 – £150
Lot 55 – £500
Lot 56 – £550
Lot 57 – £120
Lot 58 – £190
Lot 59 – £340
Lot 60 – £4200
Lot 61 – £520
Lot 62 – £240
Lot 63 – £420
Lot 64 – £2800
Lot 65 – £750
Lot 66 – £1800
Lot 67 – £480
Lot 68 – £400
Lot 69 – £230
Lot 70 – £2500
Lot 71 – £1200
Lot 72 – £370
Lot 73 – £980
Lot 74 – £220
Lot 75 – £6400
Lot 76 – £680
Lot 77 – £2000
Lot 78 – £600
Lot 79 – £750
Lot 80 – £860
Lot 81 – £1000
Lot 82 – £480
Lot 83 – £1700
Lot 84 – £1750
Lot 85 – £1550
Lot 86 – £1150
Lot 87 – £1200
Lot 88 – £1350
Lot 89 – £500
Lot 90 – £400
Lot 91 – £1550
Lot 92 – £920
Lot 93 – £480
Lot 94 – £520
Lot 95 – £680
Lot 96 – £620
Lot 97 – £1150
Lot 98 – £1150
Lot 99 – £3600
Lot 100 – £4000
Lot 101 – £975
Lot 102 – £2200
Lot 103 – £2100
Lot 104 – £2300
Lot 105 – £1650
Lot 106 – £4000
Lot 107 – £1200
Lot 108 – £1000
Lot 109 – £850
Lot 110 – £1500
Lot 111 – £1650
Lot 112 – £1800
Lot 113 – £880
Lot 114 – £780
Lot 115 – £750
Lot 116 – £1350
Lot 117 – £1350
Lot 118 – £1750
Lot 119 – £1750
Lot 120 – £260
Lot 121 – £160
Lot 122 – £150
Lot 123 – £520
Lot 124 – £320
Lot 125 – £620
Lot 126 – £750
Lot 127 – £550
Lot 128 – £550
Lot 129 – £160
Lot 130 – £1250
Lot 131 – £220
Lot 132 – £120
Lot 133 – £5200
Lot 134 – £3700
Lot 135 – £9500
Lot 136 – £2650
Lot 137 – £1400
Lot 138 – £1550
Lot 139 – £1200
Lot 140 – £1400
Lot 141 – £1400
Lot 142 – £1300
Lot 143 – £850
Lot 144 – £850
Lot 145 – £800
Lot 146 – £375
Lot 147 – £920
Lot 148 – £950
Lot 149 – £3600
Lot 150 – £5000
Lot 151 – £1300
Lot 152 – £1300
Lot 153 – £210
Lot 154 – £550
Lot 155 – £3300
Lot 156 – £220
Lot 157 – £260
Lot 158 – £380
Lot 159 – £580
Lot 160 – £600
Lot 161 – £680
Lot 162 – £180
Lot 163 – £180
Lot 164 – £180
Lot 165 – £210
Lot 166 – £210
Lot 167 – £210
Lot 168 – £700
Lot 169 – £980
Lot 170 – £380
Lot 171 – £300

Best wishes

Mitchell, Brian, Michelle, Laura, Marci & Eli – the C.Gars Ltd – Auction Team

Thanks to Tillmann U. Pretscher for the photographs – http://www.pretscher.com/

UK REGIONAL EDITIONS

Two UK Regional Editions are due to arrive in the summer……we are not certain which summer though ;-0

La Flor de Cano – Short Robusto 50 x 4” (102mm) in boxes of 25. (we reckon this could be the most popular regional ever) You may want to get yourself on the priority preorder list as demand for these cigars will be enormous sales@cgarsltd.co.uk

This is a smaller version of the Flor de Cano Short Churchill, a robusto, which took the market by storm in the late 1980s and today sells for very high prices at auction. The vitola de galera for this cigar is Petit Robusto.

Por Larrañaga – Regalias de Londres 50 x 5 ½” (141mm) in boxes of 25.

The translation of the name is “Gifts from London”. and comes from a UK importer’s price list dated July 1912. The vitola de galera for this cigar is ‘Gordito’

CASAS DEL HABANO EXCLUSIVES

Also expected in the summer are two new lines that will be sold only at Casas del Habano shops, which is good news for our Hamburg store www.thecigarsmoker.com

La Gloria Cubana – Inmensos 54 x 6 ½” (164mm) in boxes of 10.
Vitola de galera – Sublimes

Ramon Allones – Allones Superiores 46 x 5 5/8” (146mm) in boxes of 10.
Vitola de galera – Corona Gorda

Happy birthday to my Dad – Michael Orchant I’m off to smoke a Don Candido and sip some Dom Perignon with him now. After all – if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be supplying you Havana cigars now

Have a great weekend.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Thankfully the weather stayed dry and warm and 40 avid cigar smokers including a large contingent from UK Cigar Forums were treated to a fabulous evening

To keep everyone satisfied in between puffs we served:

- Louis Roederer Champagne

- Canapés including-baked woodland mushroom tart *new season artichokes and asparagus*Suffolk pork and sage sausage rolls*tempura tiger prawns with hot and sour sauce*hot smoked sea trout with pickled cucumber*roast sirloin of beef with béarnaise sauce*pata negra jamon on tomato bread*bresaola with goat’s curd

- Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé

- Dunhillion Whiskey

We were also delighted to welcome Graham Julius, owner of the brand of Saint Luis Rey in the UK. Graham gave a splendid talk on this brand of Havana cigars which have returned to form in terms of blend construction and appearance and are once again back on our recommended Havanas list

Tickets for the event sold out within a day or two of being offered. If you want to be updated on C.Gars Ltd events just drop us an email to get on our newsletter circulation.

Our thanks to Graham Julius,Scott Vines and of course John from Dunhill for their kind assistance in organizing the wonderful event.

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

So I’m hoping for some decent weather on Monday as I won’t be watching the football but we will be throwing one of our now rather famous cigar events. This time at Dunhill of London

We will be launching the Cain range of cigars. I am told that these very full flavoured Nicaraguan cigars are ‘the bomb’ triple fermented and lots of ligero leaf. Well I will actually give them a try on Monday as this is a UK exclusive launch by C.Gars Ltd

Just to keep everyone satisfied in between puffs we will be serving:

-Louis Roederer Champagne

-Canapés including-baked woodland mushroom tart *new season artichokes and asparagus*Suffolk pork and sage sausage rolls*tempura tiger prawns with hot and sour sauce*hot smoked sea trout with pickled cucumber*roast sirloin of beef with béarnaise sauce*pata negra jamon on tomato bread*bresaola with goat’s curd

-Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé

-Dunhillion Whiskey

Michelle will be in charge of the guest list – no chance of gate crashers!

We are also delighted to be welcoming Graham Julius, owner of the brand of Saint Luis Rey in the UK. Graham will be giving us some background information on this brand of Havana cigars which we are very much looking forward to.

Tickets for the event sold out within a day or two of being offered. If you want to be updated on C.Gars Ltd events just drop us an email to get on our newsletter circulation.

Expanding again Yes yes its true – I just hate standing still so we have decided that we would relocate our original Norfolk IT and marketing offices to new premises – purpose built and 3 times the size ! Needless to say Laura – (who created C.Gars Ltd) and her team are delighted with the move which they hope to complete in the next 2-3 weeks. When the new office is operational, clients in Norfolk will be more than welcome to order online and collect from our Norfolk offices should they wish.

Our London shop in West Hampstead (Broadhurst Gardens) is also expanding as we now have the premises next door as well and the builders are starting on Tuesday. I had to laugh when I opened the post at the shop yesterday and received a bill from Thames Water for £487 – remarkable as there is no water in that particular shop! what idiots/too funny

And finally – our mail order division is expanding again but I am sworn to secrecy till the deal is signed

Have a smokey weekend

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell