This site contains tobacco images. Please leave now if you are under 18
Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with the C.Gars Privacy Policy
1. When and why did you
start to become a collector
My Father was a Havana cigar aficionado and my late Grandfather a cigar
connoisseur.
I grew up with the gentlemen in my family always smoking fine Havana
cigars so it felt natural to try my first Havana cigar at the age of 15
and I have been enjoying Havana cigars ever since.
My family has amassed a collection of our favourite cigars over many years
and in particular Davidoff, Dunhill and pre embargo Havana cigars but
personally I consider myself a cigar merchant of aged and rare Havanas
rather than a collector.
I am lucky in so far as my company C.GARS Ltd is the leading cigar
merchant in the world of aged and rare Havana cigars so every week of the
year I am buying and selling aged and rare Havana cigars from collectors
all over the world.
In our purpose built walk in humidors we always have a 500 -1000 boxes of
vintage and very interesting cigars but our stocks are ever changing so my
job is never dull!
2. Passion or...business?
Havana cigars have been a passion from an early age and I think I have
studied every book on Havanas that was ever written in English. Some years
ago my family invited me to join the family business with particular
responsibility for vintage cigars which I was pleased to do. My Father has
since retired and I have taken over as Managing Director. Our company also
has 4 retail shops in London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh although
our shops mainly sell modern Havana cigars.
3. What are the most important cigars for collectors
Davidoff and Dunhill are always popular and becoming more scarce by
the month especially the delightful Chateau series Davidoff and robusto
sized Dunhill Cabinetta
Other important and rare Havana's include Flor de Cano Short Churchills,
Cubatobacco 1492 Limited Edition Humidor of 50 splendid corona gordas with
each cigar band individually numbered, Bolivar Gold Medals, Montecristo B
and Cubatobacco 25th anniversary humidors of 50 "cosacos" vitola cigars
are always highly desirable. Partagas 150th 155th and 157th anniversary
humidors are ever popular and raise very high prices.
Pre embargo cigars have a certain following if they have been stored
correctly.
Recently Habanos S.A have released so many limited edition humidors that
the market prices have gone "soft" and these humidors are not as
collectible as the earlier editions 4 years ago and earlier so I am hoping
that less are made in the future to tempt collectors back to these
beautiful presentations.
4.Can you describe the world of cigar collectors (the aficionados who buy
from you, I mean, who are who?)
I deal with collectors throughout the world including The Far east, North
America, The Middle East and Europe. There is no typical profile of the
collector. Some collectors will only be interested in vintage Davidoff and
Dunhill whilst others have more eclectic taste and will have a variety of
vintage cigars from the 1940's to the 1980's.
5. Is this an investment or do people buy precious cigars to smoke??? And...
are old cigars so well conserved to be smoked or not?
Typically most collectors we deal with smoke their cigars and it is not
uncommon for the collector to always attempt to purchase two of the same boxes
of cigars. One for smoking and the other for their collection. Vintage cigars
have proved to be a worthwhile investment although prices do of course fluctuate
with general economic conditions in the world.
Our company manages large collections for clients. In these instances we are
constantly buying and selling cigars for the client and the client smokes his
profits!
Cigar collectors are famously generous and love to share and compare which makes
the art of collection all the more pleasurable.
6. Your favourite cigar when you smoke for your pleasure usually, and the
best one you ever smoked in your life...
I have enjoyed so many cigars over the last 25 years that it is hard to say
which are my favourites.
I smoke different cigars at different times of the day or for different
occasions. Of course with a full bodied red wine I prefer a spicier cigar such
as a Partagas Lusitania or Bolivar Corona Gigantes always from 1994 or older as
the blends were very consistent for the brands before 1995.
With a white wine or champagne I prefer a more delicate flavoured cigar such as
the hermoso sized El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme or my favourite cervantes sized
Saint Luis Rey Lonsdale in cabinet selection.
I have been very impressed with the maduro wrapper edicion limitada range of
Havana cigars and in particular the Hoyo Piramides is my favourite. A cigar
bursting with sweetness and complexity throughout.
My favourite aged Havanas are numerous but I think that the Davidoff Chateau
Haut Brion at the small size of 4" length and 40 ring gauge provides an enormous
amount of balanced full flavour and medium strength and is the most perfect
blend ever created for a small vitola.
The corona grandes sized Davidoff Chateau Mouton Rothschild is my evening cigar
of choice. Each one perfectly crafted and consistently blended.
I have enjoyed many Davidoff Dom Perignon and Dunhill Cabinetta and Estupendos
over the years....the joys of being a cigar merchant are never ending!
7. Auctions (are you used to be there, where, when, why...)
Christies hold cigar auctions in London twice a year and occasionally in
Geneva and my company is the single largest buyer at these auction sales. There
are some incredible cigars to be found at auction but it is most important to
check the condition and appearance very carefully as it is not possible to rely
on an auction catalogue description alone.
Havana cigars will mature and improve for many many years but they must be
stored correctly. The rule is for long term maturing...."store them cool and a
little more dry" around 65% relative humidity as a maximum and no more than
64-65 degrees Fahrenheit temperature in order to slow down the maturing process.
A correctly stored vintage Havana will provide a great deal of pleasure but a
badly stored vintage Havana is of course worthless.
The last years production of Havanas and indeed this year has seen a true return
to form in terms of construction and blend consistency and my opinion is that in
10 years time 2003 and 2004 vintage will become classics.
