I’m outta here!

The sun’s shining, the roof on the C7GAR car is down, and we have just had the busiest weekend of the year, could it be the weather? Or the Easter break coming up? Whatever it is, clearly my advice to beat the Budget price increases is being heeded! Very sensible indeed 🙂 I am hoping we can keep a lid on prices for another week – you have been warned!

So I’m not around much for the next 2 weeks, heading to some (hopefully) serious sunshine for some R&R armed with my travel humidor full of Punch Serie D’Oro No.1, La Gloria Cubana Gloriosos, Por Larranaga Magnificos, El Rey del Mundo Choix de L’Epoque and just a few vintage Davidoff cigars. As you can see my appetite for UK exclusive regional Havanas is enormous. Why not – they are just perfect smokes and now we have such a good range, there is one for any time of day.

I’ll be online a lot of the time thanks to my trusty Blackberry and my latest ultra light, super slim and sexy Sony Vaio but you may not get the usual 3 second response time at 3 a.m! In my absence Mishie and Laura will be running the business together with their Team of assistants (and likely doing it better than me!)

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter and a Chag Sameach for a Happy Pessach and don’t forget to cut your cigars before Seder night and light from an existing flame 🙂

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Eight Club is cool :-)

Despite a rain shower or two we had a wonderful evening at the Eight Club in Moorgate last night with over 100 people passing our way (in quite a few sessions!) and enjoying our whisky tasting in a delightful private room followed by cigars on the terrace.

Chris from Robert Graham Ltd gave a wonderful whisky masterclass starting with a 12 year old Glenkinchie moving on to our award winning Allt A Bhannie and finishing with our incredible cask strength cigar malt.

To add a sweet finish to the experience we had Chocolatier Paul Wayne Gregory make us some delicious whisky infused chocolates 🙂

On to the terrace for some Bolivar Petit Belicosos the 2009 limited edition Havana for 2009 which have wrappers that look like they are painted with oil! An incredible sweet, full flavoured cigar, followed by the outrageously wonderful UK regional Punch Serie D’oro no.1

The Indulgence evening was organized by Chelsea from Showroom21 and also featured the Martin Wheatley Jazz Trio who I recognized from Boisdale as they perform there regularly. Certainly an evening to remember that lasted till midnight

Received a call from CNN yesterday for a quick interview about the new Cohiba Behikes line of cigars which we are hoping to see before the summer.

Have a smokey weekend

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

The Budget!

Today of course was the Budget in the UK and as usual its more or less a complete waste of time but at least our cartoonist has managed to interpret the official C.Gars thoughts about it most accurately for which we think of the Chancellor. And the good news is the election is in just a few weeks time and the only Darling I will want to think about is my wife Karyn!

We have substantial stocks of cigars at pre budget prices and will hold prices for as long as we are able to but its probably best to top up your humidors in the next week to take advantage of current prices.

Today has been a Vegas Robaina day…. all day. One of my friends wanted a recommendation on a Double Corona and my favourites have always been Punch Double Coronas and Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro so I thought I would try the Robaina particularly as Snr Robaina has just celebrated his 91st birthday (living proof that Havana cigar smoking is exceptionally good for you!)

I have never really understood why the Robaina brand is not more popular as every cigar in the range is quite splendid. The Don Alejandro is a delight. Clear and easy draw, exceptional sweet and typical Robaina flavour. In fact it’s first rate. This is a sophisticated full bodied evening smoke. Bold as a Barolo wine.

Vintage cigars are now arriving daily for our June cigar auction at Boisdale, in fact I am pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of cigars that are being entered. Online catalogue will be out 6 weeks before the auction and hard copy catalogue 4 weeks before. Bidding online available till 24 hours before the auction and of course bidders are welcome to register to attend and bid at the auction

Off for a post budget dram… whilst I can still afford it 😉

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Gib herfing!

Action packed weekend herfing in Gibraltar with friends from UKCF. Many thanks to Albert, Peter and Loren of Stagnetto for their generous hospitality.

We sampled some excellent vintage Jamaican cigars as well as Bolivar Petit Belicosos, Montecristo C and Partagas Serie D No.1 matched up with copious quantities of wine, Edmundo Dantes Rum and 3 expressions of Balblair single malt – needless to say it was quite a long tasting session!

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

An Evening of Indulgence

Greetings from delightfully warm London which is a welcome change from the last few months 🙂

Not sure if its the improved weather of the fact that cigar prices will no doubt be increasing in the budget but our 7 cigar shops and mail order offices have been busier than ever this week (thank you folks!)

So – you have been warned ! the budget is the 24th March and our ridiculous Government love to bash the cigars smokers by increasing tax every year. Best to get your order in soonest to beat the price increase.

Had a spot of lunch with Edward Sahakian of Davidoff on Monday at the splendid Francos opposite the Davidoff shop – perfect spot for a cigar and Edward kindly gifted me a Cuban Davidoff 300 which was first rate.

Tomorrow I’m off to Gibraltar for a vintage cigar tasting with a bunch of my cigar smoking pals which should be great fun.

Next Thursday I’m helping my friend Chelsea as a fantastic ‘Evening of Indulgence’ at Eight Moorgate If you haven’t been there I can tell you this one seriously cool venue,cigar friendly with a fabulous terrace for smoking cigars. We are doing a whisky tasting featuring Robert Graham exclusive single malt whisky.Details below if you would like to come along for this event

Dysart Street – Nearest tubes: Old Street or Moorgate.

Wishing you a smokey weekend- it certainly will be for me 🙂

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell