Well we were expecting the snow and here it is, coming down and settling in London, looking very pretty but no doubt causing chaos (I am probably to blame as whenever I have a car valet, the weather turns awful!) but hey!… I did advise my newsletter clients to stock up and it looks like many followed the advice 🙂 So I will have to assume that lots of C.Gars clients are reading this blog stranded at home, smoking some great cigars and drinking some great Robert Graham Dancing Stag single Malt whisky! I’m stranded at the office where I have enough cigars and scotch to last me through (A lifetime or two!)

Last Sunday was spent testing blends on no less than 14 cigars at the cigar lounge in our fabulous Cambridge Robert Graham store. It’s a hard job but I was up to it 🙂 Great to work in the lounge as clients keep coming and going as they sample cigars away from the cold weather and in the comfort of our sampling room.

Last week, I met up with friends Edward and Eddie from Davidoff to check out the new Wellesley Hotel where we had dinner, drinks and smokes.

For the cigar smoker, this has to be one of the finest venues in the world and I am not exaggerating. Think 5 star luxury and then double it!

Giuseppe gave us a guided tour round the hotel showing us the restaurants, bars and suites, all of which are exceptionally classy, stylish and truly impressive but never mind all of that!! Let me tell you about the cigar terrace! Or should I say: Terraces! As there are two, one on each side of the entrance, luxuriously appointed with exceptionally comfortable seating, carpeted and with fireplaces and enough heat to not know it was close to freezing point outside.

The range of fine libations is mouth-watering, (The cask strength 1990 Bowmore was incredible!) the snack and dinner menu comprehensive, well priced and quite delicious, service as expected – Beyond compare. The walk in humidor could well be one of the most stylish and beautiful I have ever seen in my life. The range of regular as well as vintage, limited edition, aged and rare Havanas is the best I have ever seen – Truly breath taking. Congratulations to the owners, I know it will be a huge success and look forward to making this a regular herf spot with my friends and clients.

My herfing schedule also took me up North (Pre snow!) to Turmeaus Tobacconist Chester, we have completed the new lighting scheme so it now looks very bright and sparkly to say the least (Bring your sunglasses) and are planning a refurbishment of the back part of the store in the next few weeks (Not looking forward to the mess!) Enjoyed sampling a Partagas Petit Corona 1998 found in the walk in humidor as well as an Upmann Magnum 50 found with a great big bash in the middle of the cigars wrapper but still burned evenly and tasted quite splendid.

I remember years ago Magnum 46’s were one of my go to smokes and this reminded me of them. I never liked the Mag 50 when it first came out, could not quite understand the point of making a limited edition and then a regular production cigar and thought this will just cause a load of confusion (Which is does with my warehouse team!) but I think the Mag 50 may enter my weekly rotation based on recent smoking experiences of them.

Next stop was Turmeaus Retro Confectionery store in Liverpool where I had to do a little vanilla fudge sampling for quality control purposes of course. It passed with flying colours 🙂 and next stop was Turmeaus Tobacconist in Liverpool where I found a La Gloria Cubana Deliciosos jar tucked at the top of the walk in humidor. I just love those moments! Sampled my way through a Cohiba Genios from 2007 which was first rate. Full flavour, earthy and spicy as well as very full bodied. Not for the novice, that’s for sure but to be appreciated by the serious and experienced Havana cigar smoker.

Same evening I met with sales Team members of Turmeaus Liverpool & Chester and friends to head over to Thornton Hall on the Wirral for an evening of Cigars, Cognac and Chocolate.

First off was the Courvoisier Cognac tasting by brand ambassador, Rebecca, and very interesting it was too. I’m not a Cognac drinker but I must say it did compliment the cigar very well indeed. 3 Cognacs later and I may even be persuaded to enjoy it now and again with a smoke

Next was the chocolate demonstration and tasting. Good grief, I think I consumed twice my body weight in the most amazing handmade chocolate (Should have had an insulin shot on the way out!) the chocolatier/chef was absolutely brilliant, no nonsense presentation, clear and very interesting. I learned that I am ‘not addicted to chocolate but I am addicted to sugar’. Splendid, I’ll add that to my list of addictions.

Finally, our Hunters and Frankau representative spoke about the Hoyo de Monterrey brand (Thank you Tim) and we enjoyed a tubed Epicure 2 despite the rather dodgy weather. We then continued with some rather cheeky little Ramon petit Belicosos and a good quantity of single malts (Macallan Gold) until I can’t remember (Or don’t want to!) how late.

Next day and it was lunch with my old friend Rodney, in fact he’s one of my oldest cigar smoking chums as we probably started smoking cigars together in the early 1990’s! (Good grief I must have been about 12 years old!) we were enjoying smoking some Punch Serie D’Oro no.1’s whilst Rodders showed me his new website on his tablet and I have to say it looked pretty swish (The site not the tablet!) check it out. Rodders specializes in advising businessmen on law, accountancy, taxation and all other complicated stuff that mere cigars merchants like me find very confusing! So if I may plug his services and suggest you ask him for the C.Gars Ltd special offer package 🙂

Snow allowing I’ll be herfing for Burns night at the lovely Boisdale Canary Wharf next Thursday evening and look forward to seeing friends at the fabulous cigar library.

Have a smokey and snowy weekend (Send photos of your snowmen with cigars!!)

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell