Partagas Festival Last Week, Vintage Cigar Auction This Week!

DSC_0526The annual Partagas Festival was at least as much fun as expected (see photos)

Arriving to an incredible storm last Thursday and being greeted by friend at the airport complete with cigars and a bottle of rum, my chums and I had a good start to 4 days of herfing in Havana.

We visited all the usual LDCH cigar shops and smoked copious quantities of Cohiba Behike 52’s and 54’s. My favourite is still the Melia Habana LCDH as it’s not quite as crazy busy as the Partagas lounge at this time of year.

All the shops were incredibly well stocked with regular lines of cigars of every brand and vitola although I keep hearing rumours that there may be shortages of Cohiba cigars on the horizon (unconfirmed but may be worth stocking up)

We visited Hotel Moka and Las Terrazes on the one day when the weather was delightful. Highly recommended.

The gala dinner was possibly one of the best attended I can remember and held at El Laguito (Salon Protocol – not the factory) a wonderful evening of entertainment, rum, charity auction and lots of wonderful double banded cigars made for the evening.

For the first time I can remember there was no recognition for the ‘Amigos de Partagas’ which seemed odd and it was very sad that  Massimo Di Giovanni is no longer with us to enjoy the Festival that he was so instrumental in making a success. From the amount of posts on Facebook clearly we all miss him dearly.

The Por Larranaga Sobrasalientes UK regional edition has proved as popular as predicted. This delightful cigar is selling out as fast as we can get them in from Hunters and Frankau. Destined to become a classic. Perfect build quality, attractive wrappers and a first rate blend.

Winter Auction time is upon us and I’m looking forward to our dinner event at Boisdale Belgravia this Monday which is a sold out event. We’ll be sampling some fabulous cigars paired up with the finest libations.

The auction of 350 Lots including some of the most unique cigars I have ever come across will start at 5pm.

We’ll be reporting the results live from the auction or at least as fast as we can type (subject only to verification/typos!) on my blog and updating on the auction website.

Still time to place absentee bids online or over email right up till midnight Saturday. Very best of luck to our bidders and sellers.

Have a smokey weekend,

Peaceful puffing,

Mitchell

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Party Time!

It’s definitely party season in the cigar trade! Kicking off with the outrageous ‘Spectator Cigar Awards’ event at Boisdale Canary Wharf on Sunday evening. For the full story and photos see here.

I had the privilege of handing out the Cigar Maker of the Year Award to Oliva Cigars and didn’t they deserve it! They make wonderful cigars and the popularity of this brands seems to be increasing month on month. First rate blending and quality at an affordable price. Who could ask for more?

Michelle and I hosted a fabulous table of friends and clients for this star studded black tie event. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kelsey Grammer were amongst the A list celebs in attendance to name a few. A decadent evening of splendid food and libations and magnificent cigars that went on till around 1 a.m.

mitchell and michelle sampling latest UK Regional Edition

Last night Michelle and I went to the UK regional edition Por Larranaga Sobresalientes launch party together with Steve Johnstone from Robert Graham Ltd. The event was held at the Churchill cigar terrace on Portman square. Canapés, champagne and mojitos and H. Upmann Half Coronas (smoking very well indeed) followed by a speech by Jemma Freeman who announced the winner of the Silver Chaveta Award for this year was The Vintage House (congrats!)

The latest regional edition did not disappoint. Distinct Por Larranaga flavours and a delicious smooth balance of flavour and light to medium strength. The cigars we sampled had flawless constructions and vein free wrappers. The cigars have the same beautiful gold band as the now iconic Por Larranaga Magnificos UK regional edition.

Packaged in boxes of 10 and limited to 5000 numbered boxes, these cigars are available from today at our La Casa del Habano – Chester and will be available at Turmeaus cigar shops and online from this Friday. As ever I guarantee the best prices in the UK 🙂

After the launch party we chilled out at the fabulous Sahakian Cigar Lounge at the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge and enjoyed BHK54’s paired up with Mortlach.

Tomorrow I’m off to Havana for the Partagas Festival. Now this should be a very happy occasion as I love getting together with aficionados who celebrate the brand of Partagas from all over the world but sadly one of the regular ‘ faces’ on the scene passed away way too young having been unwell for the last year or so. Massimo Di Giovanni was one of the nicest chaps I have met since I have been involved with Havana cigars and was also very heavily involved in the organizing of the Partagas Festival every year. His inimitable style as auctioneer for the charity auction always ensured that the maximum amount of money was raised. I will miss him dearly. (article continues below)

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Not long to go before the Vintage Cigar Auction on the 1st December which will be held at Boisdale Belgravia. Plenty of action expected and no doubt some lucky bidders will bag a bargain or two.

If you haven’t booked already there are still a few places available for the dinner event and we are also hosting pre auction hospitality at the Bulgari Cigar lounge on the 30th November from 6pm. Shoot me an email if you would like to be added to the guest list

Next blog report when I’m back from Havana,

Peaceful puffing,

Mitchell

Vintage Cigar Auction and Cigar dinner event 1st December – Boisdale Belgravia

Our Cigar Auction Dinner event will be held at the fabulous Boisdale in Belgravia on the 1st December. The event is almost sold out so book early to avoid disappointment.

The action starts at 4 pm. with the finest Havana cigars and drinks on the cigar terrace and the auction will commence at 5 pm.

After the auction we will be enjoying the latest UK regional edition Por Larranaga Sobresalientes with drinks on the cigar terrace before we sit down to a sumptuous 3 course dinner with superb wines to accompany.

After dinner we shall retire to the terrace for whisky, cognac and cigars.

For a superb cigar evening and an exciting auction event this is the one you won’t want to miss.

Tickets can be booked online here

Whether you are looking for a box of very special vintage cigars such as Pre Embargo and Cuban Davidoff  (44 Lots of Cuba Davidoff!) to top or your collection or just a special box of mature or limited edition cigars to enjoy over Christmas we have plenty to consider with almost 350 Lots being auctioned by well-known auctioneer Jonathan Humbert.

Visit the Auction website here

Download a PDF Catalogue here

View the FAQ’s here

Highlights of this sale include:

Cubatabaco 1492 humidor of 50 cigars
Low end estimate £24,000

Davidoff Chateau Yquem cabinet of 50 cigars
Low end estimate £6000

Romeo y Julieta Coronations del Luxe cabinet of 125 pre embargo cigars
Low end estimate £12,000

Partagas Selection A cabinet of 25 cigars from the 1960’s
Low end estimate £10,000

Santa Cubana Magnificos cabinet of 100 pre embargo cigars
Low end estimate : £15,000

All Lots are now available for viewing by appointment at our London offices. Simply drop us an email at [email protected]

If you are unable to attend the auction we are always happy to provide condition and provenance reports by email. Simply email quoting Lot numbers. [email protected]

In other news…

Chester Cigar ShopWe finally (a month late) completed and opened the doors on our fabulous La Casa del Habano – Chester. Situated next door to our Turmeaus Tobacconist shop our La Casa can best be described as heaven for the Havana cigar aficionado and connoisseur. We have just about every Havana cigar available in the UK in every type of presentation. A mouth-watering selection of singles, 3 packs, 5 packs, boxes of 10, boxes of 25 and cabinets of 50.

We also offer exclusive LCDH Havana cigars and if you have a search through the huge walk in humidor you will find some very well matured cigars.

Our VIP area features whisky sampling room and a delightful range of single malt whisky and Cuban rum as well as client lockers of course.

Chester Cigar Shop Smoking LoungeI created a cigar sampling lounge that has super comfortable leather sofas and armchairs with newspapers delivered daily, Bloomberg TV, complimentary espresso and soft drinks. Our humidor manager Calum is one of the few cigar specialist trained to ‘Master of Cigars’ level and is always delighted to advise as well as be your cigar sommelier.

Meanwhile we are close to completing Turmeaus Tobacconist – Norfolk ( also a month late!) and hope to be open in the next few weeks with an unrivalled range of both Havana and New World cigars and the largest selection of Pipe tobacco in the UK at the best possible prices.

The builders are also crashing away at Turmeaus Liverpool. One shop will be exclusively offering premium cigars and select range of single malt whisky whilst the other shop will offer a superb range of pipe tobaccos and continental cigars. Should all be up and running by the end of next week.

… and we are already planning our next Turmeaus Tobacconist shop acquisition!

This Sunday is the Spectator Cigars Awards event at the magnificent Boisdale, Canary Wharf. Our first awards event was last year and if that was anything to go by this will be an evening to remember. I can’t wait!

Next week I’m off to Havana for the annual Partagas Festival. My favourite trip of my travelling year as I meet up with fellow cigar aficionados from all over the globe… And I get a little sunshine too 🙂

Have a smokey week

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

C.Gars Chester LCDH cartoon

50 Again!

50th birthday herf in NYCHaving enjoyed my surprise 50th birthday party in London in September, I have just come back from sunny New York where Karyn and I (we have the same birthday!) enjoyed our long planned birthday party at the fabulous Liberty Warehouse which overlooks the Statue of Liberty and has breath-taking views of the Big Apple. If it’s good enough for Jay- Z then it’s good enough for me lol.

Celebrating with almost 80 friends and family from the UK, US and Canada was the best birthday herf I could have planned. Catering was beyond first rate, entertainment was provided by the Stan Rubin’s 13 piece orchestra with Steven Maglio crooning Frank Sinatra songs all evening.

Pre party Oliva Serie V and nerve soothing Cardhu 12We herfed some fabulous Inca Secret Blend cigars as well as Oliva cigars accompanied by Dancing Stag single malt whisky shipped over specially for the occasion.

Special thanks to Brian Shapiro of Oliva cigars for all his support and Michael Nouri for flying over from California to join us for the party. Thanks to Virgin for the Champagne on the flight (nice surprise!) not sure how to top that party but will think of something for my surprise 60th!

50th Birthday HerfingWhilst in NYC I enjoyed herfing at Grand Havana Room and Club Macanudo, Carnegie Club as well as Cigar Inn. I also herfed at the fabulous Nat Sherman and can’t wait to introduce a great range of their cigars exclusively to the UK in the next few days. Super friendly service at all of these locations and great bunch of Guys to herf with wherever we went.

The weather was unbelievable considering it was the end of October and I still reckon that NYC must be one of the most cigar friendly cities in the world. Can’t wait for my next trip.

Over the last few weeks the Partagas Seleccion Privada LE 2014 was released in the UK complete with the wrong bands (not sure why but this happened with UK market Partagas SD3’s years ago as well!) and are flying off the shelves faster than we can get them in from Hunters and Frankau.

The Bolivar Super Corona LE 2014 has proven equally as popular and I can’t wait for the new Cohiba limited edition to come out which I hope will be next month.

Por Larranaga Sobresalientes Cigar (UK Regional Edition - 2014) - Box of 10The one we are really excited about is the new UK Regional Edition Por Larranaga Sobrasalientes expected to be released and prices to be confirmed in two weeks’ time. Measuring in at 6” length and 53 ring gauge this is sure to be a very successful and fast selling addition to the fabulous range of UK regional edition cigars..

The Spectator Cigar Awards event on the 16th November at Boisdale Canary Wharf is already utterly sold out and should be a memorable evening if its half as good as last year’s incredible event.

There are still a few tickets available for the 1st December Vintage Cigar Auction dinner event at Boisdale Belgravia and I expect the catalogue to be online in the next 24 hours on the auction website http://www.cigarauctions.co.uk/index.php

This is a magnificent catalogue and some of the most rare cigars we have ever had the privilege of handling on behalf of clients including:

Lot 317 – Cubatabaco 1492 Humidor Humidor of 50 cigars 5 5/8″ 46 1992
Lot 341 – Santa Cubana Magnificos Cabinet of 100 cigars 6 5/8″ 44 Circa 1940’s
Lot 339 – Romeo y Julieta Coronations de Luxe Cabinet of 125 cigars 5 1/2″ 44 Pre Embargo
Lot 65 – Partagas Fox Humidor Selection A Cabinet of 50 cigars 7 1/4″ 52 Circa mid 1960’s
Lot 280 – Davidoff Chateau Yquem Cabinet of 50 cigars 6″ 42 Early 1980’s
Lot 316 – Cuaba Salamones II Humidor Humidor of 45 cigars 6 7/8″ 57 1999
Lot 324 – H. Upmann Amatistas Cabinet of 50 cigars 5 3/8″ 40 Pre Embargo
Lot 282 – Davidoff Dom Perignon Box of 25 cigars 7″ 47 JM NIUC 1987
Lot 283 – Davidoff Dom Perignon Box of 25 cigars 7″ 47 1980’s~
Lot 337 – Ramon Allones Club Coronas cabinet of 50 cigars 5 1/2″ 44 Pre Embargo
Lot 346 – Partagas Serie D No.4 Cabinet of 50 cigars 4 7/8″ 50 1970’s

You can bid online or email or you can come to the auction to bid on this catalogue of 350 aged, rare and vintage Havana cigars. Condition reports with pleasure and viewing at our London office Monday to Friday by arrangement [email protected]

This Tuesday we will finally open the doors on our La Casa del Habano at 32 Watergate Street, Chester. Next door to Turmeaus Tobacconist at 34 Watergate street Chester. We have a huge walk in humidor with all your favourite Havana cigars as well as LCDH specialities. (more pictures below)

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The shop features a wonderful range of Dunhill humidors and accessories as well as Elie Bleu humidors and other premium accessories

This location also features an exceptionally comfortable cigar sampling lounge and VIP client locker room. As ever I have filled the premises with wonderful antiques and Cuban photographs to give it a unique ambience. We’re planning an opening party early next year.

Our two Liverpool Turmeaus shops are being retrofitted in the next week to expand ranges of premium cigars, pipe tobacco and single malt whisky and our Norfolk Turmeaus premises is nearing completion and we hope to start merchandising a huge range of pipe tobacco and cigars for our clients in Norfolk in the next few weeks. This location will also feature a cigar sampling lounge.

If you’re in Town you can also visit Turmeaus – Mayfair for a comprehensive range of our products and a comfortable indoor sampling area.

Already planning our next Turmeaus shop acquisition which will come as a pleasant surprise to many of our C.Gars clients… More details soon.

Our website has been updated with loads of Christmas gift ideas and as ever we guarantee the best prices in the UK and the fastest service possible

Have a smokey week,

Peaceful puffing,

Mitchell