Cigar Auction is live…

The Winter cigar Auction is now live on the auction website and bidding has already started. It’s a huge 470 Lot sale including 70 Lots of single malt whisky. We will be selling a very interesting catalogue of aged and rare Havanas in this timed auction that ends on Sunday the 1st of December. Featured lots include a vast range of Cuban Davidoff cigars as well as a few magnificent Cuban Dunhill lots including the holy grail Dunhill Cabinetta and Dunhill Estupendos.

The most rare Lot is a cabinet of 50 Trinidad cigars signed by Fidel Castro and made at El Laguito in 1995. We expect a lot of interest in the Partagas 165th anniversary humidor. This humidor has seen a meteoric increase in value. I remember selling them for £1500 when they were originally available.

There are 35 lots of Pre Embargo cigars singles, boxes , cabinets and humidors. Something of an acquired taste but when they are good they really are quite splendid smokes. Bidders have to pre-register and set up their credit limit but the process is fast and straight forward. Photos, descriptions and estimates are all online for each Lot. Our auction Team are available to assist and advise with condition reports 24/7  and we advise prospective bidders to arrange to inspect Lots at our London offices this week.

I can’t believe this is our 10th year of cigars auctions and remember the first auction held at Boisdale Belgravia on an exceptionally cold snowy evening in 2009. I remember we kept everyone warm with bottles of Chivas Regal! We offered 90 Lots and they all sold. It’s incredible to think that the auction division has grown to 4 auctions a year selling almost 1800 Lots on vintage cigars every year.

Despite the ongoing and worsening lack of Havana cigar supplies which now includes Cohiba Behike (all sizes) Esplendidos, Lanceros, Siglo VI and even El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme, I am happy to tell you that we have released two new cigars:

Trinidad Topes originally a limited edition back in 2016 and now regular production. I actually think I prefer this version as the blend is better IMHO. Punch Short de Punch measures in at 4 3/4” length and 50 ring gauge and is presented on boxes of 25. I’m smoking one now as I’m typing this blog!  I can confirm it’s an absolutely excellent blend, well-constructed and I love the size. Volumes of smoke from the generous ring gauge and a perfect any time 30-minute smoke.

Christmas season is fast approaching so the online Christmas store is packed full of gifts to tempt you and our shops have a super range of cigars, accessories, whisky and rum.

Have a smokey week

Peaceful puffing.

Mitchell

 

Winter Vintage Cigar auction

This has to be the fastest year I can ever remember as our Winter Cigar Auction is coming up fast but it seems like yesterday since last year’s Winter auction sale! Our catalogue is pretty special for the 1st December and Lots will be online around the 24th November to give plenty of time to view the Lots at our London auction office or request condition reports or any other details. The sale features two of the rarest Trinidad and Cohiba cabinets of cigars autographed by Fidel Castro. They are quite breath-taking to say the least if not unique pieces of history.

We also have an incredible selection of 37 Lots of Cuban Davidoff cigars including Dom Perignon, No.1, No.2, 1000,2000,2000, Latour, Lafite, Haut Brion and Margaux. There is a splendid box of Cuban Dunhill Estupendos and a cabinet of Dunhill Cabinetta included in over 400 vintages, Pre-Embargo, Gran Reserva, Limited edition and mature Havana cigar Lots. For the first time we will be offering 70 Lots of splendid single malt whisky at the end of the cigar auction.

The auction website can be viewed here. Remember to check out the FAQs.

Previous Sold Lots (going back some years) can be referenced using the sold search facility on this link.

Bidders have to be registered before the sale on this, click here to register.

My auction Team are available to assist and advise 24/7 at [email protected]

Our 22nd anniversary of C.Gars Ltd and 202nd anniversary of Turmeaus celebrations have been going with a swing with some unbelievable offers over the last 2 weeks. Our way of saying thanks to all of our loyal customers and friends. Last Tuesday I enjoyed visiting Turmeaus in Liverpool where I bought my first cigar shop many years ago. The range of cigars and whisky is I dare say the finest in the UK. This location has become a destination point for our customers from all over the UK and indeed overseas. With our comfortable sampling lounge open till 5pm and when it closes you can carry on sampling at ‘Late Hour’ Turmeaus just next door which is open till late and sells a huge range of Cuban and New World cigars.

Turmeaus Late Hour Samping Lounge

Dinner, live jazz and blues and cocktails at Puffin Rooms last Tuesday was amazing. Puffin Rooms is booked up 7 nights a week. There’s nothing quite like it J In fact I’m heading back there this Tuesday after a sampling event at Turmeaus. Come and join me for a memorable whisky and cigar sampling.

No good news on the Havana availability front yet I’m afraid. Still no BHK’s of any size and no Siglo VI. We have some supply of Piramides Extra but these are now going fast instead of Siglo VI no doubt.

Have a smokey week

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell

Happy anniversary!

Happy 22nd Anniversary to C.Gars Ltd (est. 1997) and Happy 202nd Anniversary to Turmeaus Whisky & Cigar shops (est. 1817).  To say the last 22 years have flown by would be one hell of an understatement!

From very humble beginnings Laura and I have built our business from a bit of a Mom and Pop operation to a rather huge cigar and whisky business over the last 22 years. Starting off as a pure Havana cigar specialist on the internet and moving into retail a few years later and now the largest cigar specialist in the UK.

Here’s a bit more about our history here.

We have built flagship Turmeaus retail stores in key locations, 2 LCDH shops, ventured back into the whisky business with an unrivalled range as well as our award winning Stalla Dhu single malt whisky and celebrated 10 years of cigar auctions filling the space when Christies gave up on cigar sales. We ventured into hospitality with Puffin Rooms, our premier live jazz, whisky, cocktail and tapas venue and built state of the art mail order warehouse premises for C.Gars Ltd mail order business.

We also created the best-selling range of Inka – Secret Blend cigars from Peru and are proud to be importers and distributors of premium cigar brands such as Fuente, Macanudo, CAO, Avo, Flying Dutch and Double Dutch. We have also had incredible collaborations making Orchant Seleccion cigars with some of the finest premium brands including Davidoff, Oliva, Alec Bradley and Regius and we our soon to launch the Orchant Seleccion by Drew Estate.

The Group now employs over 75 personnel and it’s a privilege to work with such a great Team including so many of my friends and colleagues that have been with me for so many years (Laura, Michelle, Ron, Paul, Sara, Roy and too many others to mention)

There was no text book or blueprint to learn how to create a successful cigar and whisky business so I just tried to follow sound business principles and treat customers the way I would want to be treated. The ethos was always to offer the largest range at the best prices guaranteed with fast delivery by mail order as well as the finest retail customer experience in our shops.

It’s been a challenging 22 years, never easy building this size of business from a standing start and in an industry that always seems to face some crazy legislation (usually from the EU) but we look forward to the future with much confidence.

It amazes me how many clients have remained loyal since the start and it’s been a pleasure to be their cigar merchant. By way of gesture of thanks, we will be running a flash sale tonight between 6pm and 11pm, all online orders for a box of 25 (or 25 singles) Havana or Premium New World cigars (please email to check if you are unsure what qualifies as premium)  will receive 2 additional cigars (same ones or my choice if it’s a mixed selection) for an additional 2p. Simply enter ‘Happy Anniversary’ in the comments section of the online order form.

Karyn and I are just back from a weeks’ vacation which ended up more of a business trip to sunny Las Vegas. We thought we would get a break in before the craziness of the Christmas season which looks like it has already started! Vegas is great fun and super cigar friendly. Everywhere I went I seemed to bump into friends that I knew or who knew me from social media.

We herfed at the Davidoff cigar bar, Montecristo lounge and Casa Fuente. Super service in all. I tend to smoke New World in the US (and more Havanas in the UK) so it was Fuente cigars at Casa Fuente, Davidoff Late Hour in the Davidoff bar and Oliva at Montecristo Lounge. The stand out smoke was an Oliva Serie V. It was absolutely a delight. I will add them to my daily rotation I reckon.

I’m heading to Turmeaus – Norfolk to enjoy a rather decadent sampling event on Wednesday evening last few tickets available for what promises to be a splendid sampling in the most comfortable cigar sampling  lounge.

Next Tuesday I will be at the cigar and whisky sampling event at Late Hour Turmeaus – Liverpool. We have an amazing program of sampling events where you can enjoy new products , learn about them and meet fellow aficionados.

We are still facing ongoing supply issues with Havana cigars and there’s little sign of it getting better any time soon.  No sign of Cohiba BHK’s, few and far between Siglo VI. No new deliveries of El Rey del Mundo La Reina though we do expect more in the near future. We are ever hopeful that we may see the La Gloria Cubana UK RE before the end of the year though.

One bright spot is Cohiba Piramides Extra which are back in stock and smoking like a dream. Order a box of 10 in the next 24 hours, mention ‘Happy Anniversary ‘in the comments section of the online order form and I’ll charge you an extra Penny and send you an extra cigar.

Our Winter auction catalogue is now full and closed. I never know from one sale to the next if we will ever actually receive another Lot and am constantly amazed at the boxes that come through to us. This sale will feature rarest Dunhill and Davidoff cigars as well as over 300 Lots of Pre-Embargo, Limited Edition, aged, rare and mature Havana cigars. Lots will be online on the 24th November when bidding will open and the auction ends on Sunday 1st December.

As ever, my Sales team and I are online and available to assist and advise 24-7 every day of the year and can always be contacted at [email protected]

Have a smokey week

Peaceful puffing

Mitchell