Cigars Update…
Cigar connoisseurs fly to wintry London to bid over £300,000 for rare cigars at The Antiques Smoke Show auction
December 2, 2010
Over sixty of the world’s most dedicated cigar aficionados with money to burn flocked to wintry London last Tuesday to bid over £300,000 for some of the rarest cigars on the planet.
Some of our clients flew in for the world’s largest ever cigars auction from San Francisco, Chicago, Portugal, Germany, Hong Kong and, not least, Japan, to huddle together in a snowstorm on Boisdale Belgravia’s outdoor cigar terrace, smoke, and bid for cigars – some of which are as rare as hen’s teeth,’ said Mitchell Orchant, managing director, C.Gars Ltd.
There were over 300 Lots and it took Brian Ebbessen, the former Christie’s auctioneer, almost three hours to get through it, in the freezing cold. Haologen heaters, tartan rugs, Chivas Regal 18 and complimentary miniatures of The Glenlivet 12, 15, and 18 helped keep everybody warm.
Mr Tanaka, a cigar collector from Japan , successfully bid for the three most expensive Lots, including an Elie Bleu humidor with Fidel’s Castro’s signature and three gold Cuban pesos on its lid, containing 150 specially banded Cuban cigars, which went for £27,000.
He also set a new world auction record of £1,293 per cigar – for a box of ten very rare Dunhill Selection no.779 Romeos.
Mr Tanaka’s third and most generous bid was for a unique humidor containing 108 specially banded Romeo y Julieta Churchill Havanas. The humidor was signed by the late Don Alejandro Robaina, and Jennie Churchill – whose great-grandfather was born on 30 November 1874, 146 years ago to the day of our auction. All of the £18,000 Mr Tanaka donated will be going to The Prostate Cancer Charity, and Action Against Hunger.’
Sir Winston Churchill’s great-grandaughter donates humidor full of Havanas for charity on his 136th birthday.
NEWS RELEASE November 23, 2010
‘We’re delighted to announce that Jennie Churchill has donated a unique humidor signed by herself and one of the greatest Cuban tobacco growers, Don Alejandro Robaina, for charity, at our forthcoming auction on 30 November 2010,’ said Mitchell Orchant, managing director, C.Gars Ltd.
‘It contains 108 specially banded Romeo y Julieta Churchill Havanas.
‘Jennie Churchill has graciously agreed to be photographed with the winner of the Lot. She will also say a few words at the auction held on Boisdale of Belgravia’s cigar terrace.’
‘All proceeds from the sale of this Lot will be donated to charity,’ said Jennie Churchill, whose great-grandfather was born on 30 November 1874 and was one of the most famous cigar smokers of the 20th century.
‘The first is my friend Ranald Macdonald’s favourite charity, Action Against Hunger, which seems appropriate for the humidor was presented to me by the late Don Alejandro Robaina at the Boisdale party in Havana in 2004.
‘The second will be The Prostate Cancer Charity in memory of my father, Winston Churchill, who sadly died of prostate cancer earlier this year, months before his 70th birthday. I’m sure my father would have approved of my donating this magnificent humidor for two such worthy causes.’
Boisdale is also hosting The Ultimate Game Dinner at Boisdale of Bishopsgate on 30 November; all proceeds will be donated to Action Against Hunger.
‘It contains 108 specially banded Romeo y Julieta Churchill Havanas.
‘Jennie Churchill has graciously agreed to be photographed with the winner of the Lot. She will also say a few words at the auction held on Boisdale of Belgravia’s cigar terrace.’
‘All proceeds from the sale of this Lot will be donated to charity,’ said Jennie Churchill, whose great-grandfather was born on 30 November 1874 and was one of the most famous cigar smokers of the 20th century.
‘The first is my friend Ranald Macdonald’s favourite charity, Action Against Hunger, which seems appropriate for the humidor was presented to me by the late Don Alejandro Robaina at the Boisdale party in Havana in 2004.
‘The second will be The Prostate Cancer Charity in memory of my father, Winston Churchill, who sadly died of prostate cancer earlier this year, months before his 70th birthday. I’m sure my father would have approved of my donating this magnificent humidor for two such worthy causes.’
Boisdale is also hosting The Ultimate Game Dinner at Boisdale of Bishopsgate on 30 November; all proceeds will be donated to Action Against Hunger.
Hemingway and Castro star in the world’s largest auction of rare Pre-Embargo Havanas
NEWS RELEASE October 21, 2010
The world’s largest auction of rare Pre-Embargo Havanas, organised by C.Gars Ltd, will take place at Boisdale Belgravia in London on November 30, 2010.
‘There will be almost 300 Lots of much sought-after vintage Havanas in our third cigars auction, most of them still smokeable,’ said Mitchell Orchant, managing director, C.Gars Ltd. ‘We have already had huge interest from cigar aficionados in America, mainland Europe, India and China, especially in a rare part box of of 23 El Talento Hemingway Pre-Embargo Havanas that is anticipated to fetch £1,200-£1,500.
‘Hemingway was a devoted cigar smoker and loved Cuban coronas. When he was out hunting on sugar plantations in Cuba the great American writer occasionally used a machete to remove the cap, unlike the Cubans who tend to use their teeth. He also believed the smoke from an Havana had the importance of Proust’s sugar cake, and once presented Ava Gardner with a Cuban cigar band as a token of their meeting.
‘Another unique Lot is a sealed box specially selected by the famous theatrical impresario Emile Littler containing 25 Pre-Embargo H. Upmann Double Claro No.15.
‘The most expensive Lot may well be the Fidel Castro 300 cigar capacity Presidencia Humidor by Elie Bleu, containing 150 Presidencia Havanas vintage 2004, and signed on the lid under the lacquer coat by the great man himself. It’s expected to go under the hammer for £15,000-£18,000. The humidor lid is also embedded with 10 Cuban Pesos solid gold coins, and two 5 Cuban Pesos gold coins dated 1916.
‘We’ve got several customers who have walk-in humidors in their homes and are now rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of an early Christmas present – to themselves.’
C.Gars Ltd’s third vintage cigars auction, its largest to date, will take place at Boisdale Belgravia (19 Ecclestone Street, London SW1W 1LL. 0207 730 6922) on Tuesday 30 November 2010 (6pm Champagne and canapes reception – 7pm auction, followed by more Champagne!).
Brian Ebbesen, former head of cigar auctions at Christie’s London, will again wield the gavel.
For further information please contact James Leavey on 07932 039054 or email leaveyjames@googlemail.com. Or contact Mitchell Orchant at sales@cgarsltd.co.uk or phone 020 7372 1865. High-res colour photos are available, on request.
Brian Ebbesen, former head of cigar auctions at Christie’s London, will again wield the gavel.
For further information please contact James Leavey on 07932 039054 or email leaveyjames@googlemail.com. Or contact Mitchell Orchant at sales@cgarsltd.co.uk or phone 020 7372 1865. High-res colour photos are available, on request.
Good demand for vintage Havanas
Jun 24, 2010
Fifty Romeo y Julieta Piramidos, Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite Cuban cigars, preserved in pristine condition for almost 60 years, went under the hammer for £128 each at C.Gars’ second vintage cigars auction on June 21 at Boisdale Belgravia, London, according to a report by James Leavey, a freelance journalist specializing in cigars.
“The highest bid of the night was for the Cuaba Salamones II Humidor containing 45 cigars, which went for £9,500, more than doubling its original estimate,” said C.Gars’ managing director, Mitchell Orchant.
“Virtually all 169 lots were oversubscribed and there was serious interest from America, China, India, Australasia and Europe.
“The auction confirmed the huge increase in the sales of rare vintage Havanas. They’re a great investment for there is no capital gains tax on cigars – they’re considered a ‘wasting product’.”
Cigars loved by Churchill to be auctioned in June
May 11, 2010
By James Leavey
By James Leavey
(Reuters) – A rare box of the Cuban cigars cherished by Winston Churchill and preserved for almost 60 years are going up for auction in London next month.
The wartime British prime minister’s penchant for Romeo y Julieta Piramides cigars became part of his pugnacious image as a leader who defied the might of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. The picture of Churchill giving the two-fingered victory sign with a cigar in his mouth is a classic World War Two image.
Now the 1950s Romeo y Julieta Piramides cigars he so loved will be on sale in C.Gars Ltd’s second vintage cigars auction on June 21 at Boisdale Belgravia in London.
“We’re expecting significant bids from both sides of the Atlantic from aficionados who’d love to taste Churchill’s favourite cigars,” C.Gars managing director Mitchell Orchant said in a statement.
Orchant said smokers interested in buying the cigars could emulate the bull-dog spirit that Churchill embodied and defy the anti-smoking “puritans” who have made smoking verboten in the public spaces of cities across Europe and North America.
“If Churchill were alive today he wouldn’t put up with all this political correctness.”
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NEWS RELEASE May 11, 2010
Last chance to sample Churchill’s favourite 1950s Havanas
Ever wondered how Havana cigars helped boost the genius of Sir Winston Churchill, the greatest statesman of the 20th century? Now’s your chance to sample his supply.
Fifty Romeo y Julieta Piramidos, Churchill’s favourite Cuban cigars, preserved in pristine condition for almost sixty years, will be the highlight of the 160 plus lots in C.Gars Ltd’s second vintage cigars auction on 21 June 2010 at Boisdale Belgravia in London.
‘We are extremely fortunate to include one of the very rare cabinets of 1950s Havanas Churchill loved to indulge in,’ said C.Gars Ltd’s managing director, Mitchell Orchant. ‘The chances of finding another is as unlikely as discovering Churchill was a secret tea-totaller and non-smoker. We’re expecting significant bids from both sides of the Atlantic from aficionados who’d love to taste Churchill’s favourite cigars.
‘If Churchill were alive today he wouldn’t put up with all this political correctness. What smokers need now, more than ever, is Churchill’s bull-dog fighting spirit.
‘If you’re a beleaguered smoker, make a fist and extend your fore and middle fingers. Now imagine inserting one of Churchill’s favourite Havanas between them and making a defiant gesture to the anti-smoking puritans who have been spoiling your public enjoyment of a product that is still legally on sale around the world.’
Ranald Macdonald is a fellow champion of the UK’s smokers’ rights and established his renowned cigar-friendly restaurant in 1988. ‘I am delighted that this is the second C.Gars Ltd vintage cigars auction to be held on Boisdale Belgravia’s smoking terrace,’ he said. ‘Where else could you enjoy a smoke while you bid for boxes of rare Cuban cigars.’
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Notes for editors:
C.Gars Ltd’s second vintage cigars auction will take place at Boisdale Belgravia (19 Ecclestone Street, London SW1W 1LL. 0207 730 6922) on Monday 21 June 2010 (6pm drinks – 7.30pm auction).Brian Ebbesen, former head of cigar auctions at Christie’s London, will again wield the gavel For further information please contact James Leavey on 07932 039054 or email leaveyjames@googlemail.com. Or contact Mitchell Orchant at sales@cgarsltd.co.uk or phone 020 7372 1865. Photos of the cabinet and its cigars are available on request.
C.Gars Ltd was launched in 1997 and is now one of the world’s largest specialist tobacco retailers. It sells premium cigars and related goods from its website, 24/7, every day of the year and runs specialist tobacco shops in the UK, Germany and Mexico.
The C.Gars Ltd Group of Companies comprises:
C.Gars Ltd (London)
La Casa del Habano (Hamburg, Germany)
La Casa del Habano (Merida, Mexico)
Robert Graham Ltd Est.1874 (Rose Street, Edinburgh)
Robert Graham Treasurer 1874 (Canongate, Edinburgh)
Global Whisky Shop.Com (Glasgow)
Turmeaus Tobacconist Est. 1817 (Liverpool and Chester)
Whisky and Cigars by Robert Graham Ltd Est.2009 (London)
Associate: Decent Cigar Emporium (Dublin)
Great Gifts Etc.Ltd (Great Yarmouth – non-tobacco goods)
Nominated for the Hunters & Frankau UK Specialist in Havanas of the Year 2004
Winner of the Hunters & Frankau Silver Chaveta Award 2005
C.Gars Ltd’s second vintage cigars auction will take place at Boisdale Belgravia (19 Ecclestone Street, London SW1W 1LL. 0207 730 6922) on Monday 21 June 2010 (6pm drinks – 7.30pm auction).Brian Ebbesen, former head of cigar auctions at Christie’s London, will again wield the gavel For further information please contact James Leavey on 07932 039054 or email leaveyjames@googlemail.com. Or contact Mitchell Orchant at sales@cgarsltd.co.uk or phone 020 7372 1865. Photos of the cabinet and its cigars are available on request.
C.Gars Ltd was launched in 1997 and is now one of the world’s largest specialist tobacco retailers. It sells premium cigars and related goods from its website, 24/7, every day of the year and runs specialist tobacco shops in the UK, Germany and Mexico.
The C.Gars Ltd Group of Companies comprises:
C.Gars Ltd (London)
La Casa del Habano (Hamburg, Germany)
La Casa del Habano (Merida, Mexico)
Robert Graham Ltd Est.1874 (Rose Street, Edinburgh)
Robert Graham Treasurer 1874 (Canongate, Edinburgh)
Global Whisky Shop.Com (Glasgow)
Turmeaus Tobacconist Est. 1817 (Liverpool and Chester)
Whisky and Cigars by Robert Graham Ltd Est.2009 (London)
Associate: Decent Cigar Emporium (Dublin)
Great Gifts Etc.Ltd (Great Yarmouth – non-tobacco goods)
Nominated for the Hunters & Frankau UK Specialist in Havanas of the Year 2004
Winner of the Hunters & Frankau Silver Chaveta Award 2005
NEWS RELEASE
26 November 2009
Cigar aficionados light up while they bid over £150,000 at UK cigar auction
The faces and favourite tobacco of a large international crowd of dedicated cigar aficionados will be lit up in Boisdale’s Belgravia next Tuesday when they bid an estimated £150,000 for some of the finest and rarest Havanas and cigar-related items in the world.
“There’s been huge interest in next week’s auction perhaps because it’s the first and only one of its kind in the UK this year,” said Mitchell Orchant, managing director of of Britain’s leading cigar merchant, C.Gars Ltd, which sells premium cigars and related goods 24/7, every day of the year.
“The auction will also be unique for bidders will be able to actually enjoy their favourite tobacco – in the Boisdale’s smokers’ terrace where they will be bidding for what will be the best Christmas cigars they have ever smoked.”
One of the Lots is a Cubatobacco 1492 limited edition (1 of 501) humidor made in 1992, containing 50 corona-gorda-sized cigars.
“We estimate it will fetch £16,500- £18,500,” said Orchant. “This equates to £400 a cigar and while it is not a record price it’s still a lot of money to invest in a 45 minute smoking experience.
“But then these are some of the finest cigars ever made. Kept in the right conditions premium cigars, especially Havanas, can keep for almost ever. Like fine wine, they age well and get better and better.
“If the lucky buyer wants to celebrate his or her successful bid for the Christmas present – to themselves – and can’t wait until 25 December, they can light up immediately on Boisdale’s superb smokers’ terrace with a host of tolerant friends who will lean towards them rather than away from them.”
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Notes for editors:
Notes for editors:
The C.Gars Ltd fine Havanas auction will take place at Boisdale Belgravia (19 Ecclestone Street, London SW1W 1LL. (0207 730 6922) on 1st December 2009 (7pm drinks – 7.30pm auction).
The auctioneer will be Brian Ebbesen, former head of cigar auctions at Christie’s London.
For further information please email Mitchell Orchant at sales@cgarsltd.co.uk, or phone 020 7372 1865.
C.Gars Ltd (London and Norfolk)
La Casa del Habano ( Hamburg)
& Turmeaus Tobacconist Est. 1817 (Liverpool and Chester)
& Robert Graham Ltd Est. 1874 ( Scotland)
www.cgarsltd.co.uk
www.whisky-cigars.com
Nominated by Hunters and Frankau: UK Specialist in Havanas of the year 2004 and 2005
Winner of the Silver Chaveta award from Hunters and Frankau
Best value Havanas in the UK!
C.Gars Ltd (London and Norfolk)
La Casa del Habano ( Hamburg)
& Turmeaus Tobacconist Est. 1817 (Liverpool and Chester)
& Robert Graham Ltd Est. 1874 ( Scotland)
www.cgarsltd.co.uk
www.whisky-cigars.com
Nominated by Hunters and Frankau: UK Specialist in Havanas of the year 2004 and 2005
Winner of the Silver Chaveta award from Hunters and Frankau
Best value Havanas in the UK!
Christmas comes early for Britain’s cigar aficionados
NEWS RELEASE
1 October 2009
1 October 2009
If you’re a beleaguered cigar lover with money to burn but nowhere to smoke: Cheer up! For you, Christmas comes early.
CGars Ltd, one of the UK’s most successful specialist tobacco retailers, will be holding an auction of aged, rare and vintage Havanas on the 1st December 2009 at Boisdale Belgravia in London.
“Among the Lots on offer will be Dunhill, Davidoff, and Limited Edition cigars,” said Mitchell Orchant, Managing Director of CGars Ltd, which sells premium cigars and related goods 24/7, every day of the year as well as running seven specialist cigar shops
“Our business have boomed since the introduction of the UK’s smoking ban,” Mitchell continued. “Oddly enough it was partly the result of British cigar smokers being forced to stay home and enjoy their favourite pastime – a fine uninterrupted smoke.
“Many dedicated cigar lovers have now turned part of their home into a fumoir. And they are always looking for something extra special to make it even more of a smoker’s haven, such as the finest and rarest Christmas cigar they can lay their hands on.
“We will also be auctioning unique and rare humidors. But the one area that always gets huge attention is pre-Cuban embargo (pre-1962) as well as Davidoff and Dunhill Havana cigars, which are becoming as rare as hen’s teeth. If you’re lucky enough to lay your hands on one you don’t have to smoke it immediately…which is why some of us try to buy a box.
“And what better place to hold a cigar auction than Boisdale Belgravia, Ranald Macdonald’s excellent smoker-friendly restaurant which has led the crusade against the anti-smoking puritans who won’t allow us to enjoy in public a product that is still legally available throughout the UK.”
The auctioneer will be Brian Ebbesen, former head of cigar auctions at Christies London.
Notes for editors:
The CGars Ltd fine Havanas auction will take place at Boisdale Belgravia (19 Ecclestone Street, London SW1W 1LL. 0207 730 6922) on 1st December 2009 (7pm drinks – 7.30pm auction)
The CGars Ltd fine Havanas auction will take place at Boisdale Belgravia (19 Ecclestone Street, London SW1W 1LL. 0207 730 6922) on 1st December 2009 (7pm drinks – 7.30pm auction)
