Cigars
-
ProCigar Festival 2027 registration opens in Dominican Republic
Registration has opened for the 19th ProCigar Festival, an annual celebration of the Dominican Republic’s premium cigar industry. The event will take place from 16 to 19 February 2027 in Santiago de los Caballeros, with cigar enthusiasts from around the world expected to attend. Organised by the Association of Dominican Cigar Manufacturers (ProCigar), the festival…
-
Mitchell Orchant steps away from Dominique London Group management role
Mitchell Orchant, the founder of C.Gars Ltd and one of the best-known figures in the British cigar trade, has stepped away from his role within the Dominique London Group. Dominique London announced on 1 September that Orchant would become an ambassador for the group, marking the end of his time as a shareholder and employee.…
-
British cigar smoker George Stansfield wins Cigar Smoking World Championship in Croatia
British cigar smoker George Stansfield has won the 2026 Cigar Smoking World Championship Grand Final in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Stansfield, a regular at Surrey Cigars in the UK, took the title with a time of 2 hours, 32 minutes and 50 seconds, beating competitors from around the world. For much of the competition, it looked as…
-
Cohiba Talismán world launch: London event tickets confirmed at £600 plus VAT
The worldwide launch of the Cohiba Talismán will take place at Kensington Palace in October, with tickets confirmed at £600 plus VAT (which I believe makes it approximately £720). The event, marking Cohiba’s 60th anniversary, will take place at The Orangery at Kensington Palace on 7 October. Hunters & Frankau, which is hosting the London…
-
Cohiba Talismán world launch: Venue moves to Kensington Palace
Following Habanos S.A.’s announcement of the worldwide launch of the Cohiba Talisman in London on 7 October, the highly anticipated event will be moved from The Roof Gardens in Kensington to the magnificent Orangery at Kensington Palace, following an exceptional level of interest from cigar aficionados across the UK and around the world. Set within the gardens of Kensington…
-
I finally visited Castle View Cigars in Edinburgh
Last year, I wrote about the opening of Castle View Cigars in Edinburgh. It’s Scotland’s newest cigar shop, with one of the best views you could ask for from a tobacconist. At the time, I hadn’t actually visited, but I’ve had the shop firmly on my radar ever since. So, when I found myself back…
-
DJ Khaled enjoys Cuban Cigars with London cigar specialist Manu Harit
This week, DJ Khaled has been sharing photos and videos across his social media from a private gathering with London-based cigar specialist Manu Harit, where the pair explored the world of premium Cuban cigars. Harit travelled to meet the Grammy-nominated DJ and producer, with footage from the encounter showing the pair examining and tasting cigars alongside…
-
AVO Expresivo UK Cigar Launch with The Dalmore whisky at Boisdale
Last week, Boisdale of Canary Wharf hosted a fantastic evening celebrating the UK launch of the AVO Expresivo, a cigar released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of AVO founder Avo Uvezian. I first became aware of this new cigar while following the social media coverage from this year’s Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show in New Orleans back…
-
The Summertime Smoke 2026: The UK cigar festival that keeps getting better
If you weren’t at EJ Churchill Shooting Ground in Lane End, High Wycombe, this weekend on Saturday, 1st August, you truly missed an incredible second edition of The Summertime Smoke — the UK’s premier cigar festival. After spending the weekend there, it’s safe to say that it has firmly established itself as one of the…
-
[Venue has now changed] The Roof Gardens to host first international Cohiba 60th anniversary celebration
IMPORTANT VENUE UPDATE (26 AUG 2026) The venue for the first international Cohiba 60th anniversary celebration has changed. Please see the latest article here for the updated venue and event details. The Roof Gardens in Kensington has been chosen as the venue for the first official international celebration of Cohiba’s 60th anniversary, with the worldwide…
-
Ember Cigars to debut luxury cigar shop, sampling lounge and terrace at Grosvenor House Suites, Mayfair
New luxury cigar retailer Ember Cigars is preparing to open an exclusive new cigar shop, sampling lounge and terrace at Grosvenor House Suites on London’s prestigious Park Lane, bringing a refined destination for cigar enthusiasts to the heart of Mayfair. The new venue will feature a walk-in humidor showcasing a curated selection of premium cigars…
-
Jerry Mir of TOR Imports: The unsung hero behind the rise of New World Cigars in the UK
Walk into almost any specialist cigar retailer in the UK today and you’ll find a humidor stocked with cigars from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Honduras sitting comfortably alongside Cuba’s most famous brands. For today’s cigar smoker, that choice feels entirely normal. It wasn’t always that way! Three decades ago, Cuban cigars dominated the UK…
-
London to host Cohiba Talismán world launch following Cuba cigar festival cancellation
This afternoon, Habanos S.A. announced that London will host a major event celebrating the 60th anniversary of Cuba’s iconic Cohiba cigar brand on 7 October, following the cancellation of this year’s Habanos Festival. The event will mark the global launch of the Cohiba Talismán, the newest addition to the brand’s Classic Line, as part of an…
-
Tributes paid to cigar entrepreneur and Robusto House founder Simon Selkin
Tributes have been paid to Simon Selkin, the founder of Robusto House Cigars and a well-known figure across Britain’s sporting and social circles, following his death after a 15-month battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). He was 66. Mr Selkin died on 29 June 2026, having been diagnosed with MND in March 2025. He founded…
-
Blackened cigar by Drew Estate in collaboration with Rob Dietrich & Metallica’s James Hetfield
Celebrity cigars fascinate me. Are they simply a marketing gimmick designed to capitalise on a famous name, or can they actually deliver something genuinely exciting for us cigar smokers? I’ve written before about celebrity cigars — including Conor McGregor’s Notorious range, which I was pleasantly surprised by — so when I heard Metallica frontman James…