Cigars
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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…
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London to host Cohiba 60th anniversary event 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…
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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…
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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…
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Havana House The Cigar Emporium in Windsor & Cigar Cruise
It’s been a while since I last wrote about Havana House – The Cigar Emporium in Windsor, and after spending another weekend there following a crazy mad fun week of cigar events, it felt like the perfect time for an update. My visit coincided with Havana House’s excellent annual Cigar Cruise, with the Friday evening…
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Lady Wimbledon’s Tennis Party 2026 with Surrey Cigars – A stylish start to Wimbledon
Wimbledon fortnight is one of the biggest events in the British sporting calendar, and every year Lady Wimbledon ensures the Championships get off to a spectacular start with her iconic opening party. This year I was invited by Surrey Cigars to attend the exclusive launch event at 601 Queen’s Road, just a stone’s throw from…
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Zino Honduras cigars unleashed across the UK
The Zino Honduras is the latest addition to Davidoff’s modern Zino range, officially launching worldwide on 26 June 2026. Building on the success of the Zino Nicaragua, this new release takes the range in a bolder direction, with a fuller-bodied blend that places Honduran tobacco firmly in the spotlight. To celebrate the launch, retailers across…
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New cigar terrace opens at Dakota Manchester Airport hotel
A new outdoor cigar terrace has opened at the Dakota Manchester Airport hotel after the luxury property welcomed its first guests earlier this week. The seven-storey hotel, which opened on 1 July 2026, features a purpose-built al fresco cigar terrace alongside its Bar & Grill. Guests can enjoy cigars in a sheltered outdoor setting, with access…
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Trident Military Cigars – The Most Secret
Today marks Armed Forces Day, an annual opportunity to recognise and thank the men and women of the British Armed Forces community — serving personnel, reservists, veterans, cadets and their families — for their commitment, sacrifice and service to our nation 🫡🇬🇧. It is a day of appreciation and reflection, making it the perfect time to…
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Inside the James J. Fox Selección Launch – My evening at St James’s
Just a week after publishing a post on the new James J. Fox Selección cigar range, I was lucky enough to attend its official London launch at the iconic St James’s Street store. The evening marked the first of two launch events, with James J. Fox hosting a second celebration in Dublin next week. If you’re looking…
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UK cigar events 2026: Wimbledon parties, World Cup cigar celebrations, cigar cruises & festivals lead a packed summer calendar
The second half of 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest periods in recent memory for cigar enthusiasts across the UK, with a packed calendar of launches, sporting celebrations, cruises and major festivals stretching from June through to the end of the year. Check some of the highlights below: 25 June 2026:…
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Oud Garden Cigar Lounge at Baloci Hotel, Birmingham
I often get messages from people asking where they can sample a cigar in Birmingham. Despite being the UK’s second-largest city and home to well over a million people, I’ve always found it surprisingly difficult to recommend dedicated cigar venues. Years ago, behind The Prince of Wales pub in Moseley, there was a small ‘cigar…
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Luxury London cigar merchant closes months after opening
A luxury cigar venue at one of London’s well-known hotels has closed less than six months after opening. The Cigar Merchant, located within the historic DUKES Hotel in St James’s, ceased operations on Friday (19th June), according to reports from customers and visitors familiar with the venue. The business opened in December 2025 and was…
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James J. Fox unveils new Selección cigar range for UK and Ireland
James J. Fox has announced details of its new cigar range, Selección, which will be sold exclusively in the UK and Ireland. The range will be launched at the company’s store at 19 St James’s Street in London on 25 June, before becoming available there and at Selfridges. It will then be introduced in Ireland…
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CIGARS: A Culture, new book by Aaron Sigmond, coming later this year
A new limited-edition book examining the cultural world of cigars is set to be released later this year. CIGARS: A Culture, by author Aaron Sigmond and designer Liliana Guia, is a follow-up to Sigmond’s award-winning 2025 title CIGARS: A Biography. Published by Mad/Dash Press in partnership with the Premium Cigar Association, the book is scheduled for…