Regius Cigars

Happy New Year! (and more reviews)

Akhil — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 02:24:38 +0000

Greetings from London! See photo below.

In the last few weeks we have received some great awards, including being in Mike from stogiereview´s top 10 cigars of the year and the Doc´s best new cigar of 2012. Both of these gentlemen are real cigar connoisseurs so to be here is an amazing mention. I will be doing an interview with David in the New Year so look forward to that!

In addition we are featured in Mitchell Orchant´s favourite cigars of 2012. Mitchell is the UK´s biggest retailer of Havana cigars and his experience in the business is amazing. I get a LOT of cigars as gifts from him (thats not the reason I have met him twice since I got back already, promise) – but out of all that he has given me, some household names included, I took quite a liking to the Inka blend, a 100% Peruvian cigar. It has a rich yet smooth taste and I recommend people to try it!

Last but definitely not least, we were also featured in the Robb Report and Wall Street Journal´s top 12 cigars by Will Lyons. There´s a man who needs no introduction… so I won´t bother.

Since I last wrote, I have been to some really quite interesting new places – and some familiar ones also. I really enjoyed going to Providence and New Hampshire to visit people with Dee who represents us out there. Aside from the tobacco, the Italian food deserves a special mention! I also had the fortune of going to Jersey with Bob Morrison who is our representative in New York and the surrounding areas. On reflection, I can say that my naivety was disabused. Jersey is most definitely not like the television series “Jersey Shore” despite some of the jokes to the contrary! Bob and Dee are real chaps though and it was fun working with them. Apart from the bit where they wake one up before 12pm…

I really do appreciate some of the hospitality I get when visiting shops. To all cigar shop owners and humidor staff: you are under no obligation to feed me vintage single malt until there is none left, before driving me back to the hotel at 2am. However, as I said before, it´s appreciated. You know who you are!

And then there´s the obligatory post prandial cigar trip to New York – this time I met up with a good friend there, Steven Ysidron where we went to the Carnegie Club and Cigar Inn. And spending the “morning”, “working” at Nat Sherman is always fun.

Aside from that I am now on twitter @regiuscigars so you can follow my “tweets” there. I have been asked by my assistant to not be too controversial as she then has to try and salvage the situation. I will try to follow her advice, but no promises.

And now I´m in London loitering at the usual haunts. Turmeaus, Davidoff, Tomtoms, 10 Manchester Street, the Churchill bar…etc.

A gentleman, from Texas called Jacob came to visit me and we took the picture below at Davidoff with the legendary Edward Sahakian (far left) and his son Eddie. Interestingly this photo captured the moment where his bag was nearly confiscated and destroyed by a combination of anti terrorist police, the FBI and the US embassy – so Im sure it will live long in the memory.

I took a photo of a martini I had at Churchill´s and a whisky sour I had at 10 Manchester Street so that you, my esteemed readers, can enjoy them vicariously. Churchill´s buy their own bespoke gin which is incredibly smooth and sweet, there is almost no need for any vermouth. Its really quite good! The bar manager there, Brandon, is a knowledgeable chap and I think this is going to be one of the regular fixtures on the London cigar scene. As for the whisky sour, it was good also. Atilla who is the resident cigar expert apologised in advance as he “has been asked” to make it with bourbon but it was incredibly smooth and complex.

Also the latest addition to our team is Kevin Happs. His photo is below. Kevin is a real cigar Aficionado and is our brand ambassador in the UK. He will be doing a few tastings and visiting people in the New Year so stay awake for that.

Finally, there are a few others deserve a special mention. Ross works at TomToms in Victoria, Dan at Turmeaus and Jon at Wimbledon Wine Merchants. They should all be visiting the factory this year. Between the three of them I am up several cigars and some great bottles of wine!

So the salient points from this are 1) follow me on twitter @regiuscigars and 2) Happy New Year!

Event in Hong Kong

Akhil — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:59:20 +0000

Regius have now entered the Asian market with a blanket distribution in all the leading Cigar Emporiums in Hong Kong and Macau together with our distribution partners in the region The Pacific Cigar Company.

Pacific Cigars held a very well attended launch party for Regius at the fabulous P&L Club in Central Hong Kong last week hosted by Pacific´s CEO Dag Holmboe and our very own Regius partner John Darnton who flew over from London for the event. Regius cigars are now available in all the Asian specialist shops listed in our “where to buy” directory on our website.

Fans of Regius will be welcomed in all of these establishments (with the exception of the private members club, unless you are already registered there).

If you are in the region call in to the Wynn Hotel Cigar room in Macau, but be warned, the casino is just next door so maybe leave your credit cards at home; it’s a bit too tempting particularly after a relaxing Regius Robusto and a glass of Single Malt!!

www.pacificcigars.com

USA

Akhil — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:33:09 +0000

I love America. Whilst it is true they talk strangely and drive on the wrong side of the road, I am convinced this is the last free country left in the world. I write this from the Nat Sherman lounge on 42nd Street between 5th and Madison, whilst listening to some relaxing jazz music, whilst smoking a cigar. Indoors. Thanks Mike Herklots and Pat Felitti.

The last 8 weeks I have travelled quite extensively, and met some quite interesting characters. I was with Brad Weinfeld in LA who is SAG National Sales manager followed by Mike Perales who is our representative in the mid-West of the US. Both really good ambassadors of our product and we are lucky to have them.

I spent over 3 hours in Cigars by Chivas in LA talking to Anto, a lawer who sold his law firm and kept the cigar lounge. The man forced me to drink various vintage beverages. I quite enjoyed it. Omar at Maxamar in LA is a great guy, amazing humidor with a great selection. Then in Orange County upon declaring my thirst to John Kelly, he made one of his clients run to the shop and get me a bottle of Balvennie Doublewood! John is a real gentleman, having run for Congress before and is now a man of leisure. I have a lot of time for that, and he provided me with a memorable keepsake, pictured below.

Having done an event in Ontario at Zafutos Cigar Haven, I was taken to Las Vegas for the weekend. Having never been there before, I was warned that bail money might be required. It was an enjoyable weekend, with no (permanent) harm done. I don’t think. But this is why I love the cigar industry in America – its fun!

We went and saw some great stores. Upland Cigars in Chicago, Iwan Ries, and the Humidor of Westmont which has the renown Davidoff Lounge. That place is simply amazing and Sam is a really cool guy. Jack Schwarz in Chicago also deserves a special mention for letting me hang around there for far too long. Eric and company are very cool!

Cant forget about spending time at Winston´s in Richmond going go-karting and playing golf. The banter is top quality. And finally I am in New York which I love. Spent most of the day yesterday at Cigar Inn watching golf with the guys there and dropped in to see Said, Chris and Barry at De La Concha. It never amazes me how shiny and clean Davidoff is all the time and the lounge there was looking as classy as ever. Great place to relax and have a smoke.

We might be doing some events here and elsewhere in the near future so keep attached to the facebook page and what Teresa, my new assistant says. She is very diligent, wakes up in the mornings and doesn’t drink excessively. These are three qualities which I should really develop at some stage.

Finally we have a couple of things coming out in the UK market quite soon. More to follow on that. We will also be launching our cigar experience, that several people have been asking me about, in the run up to Christmas only with select retailers. John will be in Hong Kong next month for an event as well so if you are in that part of the world, I highly recommend it!

New Stockist – The Prince of Wales

Akhil — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:35:31 +0000

In the last month, the gentlemans graveyard has accumulated 2 bottles of Bowmore 12, a bottle of the Macallan 10 and the Glenlivet 12. See exhibit A, below. Spot the odd one out!

Now obviously with all this carousing and not waking up before midday, ones working life has been severely limited, hence the lack of contact. I am saddened to report the whisky has been finished and I will not be getting another bottle this week (i.e. tomorrow). So in a rare moment of industriousness, I am pleased to report that we have yet another new stockist in England.

The Prince of Wales (http://www.theprincemoseley.co.uk/) is a great cigar smoking establishment, and has some of my favourite cigars. I display some photos so you can see it, and because a picture is worth a thousand words I have written quite a lot!

Furthermore the proprietor, I am told, is a real chap. Keith Marsden (below, right) wrote to us and said the cigars are “really flavourful and have a superb balance”. To hear feedback like that makes my job worthwhile. Also the drinking and smoking makes it worthwhile.

Finally, I just wanted to say how amazing my PA is. Her name is Teresa and without her we would not be ready for the IPCPR next week in Orlando. Come and see her in booth 1392 at the show if you happen to be there. You might also be able to see me but if I am sleeping off a hangover on the sofa please try and avoid waking me up.

Cheers!

New Stockist in Mayfair!

Akhil — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:07:53 +0000

Regius Cigars are delighted to have appointed yet another high end stockist in London’s exclusive Mayfair. The shop is open 7 days a week with late night opening on Thursdays and Fridays.

Turmeau’s Tobacconists is the second oldest Cigar Merchant in the UK having started in Liverpool in 1817 by the French born Turmeau family.

Ask to see our Regius Gift box selection, a perfect, handy range of cigars to carry whilst you enjoy the sights of London. You can smoke Regius in The Stafford American Bar, The Lanesborough Garden Room and in The Ritz Italian Garden,

See our website http://www.regiuscigars.com/where-to-buy-regius-cigars/

If you are going to be in Yorkshire during the week commencing 21st May call the Brasserie Forty 4 in Leeds to find out about their forthcoming Cigars dinner on Thursday 24th. Fabulous food, fabulous wines a lot of jokes and of course Regius Cigars.

Contact Steve at Forty 4 on 0113 234 3232 of info@brasserie44.com for more details.

For more details on Regius contact us on +44 (0) 20 8133 7903.

NYC

Akhil — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:52:16 +0000

It is a beautiful Sunday evening, not a cloud in the sky to obstruct the multitudinous array of glittering stars. However, all is not well. Having left a bottle of single malt at the factory (which is closed), I felt the need to punish myself and do a blog post. There are a lot of thirsty people in the world, myself included.

So a couple of updates. Firstly I should welcome Brad Bowman to the team. He is our Director of Sales in the United States having worked for Davidoff before. He also showed me the best Japanese curry in New York City and therefore is already exceeding expectations. Good one chap! If you are a US retailer or consumer reading this, you can contact him to get information: Bradley.Bowman@regiuscigars.com. I also encourage spamming this address with material of your choice.

: This is Brad

So there he is, the man himself. Yes he gets women. And no, I cant understand it either. Strange world we live in…

Regius Cigars are now available at Nat Sherman, De La Concha and Cigar Inn in New York City, amongst others I am told. I was there last week and it was a little cold, but the smoking rooms were very pleasant. Actually I find American consumers to be very knowledgeable about cigars in general and this is testament to the retailers and the welcoming culture they foster. I will be back in May so looking forward to seeing people then.

Until then, happy smoking!

all publicity is good publicity – Regius Robusto rated 95 by Cigar Journal

Akhil — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:16:14 +0000

I write this on the eve of the Nicaraguan presidential election. Many foreigners are busy stocking up on candles, tinned food and even weapons in case of strife; for me a selection of the finest hand rolled cigars and some whisky will have to suffice. I am certain that if an armed militia does overpower the security guard and get into the house, they shall find me slightly philosophical, in a suitable state of inebriation and content. For the record, my prediction is that come next week, Mr. Ortega will have won convincingly and life will go on.

Regius wise, in the latest issue of the Cigar Journal (www.cigarjournal.co), a preeminent authority on cigars, the Robusto was rated 95, coming =2nd and beating all the Cuban cigars – some of which I really enjoy! The rating is here and is an affirmation that we really do have a talented team making beautiful cigars.

The blenders (Ivan, Julian and Ricardo) and I made 80 different versions of it, before sending samples and getting feedback. The blend was changed twice more until we were completely satisfied we were getting the best flavour possible and we could ensure the consistency of the blend. I´m really happy that the highly distinguished palates at the magazine enjoyed the cigar, and I trust that our loyal cigar aficionados enjoy it as well. Happy smoking!

We had great success at the Dortmund tradeshow and our partnership with Pacific Cigars (www.pacificcigars.com), who recently added Regius to their already great range of Cuban brands, is looking very promising. The press release is below.

Kevin at Winston´s Humidor (http://www.winstonshumidor.com/)emailed me today, pointing out that we were on The Cigar Feed website (http://thecigarfeed.com/?p=8846). I telephoned Charlie, the blogger on the website, more out of curiosity than anything and was duly rewarded for my effort. We spoke for an hour and a half – what an interesting background he has! As I always maintain, speaking with others who have a passion for cigars is a highlight of the job.

Charlie is 20 years old and a student of History at Wake Forest Universtiy. I think it shows great initiative and talent to achieve the kind of reader numbers he has, especially at such a young age. With more people like this in the industry, it bodes really well for the future and I hope it encourages more young people to appreciate hand-rolled cigars. When I was 20 I was busy getting drunk, enjoying cigars and other pleasures. Well, the evidence suggests that old habits die hard.

Regius will be available initially in limited quantities to selected retailers in the US via Rudy Ced, a true cigar enthusiast. For more information please call us on +44 (0) 208 133 7903 or Rudy on +1 214 281 8424, or email info@regiuscigars.com.

Eurotrip – INTERTABAK 2011, Dortmund

Akhil — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:56:46 +0000

My earliest association with the word Dortmund is from my childhood, and is far from positive. I recall the 96/97 Champions League semi final, where, in Dortmund, Manchester United lost 1-0, the shot from the edge of the area just brushing the fingertips of the diving Raimond Van der Gouw on its way into the net. Borussia Dortmund went on to reach the final 2-0 on aggregate, where they beat Juventus in Hungary.

Historically an industrial city, Dortmund will be home to the INTERTABAK, the biggest tobacco fair in Europe. A lot of people have asked us for the following information, and finally, here it is: Regius will be represented at the Intertabak in the Westfallenallen by John Darnton and Alexander Molter of Darier and Cleef, our distributors. Our exact location is detailed in the diagram below: Hall 4, Stand D.06:

And look for our banner – starring Abdul Fernandez, a Cuban model and 6th generation cigar maker residing in Pinar del Rio. “The best cigar I have ever smoked” he says of the Robusto. “Send some to my house in Cuba for me!”. Will do señor.

Regius Cigars Strong in the UK

Akhil — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:17:43 +0000

A lot has happened since I last wrote, most of the time in the factory overseeing cigar production. Generally this means smoking cigars to make sure they are up to our usual quality standards. A gentleman who works packing boxes came up to me today and asked me for a Robusto, saying they were the best cigars coming out of the factory. I couldn´t agree more!

In my spare time, (whilst the rioters and looters took over the streets of the UK), I was learning how to operate AK-47´s with the local police. In light of this juxtaposition, one can´t help but feel that this training might come in useful in the most unlikely of circumstances. Unfortunately my blackberry sustained water damage and I cannot provide photos.

Regius has been going from strength to strength. We will soon have a presence in Asia and will be at the Inter-Tabak tradeshow in Dortmund from the 23rd – 25th September. More details to follow, but I shall leave you with an article that was recently published in the Cigar Journal (www.cigarjournal.co).

For regular updates, join our facebook group www.facebook.com/regius.cigars

Happy smoking!

going continental

Akhil — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:36:49 +0000

Regius are proud to be working with Darier and Cleef in Germany as our exclusive distributor in the region.

I first met Alex Molter at the Cigar Festival in Nicaragua. An intelligent gentleman, Alex is the CEO of Darier and Cleef, one of the most competent tobacco distributors in Europe. At the age of 32, it is no mean feat. Honestly, I remember very little of our first “meeting” due to the effects of alcohol and a beauty pageant taking place, but we met the next day.

What really shone through then was his enthusiasm for cigars. We were smoking some strangely shaped, twisted cigars, called “culebras”. This is a bundle of 3 cigars, twisted together, tied at both ends. One story is that in the early days of Cuban tobacco, the factory workers were given an allotment of cigars to take home with them. To distinguish between those that were for export and the ones they were given, the workers had to twist the cigars, thus making it easy to identify if anyone was stealing from the factory; those smoking the abundant “straight” cigars were obviously guilty.

When Alex told me this, it was not only interesting, but showed an understanding of cigars and the culture behind them that was really astounding. I learned something new, and I really appreciate this.

For me business is personal, and as a company we are really pleased to be working with Darier and Cleef. In the months and years to come I hope that many people in continental Europe can enjoy Regius Cigars not only because of business relationships with retailers and caterers, but because of our shared passion for smoking and making great cigars.

Regius Cigars should be available soon in all good tobacconists in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium.

For more information on Darier and Cleef, or to buy, please email contact@dariercleef.com

For more information on Regius Cigars, please email info@regiuscigars.com