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Charatan 160th Anniversary Lancero
There are cigars and then there is the Charatan 160th Anniversary Lancero. A cigar that is so brilliantly smooth and tastefully creamy – a masterpiece of cigar engineering without a doubt. This cigar measures an impressive 6 ½ x 44 and is dressed in a gorgeous Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. The Binder is Mexican whilst the filler tobaccos are a selection of Nicaraguan tobaccos from the Jalapa valley.
Originally released as a LIMITED EDITION, it proved so popular that Charatan decided to make it a regular, on-going line. Thank goodness they did as it would have been a shame to miss out on these beauties!
Over the last few months we have listed a whole raft of new pipe tobaccos, from such illustrious names as Cornell & Deihl, Wilson’s Of Sharrow Mills and one of the most warmly received, Fribourg & Treyer.
Two star performers within the F&T range have been Flake Tobaccos, the old, traditional style of tobaccos used by sailors and seafaring folk alike. Because of the way they are made and the fact that they are compacted means that they won’t blow away when trying to pack the pipe, so that no matter how bad the conditions are, you can still enjoy a smoke!

Fribourg & Treyer Vintage Flake
Using a stunning combination of specially selected Virginia tobaccos and expertly blended together, the Vintage Flake is then aged under pressure to produce an extraordinarily mellow flake tobacco. The Virginias exude a rich, nuttiness with soft hints of straw. The palate is medium-bodied and quite silky – there is quite a bit of sweetness, but it is tempered by a gentle streak of minerality which keeps it all nicely balanced.
Fribourg & Treyer Special Brown Flake
We are back to the maritime theme for this, the Special Brown Flake, which is a rather delightful Navy flake. A mixture of Red, Mottled Virginia’s and Golden Carolina Flue cured Leaf, blended with small quantities of Turkish Havana and medium strength, Dark Fired Kentucky.
The finished leaf composition is then allowed to infuse together for several days after which it is divided into cakes of 10 pounds. Rum is then added, then it is cold pressed for several weeks during which the harmonising of flavours takes place, resulting in a very slow burning, perfect Navy flake tobacco.
Discover something new – it’s not all fake news!
Whether you are new to cigars or a seasoned expert, you will have heard of Montecristo. It is quite possibly the world’s best selling cigar brand with labelling that recognised around the world.
The name comes from Alexandre Dumas’ famous novel ‘The Count of Montecristo’, which was a firm favourite when read to the Torcedoras (cigar rollers) at the factory where it was founded in 1935.
Montecristo’s perfectly balanced blends are all created exclusively with selected filler and binder leaves from the Vuelta Abajo zone, home of the finest tobaccos in the world.
Richly flavoured, yet rounded and almost creamy in texture, the Montecristo’s are a joy to behold.
Many countries around the world make cigars, but only a select few make high quality, hand-rolled cigars. Check out some of those countries below.
In an ever-increasing cost-conscious world we are delighted to offer these wonderful handmade cigars from Drew Estate, one of the best value cigars around. Made at Drew Estates factory in Esteli in Nicaragua, the Factory Smokes are rich in terms of flavour with a decent amount of weight to the palate.
Drew Estate Factory Smokes Maduro Robusto – £14.88 each
The Maduro version looks great wrapped in it’s dark oily wrapper and delivers flavours of dark chocolate, nuts, earth and coffee laced with spice. The majority of the tobaccos used in the blend are from Indonesia which provides a wonderful minerality to the smoke.
You can buy the Maduro version here
Drew Estate Factory Smokes Shade Robusto – £14.88 each
The Shade version uses a Connecticut Shade grown wrapper draped over a mixture of Indonesian and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos to produce a great value light to medium bodied smoke. The minerality apparent on the Maduro version seems to be a tad softer here and there is some soft, gentle spice coming from the Connecticut wrapper.
You can buy the Shade version here
For those of you who have been watching the news, you may recall hearing about The Governments Tobacco and Vapes Bill which is currently working it’s way through parliament. The aim of the bill is to, in effect, create the first smoke free generation, with the Government setting themselves a target of 2028 for the implementation. The bill, if it becomes law, will basically ban the sale of ALL tobacco products to anyone born after the 1st of January 2009.
If you think the Government’s proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill is only going to affect young people, you are mistaken. It will affect everyone who currently enjoys a cigar, pipe tobacco, cigarillos or snuff. The Bill’s stated aim is to prevent the adoption of smoking by young people, and yet no evidence whatsoever has been put forward by the Government to suggest that cigars, pipes, cigarillos or snuff contribute to this issue. The Bill, as it stands, currently covers ALL OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS alongside cigarettes in the proposed ban.
If we don’t act now to get the bill amended, the choice of Cigars and other tobacco products available to buy, will diminish over time, as the market size decreases, offering less and less choice for those of us who are allowed to legally buy these products. The bill needs to be amended so that cigars, pipe tobacco, cigarillos and snuff are not included.
Time is not on our side and is rapidly running out. The Bill has already had it’s first reading in parliament and it went through uncontested. We need your voice to help stop this travesty – your freedom of choice is at risk as are the jobs in our industry.
To voice your opinion we recommend writing or emailing your local MP asap, voicing your concerns and to ask that the bill to be amended. There is a website that has more information about the ban and the effects that a blanket ban would have. You will also find templates for constructing your letters or emails. Please also get as many friends and colleagues to help us as well before it’s too late.
Thank you.
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