There’s still a great deal of uncertainty, but one thing is for sure – humans are nothing if not resourceful. With the advent of lockdown, the internet really came into its own, didn’t it? Those with shares in Zoom looked
And that was the first post-Covid cigar event. The world launch of the Ramon Allones Allones No.2, which was arranged and organised superbly by Hunters & Frankau, the UK’s importer of Cuban cigars, took place on a soggy Wednesday.
As ever, the human capacity to adapt and press on never fails to amaze. We’ve come a long way in the last few months and no doubt we’ve a way to go yet, but the streets are (very) slowly picking
So here we are; up and running once again, thank the Gods. Society in general is getting back into gear and Sautter is no different. The Mount Street store opened its doors last week and among the first through them was
So how are we doing out there, cigar fans? These strange times continue to drag on, and although the ground in front of us is gradually shifting all the time, it’s unfamiliar terrain all the same and every step we
Due to the current global pandemic we have noticed inconsistencies in delivery times. International customers have received one package within a week and a package sent the following day taking 4 weeks. There have also been more lost packages than
I wonder what the cigar world will look like post-Corona? Hopefully those terraces and lounges large enough will be allowed to re-open, given that the need to socially distance looks likely to be with us for months to come.
So much has changed in such a short space of time. It’s discombobulating, for sure, but it’s also strangely exciting; to see, for example, how nature has poured seamlessly back in to fill the void that we have left in
Commencing April 30th we are offering curbside collection from our Mount Street store.
So how are you faring, Sautter family? We are neck-deep in lockdown and with little sign yet of any glimmer of light at the end of a very dark, very dangerous tunnel.
So here we are. Lockdown. In scenes which would have seemed apocalyptic and simply unbelievable just a month ago, seemingly the entire world is banged up indoors as we try to wait out Corona.
No need to cower behind your front door, waiting for the end of the world to come. We will overcome and move on to sunnier uplands. In order to help you do so, Laurence Davis of Sautter will be hosting
Live Instagram review of the Montecristo no.4 on April 10th - take part and smoke with us. Also
This is going to be a long one. Buckle up, batten down the hatches, bury grudges, make friends – our friend Covid 19 is here to stay, like an unwanted mother in law at Christmas. Bah Humbug.
When does the scaremongering end and the truth begin? Should we laugh off this latest attack on our mortality, maintain decent hygiene as a matter of course and get on with our lives, or lock the doors, hunker down with
For the first time this Winter, it snowed this morning. Not the wonderful thick, dry, blanket of snow that one remembers from childhood, which threw a shroud over the land in a couple of hours and transformed a boring daily
As well as the 'everyday', current production Cuban cigars we love so much, there has been, for some years now, some additions to the family that are well worth checking out. Habanos SA, the state-owned company behind the worldwide promotion
We’ve been thinking. It happens you know, more often than you may imagine. It’s easy to let things chug along as normal, accepting things are the way they are because that’s the way they’ve always been.
Once you’re a confirmed cigarophile, you’re always on the lookout for somewhere to lay your hat that is respectful of the leaf. Ask any travelling cigar man or woman and they’ll tell you straight; as soon as they know they
I went to the theatre in town the other night. First time for far too long. I took my daughters and it was such a trauma organizing us all to be there at the right time, with tickets, in one
January's a long, dark month, isn’t it? It feels like the sort of month you really have to chew through to get down – like that meal your mother in law makes that you’re too polite to leave untouched.
The cigar world is much more global these days – as, we suppose, is everything else. That has both its benefits and its drawbacks. Thanks to the internet, to magazines, and to social media, anything remotely cigar-related is immediately beamed
There used to be a cigar saying along the lines of: "When a man is in his 30s, he smokes a 30 Ring Gauge cigar; in his 50s, he smokes a 50 Ring Gauge cigar."
A bright, shining, spanking New Year, with all the optimism, purposefulness – and angst – that goes with it. We at Sautter's believe there’s a firm middle ground to be taken in most things which will keep your equanimity and
There are a few things one must not forget in the mad scramble that the end of the year inevitably becomes. These include a healthy stock of booze if you’re likely to be entertaining; an emergency supply of Christmas cards,
In true Laurence Davis style, though, he’s doing the exact opposite. In the last six months, El Jeffe has lost a massive amount of weight – something in excess of eight stone – and looks quite simply a different man.
Oh Lordy, it’s that time again. What on earth am I going to get the man or woman who has everything? Christmas comes but once a year, so they say, although it feels more like twice or thrice by the
The trouble with getting repeatedly shouted down is that, after a while, you’re glad when someone lets you talk normally. As cigar smokers, we’ve been lumped in with the cigarette mob for as long as we can remember.
If you do enough of most things, you can get sick to bloody death of them, but the strange thing we’ve found about cigars – or rather, one of the strange things we’ve found about cigars – is that we
The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is well and truly upon us and as misguided adults and pyrotechnic kids spark up fireworks for the next couple of weeks, one can’t but wonder whether Mr Fawkes and his gang might
Keeping up with the Jones’s is a mug’s game. Even if you’re as rich as Croesus, there’ll be someone, somewhere, who’s richer. The purpose of money is to help smooth your way through life and make your existence more pleasant.
Turn everything that happens to you into an opportunity. The ability, to do that, one suspects, is the height of human wisdom. Bad things happen of course, and everything’s relative.
Relentlessly pushing onward in one’s life is both necessary and slightly alarming. We mark the passage of time with birthdays, Christmas celebrations, annual traditions, sporting finals. Yet it seems we barely take time to pause, have a good look around,
As promised, a little more detail this week on what it’s like to visit a cigar trade show. A tobacco trade show to be more precise; and to narrow down the field to a precise point, the InterTabac in Dortmund,
A whirlwind tour, a book launch, a tobacco tradeshow, a bad back and not much sleep – a diary of how (or maybe how not, who knows?) to launch a book.
Crumbs. Another year rolls into Q4, as marketeers are so fond of calling it. It seems barely possible. The rest of the year has disappeared in a flash, we’ve won the cricket World Cup, lost the Ashes and here we
One of the things about cigars which gives me great pleasure is the way they have become inextricably linked with my experiences, travels, the people I meet and the places I go.
Are there certain brands you don’t get on with? It would be unusual if their weren’t. As with all things in life, we have our predilections and prejudices, however well concealed they may be. I bet you a pound to
Morning cigars are either something you know about or something you don’t. They could be described as being a bit ‘Marmite’; you love ‘em – or you hate ‘em. For some, nothing quite comes close to their first cigar of
It’s never too late to change. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and to a large extent, it’s true. Let’s face it, getting El Jeffe, Laurence Davis, to switch from smoking behemoth cigars several times a
Among the many things that the cigar offers those who take the time to get to know it, is the wisdom that comes with a balanced view of the world.
If you let it, the humble cigar has a lot to teach you. The simple, ritualistic, everyday action of selecting, lighting and smoking your chosen cigar can be taken allegorically, for example.
The sun didn’t steal the show, but it sure tried its hardest. In a dark corner of the Hyatt Regency Churchill hotel off London’s Portman Square, sat the real star of the evening.
Ah, the acrid waft of smouldering lighter fluid; the unmistakable crunch of carbonized pork products; the worryingly soft texture of undercooked chicken. Yes folks, barbecue weather is finally upon us.
If you love cigars, you may or may not also love the myriad of accessories that go with them. From cutters to lighters, travel pouches to carrying tubes, humidors, ashtrays, stands – you name it, you can buy it.
So, a cigar has been carried to (if not smoked at) the top of the world. Some stunt. Ukrainian-Cypriot Yevgen Staroselskiy – in conjunction with Phoenicia Trading AA, Habanos importers for the Middle East – toted a box of Saint
The Hamster Ratings are a mark of tongue in cheek respect from none other than Nick Hammond, master wordsmith and doyen of the Good Life.
English Summertime is forever linked with the sound of leather on willow. Whether you love or can’t stand the intrinsically British pastime of cricket, there’s no denying that the sound of bat on ball and the gentle ripple of applause
So much of a successful life – and by that, we mean a happy, fulfilled one – is about putting one foot in front of another. That sounds rather like over simplification, but the essence of the statement remains absolutely
Sometimes we forget to observe and enjoy the obvious. In our constant striving for something more, our attention tends to get focused on the exciting, the glamourous. The simple, little things get overlooked.
Weird how some things just go well together. Like fish and chips, or pie and mash. And sometimes in life, you’re lucky enough to find a place, a pastime – if you’re really, really lucky, a person – who just
What’s your biggest beef when it comes to cigars? While this blog is usually a paragon of hope, humour, optimism and happiness, we also realise that there are times when certain cigar things drive you mad.
Have you ever experimented with laying down cigars? It’s accepted practice when it comes to wine – and indeed vintage cigars have a certain cachè as well as as an increase in later sale price if they’ve been kept well
A cigar just does it for me. It really is as simple as that when it comes down to it, isn’t it? Sometimes you can find yourself justifying your love for the leaf over and over again; to your friends,
It’s interesting to note how your flavour and palate leanings change over time, seasons, moods, trends and – who knows? – maybe the gravitational pull of the moon as well.
Being a cigar lover is a bit like being a fisherman – with the quarry being an elusive cigar rather than a shimmering trout. We could stretch the analogy to tortuous limits and tell you that clipping and torching your
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall’s recent flying visit to Cuba caught the attention of cigar lovers in Sautter of Mount Street this week. Let’s face it – once you’re on the cigar bandwagon, any mention of Cuba within
There's something about the first faltering steps of Spring that set the heart soaring. The long, dark, night is coming to an end. There’s a bluish tint to the dawn, which means that although the halcyon days of hazy, lazy
If there was one piece of cigar advice you should clutch close to your heart it’s this; there’s no such thing as right or wrong.Sure, there are etiquette issues and cigar manners – like don’t sniff, slurp, lick and squeeze
Just like when you arrive at your favourite restaurant and first begin to peruse the menu du jour, there are times when certain cigars will call to you more than others.
Spending a week away in Havana with El Jeffe got us thinking. Just like anything else in this wonderful, rich, varied existence we lead, people have their preferences, their idiosyncracies, their quirks and personalities.
Returning from any great holiday is a come-down, but heading home after a hedonistic week in Havana is a real bummer. We know because we’ve just done it.
Sautter Cigars is no advertising agency. Cigars is what we know. And cigars is what we do. But when you’re in the cigar business, you get to know an awful lot of people in an awful lot of professions. From
There’s the trill of schoolchildren mixing with the sound of traffic. Dappled sunlight filters through the swaying leaves of gargantuan overhead trees. And a pair of cigar enthusiasts are having the time of their lives.
The art of handrolling cigars is one that’s easy to become blasé about. Once you’ve been around the cigar world for a while, you will get the privilege of seeing rollers quite regularly. While the travelling Havana expert roller itinerary,
There’s an old man who rolls cigars in a dilapidated barn on Hirochi Robaina’s finca. He’s now 83, and he’s been rolling cigars for more than half a century.
Cuba grows while you watch it. Everywhere you look, thick, green, verdant undergrowth; perhaps a rich slash of vermillion as a riot of flowers reaches for the sky. Tobacco is no different.
There are times in everybody’s calendar that world-weariness takes hold. It’s often around now, in the back-end of what has seemed an interminably long and grey-cloaked Winter.
We truly appreciate your support and are in the process of adding all our videos to our new Vimeo account https://vimeo.com/sauttercigars
The way cigars employs all the senses – including your sixth – is something to behold. Consider for a moment, how to select a cigar to smoke when the time is right. First, when you walk into the humidor, or
Named for the South American military man and lothario, Simon Bolivar, this mighty Cuban brand is rightfully a colossus among those who tend to reach for a strong, full-bodied cigar.
Are you a walk the dog sort of smoker – or a contemplative lounger, who prefers to be sitting down when he or she lights up We know we’ve discussed this in part before, but it’s worthy of a revisit
Sometimes perseverance is the key. There are times in this life that despite our previous efforts, despite our best intentions, despite every prayer, hope and faded dream – things don’t work out the way we wanted.
Have you ever been to a cigar dinner? They pop up every now and then and are, in general, an opportunity to be leapt upon as the wolf falls upon the lamb. The chance to gather with an intimate number
Sometimes the world gets on top of you. There’s always something to feel bad about, right? If you were Neolithic man, it was finding enough to eat and turn into the latest haute couture.
Sautter are not a bunch of Resolutionists, on the whole. We prefer to live our lives as best we can at all times rather than rely on a self-help reboot on January 1. However, as a line in the sand,
It’s essential, in our opinion, that you marry cigar, mood and moment to maximise your Quantum of Solace.
Christmas is the perfect time to meet your match. It’s a time of reflection and contemplation and the very pinnacle of cigar smoking enjoyment. Even Scrooge would look miserly if he moaned about your Christmas stogie.
Cigar people are among the most generous you’ll ever meet. As soon as cigar folks meet up – for the first time, or for the umpteenth – usually the first thing they do is reach for a cigar to give
Are you one of those who takes great delight in planning your time off – trying, wherever possible to fit cigars into your schedule? Plenty do. If you’re going on holiday, you’ll be planning what you might like to smoke
How big is your cigar ‘collection?’ Is it really a collection? If it were wine, it would be a ‘cellar’. If it were books, a library. A collection of cigars then, is perhaps a humidor – or more romantically, perhaps
Let us be the first to get this out of the way. It’s too early to be bandering around the C word, so we’ll use the term ‘festive giftbuying’ instead.
A man may grow up physically, but it’s an unfortunate truth that his mind may be left in the playground. One doesn’t have to look too far in the world political scene to find some fine examples of this phenomena
It could be entitled ‘All You Ever Wanted To Know About Cigars, But Were Afraid To Ask.’ It isn’t. It’s just called Cigar Training. But Sautter is the only retailer in the UK which offers it. And it’s a great
Sourced through exclusive auctions worldwide, Sautter cigars collect one -off designer trunks from top high-end designers such as Louis Vuitton, Goyard and Gucci which is then restored and turned into the ultimate cigar humidors.
There things that naturally go as well with cigars as fish does with chips or Lennon does with McCartney. Think cigars and Scotch, cigars and Cognac, cigars and coffee, cigars and celebrations. There are also things that may need a
Wherever a cigar lover goes, he or she has a little cigar-shaped portion of their conscious brain, always on the lookout. You know what we mean; you’ll be walking down a street in a city near or far and the
If you’re a regular at Sautter, you’ll probably understand that thinner is not always a winner here. Most of our regulars – and El Jeffe himself, of course – favour large cigars. In some cases, very large cigars. As an example,
One of the millions of things we love about cigars is that they’re there for you – no matter what. Like the faithful hound that is always pleased to see its Master, the trusty cigar passes no judgment.
A legend among cigarmakers and a byword for power beautifully blended, Partagás is one of Cuba’s most famous longfiller sons. The bold red and gold band; the Deontay Wilder, freight train punch; the Rosado wrappers; the exciting, sneeze-inducing smells of
To the uninitiated, wave after wave of 'Special Edition', 'Limited Edition' and 'Regional Edition' Havana cigars leaves a confusing trail of names, places, numbers and sizes. What are all these new cigars?
The cigar world is changing. You may not notice it much at the sharp end – where consumers buy and enjoy their cigars – but it’s changing nonetheless.
Noise, noise, noise. Sometimes that’s all you can hear. But you can’t make anything sensible out of it; like an aural version of not being able to see the wood for the trees.
Wait, wait, before you throw your screen through the window at yet another well-meaning attempt to decipher the unholy mess that is Brexit – we’re a cigar blog, remember?
Taste is a very subjective thing. That applies to both taste in terms of style and what you surround yourself with as much as to the actual physical sensation of tasting food and drink.
The past weeks have been a blast from the past. Summers like these only existed when we were kids right? When teachers at school took pity on you on hot days and allowed you to work outside on the grass.
It’s not very British to blow your own trumpet. In fact, it’s frowned upon, although maybe not quite so much as it once was. Today, after all, is the age of boasting what you’re up to on Instagram; having selfies
Do you know Hirochi Robaina? Allow us to introduce you. Hirochi’s grandfather, Alejandro Robaina, was up there with the most famous cigar men ever. The Cuban tobacco farmer lived to a ripe old age (into his 90s) and had a
Insider information. When it comes to cigars, you both need it – and should be wary of it. The cigar scene isn’t as sniffy as wine. You will find it easier to circumnavigate, not as confusing and with a lot
We’ve all been on holiday abroad and enjoyed a carafe or ten of local wine. Sun, sea, sand and sangria is a well-worn theme, but why is it that when that delicious bottle of local vino is home
The Silly Season is upon us, when families across the country are packed into under-sized suitcases and inappropriate motor vehicles and whisked away on holiday. The Great British holiday may not be the ice cream, kiss-me-quick-hat, hanky-on-head extravaganza it once
Hoyo de Monterrey is a legend among cigar Marques. Unusually, virtually the entirety of its current production portfolio is worth revisiting time and time again.
El Jeffe, Laurence Davis, has one of those big silver cigar cutter contraptions on his desk in most of his video blogs. It has a series of holes of various shapes indented in its metallic surface and when you poke
There's nothing like a cigar on a rainy day. Despite the fact that in this sceptred isle, we get more than our fair share of the soggy stuff, we still feel put out when we throw back the curtains of
There are so many things to love about a fine, handrolled cigar. Not least that they are always there for you – like a faithful hound – come rain or shine.
There was a time when your steamer trunk was attended to by your valet, but alas, that time has largely gone. These days, if you’re lucky enough to possess such a beautiful piece of travelling furniture you’re likely to have
Surely not…it can’t be! That large, pale yellow thing that hangs in the sky…is that SUN? If you’re like Sautter El Jeffe Laurence Davis, you’ll have seen it plenty this winter. He’s been jetsetting all over the world as usual,
Remember your cigars are your friend – and not just something to do with your hands
So, it’s Festival time in Cuba. The Habanos Festival has long been a goal for cigar lovers worldwide, but not everyone can up sticks, pack a dinner jacket as well as beach shorts and mossie repellent and escape freezing February
If this is you, then welcome to the club. We’d bet a pound to a penny that once you’ve sampled the delights of a well-aged Havana, you won’t look back.
Ooh, there’s a brand spanking new box of custard and ivory coloured smokes on the market! They’re a special, once-in-a-lifetime, first-come-first-served limited edition short run and by all accounts they’re selling out fast! Should I reach for the credit card?
There was a time when you had a cigar brand and you stuck to it. If you were a Montecristo man, Montecristo was all you smoked. There was a comforting rhythm to your everyday life – and your favoured cigar
Don't – however right you are convinced you might be – go around telling others how to enjoy their cigars. So, you like a well-aged Romeo y Julieta Cazadores – bully for you. That doesn’t mean everyone else should like
January can be a depressing time of the year – but it needn’t be. Use the opportunity to reassess your cigar hobby and what you get out of it…
The scent of clementines; the soft call of a carol on the wireless; the contented satisfaction of a full belly; a fresh round of arguments with relatives. It comes just once a year and if you’re a cigar lover, it’s
One of the great Cuban cigar houses has something to offer lovers of all types of cigars… For years, Montecristo claimed world’s best-selling cigar (Monte No.4). The brand is universally loved because of a distinguishing tang which all its fine
All day, every day? Once in a blue moon? Christmas special? When you’ve just had a baby? Everyone has a different perspective.
There’s an awful lot of crap spoken about cigars. About how you should and shouldn’t do things. About what rituals you’re supposed to observe and what’s good manners and what isn’t. Ignore it. Or at least most of it, anyway.
There are plenty of options for your hard-saved cigar money these days. So why should you splash the cash for Cuban? Read on…
A little cigar knowledge goes a long way – and gives you a greater enjoyment of your smoke.
The Cohiba Talismán – Habanos SA’s new Limited Edition cigar – was officially launched at London’s Corinthia Hotel on Tuesday 7th November night.
We have created two luxury members clubs in Shanghai. One is a standalone building and the other exists within a health spa.
Our popular Cuban cigar training course begins again on Saturday March 11th. The course will take place monthly at our Knightsbridge, London store and will be hosted by our very own Cuban beauty - Magali de la Cruz. On the day you
It is with great sadness and with a heavy heart that Sautters and the whole cigar community mourns the loss of Nic Wing. A man with such abounding energy, passion, generosity and a damn right good bloke should not be consumed
Friday July 29th at 6pm GMT Live from Sautter Knightsbridge We regularly receive very positive feedback from our YouTube videos, with a lot of people preferring the long format / discussion reviews. On Friday July 29th at 6pm live from Sautter Knightsbridge,
During Laurence's review of Cohiba Majestuosos 1966, he happened to accidentally stumble upon a personal best tower of ash. Laurence is known for many things surrounding cigar smoking (not all readily accepted by the online community) but there is one
Laurence was recently inspired when smoking the Cohiba Majestuosos which garnered his personal best longest ash. You can watch the video below (apologies for the quality, but our main camera failed on us). It's the first time we've ever seen him overwhelmed by a
Having won the Silver Chaveta award presented by Hunters and Frankau, I was very lucky to be attending the Habanos Cigar Festival in Cuba. The lovely Clare Keating from Hunters and Frankau organised the entire trip and, before I knew
Just a few months ago we witnessed the fastest selling Regional Edition cigar ever when the Ramon Allones 225 Anniversario cigars, especially made to celebrate the 225th anniversary of UK Habanos importer Hunters and Frankau, sold out in a couple
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