Romeo y Julieta

Cuban Cigar Festival Punctuated with Million Dollar Humidor Auction

The annual Habanos festival ended Friday with a million-dollar cymbal crash. The week-long event attracted cigar merchants, smokers and collectors from around the world to select, sample and savor ... all leading up to purchases, of course. The main attraction was an auction of ornate cedar and mahogany humidors packed with hecho a mano cigars, ultimately fetching $1.09 million. Hundreds may have attended, but only a small fraction walked away with that level of satisfaction.

The celebration came on the heels of an announcement by Habanos S.A. that its revenue only reached $360 million last year, an 8 percent decline from 2008. The new Romeo y Julieta that was unveiled at the event, designed to appeal to women, is ostensibly a direct response to two consecutive years of revenue declines. Since women comprise only 5 percent to 10 percent of Habanos' customers, the company is hoping that there's room for growth. The company is also relying on an economic recovery in Spain, which is its largest market.

Despite the new "ladies' line," the focus in Cuba last week was on the auction. The top humidor to move contained the new Cohiba Bieke cigar, fetching $681,000, close to two-thirds of the total. According to Oscar Basulto, Vice President of Habanos, this is the top premium cigar on the market – though I'm sure there are a few people in Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic who would disagree.

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Tags: auction, cigar, cigars, cohiba, cohibe-behike-cigar, cuba, cuban, cubans, Habano, habanos, havana, humidor, humidors, romeo y julieta, RomeoYJulieta

Seven His and Hers Recommendations for Valentine's Day: A Box of Chocolates and a Box of Cigars

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Dining

Of course, you don't have to stick to the gender stereotypes on this one. Men do enjoy chocolate, and I've met more than a handful of ladies who are happy to cut and light a double corona. So, feel free to mix and match as you see fit. You'll have all the tools you'll need to make the best choices, thanks to chocolate and cigar recommendations from Vin Lee, CEO of the Beverly Hills Cigar Club.

Some of the selections aren't surprising, according to Lee. "Obvious choices are the fine selections from Godiva, Lindt and Ghiradelli, but we thought we'd suggest some exotic chocolate indulgences you might not be aware of." He continues, "Chocolatiers can now be reached from anywhere around the globe. Our advisers did an exhaustive search, and the choices prove it was well worth it."

Let's start with eight chocolate recommendations that are sure to make your evening fantastic.

Tags: burlwood, cao, chocolate, chocolates, cigar, cigars, crumbs, Crumbs Bake Shop, CrumbsBakeShop, ghirardelli, gift, gifts, godiva, GodivaChocolate, GraycliffHotel, lindt, lindt chocolate, LindtChocolate, LindtLindorTruffles, Romeo and Juliet, romeo y julieta, RomeoAndJuliet, RomeoYJulieta, tatuaje, tatuajes, valentine, valentines, valentines day, valentines-day, ValentinesDay

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$16,000 Box of Pre-Embargo Cuban Cigars at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Spirits, Wine, Auctions

A rare box of pre-embargo Romeo y Julieta Cuban cigars stars in Christie's Fine and Rare Wines and Vintage Cigars sale in London this Thursday. Expected to fetch up to $16,000, the box of 100 cigars from Winston Churchill's favored brand, labeled "Selección de Luxe", was originally purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York prior to the enactment of the U.S. embargo against Cuba in 1962. The mint condition cigars in a wooden presentation case consist of 25 Petit Coronas, 25 Coronas, and 25 each of two sizes of Perfectos. Also featured in the luxurious sale are several cases of vintage Krug champagne, headed by a couple cases of Vintage 1985 estimated at about $3,000 each.

Tags: Champagne, Christies, Cuba, Cuban cigars, CubanCigars, Krug, Romeo y Julieta, RomeoYJulieta

Joseph Fiennes Attends Cigar Festival To Celebrate New Cigar

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

We recently mentioned the Fesitval del Habano that is taking place this week. In order to promote the new short Chuchill size from the Romeo y Julieta brand, they brought in Joseph Fiennes, famous for playing the bard in "Shakespeare in Love." It was Fiennes first visit to Cuba and her tossed off a few lines from Romeo and Juliet at the cigar festival. The festival will also bring the announcement of a new mystery cigar to celebrate the 40th birthday of Cohiba.

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Tags: cigar festival, cigars, cohiba, cuba, cubans, habanos, havana, romeo y julieta