The Proprietor Speaks

Greetings Cigar Enthusiasts,

What a race winning week we have enjoyed at Cigar-keep! With now well over a 1000 members (yes 1000!) all displaying their keeps, writing reviews and posting fabulous collage photos of their ashtrays and cigars - our community is growing like a healthy, tall tobacco plant in the hot, humid sun of the Vuelta Abajo!

The sheer range and depths of people's collections are just staggering and my heart aches when I see all these delicious, rare and aged cigars; which makes me worry - will I ever have a chance to find them and smoke them? Such is the extraordinary supply issue being faced by passionistas of our calling. 

Where did all the Cuban cigars go? There must be a conspiracy somewhere and no doubt a box set for Netflix will be made to tell the tale. Is there a Bond villain in a volcano hoarding them? Looking at some of the keeps on the site clearly some of you serious experts may be already filling this role. I greatly respect your large collections. The time and dedication you have invested is admirable - as someone said when confronted with the fact they owned 100,000 bottles of vintage wine: ' probably more than I need but not as much as I really want'!

In terms of us mortals with infant keeps, I was asked this week in our virtual cigar meet room '- what should I buy when I am on holiday in Canada?'

I simply said - 'EVERYTHING!' I have since been told that Canada is also empty.

But unhealthy panic buying aside, I am very excited about the new features we are adding to the site which answers these issues - a bulletin board for collectors to trade with each other, the ability to post video downloads and most stimulatingly, some extraordinary interviews by Tom Chamberlin of some of the greatest cigar aficionados of all time - so check regularly back for these. 

In the meantime - the future's bright - the future's Cuban!

Enjoy your cigars with the care and attention they deserve and have a first class weekend!