Our man on the inside has just come back from another existing trip to Andorra and we caught up with him this weekend to get more information on duty free prices of some of your favourite products. Here’s his latest report…
First, for all you losers who still smoke cigarettes (blah – these are bad for your health!) 200 Marlboro (why can’t the Americans learn to spell?) will set you back €29.95, which is roughly €15 less than you would pay in Spain and €33 less than in France. And back in Blighty, you tell me, you almost have to take out a mortgage! Enough on these, feh!
Now my favourite to topic, Cuban cigars. You may recall I bought a box of the very rare Immensos by La Gloria Cubana, which were perfectly sublime. Don’t let the fact that these beauties are made in the Partagas factory frighten you. Partagas are cigars that I find rather harsh, but La Gloria Cuban however, is a much milder smoke, rather floral and fruity but with a pleasant manly punch.
So, on my trip to the Principality this week I decided to really push the boat out and treated myself to a box of 10 Tainos also by La Gloria Cubana. The Tainos promise to be just as impressive as the mammoth Immensos. With a band width of 47 gauge and length of 7.25 inches, these are truly Churchillian. You really need long arms to light the end of these! Amazingly I discovered that my purchase was a vintage box, aged carefully by those friendly people in the Cigar Shop of Andorra, dated November 2004. And the price, dare I tell you? €94.50! Result of the year so far!
Now onto some other truely Godly products. Despite silly notions of separation, the Scots have a canny talent for making a spectacular range of whiskies that not even the Japanese have been able to copy. One of my favourites is the Lagavulin 16 year malt, the Marmite of all whiskies has that wonderful pungent taste of peat – I love it but need to have my Dubarry boots on to tackle the heavy earthy taste. Ahaah you hear me sigh, earthy but really heavenly!
Here are the sensational Pyrenees statistics on the Lagavulin: France €57.00, Spain €67.45, Andorra €34.95 and in the UK, well unless you’re a wicked banker, you’d only contemplate buying these in the Duty Free shop.
Cut The Capper Man About Town tells me he his particularly favourite tipple is the Ron Zacapa 23 anys, Rum from eastern Guatemala along the Rio Grande de Zacapa. If you’re not planning a trip to South America, you can get the amber nectar in France for €61.40, Spain €46.91, and Andorra, beat this – for €26.95! I bought him a bottle and am rather hoping he’ll share a wee nip with me…
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So there you have it, another instalment of Andorran awesomeness that bought us cigars, whisky and rum! Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Until next time gentlemen, keep on cutting.