Scotch Racer

Rare cigars,sourced privatelyand stored right

A fine cigar collection is a living thing. Like wine, it changes with time, and like wine, its value depends on where and how it has been kept. A box that has spent years in the right conditions can be extraordinary. The same box kept badly is worth very little.

Scotch Racer sources and places rare, aged and limited-release cigars for collectors, alongside our whisky and wine. We work privately, by enquiry.

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Scotch Racer photograph for Rare cigars

What we source and place

We focus on premium hand-made cigars: limited editions, aged boxes, discontinued lines and well-kept collections. Much of the best non-Cuban tobacco comes from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, and we work across all of them.

We handle single boxes of note as well as whole humidor collections, including inherited collections where the owner is not sure what they have.

Cuban cigars and the United States

Cuban cigars are subject to the United States embargo on Cuba. Importing Cuban-origin tobacco into the US is prohibited, including cigars bought in another country, and mail-order and online purchases into the US are banned.

So we offer Cuban cigars only to clients outside the United States, for delivery outside the United States. We do not import, sell or ship Cuban cigars into the US, and we do not offer them to US clients.

Non-Cuban cigars are available to clients wherever the law allows.

What we check

  • Provenance. Where the box was bought and how it has been held since.
  • Storage. How the cigars have been kept: in a maintained humidor or climate-controlled storage, at the correct humidity and temperature.
  • Condition. The wrappers, the construction and any sign of damage, mould or pests.
  • The box. Its seals, stamps, codes and bands, checked against verified examples of the same release. Counterfeit boxes and bands are common at the top of the market.

If anything does not check out, we say so plainly and do not proceed.

Selling a cigar collection

The process mirrors how we handle whisky. Send photographs of the boxes, the seals and codes, and the cigars themselves, with whatever paperwork you have and a note on how they have been stored. We review them against recent comparable sales and tell you plainly what we see. See Sell your whisky for how assessments and offers work.

Every offer is indicative and not a binding contract. It is subject to receipt and inspection, to proof of ownership, and to the laws that apply where the cigars and the parties are. Scotch Racer may decline any purchase. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or investment advice.

Age and the law

Tobacco is for adults only. In the United States the minimum age to buy tobacco products is 21. Shipping and importing tobacco is regulated, and we arrange every delivery in line with the law where it is sent and received.

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Sources

  1. US rules on importing Cuban-origin tobacco, including cigars bought in other countries, and the long-standing ban on mail-order purchases: President Trump Tightens Sanctions on Cuba www.cigaraficionado.com (opens in a new tab)
  2. Federal minimum age of 21 for tobacco sales: Tobacco 21 Now in Effect, FDA Says www.convenience.org (opens in a new tab)

Questions, answered plainly

Frequently asked

Can I buy Cuban cigars from you in the United States?

No. Cuban cigars are covered by the US embargo, so we offer them only to clients outside the United States, for delivery outside the United States.

Do you buy cigar collections?

Yes. We assess single boxes and whole humidor collections, and either buy outright or find a private buyer, depending on the cigars and the law where they are held.

How should I photograph my cigars for an assessment?

Photograph each box on all sides, including the seals, stamps and any codes, then open it and photograph the cigars and their bands. Tell us how and where they have been stored.

Does storage really affect value?

Yes. Cigars kept at the wrong humidity or temperature can dry out, crack or develop mould. A clear storage history supports a stronger figure.

Continue reading

Begin, privately.

Tell us the bottle, or what you hold. Every enquiry is read by a person.

Begin a private enquiry