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Kicked off at 12pm and finished up around 11PM as the last stalwarts made it home. It was messy. It was brilliant. It was a 60th to remember ....or not Great to see JohnS/Fuzz/Jason/West/Lana/Adam who flew in from interstate and overseas. 60 guests having a great time. Ken handing out my cigars telling the recipents that they were a gift from him. Steve (MoeFoH) and Wazza West Fuzz Smithy with the girls Fabian/Raky/smithy Wazz/Ken/Dteve/West/Fuzz/Stan/John/Jason Mum and Dad. Dad coming on 92 The magic Accountant (he makes bad things disappear) and Great mate, Artie. Ravi, Son Tom, Son Ben Rav's, Meaghan, Dean, PJ The Lads Raky, Greg, Dean The Cousins John. Wazz. Dave

It's an absolute elation to announce the birth of our beautiful daughter Sal, who decided to make her grand entrance into the world on the same day as her daddy. Her arrival has added a whole new dimension to my birthday, making it more memorable, enriched, and enchanting. We are overjoyed to share this unique gift and a lifelong celebration with her and all of you. As I witnessed the birth of my daughter and the blood my wife shed for her, a heartfelt appreciation goes out to my mom for the pain and suffering she endured exactly 54 years ago. This really reinforced the saying, life is precious, because someone is willing to make that sacrifice. Despite being officially 54 years old, I know today is the youngest I will ever be. Baby Sal has definitely given me an extended lease in life. I would certainly not take this for granted. Once again, just want to share our joy and happiness with all of you. God bless. 3707grams and 51cm 😘❤️

There are some on this forum that go above and beyond the definition of generosity. Months ago (several) I made a question in a thread as to what made the discontinued Diplomaticos 4 such a missed and revered little cigar. I also asked what were the core flavors of the cigar. A member here reached out to me and offered to send me a sample of a Dip 4 to try. Out of the blue. I gave him my info and despite several tries the postal system failed. I told him thank you for trying several times, the effort was worth far more than the cigar. Last week I received a PM from him giving me a tracking number. So, these arrived out of the blue and next Monday for my 58th celebration I will light one up! Cheers to the forum and all those with unbelievable amounts of generosity!

Far what is generally believed, Moderating on FOH isn't exactly a chore. Ken has kept his nose clean for a number of years now. It came as a suprise to him a few years back that we actually had a Moderators forum .....he discovered it accidentally......it was more of a suprise that he was the main topic. Ken is the only moderator who has been suspended. Suspended 5 times ..........longest suspension being 6 months Overall our mods do an excellent job in maintaining the culture of FOH. However that culture is largely enforced by members themselves. To mods and members I can only thank you. Existing Mods. Puro y Vino : Frank Ken Gargett: Ken Fuzz: Chris JohnS: John MoeFOH : Steve LordAnubis : Khalil ATGroom : Alex Our new mods were invited to join on the basis of their contribution and ability to take a line in correspondence that enhances discussion and illuminates balanced discouse in an online world where that is often lacking. On behalf of all members, I would like to welcome our newest mods: Chas.Alpha : Charles benfica_77 : Alex CaptainQuinero: Greg Congrats gents and welcome aboard

If I could summarise my week in emoji speak...... 🛫🫂 🫂 🛬 What a great week! George (LizardGizmo) picked me up from JFK. 18hr Flight was good and I managed to get enough rest to punt me through the week with not too much jetlag. I sincerely appreciate the advice given on the long haul thread about abstinence from alcohol on planes. It was duly ignored. Qantas may be the safest airline on earth but it certainly isn't the best, let alone in the top 10. Between the lack of wifi and old planes, it struggles to compete these days with the best of the Middle East and Asian carriers. Still, their drinks menu is excellent and they have an enviable reputation of ignoring "responsible service of alcohol" laws once Australian airspace has been left. You might as well play to your strengths. Where was I? ......yes George! I managed to clear immigration and collect my luggage through JFK International ....on a 4pm Friday afternoon.... in just under 25 minutes. There was literally no one there. Straight out to the pick up bay to be met by George and his pick up. God damn I love American cars. The second I saw it, I thought of the Canyonero song from the Simpsons. Can you name the truck with four wheel drive, smells like a steak and seats thirty-five. Canyonero! 12 yards long, 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American Pride! Canyonero! Top of the line in utility sports, Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts! Canyonero! George was beaming and handed me a MOFOH Robusto Trinity for the trip to Hawthorn. There was no one at the airport because it was now obvious that they were all on the road. George proudly told me that his Canyonero was his smoking truck and that due to the hard internal surfaces, it retained minimal cigar aroma. Good people, the aroma was like walking in to a fully packed cigar lounge at 11PM on a Friday night. I loved it!!!! Arrived at hotel (Hyatt Place Fair Lawn), dropped bags and George and I walked across to Prime steakhouse where Rob Fox was waiting for us smoking a Monte 2 and downing a beer. Mucho hugging and watery eyes. Hamlet joins us 30 minutes later. More hugging. George meets both for the first time. Off to dinner at Prime. Dinner was great, vibrant discussions, laughter, arguments, Hamlet ended up finishing his dinner at another table with some husband and wife. George will never be the same again. George picks us up 10am. Coffee. Off to Ten 85 cigar club where George has arranged 24/7 fob access. lounge was obviously quiet and I get to meet Dan (great guy). The tasting over the three days involved Hamlet, Rob Fox, Myself, George + at different times the LoungeLizard crew of Rooster, Senator, Pagoda, Grinder, Bam Bam and other Ten 86 members. Effectively the hours of work were 10:30am - 3am. One fine restaurant meal was enjoyed daily. No one was hurt. Tasting Cigar One : MOFOH Sovereign Son "Half Corona" 44 x 4 Exactly what I wanted in a Half Corona. H. Upmann half Corona meets Montecristo Medio Corona in a Half Corona members can afford. Bloody brilliant. To be released in May 2025. final price point not determined (need to assess the Tariff of that week). However affordable. Result: ✅ Tasting Cigar Two: Bond Roberts Mareva Surprise packet of the three days for me as this is the first time I had tried it. Fast forward, when I passed this around for a tasting (at different times over the weekend), my standard for all tasters was that this Mareva needed to be as good if not better than a Montecristo 4 and Por Larranaga Petit Corona. Unanimous feedback from all....it was superior. The Mareva will go into production next month. Result: ✅ Tasting Cigar Three: Bond Roberts Robusto So God damn close. Very different Robusto to the MOFOH Robusto Trinity. Far more nuanced and complex but the consensus was that while it was 85% there, it need a touch more mid palate spine. Back for final reblending but this is expected to be a brilliant cigar when we take it out for another tasting circuit run. Result: further Tasting Cigar Four: Bond Roberts Dalia The Dalia fought with the 109 and Fenomenos for the title of cigar of the tasting. Bloody stunning. Amazingly complex. Unanimously lauded. Straight into production now. Result: ✅ Tasting Cigar Five: Reblend MOFOH Spada Gorda I wanted to reblend the Spada Gorda to give an incremental increase in richness. Hamlet nailed the brief. Result: ✅ Tasting Cigar Six through 10 : MOFO Robusto Trinity Maduro. MOFOH Spada Gorda Maduro DESNUDO Queen Corona Maduro DESNUDO Lancero Maduro MOFOH Fat Fundy Maduro I will lump all these together. It quickly became apparent that this Maduro wrapper did not work with the existing blends at all. It was a long shot as we wanted to have a play with a good looking Maduro wrapper but it just wasn't ready or just wasn't right. This is why you do tastings Result: ❌ Tasting Cigar 11: Bond Roberts 109 While not a new blend, we brought these along so that the Ten 86/Lizard team would have the chance to smoke them before release later this month. Consensus is that what we have here is a world class cigar. We are in Winston territory. Result: ✅ Tasting Cigar 12: Fenomenos Surprise packet of the weekend for me. This is a big cigar, 54 x 7 +. It was blended by Hamlet 8 months ago as a gift for Foxy, Rav's and myself. The blend was so good I knew we needed to bring it into production. I still don't know where it will fit but it will be in production this year. The level of complexity of this cigar (agreed by all) was sensational. Fights with the Dalia and the 109 as cigar of the tasting weekend. Result: ✅ Tasting Cigar 13: Flying Pig This one split the tasting group down the middle. Half loved it where it is now but I was in the other half that believed a reblending for its opening was required. Hamlet and I argued. In the end I won. Back for a reblend. Result: further We wrapped up on the Monday Night with Hamlet and I doing an onsight Lounge Lizard Podcast with the team. May the lord help George edit that gibberish. I can't hank George enough for his time, friendship and generosity. I extend that to the rest of the Ten 86 crew. You have something very special going on. And so, George dropped me back Tuesday at 1:30am for a 3:30 am driver pickup for a 6am flight to LAX. I caught up with Larry (x2), Rob, Don, Jose at Redondo that night for a great laugh and fine cigars. Another great crew in the world of cigars. Wednesday was my final day in the US and it culminated in a long lunch with Mike (BigGuns), or 2024 FOH Man of The year. Off to Avra Beverly Hills we went which is becoming a tradition for our meetups. What a lunch! What post lunch fun at the local cigar lounge where we bumped into several members whom I joined later for drinks. Why don't I ever go home at a reasonable hour Thank you all for a superb week. ....Loved the truck George!

I am very proud to announce "BigGuns" Mike Morgan as our FOH Man of the Year Mike is a stellar member, friend to all, tequila expert (code: "heavy drinker"), stalwart of our FOH Zoom sessions and tasting panel member of our Nudie/Desnudo project. Lover of the Raiders, LA gangster apparel and good times.....Mike taught me that 5 star Greek food actually exists ...as does high end Ouzo!!! Mike follows on from Charles (Chas.Alpha), John S, Fuzz. If you are judged by the company you keep, you are doing alright Mike Congrats Mate!!! Steve will touch base to arrange your Tshirt.

Spent two weeks in Italy recently. I love going there. Don't need a reason to. But this time around, I kind of did. My uncle collapsed twice on Xmas day 2023 literally crossing the street to go have XMas dinner with his daughter. Halfway across the street he fell down. No damage done fortunately, but he regained his senses and toughed it out. Next day, same deal. Walked across the street with his nephew to have lunch at this daughter's place. Same deal. Fell. This time they made him go to the hospital. Turns out he needed a stint. He has a week or so long stay in the hospital and then had to take it easy when he got home. By April he was himself again. He had regained most of his energy but relegated himself to taking it a bit easier going forward. He's an early riser and walks everywhere in town. He had asked when I was going to visit when I called him back in February. I finally got a trip booked and went. I arranged things with my cousin, she suggested I spend a week with him and then extended an invite to come with her and her husband to Sardinia. Fortunately, we get along fantastically. She said her sons and his caregivers would have him covered while we were away. I've never been to Sardinia so I accepted! I spent a great week hanging out with my uncle, catching up, running errands, etc. Quick backstory. This uncle is on my father's side. They kinda look the same and got up to the same antics growing up. My father passed away 30 years ago. Getting to know my uncle more over the years has filled in the void a bit. His memory is razor sharp and he regaled me with tons of stories. Even after his heart issues, he hasn't suffered mentally. When the week came to an end we said our goodbyes. I do hope I'll be able to visit him again soon. He tells me that his doctor said the stint is good for 15 years so he's determined to get his moneys worth! 😁 Our trip to Sardinia started up in Bolzano and involved a roughly 4/5 hours drive to Livorno to catch an overnight ferry to Sardinia. We made great time on the way down, so we decided to spend several hours in the Tuscan town of Lucca. We stopped at a nice old restaurant for lunch. Carbornara will black truffle caught my eye, so I ordered it. ZERO regrets! Enough background info. I'll get to the cigar details now. My excursions into various cigar shops in the Bolzano area were quite unsuccessful. The one big shop only had Cohibas, Trinidads, RyJ Serie Dor. The expensive stuff. The shop owner did pull a box of RASS out back. I bought two sticks at 15E each and six packs of Partagas Chicos for my walks with my uncle. Other shops in Bolzano only had NC's. Mostly Davidoffs. Nearby in Merano, same deal. Did find a 10 count box of P2's. Each stick was 22E. I passed. The Cuban cigar shortage is real it seems. Most humidors were 80% empty. This is the lineup I brought from home. The Lanceros were smoked with my other cousin, who is a retired Carabinieri. He's smoked Cubans before he says. The CoLas were absolutely stunning, he couldn't believe how good of an experience it was. Below is a snapshot of the cigars smoked over the trip. A trip to Italy always involves good food, so here's a taste. Some beers and Pork Schitzel at the Forst brewerey in Merano. (The Alto Adige/Sud Tyrol region of Italy is officially bilingual. German/Italian. It is claimed Austrian territory) Eggplant Parmeson with Sardinian flat bread (Pane Carasau). Like a papadum. Very addictive. Mixed seafood fry. At our "resort" we pre-booked a roast pig dinner. We received an antipasto plate and a big wooden basket of chopped, roasted piggy with some sides. We cooked a lot of meals in our cabins. My cousin and her husband had a lot of great recipes. These two pasta dishes blew my mind. First up. Pasta with Bottarga (basically dried, cured fish eggs. Kinda stinky but delicious). Bottarga is a Sardinian delicacy. Won't find it elsewhere in Italy apparently. Some Bottarga is warmed up in some olive oil to flavour it. Then when done, you sprinkle it on a bit as is. Next. Pasta with anchovies and olives. Olive oil was warmed up gently and the anchovies were added. If done right, they melt into the oil and disintegrate, leaving the flavour and specks of evidence that there were whole anchovies in there. Also drank several types of Sardinian wines and beers. Great place to visit. We probably hit about 5 public beaches. A couple of them stretched for several kilometres. White to grey sands, blue/green waters. Catching up with relatives from my father's side is always a hoot. Most of my mother's family came here (Toronto). I didn't grow up with these folks but my two oldest brother did (technically). My family left Italy in 1967. My brothers were 7 & 8YO. My oldest brother still remembers the people and places there. Can't wait to go back!

Good news for Desnudo/MOFOH/Bond Roberts lovers. N8 Churchill, N2 Piramides will be back in stock in a few weeks. New Sovereign Suns Half Corona (44x4) will be available at the same time. Bond Roberts 109 and Petit 109 50’s ship in a few weeks. Big News. We have moved to our own Fabrica 5 operation to a small boutique Danli factory . We have worked with our core team there on and off for 2 years. Hamlet will oversee all aspects of our Fabrica 5 faciltiy. The reasoning behind the move to the new fabrica was to gain full control over all aspects of what we do. We will continue in the future to collaborate with Oscar Valladares on special projects but my/our heart is in a “boutique” sole purpose operation. We are growing at a breakneck (insert “alarming”) pace and we needed to sow the seeds for 2027/28 and beyond. I love Oscar and his best wishes for success go with us. He gave us our start in Honduras and it is something that I will never forget. Our current quality is very good. I want it to be great across all of our brands. Our blending is superb but I want it to go to the next level where we push the boundaries. There will be new sizes, new blends, maduro’s, and with the assistance of design guru Angel Miranda, interesting and functional packaging on our BR products as we move deeper into International and domestic US markets. We are not Habanos, Padron, Arturo Fuente, Pepin. They all make excellent cigars and so will we as we continue to carve out our own niche. We can only continue to do this with your assistance and support. I know we have it. Light up a cigar, pour a drink and continue to join us on this wild ride. I will post some photos from Fabrica 5 in the coming days as they are sent from Hamlet. Loving the sorting of those large gorgeous Jamastran leaves

I always see the 4 day Easter weekend as a good time to reflect on the first 1/3rd of the year. I see FOH members as shareholder mates and as such I don't have any problem sharing my thoughts. Hell, many of you have been on this journey for 20 years and in some cases more. 2025. It has been hectic. It hasn't been easy, however overall I would give it a solid score of 8/10. FOH Stock situation has slightly improved. PCC have looked after us as best they can. Compared to many retailers across the globe, in the stock supply situation, we would be in the top 5%. I am concerned in regards to pricing (Habanos increases), but they are not hurdles we haven't faced before. We all know Cuba is in dire straights and the "new" bottom of the barrel started midway through 2024. I suspect we will feel some of those pressures transferring to stock supply in the second quarter of 2025. We will see. There has been an influx of new members into FOH in 2025. You are all welcome and I have to say thank you for the way you have integrated as well as to how existing members have welcomed you on board. This is a great house. You are all custodians of this house. A heartfelt thank you to all the mods + Diana, Lisa and the team. Best in the business. Any business. BR Auctions Continues to go from strength to strength. Alexander Groom, Ben Ayala and Alex Retamal have done a magnificent job. In terms of skill sets, those three names would be in the top 2% of Habanos authority/authenticity. The world of Habanos authenticity is increasingly challenging. You are in good hands. There is a new BR Auctions platform being rolled out late May 2025. it is a serious upgrade and that upgrade will allow a host of new features being progressively rolled out for the remainder of 2025/early 2026. BR Cigars The 109 will be launched internationally in May 2025 (expect third week). This is a magnificent cigar. Following the 109 will be 4 new vitolas launched between May and December 2025. I will detail those vitolas further upon my return from blending and tasting duties on the 5th of May. Angel Miranda is in charge of packaging and there are some exciting concepts for me to approve. Again I will see them presented next week. We were hampered in production 2nd half of 2024 with a lack of appropriate wrapper. That has now been solved and we are now good for 2025/26/27. Rob Fox, Hamlet Paredes and I have a big week ahead. Nudies/MOFOH Hamlet is like a kid in a candy store. Our new factory commenced being built in January of this year and is now fully operational. Hamlet, Sergio and Nahun are doing a brilliant job. We had previously suffered second half 2024 with lack of appropriate wrapper. Like BR, that has now been solved. We will have full lines of Desnudo and MOFOH stock available within 3 weeks + 4 new lines being rolled out progressively including the Sovereign Suns Half Corona + which is an absolute cracker. There is nothing that we cannot do. I intend to take you on the ride alongside us. This factory is your factory. Our FOH tasting teams will have their hands full in the next 4-5 weeks as we plot our course for back-end 2025 and beyond. Summary Good start to the year. The tariff imbroglio has put us a month behind target but that appears to have settled down for now. There will be some price increases for Nudies/MOFOH as they are direct imports into the US distribution channel and hence 10% Tariff hit as of 10 days ago. I won't move the pricing until I have to.

First night in Zermatt. First cigar in a week is an Ambar, with a Negroni. I love this place already, and I haven't even been skiing yet. Cigar lounges all over. This one is right in my hotel.

Well tomorrow April 1st my wife and I celebrating our 59 wedding anniversary. Thinking back nobody on both sides of our family gave us more than 2-3 years. We showed them all how it's being done. 4 years into our marriage, we had enough with their interference so we packed up and immigrated from Germany to Canada. It was not always easy but we prevailed. Cheers to us🍾

In 2011, I, Canadianbeaver, joined FOH. The Canadian groups in Toronto and Montreal were beautifully organized by members, many who are still active today. 🥰⭐️🇨🇦. The semi annual events introduced us to a cigar friend who we met in person maybe a couple of times back then. Later, we kept in touch on Facebook and on messenger so much we still traded cigars together 14 years later. Claus Stetter aka Lotusguy is not on FOH these days but many know him so I thought this would make you smile. The guy on the left in the first pic is Matthew, my husband. This is the road to his house, the view in his backyard and a wild peacock that walks around everyone’s backyards near San Jose California. The steaks were cooked perfectly for dinner! FOH has been around a long time and we travel all over to meet fellow members. We are grateful for this incredible cigar interest and 14 years is a good start. CB

Christmas sampler review prize from our host. Thanks once again to our great host on this!

H.Upmann Sir Winston - ROM May 2017

Hamlet spent a day with our farmers today.

CoLa

Fabrica 5 is is in full swing producing the new MOFOH Sovereign Suns. Pictures from the tables overnight. H. Upmann Half Corona girth, Trini Reyes length. 44 × 110 mm (4⅜″) Profile is very much Trini. The blend is the one unanimously chosen by our tasting panel in mid 2024. Thanks again fellas. Lack of appropriate wrapper held us up in the back end of 2024. Much of that has now been solved but we are still a tad short on large wrapper for the next month. Who isn't . Glass half full...we came across beautiful wrapper that was considered too small and was destined for filler. MOFOH Sovereign Suns. Problem solved Small cigars make no economic sense in the US NC world where every cigar regardless of size has an import duty/tax rate of 49 cents. I will take one for the FOH team as I need something to replace my Reyes. Pricing will be released end of the month but it will be under our N4. 50's. and 5's samplers. I would be looking end-March release.

Fundadores

The common practice in gifting a cigar to smoke to a person new to cigars is to give them a cigar like the Montecristo No.4, as this cigar is considered a good introductory cigar. Last weekend, my son George caught up with a friend from his undergraduate university course, Ignacio. Ignacio was born in Argentina, was raised in Australia and has family in France so the afternoon proved to be quite fruitful in regard to the topics discussed. Personally, I was surprised with how much Spanish I knew when we were talking about the historical reputation of Habanos cigars from Cuba. So, did we start with a Montecristo No.4? Of course not! My EOT Sep 2015 Cohiba Siglo IV has been my favourite go-to box in the last month so why not start with that? As Ignacio wasn't familiar with an aged Cohiba cigar he just enjoyed the smoke. Afterwards, my son wanted a Montecristo No.4 so I opened a UEB Mar 2018 box. Thankfully, the three of us has Monte 4s that were 'on'. Ignacio said that he could taste the distinct flavours in his Monte 4. I happened to have some Fernet-Branca in my bar, so we enjoyed all this with some Fernet con Cola (the national drink of Argentina). It was quite an afternoon and I enjoyed passing on some knowledge of our shared hobby.

After I posted the Punch 8-9-8 Edición Regional Asia Pacifico review last year, I realised there were many cigars that I had yet to review in my collection. One of my cigar review project plans was to cover the short- and medium-length cigars, such as Partagás Serie D No. 4 and H. Upmann No. 2, but it fell far behind the schedule due to the global spread of COVID-19. Also, I was eager to smoke shorter cigars for a change, having not puffed on them since the Juan López Selección No. 2 and Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios reviews. Hence, I decided to review Partagás Serie D No. 4 at Ash & Bloom, a cigar lounge I had recently discovered online. Partagás Serie D No. 4 is one of the oldest Partagás cigars, having been around since the pre-1960s. It was originally released as a part of the iconic Alphabet Series (unlike today, the line featured Serie A through D and consisted of 16 different cigars: Serie A No. 1–4, Serie B No. 1–4, Serie C No. 1–4, and Serie D No. 1–4) in the 1930s for the British market. It continued to be sold even during the Cuban Revolution, but it suddenly became unavailable for some time when all Partagás Alphabet Series cigars were discontinued in the mid-1960s. Fortunately, thanks to the rise in popularity of Robustos, it reappeared in 1975 and has remained a regular production cigar in the Partagás catalogue from then. Since this Cuban Robusto is now one of the top three best-selling premium Cuban cigars, and many cigar aficionados praise the quality of current Partagás Serie D No. 4 boxes, I'm excited to try it. As I step inside Ash & Bloom, the whiskyphile cigar lounge, a large collection of whiskies immediately catches my attention. Their whisky range is so vast that they have a variety of whiskies, including Springbank, as well as rare independent bottlings and vintage whiskies that aren’t on the menu. In addition to whiskies, they also have various liquors, such as cognacs and rums. The interior is contemporary, warm, and cosy, yet it still maintains a classy atmosphere, much like any other luxurious cigar lounge. Their cigar storage vessel is a small desktop humidor on the bar counter, which contains both Cuban and non-Cuban cigars for their customers. There are designated indoor and outdoor cigar zones at the B&M, and I opted to puff on my Robusto on their cigar balcony, as the weather was cool enough for enjoying cigars outside. What I like the most about the cigar lounge is the owner's deep cigar pairing knowledge; he recommended Springbank 12 Cask Strength Batch 25 and 1980s White Horse (an unexpected welcome drink) when I asked him what would be suitable to pair with. Partagás Serie D No. 4 starts with the signature Partagás pepper, spice, and tobacco blast, along with earth, hay, cream, and the classic Cuban twang. As the cigar progresses, the taste shifts into a rich yet mellow blend of bitter chocolate, cocoa, and coffee; cedar, leather, and wood; toasted almonds and nuts; and roasted paprika. At the end of the cigar, it transforms into a smoky, delicately fruity, and subtly sweet profile, resembling sweet potatoes and a mug of aged Lapsang Souchong black tea. Overall, it's a bold, complex, and outstanding cigar, exhibiting all the characteristics that every full-bodied Cuban cigar should have. For those who are familiar with me, I've always preferred longer cigars, as I find them more enjoyable and relaxing than shorter ones. However, despite being only three years old (SOR OCT 21), the Robusto offers a fantastic Partagás experience without any harshness, making me wish it were a little longer. I can see why recent Partagás Serie D No. 4 productions (since 2020) are considered one of the rising stars these days. It's indeed a "Magnificent" (4/5) standard-sized Robusto! Springbank 12 Cask Strength Batch 25 begins with intense and powerful salt, smoke, wood, hay, malt, oak, butterscotch, caramel, and raisin notes at the nosing stage. Then, as I sip this renowned Campbeltown single malt whisky, a mixture of sweet, syrupy, and smooth almond, chestnut, nuts, dark chocolate, orange, mango, cinnamon, honey, red grape, liquorice, citrus, coconut, vanilla, spices, and pepper explodes in the mouth with a spicy kick. At the end, the whisky delivers a delicate and pleasant medium-long finish with lingering notes of berry, cedar, tobacco, and toffee, as well as a slight hint of salty seawater. I've never had either cask strength whiskies or peated whiskies before. However, I'm impressed that it's surprisingly delightful, fantastic, and well-balanced despite its high alcohol content (57.2%). What makes it even better is it perfectly blends both Oloroso sherry and Bourbon casks without ruining their unique characteristics—a feat that is challenging to achieve. This demonstrates why Springbank is among the most prestigious Scotch single malt whisky distilleries. Hopefully, Springbank single malt whiskies will be more widely accessible across the world in the future! In contrast to Springbank 12 Cask Strength Batch 25, White Horse from the 1980s opens up with bright and fresh banana, smoke, malt, pear, lemon, and honey fragrances at the nosing stage. Then, as I sip this vintage blended Scotch whisky, a mixture of light and subtle cinnamon, sugar, wood, vanilla, salt, tarts, medicinal herbs, smoked cheese, mango, and dragon fruit gently coats the mouth with a slight hint of underlying citrus. At the end, the whisky delivers a smooth and spicy medium finish with lasting notes of oak, orange, and custard, as well as sweetness and smokiness. Although I preferred Springbank 12 Cask Strength Batch 25, I still find this White Horse special and captivating, as it's my first vintage whisky experience, and its blend is based on Lagavulin, one of the Scotch single malt whiskies I've yet to try. Besides, it tastes better than Chivas Regal 12-Year-Old, one of the most unmemorable whiskies I've ever had. I can't wait to sample Lagavulin 16-Year-Old from the 1980s because it differs from the current Lagavulin 16-Year-Old in terms of taste—much like the White Horse! Spending time at Ash & Bloom is an absolutely satisfying cigar lounge experience. The comfortable ambience of this cigar lounge, along with access to the cigar balcony, allows me to do a cigar review in a relaxed manner under the autumn night sky. I really like the fact that they have such an extensive collection of whiskies, and the owner is well-versed in cigar pairings. Additionally, they permit me to bring my own cigar by paying the BYOC fee, which is particularly important for those seeking BYOC-friendly cigar B&Ms, like me. Even though it's located farther away, I'd love to visit again, and I highly recommend this whiskyphile cigar lounge to anyone who wants to enjoy cigars in a legitimate whisky haven. Address: 44, Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul Hours: Mon-Sun 18:00-02:00 (6:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.) Phone: 010-8975-1591 Cigar Corkage: 20,000 KRW/cigar (has discount of KRW 5,000 per drink) Cover Charge: Free of charge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashnbloomlounge/ Note. This cigar review was held on October 13, 2024. It took 1 hour and 20 minutes to puff on Partagás Serie D No. 4, which was 5 minutes longer than my usual smoking time for Robustos. There are more rooms on the second floor, but it's strictly reserved for groups (e.g. big cigar herf). As I mentioned above, their whisky selection is so diverse, that you might be able to try some rare bottles that aren't on the menu.

GR Sir Winston after a great day with family and a delicious tenderloin roast.

Landed in Nice an hour ago. @ElJavi76 and I immediately broke out the Talismans UAO SEP 17. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July!

‘03 Hoyo Piramides EL - Lately I’ve been digging deep through my boxes looking for gems from many years ago. I had forgotten these for a long time. It’s been years since I smoked one. The better EL’s smoked great fresh including these beautiful cigars. Cocoa, espresso, mocha goodness. Another that hasn’t seemed to change even after more than 20 years. Wild.

Monte Esp1, NNSA VC2 (NOV ‘96).

HdM DC Have a great one all 🥂

Been looking for this particular jar for quite some time and finally managed to get my hands on one. Such a gorgeous piece. And the aroma emanating from it is simply exquisite.

You have all been there before I am sure. The perfect weekend away planned .......and then God has a cackle Background. For my 60th, my two sons arranged a 2 day fishing trip 4 1/2 hours drive away in country Queensland at Lake Monduran which is a legendary big Barramundi fishing locale. This is what a big Barramundi looks like at Lake Monduran. No....this isn't us. Lake Monduran is a trek to the middle of nowhere and a 34 square mile water monolith filled with woody hiding spots for this brilliant sportsfish. We thought it would be a good idea to tow the boat up. Myself and the two sons (Ben and Tom) have equal shares in the boat and looked forward to taking the boat out in this mythical big fish lake. Still, I know my stuff and decided to hire one of two professional guides on this massive expanse of water. We were to do two sessions with "Jake" ....one on the Friday evening and one on Saturday morning /half day. Ben had it worked out. 4 1/2 hour road trip, leave 8am, lunch at a country pup in the town of Gin Gin (population a couple of 100) 20 minutes out from lake Monduran, check in at 2pm to the three bedroom lake house and meet Jake at 4PM for the evening fish. As a dad, I took it upon myself to take up copious beers, rum, whiskey, tomahawk steaks, sausages, eggs, bread rolls and 4 loose leaves of salad (for dressing). What could go wrong? 90 minutes from our destination, both tyres on our boat trailer blew on the highway. Yep...the other one was much the same. Ben was driving and he safely pulled over off the highway but we were in a pickle. One spare, two tyres down, nearest town (Maryborough) 30 minutes away and not much chance of finding the exact wheels for our trailer at nearing 12:30Pm on a Friday. We put a plan in action. Decouple the boat/trailer on the side of the road and the lads scoot off to Maryborough to do their best. I stayed with the boat. One wheel/was eventually found in Maryborough. Another eventually found in the town of Childers a further 30 minutes away. I had a litre of water and a cigar while I waited. It was around 33 degrees Celsius, humid and on a freeway. We eventually got it sorted 3 1/2 hours later and were back on our way. I had a nice little case of heat stroke and a splitting headache. We rolled into Monduran at near 6PM. I had travelled to Hong Kong quicker the week prior. Jake was waiting for us on the boat ramp and I told the boys to go and fish without me. I needed a beer, a rum a cigar and some down time. They dashed out.....to the wrong boat ramp... but eventually caught up with the ever patient Jake. Jake runs a professional bass boat imported from the USA. More screens that the space shuttle with a livescope set up on the front. I haven't witnessed a livescope in action before but essentially for the non fisherman out there, you find the fish, you cast to the fish and you see everything in glorious real life as you bounce the lure off the fishes head. The fish were timid. Ben landed a nice one and Tom dropped a 1.2 metre Barramundi next to the boat. he didn't quite tie his knot correctly. Devastated to say the least but all was looking promising for the morning session with Jake. The lads arrived back to the house at midnight and fishing was scheduled again for 4:30am. This was Ben's night time catch. One day he will look at his first child like this. We hit the water early. it was going to be a Barramundi slaughter. 8 hours on the water. Travelled maybe 40 km. Livescope was working brilliantly. We were bouncing lures off the head of giant fish. It was hot as Hades but we were pumped. Fish Tally: 0 Jake our guide was devastated but told us that if they were not biting in the am they would be biting late afternoon early evening as the "Barra" needed to feed. He instructed us to take our boat out at 4Pm and fish through to 9pm. The "bite window' was 6Pm to 9PM. he sent through some fishing marks on the other side of the lake where we would no doubt be in Barramundi heaven. We jumped in the boat at and travelled across this mammoth tree filled lake at 4:30Pm and gunned it for 45 minutes before flicking our lures in great anticipation of the "bite window". Nada. Zilch. It was getting dark and so we made a plan to head back in this unfamiliar water moonscape to a place closer to the home. Made sense as there was no moon and becoming darker and darker as the minutes flew by. Our boat light went out. Let me cut this short. it took us near 4 hours to head back at 5 knots as we could only see a few metres ahead us at a time. I couldn't take a photo as it was too dark. It started to rain. Back at the house on midnight, we were mentally and physically knackered. We decided on a relatively early departure and hit the local Gin Gin bakery for a few of their famous meat pies. Ben talked up this bakery over the weekend no end. I don't eat meat pies as a rule but after this weekend from hell I was going to indulge. A good feed and then 4 1/2 hours drive home. Unfortunately we hit traffic coming into Brisbane so 5 1/2 hours. No problem, the pies would make up for it. The bakery was closed. .....it was a great "bonding" weekend

Serie du Connaisseur No 3 POS MAY 06

EBR AGO 24

When I think of the fun, camaraderie and all-round good vibes of this wonderful forum, I think of members like @Connoisseur Kim. His good cheer and positivity over years has been much appreciated. Our dear Kim hasn't been around since the beginning of December (about six weeks ago). I'm hoping the recent political instability in South Korea has not had an impact on Kim. I would think not. Otherwise, Kim enjoyed a birthday a few weeks ago (N.b. The image above was uploaded a few years ago at the tail-end of the Covid-19 pandemic from the start of 2020 to the end of 2022). I'm looking forward to him returning and being his jovial old-self. No doubt some of you will chime in below!

Great shots David. Well done Fantastic time. Intimate, friends, great vibe, excellent cigar, laughter a plenty.

2003 Lusi

Lusi BUP SEP 19 E2 SOU FEB 22

New patch, the perfect patch. LGC MdO No. 4 - OSU JUN 2002 Punch Royal Selection No. 12 - SOL DIC 2005 Partagas Shorts cab of 50 - BFI MAY 2005 HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux cab of 50 - RSE APR 2003

2003 Vegas Robaina 5 Aniversario Humidor Unicos Special 5th Anniversary band. Numbered humidor of 100 cigars (500 produced). A 2003 release. Intended to be released in 2002. s'mores, black cherry, peanut butter

1990 Monte Especial No 2.

Fantastic Fundie from last night. ARS MAY 19 Just grateful that I went deep on these beforehand.

Lusi

1998 BCE this afternoon

BHK 54. Masters Sunday, perfect weather in South Florida, house to myself for the afternoon…all the excuses I need to light up something special.

Cohiba Siglo II - LTO Feb 2013

Sorry for taking an unexpected long break with sudden, and I thank you for still remembering me despite of my hiatus. I was planned to upload Kimfessions D4 review in last year. However, as @JohnS mentioned above, the situation in my country is in peril since last December, and because of that I couldn't focus on FOH and Kimfessions for a while other than joining peaceful protest against my president's madness. The progress of Kimfessions D4 review is somewhere between 70%-80%, and I believe that it will finish soon, since the rest are introductory about D4/cigar lounge and conclusion. I hope you have a Happy New Year 2025 and my country will be prosperous and peaceful once again.

Edmundo Dantes Conde 54 Edición Regional México 2011. Exceptional cigar.

I only post this as quite a few of you have inquired as to how the self enforced fitness regime has gone. Coming to the end of it now so it is not a bad time to reflect. I had a great time in April/May of this year having arrived back from our 5 week OS BR Petit 109 launch program. I love travelling with DI and it is fair to say that we don’t leave too much undone when we do get away. The end result was a few more kilos/pounds on the frame and realisation that I had a ton of work to do with the BR expansion, FOH Nudies/MOFOH lines, navigating the new world of Habanos, house refurbishment, new BR Auction site development and the rest of the normal things that come along being a husband, father, son all while reaching closer to turning 60 in February. It was as good a time as any for a “reset” and hence the concept of a 100 day program. I had some health issues going back 7 years ago which were largely a result of lifestye excesses. This industry combined with an addictive personality/love of life can see things get out of hand. Back then I weighed 110 Kilograms /242 pounds and through the help of my PT and a changed approach, I managed to get to and keep at 82 kilograms/180 pounds. I retuned from the US/Hong Kong in May of this year at 89kg/196 pounds and knew that I needed to take some firm action. My diet hasn’t changed too much. I eat clean as it is, intermittent fasting I have done for several years. Overall, I increased my protein intake to roughly 150 grams a day in order to reduce muscle loss. While not a Keto advocate, I cut my carbs to well under 50 a day which I don’t struggle with. Exercise remained the same. I resistance train 5-6 days a week religiously and walk on average 15000 brisk steps a day as I make my phone calls. Both combined takes my calorie burn to 1000 on average. Overall, considering my diet, calorie deficit is 500-800 calories a day. There was the normal weight loss plateau at around week 6 but by week 8 the needle started to move again. The big change was alcohol abstinence. I have always been a lover of good booze and would by any measure been classified as a heavy drinker. I love a Negroni and a good red/white/champagne. There are times I love them too much but alas as Lincoln famously said "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues". Experience has been that while I can largely maintain weight while drinking, I sure as hell couldn’t lose it. So, it was ditched during this period. Hard? Not really. The hardest challenge was deck sessions with the lads on a Friday and the famous long lunches. Ordering coke zero with lemon took some getting use to. End result has been an 8kg /17 pound drop in the three months. Just as important has been the increased mental clarity that came with it. Would I do it again? Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Di has also been on this journey with striking results. This has been a reset. Upon my return from Europe end September, I will likely do another 6- 8-week program before heading into Christmas. The benefit of such resets is the ability to reposition the habits that got you to where you are. As they say, a change is as good as a holiday!

After posting the Cohiba Coronas Especiales review, I planned to do the Punch 8-9-8 review in the next episode. However, due to several personal commitments, including addressing a severe obesity issue and relocating to a new residence, The Kimfessions Series was on hiatus. Despite this, I remained eager to resume reviewing cigars, and the time for the return of beloved Kimfessions had finally come. To celebrate this important day, I decided to conduct the much-anticipated Punch 8-9-8 review at the Led Zeppelin, a meaningful venue where The Kimfessions officially began and one of the cigar lounges I am keen to revisit (it is closer to my new home, too). Punch 8-9-8 is a Regional Edition Dalia-sized Lonsdale cigar (43 RG x 170 mm) for the Asia-Pacific market. The planned release date of this cigar was 2018, but it did not appear until 2019. Like other Regional Edition cigars, it was limited (8,888 boxes) and individually numbered. Interestingly, although its name, 8-9-8, came from a legendary 8-9-8 cigar box (the classical Cuban cigar packaging with curved sides that contains 25 cigars in three layers: eight on top, nine in the middle, and eight on bottom), the box has ten cigars in a single row, which is unusual for 8-9-8 cigar boxes. Lonsdale is one of my favourite cigar vitolas, and since it has received high praise from cigar aficionados, I am excited to see what this rare Cuban beauty tastes like. The audiophile cigar B&M retains its ambience and charm, reminiscent of my last visit three years ago. The rich sounds from the high-end Hi-Fi system still fill the lounge, and the pint of Guinness Draught on tap continues to be its beloved signature drink. The decor remains the same, with empty cigar boxes and Guinness beer certifications hanging on the walls. The ever-present wall-mounted TV keeps cycling through Led Zeppelin concert tours and cigar advertisements. The glass-top desktop humidor still serves as a storage vessel for Led Zeppelin's Cuban cigar selections, as it always does. The only changes are the addition of a brand-new McIntosh preamplifier, the latest 2023-2024 certificates from Guinness and Habanos, and some new whisky offerings like Johnny Walker Blonde, which did not exist at the time when I visited there to do the Montecristo No. 1 review. Punch 8-9-8 begins with an intense nut, leather, and wood bomb; hay, cocoa, and creamy notes; and the classic Cuban twang. As the cigar progresses, the aroma changes to a rich array of almond, peanut, and chestnut; chocolate, citrus, and cinnamon; and baking spice with toasty tobacco. Afterwards, it turns into a medley of sweet marshmallow, chestnut, and hazelnut with cedar and stays unchanged throughout the end. Overall, it is a refined and elegant cigar with an outstanding and harmonious flavour profile that special edition cigars should have. Additionally, because of four years of ageing and its nutty character, it delivers a pleasant chestnut and peanut ride experience without harshness, which reminds me of H. Upmann Connoisseur A and aged Montecristo No. 4. I can see why it is one of the most sought-after Regional Edition cigars among cigar aficionados. It is indeed a Paragon of Cigars (5/5) Dalia-sized Lonsdale! For Guinness Draught, the scents of chocolate, leather, and hop glide through my olfactory system at the nose stage. Then, as I sip this famous Irish stout, I can taste subtle dark chocolate, cocoa, and mocha; roasted barley, hay, and coffee; smoky gingerbread, wood, and nut; earthy, creamy, and bittersweet malty notes with a slight hint of milkiness in my mouth. After that, it leaves a warm and smooth aftertaste, thanks to Nitrosurge technology. Although it may not be the best and most complex beer I have ever had, the stout still delivers a medium-bodied, pleasant, and creamy stout experience like before, which not only Guinness Draught is renowned for but also makes it well-paired with creamy or nutty cigars such as Punch 8-9-8 and Montecristo No. 1. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity to try other Guinness variants, like Foreign Extra Stout, since I heard that stronger ones offer a different experience from Guinness Draught. Reviewing cigars has been a relaxing pastime and a perfect life companion ever since I puffed Cohiba Siglo II in 2015. Also, it is rare to find cigar B&Ms with a fantastic audio setup, as building a perfect Hi-Fi system with luxurious audio devices costs a fortune. Therefore, I feel glad that the atmosphere of the audiophile cigar lounge continues to be the same, and Punch 8-9-8 shows its excellence with its signature Cubanesque character, like the finest Cuban cigars I reviewed in the past. I hope there will be more time to do cigar reviews since this lifetime recreation has always been a part of my life. Address: 30 Wiryeseong-daero 18-gil Songpa-gu, Seoul Hours: Mon-Sat 19:00-03:00 (7:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m.) Phone: 02-558-3031 Cigar Corkage: 10000 KRW/cigar Cover Charge: Free of charge Blog: https://blog.naver.com/bara3031 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ledzeppelin_bar Note. This cigar review was held on June 15, 2024. Guinness Draught is the most commonly available Guinness variant in Korea. The next most common Guinness variant is Guinness Original (a.k.a. Extra Stout); unfortunately, since 2023, it is no longer on sale in my country. I used SmartMouth Clinical DDS Mouthwash and Toothpaste with water flossing after puffing Punch 8-9-8 to test SmartMouth's cigar breath removal performance, and I found them highly effective (thanks, @Cigar Surgeon) 👍

Fabrica 5 factory team sent me these photos this morning for final go ahead to commence packaging. We are ontrack for late July 24 global distribution. Running a couple of weeks late which in this industry is a miracle. You are going to love these. Great flavour, reasonable price point (to be announced in a few weeks).......mission accomplished