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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

Since I puffed on a Partagás Serie D No. 4 last April, I've had some personal hardships to deal with. One of the main issues is over-humidification, which is among the most common cigar storage-related matters. I've used Boveda 65% packs to store my cigars for years; however, I've consistently run into the occasional mould problem, particularly during the summer. To address the persistent trouble, I started using a Govee H5074 smart thermo-hygrometer to monitor the relative humidity in my tupperdor, and I noticed the RH hovered at 66%-69% all the time, which is caused by a combination of the tupperdor's airtight seal and hot weather. So, I switched to Boveda 58% packs in hopes of reducing the humidity to a low 60%. Thankfully, the stress relief day has finally arrived: having a cigar herf with @LaoFan. The special moment makes me feel it's the right time to grab an aged H. Upmann No. 2 from my cigar collection. H. Upmann No. 2 is one of the oldest H. Upmann cigars, having been around since the pre-1960s. Unlike other H. Upmann cigars, it's not only closely related to Montecristo No. 2 but also shares the same vitola dimensions with the famous Montecristo cigar. This is because, after Alonso Menéndez and José Manuel “Pepe” García (the founders of Montecristo) purchased the faltering H. Upmann marca and cigar factory from the British distribution company J. Frankau & Co. in 1937, the original five numbered vitolas of Montecristo were also added to the H. Upmann catalogue, and these cigars were released as the Upmann Number Series. The entire line continued to be sold even after the Cuban Revolution; however, in contrast to the Montecristo Number Series, only the Pyramid has remained to this day, as the others were discontinued in the 1980s (H. Upmann No. 3 and No. 5) and in 2002 (H. Upmann No. 1 and No. 4). Since it's considered one of the greatest Cuban Pyramids, and I like H. Upmann cigars, I'm really eager to try it. This H. Upmann No. 2 starts with a signature H. Upmann wood, leather, and tobacco blast, along with hay, cedar, cream, and the classic Cuban twang. As the cigar progresses, the taste shifts into a smooth yet rich blend of chestnut, coffee, and shortbread; baking spice, vanilla, and berry; butter; and toasted Punch 8-9-8-ish nuts. At the end of the cigar, it transforms into a delicately floral (something I've never experienced from H. Upmann cigars) and subtly sweet profile with a cinnamon note, resembling a mug of aged Keemun black tea. Overall, it's a pleasant, complex, classy, and outstanding cigar, exhibiting all the characteristics that every aged medium-full-bodied Cuban cigar should have. I’ve reviewed aged cigars before, but this 9-year-old Piramide stands out with an even broader spectrum of aromas without losing complexity even after nine years. Additionally, its tapered end, combined with the Colibri V-Cut, not only makes it comfortable to hold but also amplifies the cigar's intensity even more. I can see why many cigar aficionados regard H. Upmann No. 2 as a hidden classic Cuban Pyramid. It's truly a "Magnificent" (4/5) Pyramid, and I’m grateful to @joejack11 and @cliff for this unique opportunity! Ki One Batch 6 opens with thick layers of raisin, malt, butterscotch, caramel, oak, wood, sourdough, and leather notes at the nosing stage. Then, as I sip this youthful Korean single malt whisky, a mixture of bittersweet, citrussy, oily, and bold cocoa, cacao, chocolate, coffee, blueberry, orange, lemon, chestnut, nut, nutmeg, red grape, vanilla, and honey coats the mouth with faint rubber and plastic notes. At the end, the whisky delivers a subtle and smooth short finish with lingering notes of tobacco, hay, cedar, herb, green apple, and flower, as well as a slight hint of pepper. Although it has some shortcomings, such as a lack of depth and intensity, I'm quite impressed that its sherried character pairs pretty well with H. Upmann No. 2 and is surprisingly refined for such a young single malt whisky. It reminds me of Taiwanese single malt whisky production because the angel's share in Korea is also higher than in Scotland due to the extreme annual temperature range. If further measures to support the Korean whisky industry are introduced, and as distilleries gain more experience, I'm confident we'll see more eye-catching Korean single malts enter the market. LaoFan is one of the FOH BOTLs I recently got acquainted with. He came to know me from my Kimfessions series and stories shared by other FOH members. During the herf session, he, his cousin, and I have conversations on a wide range of topics, including our daily lives, our favourite Cuban cigars and cigar cutting methods, the challenges associated with cigar storage, how we came to discover FOH, and the cigar scenes in both Korea and China. Despite some differences (for example, I prefer to puff on cigars as long as possible, whereas he's the opposite due to his busy lifestyle), we have lots in common. Firstly, we both relish the company of fellow cigar enthusiasts. Secondly, we're committed to achieving the ideal long-term storage condition for Cuban cigars. Last but not least, we take pleasure in savouring the unique and complex flavours of Cuban puros. I've always enjoyed participating in cigar herfs because cigar tasting becomes more immersive when I puff on cigars together with other cigar connoisseurs, and today's herf session is no exception. We've thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and exchanged thoughtful gifts of cigars with one another. I really appreciate their generosity, and hopefully we’ll be able to meet again in the future! The cigar herf with LaoFan and his cousin at Ash & Bloom is a memorable and wonderful Cuban cigar tasting experience, much like last year's herf session with @Edicion. Although the number of newly established cigar lounges in Korea has risen sharply, this B&M remains among the best havens for both aspiring rookies and seasoned connoisseurs alike. The cigar lounge continues to flourish, offering a BYOC service as well as an extensive selection of whiskies. Its ambience still retains a charming and classy interior with relaxing jazz music. Regrettably, the owner is absent this time due to a health issue (he underwent dental surgery earlier this year), but thankfully the staff proved to be just as knowledgeable as he is. In addition, the collaborative cigar review makes the aged H. Upmann Pyramid even more unique and captivating. It's always a pleasure to share time with the brethren of FOH, and I'd certainly do the same again if given the chance! Address: 44, Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul Hours: Approx. Mon-Sun 19:00-02:00 (7:00 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. The business hours has been changed after the boss had surgery this year. This cigar review was held on 11th Sep, 2025. However, it took some time to post the review since I was busy with moving to new home, and I couldn't use internet until last Friday.

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.

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.

Monte DE watching golf. Cigar is delicious. Under 50F and drizzling here but perfect under the heaters in the Cigarden. Cheers brothers!

OR (‘05) PSP2 - smooth baking spice, incredibly decadent retro - wow! Every single draw an adventure in near perfect smoking experience. 10/10

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!

Upmann No. 2 - LUB OCT 14

Hamlet is back in the fabrica and will be for the next week to 10 days. We have a series of meetings this week during after which I will bring you up to speed. Nahun (COO) Sergio (Fabrica Manager) Ramon (tobacco QC) Rosa/Pedro/Jose/Pili/Manuel/Ignacio (bunchers/rollers etc etc ) all send their thanks to FOH members for their tremendous support. You are helping build something special and it is not forgotten! The new N9 Lonsdale is just being packaged now. Sensational. BR 109 and Petit 109 in 10's will be shipped to Florida at the same time as the N9 Lonsdales. BR Dalia and BR Fenomenos currently being rolled at the factory. MOFOH Double Corona (10's) blending currently underway. MOFOH 144mm x 54 blending currently underway. BR Robusto blending continues. I will post more updates through the week

Monday night cigars 03' Vegas Robaina 5 Aniversario Humidor - Famosos Milk Chocolate, Peanut butter, Cinnamon graham crackers 98' Punch Churchills Tube Cherry cream, Cocoa, Coffee Blah Ok Good Tasty Heavenly

El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme 24.

Siglo VI Another Siglo VI @ElJavi76 Came out to visit us at the beach for a few days, and brought some amazing sticks. (And rum) Cohiba Victoria

H.Upmann Sir Winston - ROM May 2017

Hamlet spent a day with our farmers today.

Ninfa whilst walking in Sauerland.

TGIF-knocking-off cigar. Have a nice weekend peeps!

Cohiba Pirámides Extra. Omakase + LARK Tasmanian Whisky (brought from a customer), for all my Aussie brothers. SOLID.

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.

‘08 Edmundo Dantes 109 - Peach, Pomegranate, Apricot. Lots of baking spice throughout. Such a unique and precious Havana cigar. These were stellar upon release and have gotten even better over time. Two hours of bliss.

CoLa

EUN JUL02 Cohiba Robustos - from my first ever box of CoRo - pure vanilla creamed honey - just dripping with it - nubbed this one to a full hour fifty - if only all cigars were this good.

Best cigar of the box so far. TUA MAY 20 P2. Gotta slow down, but it is soooo yummy. This cigar turned around a frustrating day.

Saturday Herf cigars 70's Montecristo #3 (stored at Dunhill store whole time) Chocolate, Mocha, Marshmallow 02' Punch SS#2 (50 Cab) Cherry, Clove, Juicy fruit gum 97' Bolivar PC Malt, Berry, Mocha 97' El Rey del Mundo Tainos Wild berry pie, Shortbread cookies, Baking Spice 85' Partagas Toppers Black Tea, Dried Fruit, Cocoa Blah Ok Good Tasty Heavenly

Cohiba Lancero (AMO ABR17).

Unbanded Cohiba. 55 Aniversario at sunset. Magic.

Punch Punch Have a great weekend all 🥂

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.

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.

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.

Bolívar Tubos No.1 - ULA Jun 2015...

Enjoying a H.Upmann in Amsterdam. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Partagás Petit Coronas Especiales '21.

DesNudos N1 Colorado Rosado Lancero...

JL1 '23...

Cohiba Siglo II (TES OCT16). A wonderful weekend to you all.

Hoyo du Roi. MAR02 URL.

Serie du Connaisseur No 3 POS MAY 06

EBR AGO 24