2025 wrap-up and Merry Christmas!

[El Presidente]

 

What a year. 🥳

Danli 

Hamlet and I started in a new Danli Factory January 2025. Hammy was all for it. I was 50/50 knowing deep down that I was now responsible for 35 new people and their families. First cigars rolled off the production table in May and all fears were set aside. We had worked with Factory managers Nahun and Sergio previously. We know their quality and the standards upon which they would build thier team around.  December 2025, 4 new cigar releases completed, full inventory in stock and a complete 2026 rollout plan (5 cigars) in place. Proud of the entire team. 

FOH

Strength to strength. 

FOH holds a special place in the cigar world. It isn't Insta/YouTube/Influencer led. FOH launched in 2004 and has transitioned over the years from 100% Habanos to probably 50/50 in terms of the daily cigar appetite of members. It has weathered cigar shortages, cigarmageddon, Habanos shennanigans. FOH has grown up, doesn't take itself too seriously, supports each other, has enough "dodgy" in it that it's members enjoy taking the mickey out of each other. It also is a place of civil discourse. Not an easy thing to achieve in todays world! It is home to many of us. It is our global neighbourhood cigar lounge. 

Habanos

What a shocker of a year. Cigar shortages, Prison rollers, Chen Zhi, Pig Butchering scams and global sanctions. 

You couldn't really write a worse script to finish off 2025. I will always give Habanos SA one thing. They know how to launch new product. I think it is at times forgotten that Habanos is a marketing and distribution machine. That is their sole role. It is the muppets at Tabacuba that are in charge of production/quality control and all the other "essentials". Habanos SA has some brilliant distributors in H&F/Phoenicia/PCC/ etc let alone a cohort of magnificent retailer ambassador stores around the world. 

Still I can't halp but feel that those distributors and retailers are being let down woefullly by Habanos. 

Get your shit together HSA. Clean up the mess and clean it up quickly. Lean on your best assets which are your distributors, retailers and loyal zealots whom you have ignored for far too long. 

Cuba

Cuba right now is the weak link in the cigar chain...and Jesus, some of those other links are fragile. If you want to picture how the world of Cuban cigars falls apart in short order then look at the potential full or partial collapse of the Cuban state over the next 12 months. There is no good news coming out of Cuba today. Anyone looking for green shoots can stop now. If you were to ask me what are the chances that the Cuban cigar scene in December 2026 will look like December 2025, I will say less than 30% chance. Hold on to your hats people. 

Top CC cigars 2025

I won't do a top 25/20/15/10. 

There are some cracking cigars coming out of Cuba. World leading cigars. 

Cuba has the best tobacco in the world. No argument. 

Behike/Cohiba Esplendidos/V/VI ....brilliant. I don't put them in my list because they are out of reach for 80% of members. 

My finest for the year, was the Quai D'Orsay Imperiales Travel Humidor. They are simply great. I personally haven't smoked one less than a 94 point utility. 

Affordable (ish) Regular production you can't go wrong with Partagas D4/Ramon Allones Specially Select/H Upmanns 54/46/50/2/ Hoyo de Monterrey San Juan/Rio Seco/Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill/Bolivar Royal Corona/Petit Corona/Sancho Panza Belicoso/Vegas Robaina Unicos/Punch Punch/Trinidad Topes/Esmeralda. 

There are plenty of others. QC has been on a steady path since 2022 which is "OK" to good. It isn't "great" and anyone who says it is...well.. is playing with themselves. If you have to reach for a "drawpoker" on a $25 cigar .....bugger me...a $6 cigar.... then it is a FAIL. 

We made some  half a million cigars in Danli this year and my team screws up. They screw up less than I do....but don't tell them.  Our fail rate is around 2%. My team are not machines and that is an acceptable rate in my eyes. We retrain/ refund/replace/apologise and put systems in place to get better. We pay well, we listen, we train and we support. How on earth can Cuba continue, at todays prices, to have a "good box" still arrive with 3-4 dodgy sticks. 

FOH  Mods. 

You guys are immense and I haven't thanked or engaged with you enough this year. That will change in 2026. It has been a year of transition for me and you have worked together to allow me the freedom to pursue what needed to be done. Thankyou. Legends one and all. Your canvas of work is reflected in the beautiful, informative and inclusive nature of this forum. Kudos. 

Members 

27500 members and only 5 members banned this this year! And none of them were named Ken ! 

Members of FOH are our family. You are the front door to our house. You are all welcome to lunch/dinner dine/cigar with Dee and myself anytime. Through your friendships you have enriched our lives no end. God we love you good people. Thank you. 

My Team

Steve, Ben, Alex Groom, Alex Retamal, Haley, Katrina. Immense each and every one of you. You call me out, you shorten me up, you believe in the mission where people and ethics come before profit. Not much below...but a smidgeon.  You remind me of personal shortcomings (endlessly), you celebrate our wins, you polish our near misses so that they become "wins" or are ditched quickly to the oblivion. I couldn't do it without you. 

To Diana and Lisa. 

Combined 50 years with me. We built this together. Love you both.

For members I have something special coming in 2026. We will be releasing a line of cigars celebrating these two wonderful cigar community women's 50 years in the cigar world. We have blended 4 cigars along the lines of the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo Series. Depute/Du Prince/Daughin/Dieux.  The blends are very much along the lines of our Ninfa. Honey, elegant, edgy. 

They will be boxes (SLB) 25's. 

 

1. Sorellina

110 mm × 38 RG — The Little Sister

2. Bella Sorella

130 mm × 40 RG — The Beautiful Sister

3. Sorella di Notte

 

155 mm × 42 RG — The Sister of the Night

4. Sorella Reale

 

152 mm × 38 RG — The Royal Sister

 

 

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

To each and every one of you and your families, a heartfelt Merry Christmas and a Magnificent New 2026 Year. 

As things wind down over the coming days, perhaps take the time to reach out to those family and members who you haven't touched base with for a while. It may make a huge difference to their lives.  

Huge hug good people. Merry Christmas! 

Rob

 

[Gubbins]

Congratulations on another outstanding year. 

[westg]

Merry Christmas to everyone in FOH Land . 😎🌴

[WestCoastSmokin]

Merry Christmas FOH family! This is a great community, I’m very happy to have found this place! 

[david9985]

Thank you to all at FOH and wishing you a good rest and a Happy Christmas!

The sister line is a beautiful idea and tribute to Lisa and Diana 

[laficion]

Dear Rob.,

Thank you for EVERYHING You've been a real brother to me & you are family.

Amicalement hermano,

Guy

[laficion]

Hi all,

I forgot to say with all this ,a very MERRY XMAS. to all my family at F.O.H.; 

You are ALL my brothers & sisters.Thank you for another year.

Amcalement,

Guy

[griller]

Congrats Rob & your entire FOH & Fab5 teams. I love your passion for this community & am grateful for all that you do.

2026 is going to be an exciting year & I can't wait to watch it unfold.

Merry Christmas & good smoking to you!

griller

[JPark3]

Congratulations to everyone, and the last part has me extra excited for 2026!

[ha_banos]

All the best to all the crew and punters here. Always somewhere I check in regularly. Thanks for putting up with my drivel. Certainly some interesting stuff in our little universe. Merry Xmas to all 

[Stevieboy]

Merry Christmas everyone

[Wookie]

Well done and Merry Christmas!

[gormag38]

👏 Man alot happened this year.....it's funny how quickly we forget. I love these end of year wrap ups. 

 

Merry Xmas/Happy Holidays everybody! 

[Puros Y Vino]

Great wrap up Rob.  This site continues to be a ray of sunshine in an increasingly troubled world.  

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays / Festivus, etc to all FOH members.

 

[GoodStix]

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays all, and thank you FOH.  Much appreciated.

[Christophe]

Merry Christmas, everyone.
My best wishes to everyone in this amazing community and all your families. No matter how 2025 was, here's to wishing you a(n even) better 2026. Cheers.

[riderpride]

Thanks for the write-up Rob.

Congratulations to you and all involved in the continued success of Fab5, BR, and FOH.

Di and Lisa - congratulations on the combined 50. The rollout of four new cigars is truly an honor.

Thank you to the FOH community for keeping this a place to come back to. I truly appreciate your contributions.

Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays to all, and I wish you all a great 2026.

Cheers!

[cnov]

Merry Christmas to you and the team. It's been a great year. 

[CaptainQuintero]

Merry Christmas to all! As always, it's an incredible community that outdoes itself each year and one I'm proud of be a part of. All the members and everyone behind the scenes, it's a pleasure to interact and spend time with you all

2026 looks to be another exciting one, looking forward to it!

[Goldeneye]

Thanks for the great year in review write-up.  Thanks to all involved in FOH and a special thanks to the Mods and forum contributors for keeping this place civil in a world  where on-line civility seems almost impossible, great job.  Merry Christmas to all.

[Ford2112]

Merry Christmas to all of the folks at FOH, Fab 5, Bond Roberts.  Big fan!

[Juliano88]

Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks again FOH!! 

[benfica_77]

Great Wrap up Rob! 

Looking forward to 2026 the year of Lisa/Di !!

Happy Holidays everyone!