Hello From Beijing......working hard :-)

[BigSlick]

Here's what i found so far.

Bolivar Centenary Humidor:

100 of these numbered Bolivar humidors were produced to commemorate 100 years of the Bolivar brand. Containing 50 double banded Bolivar Belicosos Fino and 100 Bolivar Royal Corona.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the brand Bolivar.

Made for the UK market 2002.

[BigSlick]

From Trevors website.

100 humidors with a standard band plus a LCDH band. Exclusively for LCDH worldwide.

100 humidors with a standard band plus an Anniversary band. Exclusively for UK region

[BigSlick]

Looks like your working your ass off over there Rob! :-D

[El Presidente]

Well done Tom

I enjoyed them ;-)

[Ken Gargett]

it really is a perfect world. i move into the neighbourhood and you move to china. priceless.

[Guest Warren]

» (note: I have never worked out the

» need to separate business and pleasure).

Lets do a little check here.

Cigars.......................................................................ple

asure.

Swiss watches...........................................................pleasure.

Fly fishing.................................................................pleasure

.

Unfortunately having to jet set all over the world.........pleasure.

No, your right , bloody hard to seperate.

Cheers mate.

Warren

[Colt45]

You seem to be making great strides - still able to connect to the internet, and I assume

you still have your cell phone.......

[tigger]

Sounds awful Rob. I look forward to reading more about your suffering. :-P

[greenpimp]

Good God man what are you going to do when you "retire?"

[Jimmy2]

Rob you have the life period!!!!!

Davidoff Cigars cant wait for the day i can smoke at least one to see what there all about.

I think that was a No1 you were smoking how was it?

[marco polo]

Lucky dog!

[Ken Gargett]

» Returned now from a great night hosted by Guillaume. We travelled first to

» a little Habanos store where we sat down to enjoy some exceptional

» Champagne and then fire up a pair of 1986 Davidoff No 1. They were truely

» exquisite cigars revealing a complexity which encompassed apricot, vanilla

» bean, cream and coffee. Hints of mint in the second third. Wonderfull.

»

» Headed off then to a cigar Cocktail Party at the LCDH located at the Regis

» Hotel. I met some fantastic cigar lovers and over the course of a few

» bottles of Champagne we enjoyed some R&J Short Churchills before heading

» to dinner at a great Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant which delivered some

» of the finest Japanese food I have experienced. We then enjoyed (at the

» teppanyaki bar) some fine Partagas 898 V and Punch Super Robusto.

»

» Headed off then to a nightclub for a nightcap. "Maggies" was in full swing

» and I passed a great hour or so before I left in order to not get into any

» trouble (I promised Lise ;-) ) and prepare for tomorrows Cigar dinner.

having lunch with des, macho (if he remembers) and a few others today. if i recall, you were supposed to supply some aged davidoffs. should i swing by the 'dor and collect them from lisa?

[jasonM]

El Prez - I'll be in Hong Kong at the end of the month. I'll be staying at the Four Seasons, can you recommend a few cigar places to visit?

[First Lady]

Yes you are working soooo hard..... Just remember Rob I am away next Friday and than the Monday and Tuesday.... better rest up honey :-D

Big hugs to Guillaume for me :-D

Lisa

[habanablue]

Prez, life on struggle street must be tough!

Would agree that Wishnu in Singapore brings a much needed female touch to the often male centred world of cigars.

Sounds like Hong Kong is the place to be! More reports expected!

[Guibou]

no no... it's not the Champagne, i'm just blushing before this marvelous Davidoff No.1...

By the way, Thanks Rob for the experience, the best I ever had ;-) in my little cigar life time :-D

Guibou

[Guibou]

» Big hugs to Guillaume for me :-D

»

» Lisa

[jsd]

Okay Im jealous. Looks/sounds like a great time.

[Guibou]

Ha ha... 06:26am... too late for El presidente to do his review? or too early?? Packing maybe???...

Guib:-D u

[Ginseng]

Wonderful account, Rob. Glad to hear that you're slugging it out for our benefit.

Safe journeys.

Wilkey

[Colt45]

Tom and Tampa - from Slick's post above:

» From Trevors website.

»

» 100 humidors with a standard band plus a LCDH band. Exclusively for LCDH

» worldwide.

» 100 humidors with a standard band plus an Anniversary band. Exclusively

» for UK region

[jasonM]

Hi Rob - My previous question may have gotten buried earlier. I'm going to be in Hong Kong at the end of the month. Can you recommend any cigar places for me to visit while I'm there?

[El Presidente]

Sorry Jason...missed this one.

Go to http://www.pacificcigar.com/eng/location/hk/stores/shop7.php

Top right hand side you will see the listing of PCC Divans.

I can recommend the Red Chamber Cigar Divan as it is my favourite. Decorated in an "Opium Den" style.

Cohiba Atmosphere is also a recent addition to the line-up and is a lot of fun. Telephone first however as it may be for Private members only at certain times.

[El Presidente]

Welcome from Beijing!

II arrived into Beijing late yesterday evening to catch up with fellow FOH’er and Beijing Cigar Club president Guillaume Boudin. We shared a fine bottle of champagne and a pair of Punch Super Seleccion No 2 as we caught up. I will be here in Beijing until Sunday mornings return to Australia and will visit a few LCDH this afternoon while attending the cigar club dinner tomorrow night.

It all started last Sunday with a 5am landing in Singapore and my catching up with long time mates at the Singapore Cricket Club International 7’s tournament. Great crowds and a very high standard of football capped off a great day on the field while off I caught up with PCC Singapore and Indonesia Manager Ms Wishnu Bintang. Wishnu is always a pleasure to catch up with as she brings an element of class and elegance to the male dominated PCC cesspool (only kidding fella’s J ) 5 O’clock Sunday afternoon sitting back in the colonial whicker chairs over looking the fields watching a torrential thunder storm cleanse away the heat of the day while enjoying a Gin tonic and a Cohiba Robusto laughing along with good friends. Priceless.

I may have arrived with 4 other Aussies members but come Monday morning we split. They went to Vietnam on business and I caught a midday flight to Hong Kong where I would do the same (note: I have never worked out the need to separate business and pleasure). Arriving into Hong Kong I headed to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel recommended by Dag Holmboe PCCHK CEO and experienced for the next 2 days one of the finest hotel experiences of my life. I can’t recommend the hotel enough. The level of service is immaculate as were their rooms. Greeted at the door by the concierge and manager by name I bypassed reception and was taken straight to my room (palace) where check in procedures were taken care of there while I relaxed with a Martini. Brilliant!

The Mandarin Oriental has the “Cohiba Divan” downstairs run by Simon and Alex. It is owned by PCC and I spent a fair bit of time there early mornings while I enjoyed a cigar and worked on my e-mails (wireless throughout the hotel). The level of stock was excellent with everything being sold by the single and box. I came across a cab of Partagas Lonsdales which I indulged myself in regularly.

Dinner with Dag that night was at the magnificent China Club owned by David Tang. China Club is a private club featuring three levels of exquisite dining, fine bars and a collection of art on the walls which would put many museums to shame. After some very very good modern Chinese cuisine we headed to the new exclusive cigar club owned again by PCC located on the 23rd floor of the “Doctors building” (every other tenant is a doctor !LOL!). This is a new 100 member only club for serious cigar aficionado’s who are not in short supply in Hong Kong. Well staffed, good cigar collection with a locker for every member, bar facility, meeting rooms, big screen TV’s in certain areas and peace and quiet in others. Midnight on a Monday would be a quiet time in most cities but the cigar club was well packed by members who I was fortunate to meet and sit down with to share cigars and some fine aged Havana club rum. The cigar discussion was in depth as it was clear that these guys had a level of passion (and finance) which allowed them the opportunity to indulge. Before long they were heading to their lockers and producing Cuban cigars which I have not seen before or only had seen in reference books from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Some of the members and myself headed off to a hotel bar come 3am for a nightcap. My memory dims from that point.

The Tuesday commenced early with Dag taking me around all the major cigar divans and cigar clubs. Each was different in its own way. Each was brimming with members and overflowing private lockers. It became very clear that these clubs are the centre of the members lives. Some work doing mezzanine finance deals, others play stocks, others play cards. By midnight and after another great dinner I was left in no doubt that Hong Kong is the new centre of the cigar world having overtaken London and Geneva. There is a vibrancy and intensity to the passion which I have rarely witnessed outside of Havana.

Wednesday morning I arose to a light breakfast, a Trinidad Reyes and a quick look at a few cigar stores before heading off to the airport for my flight to Beijing. And here I am :-)

Will complete the story with a few photo’s and the Beijing update of the dinner over the next few days.

Rest assured I am working hard ;-)

By the way…..which FOH’er can tell me about the following cigars?

[El Presidente]

Returned now from a great night hosted by Guillaume. We travelled first to a little Habanos store where we sat down to enjoy some exceptional Champagne and then fire up a pair of 1986 Davidoff No 1. They were truely exquisite cigars revealing a complexity which encompassed apricot, vanilla bean, cream and coffee. Hints of mint in the second third. Wonderfull.

Headed off then to a cigar Cocktail Party at the LCDH located at the Regis Hotel. I met some fantastic cigar lovers and over the course of a few bottles of Champagne we enjoyed some R&J Short Churchills before heading to dinner at a great Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant which delivered some of the finest Japanese food I have experienced. We then enjoyed (at the teppanyaki bar) some fine Partagas 898 V and Punch Super Robusto.

Headed off then to a nightclub for a nightcap. "Maggies" was in full swing and I passed a great hour or so before I left in order to not get into any trouble (I promised Lise ;-) ) and prepare for tomorrows Cigar dinner.

2am here in Beijing and a memorable day :-)