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This song brings back some great memories for me. Thanks John

So let me get this straight, China is complicit because it doesn't defend Western interests? I don't mean to be controversial and I'm not pro-China either but isn't it a bold statement considering the fact that the West as a whole and some countries in particular are pretty hostile towards China?

I heard BHK58 will be MSRP $7,000ish for a 10ct. This was a year ago so who knows what they’re thinking on price now. I was also reminded that the 4ct gift box of BHK was available for sale at LCDH in Havana during the festival for $2,400.

Ahh. I had never thought of it that way, but I see it now. Something to think about how we could make it clearer without getting it overly wordy, as some of these lists are already blocks of text. To clarify: nothing would suggest that these are vintage cigars and I would be very surprised if they were and that wasn't overly communicated a la the Trinidad. My apologies to anyone who read that and thought these were three vintage cigars, certainly not what we mean by that. Those dates reference the year of introduction, something we do on lots of posts. I understand how that could be confusing. We will likely be adding "Released" going forward. On a different note. Does anyone know if there's been any guidance on 10-count pricing? I'd imagine all BHK gets a price increase to go along with the new packaging, if nothing else, the new packaging is more expensive to produce than the old packaging. Trying to figure out if the pricing strategy is a. these samplers have a huge premium or b. the BHK 58 is going to be $1,200 per cigar. The more I think about this, the more I think it's the latter.

The following article follows on from our on-going pursuit, here at FoH, of highlighting the consequences of the Australian Government's taxation policy on tobacco products... Insurance Crisis for Tobacco Retailers Amid Surge in Arson Attacks Rising premiums and insurance unavailability for tobacconists escalate amid increased arson incidents linked to illicit tobacco trade. The insurance landscape for shops selling tobacco products has become increasingly precarious amid a string of arson attacks, with brokers indicating that coverage for these businesses has grown 'almost impossible' to secure. Since early 2024, Queensland police have initiated investigations into at least a dozen arson incidents targeting tobacconists, believed to be interconnected with a broader gangland conflict concerning the illicit tobacco trade. Jeffrey Forbes, director of Consolidated Insurance Brokers, noted that insurers have started tightening their options for businesses involved in the sale of tobacco over the past 18 months, leading to dramatic increases in insurance premiums. Forbes cited an example where a commercial property insurance premium, initially priced at approximately $7,000, has soared to over $25,000. He highlighted how even mid-to-high risk properties that were once deemed insurable at a premium ranging from $40,000 to $60,000 are now being quoted around $220,000. The consequences of these surging premiums extend beyond the tobacconists themselves; they also affect affiliated businesses. According to Forbes, increased insurance costs are often transferred to other tenants in shared strata agreements, resulting in significant financial burdens for businesses that are otherwise unassociated with the fire risks. 'That tenant has an absolute right to be there and to operate their shop, but them being there is now potentially costing all the other lot owners thousands of dollars,' Forbes stated. Ben Tran, who operates a tobacconist franchise in Ipswich, reported that his business has seen insurance costs surge by at least 30 percent. He mentioned a growing number of peers who struggle to obtain necessary insurance coverage due to these rising costs, which are now prerequisites enforced by landlords. Tran is exploring cost-cutting measures such as investing in security upgrades to mitigate risks, although he admitted that these measures may only marginally lower premiums without assuring full coverage. The tobacconist industry is also grappling with declining cigarette sales—a reported 40 percent decrease over the past six months—adding to the financial strain. Tran remarked on the heightened anxiety among compliant operators in the market, disrupted by illegal activities. Forbes expressed that the trend is widespread across Australia, with various states adopting differing regulatory approaches yet insurers collectively perceiving tobacco retailers as a uniform high-risk category. He cited historical precedents such as the insurance challenges faced by tattoo parlours, which were similarly ostracized due to associations with criminal groups. A representative from the Insurance Council of Australia advised business owners to seek multiple quotes and consider professional brokers to navigate the market changes. They noted that recent high-profile incidents have influenced insurers' risk assessments when pricing policies for tobacco-related businesses. The ramifications of these arson attacks extend to surrounding businesses as well. Estie Dercksen, owner of a South African grocery store in Logan, reported significant damages amounting to over $70,000 in inventory losses and $40,000 in equipment when the adjoining tobacconist was set ablaze. Dercksen characterized the violent incidents as an ongoing issue, recounting multiple security breaches that escalated costs, noting that such risks have dissuaded her from leasing next to a tobacco retailer in the future. In Victoria, the situation has been more pronounced, with police confirming over 100 arson attacks linked to gang activities. In response, Queensland's Taskforce Masher was established to specifically investigate the illicit tobacco trade, leading to inquiries into more than a dozen similar attacks across the state from Logan to Mt Isa. In May, legislative measures were introduced that impose severe penalties on landlords leasing properties for illicit tobacco and vaping operations, including potential imprisonment and substantial fines. Source: https://australiatimes.com/insurance-crisis-for-tobacco-retailers-amid-surge-in-arson-attacks

'Holy smokes!' Fernando Mendoza's TD run, as told by Indiana teammates Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY - Updated Jan. 20, 2026, 9:18 a.m. ET How Indiana football will remember Fernando Mendozas touchdown r.mp4 Curt Cignetti and Fernando Mendoza discuss what went into the decision on Fernando Mendoza's fourth-down TD run in the fourth quarter MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Bray Lynch’s cigar smelled like celebration, and it must have tasted like victory, because the Indiana offensive lineman savored each puff. In between triumphant draws, Lynch considered a question. How will he remember Fernando Mendoza’s fourth-down touchdown run? “That,” Lynch said, “might be the best moment of my life. It’s up there, for sure.” Elsewhere in the locker room, Charlie Becker lit up at mention of Mendoza’s 12-yard run. “Holy smokes,” Becker said. “Fernando is an absolute beast. I thought he was going to be tackled 10 yards ago, and this dude is just spinning and diving. It’s just a testament to his character.” The Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers faced off at Hard Rock Stadium to see who would win the national championship game. Becker caught a fourth-down pass earlier in the drive, before coach Curt Cignetti faced another kick-or-go decision a few plays later. A review of the situation: 4th-and-4 inside the red zone. The Hoosiers could go for a chip-shot field goal to push their lead to six points, with fewer than 10 minutes remaining in the national championship game against Miami. Or, keep the ball in the Heisman Trophy winner’s hands. Cignetti sent the field-goal unit onto the field. Then, he yanked them off, emphatically so, as offensive lineman Carter Smith tells it. “We have our kicking team out there for a little bit, and then Cig comes out on the field and he goes, ‘Get off the field! We’re going for it!’” Smith said. At this point in his rendition of the story, Smith paused to pound his chest, showing you how he felt about his coach’s decision to send the offense back onto the field. “I was like, ‘My juices are flowing. Let’s go, Coach! Don’t lie to me here!’” Smith said. Play call: a quarterback draw. Mendoza took a beating on this night going against the nation’s most ferocious pass rush. Three times, Miami sacked him. The Hurricanes hit him more times than that. Lynch’s mindset on this fourth-down run: Don’t let the defender he was assigned to block make the tackle. Consider that the collective mindset along the offensive line. The blocking was good, but Mendoza needed to cut past one Hurricane and elude another diving defender to collect the four yards that would’ve been necessary for a first down. He kept moving. Up ahead, lineman Drew Evans and running back Kaelon Black teamed up to drive back linebacker Wesley Bissainthe. Bissainthe finally slipped off the tandem block and lowered his shoulder pads into Mendoza at the 5-yard line. Mendoza lowered his pads, too. He knocked Bissainthe to the turf. Mendoza stumbled, spun and dove — across the goal line. “He’s running like a baby deer,” Lynch said, while giving his best play-by-play broadcast impersonation of the touchdown. “Spin moving like he’s Vince Young or Michael Vick. He’s going crazy. He’s a beast, and he found a way. “Heisman. Heismendoza.” That became the collective response throughout the Indiana roster. “A Heisman moment,” cornerback D’Angelo Ponds concurred. Updated score after Mendoza’s touchdown run: Indiana 24, Miami 14. Pivotal points, when you consider Indiana won this national championship game 27-21. “It’s just going to be on repeat in my head for the rest of my life,” defensive lineman Mario Landino, Mendoza’s roommate, said of that touchdown run. Mendoza supplied several Heisman moments throughout this 16-0 season, including his game-winning completion to cap an iconic drive against Penn State. There’s something about a pinballing touchdown run in a national championship, though, that just hits differently. “That’ll be a snapshot in my head for years to come,” Smith said of the run. “I don’t think I’ll forget about that until I develop dementia.” One by one, Mendoza’s teammates weighed in on their quarterback’s dogged, bulldozing, indefatigable scoring run, while cigar smoke, victory music and joy filled the locker room. “What a run,” Lynch said, before he took another satisfied puff. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2026/01/20/indiana-football-national-championship-fernando-mendoza-touchdown-run-fourth-down/88142099007/

"I did my last school exam and played Glastonbury two days later. Two weeks after that we went into the chart at number 11": The story of the joyous breakthrough hit inspired by Thin Lizzy, Star Wars and Dutch cigars From school to hellraising in short order – all enabled by a story of a whirlwind intergalactic romance By Henry Yates (Classic Rock, Louder) (Image credit: Niels van Iperen/Getty Images) School’s out for the summer of 1993. And for 16-year-old Tim Wheeler, that means two months of sci-fi films, sexual frustration and underage drinking, set against the backdrop of a Northern Ireland torn apart by IRA violence. All are factors that will inform the best song he’s ever written, an impossibly catchy pop-punk sugar-rush about a whirlwind intergalactic romance. “The girls in Northern Ireland weren’t happening for me,” says Ash frontman Tim Wheeler, “but you can really romanticise someone from outer space, put them on a pedestal. I was into shit like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, and as a kid I’d dream that my parents were Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. That’s why I loved David Bowie and the Pixies’ Trompe Le Monde album, because they had all these sci-fi references. Maybe it’s to do with growing up in such an isolated place. [Downpatrick] is 20 miles from Belfast and a bit of a rough town. The troubles were still going on in 1993 and it was still an edgy kind of place.” As Wheeler drafted the escapist lyrics for Girl From Mars, he wasn’t picturing tentacles and antennae. “In my mind, the girl definitely wasn’t green, she looked normal,” he recalls. “The people in Star Wars were just glamorous humans. To me it was more of a metaphor. The main thing behind it – and where the sense of yearning in the song comes from – was that I’d broken up with my first girlfriend. I’d fallen hard-core in love, it had fizzled out that summer, and I was still mourning that. At 16 I started getting depressed. I was a lovesick teenager.” As for the chorus, in which Wheeler imagined that ‘We’d stay up late playing cards/Henri Winterman cigars’ – the songwriter drew inspiration from a family holiday in France. “I had made friends with some English kids and we’d smoke cigars and drink beer all night on the beach,” he remembers. “I wasn’t trying to capture that spirit of coming of age, but it’s just in there because that’s exactly what was happening to me.” All that remained was to chase down the punky chord sequence and add a prodigious guitar solo. “Some of the melodies were a bit Teenage Fanclub-ish,’ considers Wheeler. “We were very much doing the pop-punk thing, but the solo was a remnant of my early days of being in really bad metal bands. The first rock band I got into was Thin Lizzy, and I’d been trying to copy Brian Robertson since I was 10, so I played this fast wah-wah lead. We’d write pop tunes, but we’d always try to get metal solos in there.” Ash were gigging a loose version of Girl From Mars around Belfast that same year, at which point it was considered “just another song in our set”, despite the praise Wheeler received from other bands on the circuit. But for now its recording would be delayed by one frustrating fact: Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray had A-levels to sit. “We had this double life,” the singer recalls, “where we’d be normal schoolkids and then we’d play gigs in the back room of pubs. We got signed when we were 17. And our manager knew Girl From Mars was really good so he told us to hold back on it, because we hadn’t been able to promote our [1994] Trailer mini-album as we were still at school. It was Easter 1995 when we went to Rockfield [studio] with Owen Morris, who was producing Oasis and The Verve at the time.” Despite their tender years, Ash would be held to Gallagher standards of hellraising. “That was mad,” Wheeler remembers. “Owen was a complete maniac, introducing us to drugs for the first time. He’d get us playing in drag; just get us off our heads. Any idea he had we’d be up for it, because we were young, up-for-it kids. And he got a great sound out of it.” An even greater sound was the finished Girl From Mars pumping out of Wheeler’s stereo. “It started getting played on the radio when I was doing my A-levels,” he recalls. “And what made it even harder to concentrate was that we’d signed with Warner Brothers in the States, and they’d given me their CD catalogue to choose from. "I did my last exam, and two days later we played Glastonbury, and two weeks after that Girl From Mars went into the chart at number 11. Then my life got turned on its head and everything went completely ballistic. I guess it was just great timing. All the Britpop stuff was happening and guitar music was in the charts. When I wrote it, it wouldn’t have been a hit.” Perhaps not, but over the summer of 1995 Girl From Mars was everywhere. “There was even a time when it was switchboard hold music for NASA,” Wheeler says, grinning. “It was a mixture of excitement – all our dreams coming true – and also the insanity of the way we were partying, and the pressure that gets put on you when everyone wants a piece of you. It was confusing because I was thinking: ‘I should really enjoy this,’ but also ‘This is hard to deal with.’ We were drinking and partying, not looking after ourselves. It all caught up with us a couple of years later, when we had to write our second album, and we were completely burnt out.” Spin forward to 2026. While Ash are veterans of the indie scene, their nine albums and countless singles enabling them to sell out venues across Britain. Yet there remains one constant. “I’ve never, ever had a moment – like, say, Radiohead with Creep – where I didn’t want to play Girl From Mars,” says Wheeler. “People still love it, and I think they’d be disappointed if we didn’t play it. You just know people are gonna throw their beer in the air. I’ll start the song and you’ll see the pints go flying.” Source: https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/ash-girl-from-mars

Boxing legend’s son launches luxury cigar lounge in Easton Published: Jan. 16, 2026 by Saed Hindash - For lehighvalleylive.com The aroma of cigars were swirling through the air Friday afternoon. Larry Homes Jr., the son of former world heavyweight boxing champ Larry Holmes, opened a luxury cigar bar and lounge in downtown Easton with a grand opening celebration, hosted by the Easton Area Chamber of Commerce. Legends Cigar Bar, located at 154 Northampton St., will showcase live jazz nights and high-end cocktails, not just cigars. “Legends was built with the community in mind,” said Holmes Jr. “We wanted to create a space that feels welcoming and elevated—a place where people can relax, connect, and return to again and again.” The cigar bar offers a refined selection of premium cigars for both new and experienced guests. There is even a back lounge that offers a quieter vibe with premium seating and a more refined service that is only accessible by purchasing a day pass or membership. Source: https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/2026/01/boxing-legends-son-launches-luxury-cigar-lounge-in-easton.html

Braving the cold in Hong Kong with a ninfa. They’re bloody good! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Absolute Cigar Opens a New Branch in Cartagena January 20, 2026 - Alexandre Avellar If you are a cigar enthusiast visiting the city of Cartagena de Indias at Colombia the year could not have started better. The city is one of the most popular destinations in the country and its old forts, walls, colonial architecture, and atmosphere seem to invite visitors to enjoy a fine cigar. Absolute Cigar Cartagena brought exactly what the city was missing; a spacious lounge with an excellent selection of cigars. The new shop is located in a three store colonial building that has 500 square meters and 5 different spaces that promise to please all types of smokers. “We have visited the city and walked around every corner trying to find the perfect spot. When I saw this building, it was like falling in love at first sight and I knew I have found the perfect place” says Andy Santana, owner of the shop. The shop has a mix of open and closed spaces with a special highlight for the rooftop that offers a beautiful view of the city’s old Spanish walls and the sunset in Cartagena. The opening night featured distinguished guests such as Carlos Fuente Jr. and representatives of Caribe Imports, the official Habanos Importer to Colombia, among people coming from different countries and parts of Colombia. Absolute Cigar Cartagena is a Habanos Specialist so it is a trustable source of Cuban cigars in the city. The humidor also offers the main lines of Arturo Fuente and Davidoff, both brands imported by Andy. The location is another important aspect as the shop is at a strategic point. “We have the privilege to have a parking at the other side of the street, something very rare in this part of town, and we are close to the Convention Center, the Old City and the main luxury hotels in Cartagena” adds Andy. The shop is the third branch of Absolute Cigar that opened its first one in Miami in 1997 and the second one at the city of Medellin, Colombia, in 2023. Absolute Cigar Cartagena: Calle del Arsenal 10-03, Getsemaní, Cartagena de Índias. Source: https://www.cigarjournal.com/absolut-cigar-opens-a-new-branch-in-cartagena/

After Five Decades, Spain Welcomes First Premium Cigar Factory January 19, 2026 - Press Release Selected Tobacco announces the opening of its new 3,000-square-meter (30,000 SqFt) facility in Madrid, marking the return of premium cigar production to Spain for the first time in over half a century. For founder and creator Nelson Alfonso, Madrid was the only place this project could exist. Spain is his home, and the decision to build here reflects a desire to reconnect the country with its historic role in tobacco while establishing a modern standard rooted in quality and patience. The facility is organized across five levels, designed to guide both product and visitors through the full lifecycle of a cigar. Guests are welcomed on the first floor, where a contemporary entry leads into a central division that separates the front and rear of the building. This expansive core serves as primary dry goods storage and can be converted into an event space capable of hosting up to 350 guests. The second floor houses the Selected Tobaccos design team, where blend direction, packaging concepts, and long-term projects are developed. On the third floor, visitors can observe torcedores rolling cigars, offering a transparent look into the rolling process. The fourth floor is dedicated entirely to aging and presentation. Here, guests encounter the world’s largest multi-cedar lined humidor, comprised of 24 individual aging rooms. This environment allows Selected Tobaccos production to move through its proprietary aging process under precise conditions, reinforcing consistency across every release. The fifth floor offers a private smoking lounge and outdoor terrace, providing a setting designed for reflection and conversation. Ventilation allows guests to enjoy their aged cigars that they can select from the two-story humidor. At the rear of the building, the focus shifts to raw tobacco transformation. Guests can view the fermentation process in large, purpose-built rooms, alongside dedicated aging spaces filled with French Oak wine barrels used to rest wrapper and filler leaves. The facility also includes a hydroponic grow room, where tobacco plants are cultivated and hybrid seeds are germinated for future crops. This controlled environment supports experimentation and long-term agricultural planning, reinforcing Selected Tobaccos commitment to continuity from seed to finished cigar. From here, guests return by elevator to the ground level, where the journey concludes at the starting point of every cigar. Receiving and sorting take place here, where tobacco enters the facility and begins its progression through fermentation, aging, and production. “This factory is not about size or scale,” said Nelson Alfonso, Founder of Selected Tobacco. “It is about responsibility. Responsibility to history, to the people who work here, and to the cigars we release into the world. Spain gave tobacco a place centuries ago. Now we give it time again.” The Madrid facility represents a defining step forward for Selected Tobacco, bringing production, aging, design, and hospitality under one roof while reaffirming Alfonsos commitment to structure, patience, and long-term vision. Source: https://www.cigarjournal.com/after-five-decades-spain-welcomes-first-premium-cigar-factory/

I would be shocked if they had original release BHK sitting around for 15 years to release it casually in this 4 pack - after having rebanded them. I don’t think the age value is built into this price. I was told that the festival gift box configuration with these bands would soon be retailing for $2k when they were given out last year, and those were definitely all fresh cigars.

"The progressive mania for regulating the lives of others is highly addictive." There, now it's an aphorism and not a one-eyed rant.

Some incredible history!

Congratulations

Slappity, slap, slap! What sound the hand make? Slap!

That layered top is too cool for me!

I’ve been using this for a couple of years now, ever since it was recommended on here, by (I think) @Cigar Surgeon, whom I forgot to thank!

Hey Charlie. I believe this is a hopeful tic in interpreting from how you at Halfwheel format the listing of cigars with the original release year.

I was a little concerned we might have missed a key detail. I just looked over the press material from Habanos S.A. and Intertabak. I don't see anything that would suggest these are vintage cigars. Do you have anymore info on this?

Rob has a similar shrine of himself at Czar House. He has to constantly replace the picture, as someone keeps drawing funny moustaches on it.

For me it was hearing “succulent Chinese meal” in the video part when the inspector bit into the chop.

The Vigia and the Reyes will be my most missed. I will occasionally smoke La Trova which is another animal entirely. Huge miss by Habanos IMO.

Sorry gents. My Discord decided to crash my PC twice. And when it came back , my mic wasn't recognized.