El Presidente

Reminder re the US politics rule. I have given some leeway within this thread but don't push it too hard. This policy, should it come into effect in the manner that has been proposed, will likely have some potential downsides for many within the international CC industry when it comes to visiting the US. Let's see how it plays out. ESTA visas are live for two years. Mine expires 1/4/26. I would be loathe to apply for a new one under the current requirements.

Our mate Nick Hammond has another book PRESS RELEASE: The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) is proud to announce a collaboration with renowned British author and journalist Nick Hammond to create Around the World in 80 Cigars – The American Dream, a new literary work that will shine a global spotlight on the people, places, and stories that define America’s vibrant premium cigar culture. “Around the World in 80 Cigars – The American Dream” continues Hammond’s celebrated literary series, following his internationally acclaimed Around the World in 80 Cigars – Travels of an Epicure and There and Back Again. Together, these works have refined a new genre — that of cigar literature — which celebrates cigars not merely as products, but as vessels of culture, tradition, craftsmanship, and community. “Education and storytelling are two of the most powerful tools we have in advocacy to preserve and advance cigar culture and industry,” said Joshua Habursky, CEO of the Premium Cigar Association. “Through Nick’s extraordinary narrative voice and the PCA’s deep engagement with our members, this project will elevate our collective appreciation of what cigars represent in America and the world— artistry, heritage, and human connection. This is not just a book; it’s part of our educational mission to inform, inspire, and strengthen the industry for generations to come.” Spanning sixteen chapters and an introduction, the book will take readers on an evocative journey across the United States and cigar-producing nations — from historic cigar heartlands to contemporary lounges that embody the heritage and the modern renaissance of premium tobacco. Each chapter will feature a PCA member — from manufacturers and retailers to industry innovators — highlighting their local culture, community, and contribution to the broader tapestry of cigar life in America. The narrative will blend travel writing, cultural reflection, and personal storytelling, painting a portrait of the people and places that keep the cigar tradition alive. The book’s final chapter will culminate at the 2026 PCA Trade Show in New Orleans. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to have been asked to work with the PCA on this new Around The World project,” said Nick Hammond. “America is the beating heart of the cigar world — diverse, passionate, and deeply rooted in tobacco history. This book will celebrate that history and the people who have made it extraordinary. My goal is to take readers beyond the smoke — and into the heart of what makes this culture so meaningful and so enduring.” Available in print, digital, and audio formats, Around the World in 80 Cigars – The American Dream will be accessible through multiple platforms, including the PCA’s website. The project will feature special presentations and member events across the United States throughout 2026 and 2027, with the official pre-launch at the 2026 PCA Trade Show.

The intended date to conduct this episode is Sunday NY 8PM the 14th of December/Monday local. Gents, I have come down with a lurgy after my travels and will need to delay this one a week or reschedule post Christmas. Long shot, but let's see if we can reschedule for 21st Sunday NY 22nd local. If not then Sunday 11th NY/ 12th Local. I will PM the guest reviewers now.

Brett, all US allies (and others) are fully aware this admin will do what it likes, when it likes. Just to circle around. Venezuela outcome is an interesting topic because of its close alignment with Cuba. Cuba doesn't have a lot of friends who still provide essentials. Cuba is teetering. We may be witnessing the final days/weeks/months. Should Venezuela fall, will Cuba? When the Soviet Union broke up, Cuba survived , but it was a desperate period. They were in a much stronger position then than today. Fascinating period.

List your 94+ Cigar Experiences of 2025. Most of you have had at least one ....hopefully Cuban and Non Cuban. If listing a Cuban cigar, let us know the year if you can. What is a 94 point cigar? The cigar is exceptional in the essential characteristics of Flavour, Complexity, Construction. A 94+ cigar will make you stop everything else that you are doing to focus on its unique magnificence. You are stunned at the level of perfection, engagement and layered journey that this cigar delivers. They are a rare cigar experience. However when they hit it is not something that you will likely forget. Let us know your 94+ experiences of 2025

You can have great Tubos! Say there is a 40,000 production run of R&J Churchill Tubos at Fabrica ABC. There will be no QC difference to a R&J Churchill run for boxes of 25 non tubos. However let's say there is a 40,000 run of R&J Churchill's of which final packaging will be 30,000 into boxes of 25 and 10,000 into Tubos. You know that every mongo (colour/size/wrapper marked) cigar will end up in the tubo pile as well as plenty of great cigars.

You nailed it on the head

Condolences mate and so sorry to hear. I know it has been a tough period. He would be immensely proud. Let's catch up for a cigar when things settle down.

That's it then. Officially, one of my favourite movies of all time has become a documentary

If the below gets up, my second half March plans for a US tour will be thrown into the trashbin ______________________________________________________________________________ The Trump administration is proposing to ask visitors from several dozen nations that enjoy visa-free travel to the U.S. to submit additional personal information before entering the country, including five years of their social media history, the Department of Homeland Security said in a notice this week. Citizens of 42 countries enrolled in the visa waiver program can generally come to the U.S. for up to 90 days for tourism or business travel, without needing to apply for a visa at an American embassy or consulate, a process that can take months or even years. The list of countries in the visa waiver program includes many European nations like the United Kingdom, Germany and France, as well as some U.S. allies around the world, including Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. While citizens of these nations typically don't need visas to travel to the U.S., they still have to submit an application online using a process known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, before entering the country. That system is designed to ensure applicants are eligible for visa-free travel to the U.S., and that they don't pose security concerns. The Trump administration is proposing to overhaul the ESTA system, mainly to transform it into a mobile-only process. The plan would require applicants to share additional information about themselves and their relatives, according to a notice posted in the federal government's journal of regulations by Customs and Border Protection, a branch of DHS. The notice said CBP plans to ask visa waiver travelers to share their social media history for the past five years, emails they have used for the past 10 years and the personal information of immediate family members, including phone numbers and residences. The submission of social media history from the last five years will be a mandatory requirement under the proposal, according to the notice.

Great trip, both immensely enjoyable and successful Rob Fox, Hamlet Paredes, Alexander Groom and myself landed into Kuwait for 5 days. Only Alex had been there before but Alex is a Rock Star of the Habanos world these days and there are few places he hasn't been. Mohammed Al Mansour and his Kuwait team are one of the most professional groups I have ever had the pleasure to witness. From the LCDH to the Cabinet Club to Cohiba Atmosphere, they effectively control the Kuwait cigar community. The Kuwait cigar community is vibrant, educated, welcoming and progressive. Progressive in terms of their CC and NC cigar portfolio, their mastery of events and modern media, their blending of Kuwaiti hospitality with the traditional cigar ethos of sharing, friendship, engagement. CC and NC are sold and smoked side by side. I have never witnessed any cigar snobbery. Our Bond Roberts events showcased the the new Dalia Linea b Number 3 and the Fenomenos Linea E Number one. Both were very well received but the Fenomenos was the one that shined brightest at the events. Our final event was Foxy presenting the Nectares Irish Regional at a casual tasting at the LCDH. Great night where we decided to wear traditional garb. Of course, from memory, we were the only ones Hamlet and Alex groom rocked it! If you find yourself in Kuwait, you will have a great time hanging out with the Kuwait crew. They are 10/10. From Kuwait we headed to Cyprus on the Wednesday leading up to the gala Phoenicia launch on the Saturday of the new Punch Princesas Regional. 3:40 am flight out of Kuwait on the Wednesday, no sleep, took the wind out of our sails for that day. No problem as we had the Bond Roberts launches at a local taverna in Limassol on the Thursday evening with 30 people. This was my second visit to Limassol and I have a love of the local Cypriot cigar community. Our local mates Marios and Haris are leaders of the local cigar community and two of the most decent people I have ever met. They picked the Taverna which we booked out and the night was pure brilliance! The guest list was a mix of local cigar lovers and global cigar identities. The mood was relaxed and the event full of laughter, great endless local cuisine and of course the two new BR cigars which smoked exceptionally well. Foxy and I wanted a night that was relaxed. A night where everyone would have the opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Mission accomplished. The Saturday gala event was simply the most glamorous cigar event I have ever been part of. Walid Saleh, CEO at Phoenicia + his team put on an event for 550 people that will go down in Cuban cigar folklore. I believe there is indeed a time and a place for such events and we had a ball. Hamlet got to catch up with folk he had not seen for 10-20 years. Foxy and Alex are cigar royalty. I was humbled at the level of knowledge and respect for BR and FOH. You couldn't spend 5 minutes alone without being approached for a discussion and a laugh. The location (City of Dreams), music/singers, presentations, cigars, the detail!, the food/drinks, table settings, the dancing/entertainment all set new benchmarks that I doubt any other distributor could hope to match. The card has certainly been played. Takeaways. The rumours that HSA shareholding has/is changing hands (fully or partially) to the middle east was turbocharged. The rumours have been around for 12 months but the final detail/confirmation is still missing. If you were allowed to bet on the outcome, this is a case where bookmakers would have closed all bets on the subject. Good or a bad thing? Given all the shenanigans over the past couple of years, one could only see it as a positive should it come to pass. CC V NC Wow, from NC not having a foothold pre-Covid, everywhere I went in Kuwait/Limassol from stores to hotels to airports, NC had a minimum 50% footprint. Often 60%. The impressive thing is that they are selling well. Speaking with retailers/sub distributors from the Middle East region, there appears to be less resistance in trying NC within the region that still lingers elsewhere. The three issues that were hammered home to me is that pricing, availability, and quality control have opened the eyes of traditional CC purchasers. There is no going back. Overview. The region largely controlled by Phoenicia is immense and a cigar culture powerhouse. The cigar world is booming within the region with new clubs and cigar lovers flocking to the hobby from east to west, north to south. The cigar smoking laws vary from country to country but generally they are far more lenient than most places in the West and Asia. The region competes now with Asia for dominance of the Cuban cigar world and is a beacon for well positioned Non Cuban brands.

Mexico and Russia have been the No 1 and 2 Cuban supplier of oil in 2025. Venezuela No 3. Taking Venezuela off the table would hurt. Pressure on Mexico to cease supply would be the next logical step.

Hamlets response ........

I think that is the worst example of CC QC I have seen in 2025. God damn awful. Tubos can be brilliant. They can also be the mechanism where the worst from the sorting table go to be hidden.

This series to explore whether a particular cigar is humidor worthy. Cost these days is an issue for many so let's see if we can highlight some absolute standouts. This should particularly assist those new to the cigar world. To be fair, most of the cigars we have featured to date have scored exceptionally well. Surprisingly well! Scoring is: 1-3 (Poor) 4-6 (Average to good) 7-10 (very good to excellent) Use the Poll. You are more than free to comment away The Cohiba Medio Siglo at $52 a stick for a Petit Robusto is not going to poll well on "value" However, this is one of the finest and richest blends in the Cohiba line-up.....all wasted because they put it in a Petit Robusto. My opinion only of course!!! Throw this blend into an Edmundo size (135mm/5.3 inches X 52 RG) and I believe it would be one of Cohiba's greatest sellers. Cohiba Medio Siglo. Have your say!