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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

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

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.

You have all been there before I am sure. The perfect weekend away planned .......and then God has a cackle Background. For my 60th, my two sons arranged a 2 day fishing trip 4 1/2 hours drive away in country Queensland at Lake Monduran which is a legendary big Barramundi fishing locale. This is what a big Barramundi looks like at Lake Monduran. No....this isn't us. Lake Monduran is a trek to the middle of nowhere and a 34 square mile water monolith filled with woody hiding spots for this brilliant sportsfish. We thought it would be a good idea to tow the boat up. Myself and the two sons (Ben and Tom) have equal shares in the boat and looked forward to taking the boat out in this mythical big fish lake. Still, I know my stuff and decided to hire one of two professional guides on this massive expanse of water. We were to do two sessions with "Jake" ....one on the Friday evening and one on Saturday morning /half day. Ben had it worked out. 4 1/2 hour road trip, leave 8am, lunch at a country pup in the town of Gin Gin (population a couple of 100) 20 minutes out from lake Monduran, check in at 2pm to the three bedroom lake house and meet Jake at 4PM for the evening fish. As a dad, I took it upon myself to take up copious beers, rum, whiskey, tomahawk steaks, sausages, eggs, bread rolls and 4 loose leaves of salad (for dressing). What could go wrong? 90 minutes from our destination, both tyres on our boat trailer blew on the highway. Yep...the other one was much the same. Ben was driving and he safely pulled over off the highway but we were in a pickle. One spare, two tyres down, nearest town (Maryborough) 30 minutes away and not much chance of finding the exact wheels for our trailer at nearing 12:30Pm on a Friday. We put a plan in action. Decouple the boat/trailer on the side of the road and the lads scoot off to Maryborough to do their best. I stayed with the boat. One wheel/was eventually found in Maryborough. Another eventually found in the town of Childers a further 30 minutes away. I had a litre of water and a cigar while I waited. It was around 33 degrees Celsius, humid and on a freeway. We eventually got it sorted 3 1/2 hours later and were back on our way. I had a nice little case of heat stroke and a splitting headache. We rolled into Monduran at near 6PM. I had travelled to Hong Kong quicker the week prior. Jake was waiting for us on the boat ramp and I told the boys to go and fish without me. I needed a beer, a rum a cigar and some down time. They dashed out.....to the wrong boat ramp... but eventually caught up with the ever patient Jake. Jake runs a professional bass boat imported from the USA. More screens that the space shuttle with a livescope set up on the front. I haven't witnessed a livescope in action before but essentially for the non fisherman out there, you find the fish, you cast to the fish and you see everything in glorious real life as you bounce the lure off the fishes head. The fish were timid. Ben landed a nice one and Tom dropped a 1.2 metre Barramundi next to the boat. he didn't quite tie his knot correctly. Devastated to say the least but all was looking promising for the morning session with Jake. The lads arrived back to the house at midnight and fishing was scheduled again for 4:30am. This was Ben's night time catch. One day he will look at his first child like this. We hit the water early. it was going to be a Barramundi slaughter. 8 hours on the water. Travelled maybe 40 km. Livescope was working brilliantly. We were bouncing lures off the head of giant fish. It was hot as Hades but we were pumped. Fish Tally: 0 Jake our guide was devastated but told us that if they were not biting in the am they would be biting late afternoon early evening as the "Barra" needed to feed. He instructed us to take our boat out at 4Pm and fish through to 9pm. The "bite window' was 6Pm to 9PM. he sent through some fishing marks on the other side of the lake where we would no doubt be in Barramundi heaven. We jumped in the boat at and travelled across this mammoth tree filled lake at 4:30Pm and gunned it for 45 minutes before flicking our lures in great anticipation of the "bite window". Nada. Zilch. It was getting dark and so we made a plan to head back in this unfamiliar water moonscape to a place closer to the home. Made sense as there was no moon and becoming darker and darker as the minutes flew by. Our boat light went out. Let me cut this short. it took us near 4 hours to head back at 5 knots as we could only see a few metres ahead us at a time. I couldn't take a photo as it was too dark. It started to rain. Back at the house on midnight, we were mentally and physically knackered. We decided on a relatively early departure and hit the local Gin Gin bakery for a few of their famous meat pies. Ben talked up this bakery over the weekend no end. I don't eat meat pies as a rule but after this weekend from hell I was going to indulge. A good feed and then 4 1/2 hours drive home. Unfortunately we hit traffic coming into Brisbane so 5 1/2 hours. No problem, the pies would make up for it. The bakery was closed. .....it was a great "bonding" weekend

80’s Davidoff Château Margaux The cigar it’s self is a marvel to be held in your hand, light but balanced. As you look at the foot you can tell that the cigar was rolled using the entubado method. The 1st third starts with woodiness but also creaminess, quickly opening into milk chocolate. The 2nd third is heading towards champagne flavors floral and nutty notes, apple, pear and peach rich in aromas and complexity. The 3rd third is now showing its depth with sweet earthiness and truffle flavors, while still sweet cream! Smoking this cigar was like sitting in a dream state, with clouds of sweet rich smoke swirling around my head, almost like a state of euphoria. From the second I picked up this cigar and ran it under my nose, I knew I was in for a long lasting memory. This cigar was almost perfect, I would have to say in my personal rating scale Heavenly. In the 100 pt scale I would say a solid 98

Sunday nights cigars 84' Upmann Aromaticos Gingerbread, Toasted marshmallow, Burnt brown sugar 19' (MSU) H.Upmann Mag 46 Burnt Brown Sugar, Black Licorice, Cinnamon Cake Blah Ok Good Tasty Heavenly

A friend of mine just got back from the festival. Brought back some stuff from the festival, and from the EL factory. Behike 58 Behike 59 Party favors.

Siglo VIs @ the top of Toronto These are as good as it gets.

First time tasting the HDM E3 I'm not sure if I got lucky, but this one was awesome. Thinking about going deep.

Delicious Sunday treat

San Cristóbal de la Habana Prado (RAT SEP 21).

Trinidad Robustos Extra 09 E2 SOU FEB 22

Wednesday nights cigars 96' Punch Churchill Tubos Molasses, Prunes, Cocoa 07'Cohiba Genios (OR) Mexican chocolate, Black Licorice, Black Tea Blah Ok Good Tasty Heavenly

H. Upmann Petit Robustos - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

Hoyo EE. If anyone else plays darts? It would be great to have a game and a cigar on DartCounter.

My Lord, it’s Foxy's birthday too today. Bound to be messy... Happy birthday! Happy St. Patrick's day! M4 ftw. Miracle managed to post a pic today!

Morning Sir Winston RUM SEP 19 with coffee and golf - wonderful.

Partagás Petit Robustos - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

CoRo & Piña Colada at da beach. @ Varadero, Cuba (best beach I've seen on this side of the world)

Cohiba Especiales. Stroll in the park @ Parque de Trillo.

Thanks all for your well wishes. Please note that things panned out just as I said they would in the prediction thread a few weeks ago.😁 I'm not too bummed as the way these things work is that it is a track, and once you are nominated the first time you are on your way. Alex Dandy has been on the track longer than I have, so this was his year. Kirby is also on the track. He has more detractors than I do, but if he handles himself in a reasonable way, I would say that most likely it will be him next year. The year after it will be my turn. If I don't have a trophy by 2028 then I'll be shutting down CCW until such time as it is delivered.

I am sure you all know the feeling. Di and I only spent 4 nights in Hong Kong but it felt like 2 weeks ......in a good way 🙄 Ostensibly, we were there for a private showing of Ravi's new lounge "COH House". Fuzz, Jason, Marco and Greg had a long lunch on the Wednesday at Gaia (Italian and cigar friendly) before retiring to the lounge for a quiet drink and cigar Wednesday afternoon. This was to be a precursor for the big distributor/influencer party on Friday evening. I recall there was only 8 of us that Wednesday afternoon and my first look at the retail store and lounge was mind blowing. Store Marco, Fuzz, myself. I doubt there is a better stocked Habanos and New world store in the world today. Manager Tas Di had an awful time Now the lounge is next level Light, airy and with a ventilation system that is world class. Now the lounge won't officially open until late April. The store is open now and while I was there it was well visited by people from all over the world. Post this private showing, Di and I headed to Marco's new lounge/store in Kowloon that I loved. This store made me feel right at home and reminded me very much of "The Deck" back home. Intimate, well stocked and rocking. The PCC store at the Mandarin Oriental in Central is very similar is scale but this is much closer to my sort of vibe. Loved it! Post cigar and a few fine rums...off to a stunning little Japanese. Post dinner we headed back to my favourite Dive bar "WTF" for further drinks and cigars. Eddie and Nick always look after us there...and they were in "high" spirits Thursday was a long lunch with the Drew Estate International crew at Madam Fu's before retiring back to Ravi's lounge and then the LCDH central to catch up with Aaron (SUP8333) and Kurt (Chuck08) for some drinks and further cigars. Kurt had to head home but hell, Ravi was hell bent on a feed at "Crab under the Bridge". Aaron, Ravi, Marco, Jason, Di, Me, Fuzz. It was a long long night. Friday I had meetings most of the day. I had to satisfy the Taxation Office somehow that this week was all work related The Friday night function at the COH lounge was spectacular and full of beautiful people from across Hong Kong and mainland China. The Drew Estate International crew were all there and they were an absolute hoot...no one more than the irrepressible Jonathan Drew. He delivered one of the most interesting one hour speeches I have ever heard. It was riveting and he had me in hysterics. He has now made my dream "ultimate industry long lunch table" The cigar scene in Hong Kong is rocking. New cigar stores and lounges appear to open every month. They are equally patronised by locals and mainland buyers alike. Hong Kong has had a slow recovery since Covid but it is recovering albeit some industry sectors and locations are doing far better than others. Cigars, Cuban and Non-Cuban roll on. FOH HK tour 2026 has found a few new welcoming homes If Fuzz/Chris/Di/ any attendees have any more photos of the 4 days...post them up.

This box came yesterday and I opened it up and it was just stunning, heart stopping almost. I stood by the humidor just staring at these wonderful cigars and a sort of panic came over me. HOW, am I going to smoke these and not just put them in the collection, back to sleep? They are just too perfect. Then, a thought washed over me. Made the hair stand up on my neck. WHY have I been hoarding all these years? WHAT am I doing! WHY, am I not smoking them, enjoying them? What’s holding me back? My life is likely more than 1/2 over and I love to smoke great cigars. I decided then and there- I am going to wear the watches I’ve put up, smoke my cigars, and enjoy all the things I’ve worked so hard for over the past 20 years. It’s incredible how this box of LUB OCT 2014 Upmann 2 (PSP), shifted my mindset. I am thrilled it did. he generous BOTL I acquired these from said to me— “you deserve these” and he couldn’t have been more right. *As a side note, I had been listening to @LizardGizmo and friends on an episode with a Connie A from LUB 2015… what a revelation. What a truly great run from Upmann factory. I am thrilled to have these and intend to share some with my close friends and smoke EVERY single one! No flash - wow! With flash WOW, and the smell-sublime!

2017 PLPC

Saint Luis Rey Regios (RBS NOV 23).

Sunday’s selection

EOT Sep 2015 Cohiba Siglo IV...

Been wandering this orb for half a century so I figured, no better time to smoke this one. Cohiba Behike 54 (MES DIC11).

Treated myself to a little birthday gift.

PSD4 on vacation in Punta Mita

Lunch smoke. Ramón Allones 8-9-8 Cigar (Ex. Alemania 2014). Los Mercaderes As good as it gets in Havana.

El Rey del Mundo Choix Suprême - MOE Oct 2014

Partagás Serie D No.4 - PMS Nov 2013

RyJ Short Churchill Viva Cuba Libre?

My birthday cigars. 2015 Esplendido. And a Siglo VI

A D4 SOU JUN 2020. Tasty. PLMC LGR OCT 2019. Best bang for your buck IMO. A Queen Corona. Not a bad smoke to be NC.

Cohiba Petit Robustos - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

BPC UBL ENE 22, still gots lots of mongrel.

Ramón Allones Superiores LCDH (OGA JUN 11).

Universally loved PLPC RAT MAY 20

Siglo VI

H. Upmann #2 Lunch w/ the PCC crew ( & @SUP8333) across Parque Central