Hello and welcome to the new JJ Fox website!

 

With the acquisition of the Robert Lewis brand in the last century my family is able to lay claim to retail cigar experience dating back to 1787. However those of you with good memories, who know us well, will recall that the Fox name only dates back to a mere century before the acquisition when, in 1881, James John Fox, my great, great grandfather, opened our first shop. His philosophy was simple – to build and pass a viable business onto the next generation of Foxes. Four generations later, mine is to ensure it reaches the next generation in even better shape than it was when it arrived to me. Success in achieving this will ultimately be determined by you, our customers. I like to think that much in the same way as each of our customers has their own story; there is a story behind every cigar and brand. Many of these stories began well before I was born with each generation of customers adding to them in some way or other over time.

 

 We as retailers are the custodians of these stories. I believe the industry has to some extent started to rely on the cigar brands to sell themselves. It cannot any more. Nor must we rely on reputation alone to sell our wares. It is my view that not nearly enough effort is made to articulate the “nature” of our product to aficionados – I am very keen that we develop our knowledge and experience and work on novel ways to impart this knowledge to you, the customer. For years we have been accumulating a vintage cigar inventory which is the envy of any competitor, and are continuing to build these stocks with a view to releasing them in time, for sale to discerning connoisseurs.

 

We will only stock and sell cigars with an unquestioned provenance and which meet our quality standards. We do not have a monopoly on cigar knowledge, if you have sampled a cigar you can add to that cigars story and we want to hear it. Where better than in our blog? Our online store is going to be a very valuable tool in leveraging these strengths as we develop them further. We value your feedback and we will listen. The pride we have in our heritage in this industry is difficult to articulate through the internet; to sample it most effectively I would encourage you to visit our flagship store on 19 St James Street in London where I trust you will receive a warm welcome and a memorable insight into our proud past.

 

Stuart Fox

Chairman

I`ve been spending some time going through masses of historical items in our museum. Over the years l have found myself in some very interesting conversations with customers about old packs of cigarettes and tins of pipe tobacco many of us enjoyed all those years ago. Many of the items in our collection l still remember my parents smoking when l was knee high to a grass hopper.

It then dawned on me that l think there will be plenty of people out there who might be interested in seeing pictures of some of these items l speak of.

Here are just a few to start with until l get more time to update this post. I`m hoping to get the remainder of these on before the end of September 2010. If you have an stories you would like share please feel free to comment.

Anibal Delgado Gonzalez is finishing soon his tour after eight weeks in the UK. Do not miss the chance to see him perform the fine art of a Cuban cigar roller from Monday 12th July to Saturday 17th July in JJ Fox, UK’s oldest and largest established tobacco merchants since 1787. This event offers you the opportunity to receive a masterclass in how Cuban cigars are produced, by one of the very best cigar rollers in the country and the chance to purchase a freshly rolled cigar to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Cohiba Behike was launched into the UK market in London at an evening event on May 12. I found myself in the shop in the morning and having a reasonably free schedule for the day, hooked up with the “cigars.ie” herfers (an Irish blog site) namely Yiorgos Menesis (the site administrator), Andrew Ryan, Ian Pepper and my brother Robert Fox. Having been corrected in my pronunciation of the word Behike by Bill (he is adamant it is Be-I-key by the way!) I challenged him to produce some cigars for an impromptu blind tasting (Saint Luis Rey Regios cigars from 1995 and 2000). We challenged those gathered to name the brand and the ages of both cigars. It was unanimously agreed that it was a Hermosos size, with half correctly identifying the older cigar, estimating it to be about 20 years old which I think was close enough for some bonus points. No one identified the cigars as Saint Luis Rey (recently reintroduced into the UK market by Tor Imports Limited), with most placing it as an Upmann Connoisseur No 1. I thought the 1995 Saint Luis Rey Regio was truly excellent (better than the 2000) - one thing we were all happy to agree on! There was a great buzz in the shop, a real sense of occasion, perhaps because of the launch later in the day, with various customers gathering in the new lounge before hand, to warm up, so to speak.  

 

We lunched in Franco’s across the road from Davidoff having briefly popped into the store to catch up with Edward Sahakian, a true legend in the industry. I had a delicious meal - pasta and Italian sausage followed by lamb. Ian delivered the coup de grace with his selection of 2004 Serata di Belguardo, to accompany our mains. Truly a “Super Tuscan”, one I shall definitely be adding to my cellar. Appetite sated, we agreed it was time for another smoke, and a further spring was put in my step when my brother kindly picked up the tab for lunch. We adjourned to No 1 St James’s on the corner of Pall Mall. The address has a long association with tobacco but has only just been reopened with a sampling room and walk in humidor. Here I was joined by my friend Phil Millo, and not being able to agree on a Robusto for the occasion, we settled on the Series V Oliva - taste, quality, and value epitomised in a cigar. Time seems to slide by quicker in the company of a slow burning cigar and soon it was time to head out for the main event.

 

The event was hosted by Hunters and Frankau in a marquee in the garden of the Goring, with attendees receiving a welcome pack of two Cohiba Behike BHK 52, one each of the BHK 54 and BHK 56, a UK Regional Edition El Rey del Mundo Choix l’Epoque, and some chocolates by Damien Allsop. Well worth the journey from Jersey and the ticket price (£150). The guests (i would estimate the attendance at perhaps 175+) were ably looked after by Jemma Freeman (CEO of Hunters) along with her fellow director Igancio Balmeseda, and Simon Chase, Sean Crowley and Jimmy McGee. I had not seen any of the gang since this years Festival in Havana and it was great to catch up. Jimmy I had not seen since his departure from our Selfridges business some years ago and I am delighted he is back in the industry. My fellow retailers were well represented. I had a really entertaining chat with Desmond Sautter. Its just great to see him looking so well and so happy. The new owners Johnny Berman and Laurence Davis were also there, resulting in liberal amounts of banter between paddies and poms. Edward and his son Eddie Sahakian from Davidoff (great to finally meet Sahakian junior), Mitchell Orchant from Turmeaus and AJ Patel from La Caza della Hananos. I’m delighted to be able to boast that Fox had a lot of customers there. Always good to further our ties with a drink, as well as a cigar, in hand. 

 

Perhaps unfairly given the mounting anticipation to taste the new addition to the Habanos family, I smoked the Choix l’Epoque first – a rather mild counterpart to the one I knew was following. This was a no holds bar launch, Allsop chocoloate, Krug champagne and Hennessey Cognac flowed freely before Jemma and Simon introduced the cigar. Cohiba is the Taino Indian (an indigenous tribe in Cuba) word for a loose wrapping of leaves of tobacco used in their ceremonies, Behike is the Indian word for the master of such ceremonies. It is so easy to forget that the Cohiba brand was only introduced in 1982; this is a brand that has come a long way in a short time. Anyway - here comes the science…..The Behike’s claim to fame is its blend of tobacco, introducing a forth leaf, the medio tiempo of the plants from Pinar del Río. These are the top leaves of the plants and are richer than other fillers. This in short increases its strength. The cigar is produced in El Laguito (”The Lake”), by the best rollers available and production is limited to 30,000 per size per annum. Enough was enough. One of the BHK 52 went under the match. It was just divine, and rivaled my first of the day in terms of experience, and exceeded it in taste. Make no mistake. This is an excellent cigar. It needs to be given the RRP’s being quoted. I know I am going to be asked by my customers if it is worth it? My response will be to ask if they think that they are worth it! I would suggest that this is a cigar to savour, a delicious treat for special occasions when there is a need to “pack yellow” as Yiorgos puts it - no bad thing given the limited production runs and its price.  

 

We headed off to Ten Manchester Square as the event wound down. I am ashamed to say this was my first visit to the hotel (which boasts a walk in humidor, reasonable prices and a smoking terrace), where I had my final cigar. A Spanish Regional Edition Ramon Allones Grandes - kindly given to me by Andy Ryan. A spectacular end to my evening. This is also a great cigar. I really wish we could sell some of these regional editions. There are a few that definitely make the grade. And then there are some that exceed that grade - this being one. It would be nice to be able to offer the best of them to our customers. 

Dear Visitor,

Cohiba Behike cigars are coming to town!! To mark this special occasion Hunters and Frankau would like to event you to the first tasting event of the Cohiba Behikes cigars. Tickets for this event can be bought from us, but we strongly recommend you buy them directly from Hunters and Frankau as places maybe limited. Simply mention JJ Fox when you call. If you are lucky enough to go to this wonderful event, please feel free to share your experience on our blog.  Note the free Cohiba Behike Gift box with three cigars at the end of the evening and one Cohiba Behike during the night. The information we have received from Hunters and Frankau regarding this event is as follows.

The UK launch of Cohiba’s new Behike line hosted by Habanos importer, Hunters & Frankau, will take place on Wednesday 12th May 2010 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm in the magnificent garden at London’s Goring Hotel.

On arrival you will be welcomed with a vodka cocktail and a cigar before being offered the BHK 52 served with Krug champagne. And on departure you will receive a commemorative gift box containing each of the new cigars: the BHK 52, BHK 54 and BHK 56.

Tickets at £150 each, which includes a donation to The Variety Club, are on sale now from Hunters & Frankau; please contact Dawn (020 7471 8409) or Kasheena (020 7471 8419), or email dawn@cigars.co.uk.

Showcased in February at this year’s Habanos Festival in Havana, the three new Cohiba Behike sizes have been eagerly awaited ever since by cigar enthusiasts around the world. The Cuban cigar industry has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that this new line is special in every way. Not only are all the three sizes entirely new, but there is also a special classification of leaf within the blend of the filler, known as Medio Tiempo, which gives the new line a unique, distinctive taste. The natural scarcity of Medio Tiempo leaves dictates that annual production of these cigars will be restricted. The Behike BHKs are set to become Cohiba’s most exclusive line and to represent the highest grade of cigar in production in Cuba today.

The three Cohiba Behike sizes are:

BHK 56 - 6 ½ inches (166mm) x 56 ring gauge

BHK 54 - 5 5/8 inches (144mm) x 54 ring gauge

BHK 52 - 4 ¾ inches (119mm) x 52 ring gauge

The Ashton ESG Story

For twenty years, Ashton has worked tirelessly to produce one of the highest quality, most consistent cigars that are sold anywhere. To celebrate twenty
consecutive years of increased sales and overall growth, Robert Levin and Carlos Fuente Jr. have teamed up to create the Ashton Estate Sun Grown,
or ESG for short. Such a special occasion called for a very special cigar. The ESG uses a unique Dominican wrapper grown on the Chateau de la Fuente farm in the Dominican Republic. This wrapper has never been used on any other cigar. The blend is the creation of Carlos Fuente Jr. who is a master blender and has created the most sought after cigars in the world. With ESG the bar has been raised once again.

20 Year Salute - 6.75 x 49

21 Year Salute - 5.25 x 52

22 Year Salute - 6 x 52

The Ashton Story

The Ashton name has become internationally recognized and respected for its commitment to the manufacturing and distribution of the finest premium cigars.

The Ashton cigar is the realization of Robert Levin’s dream, a second generation tobacconist from Philadelphia whose idea for Ashton came from years of experience in the industry, not only as an importer and retailer of cigars, but also as a true connoisseur of the world’s finest cigar blends. Levin created Ashton cigars in 1985 and today, with the manufacturing expertise of the world renowned Fuente Family, Ashton cigars have become one of the most sought after premium cigars in the world. The finest and richest Dominican grown leaf are used for the filler and binder providing Ashton with its unique complexity; only the oiliest, silkiest Connecticut Shade grown and finest Ecuador (for the VSG) wrappers are used rewarding Ashton with its distinctive character. The result is a perfect balance of complexity and character.

Ashton cigars are offered in six very different and distinct blends. The broadest Ashton offering is the hand rolled premium cigar selection with thirteen sizes, delivering medium body and consistent long lasting taste. The Cabinet Selection, a Vintage Limited Edition as the name suggests, entails a tobacco “aging process” for the tobacco that is three to four years old and then aged for an additional year. It includes no less than six different tobaccos resulting in a rich, medium bodied complex tasting cigar available in eight sizes. The Ashton Aged Maduro is a naturally dark, sweet cigar which comes from proper fermenting and a never hurried aging of the wrapper giving this cigar its flavor and smoothness. Seven sizes of this superior maduro wrapped cigar are available.

The Ashton VSG (Virgin Sun Grown) was unveiled in November 1999 and was the most successful product introduction in Ashton’s history. The Ashton VSG was crafted with an unforgettable richness and potency. Its full-bodied flavor provides balance to the entire Ashton line of premium cigars. The VSG was an instant success and the Cigar Insider, a leading industry newsletter published by Cigar Aficionado, stated “…connoisseurs are seeking out the new Ashton Virgin Sun Grown with a fervor not seen in the industry for years…” It further reported a demand for the VSG “unequaled since the end of the cigar boom” several years ago and, after it conducted a taste test, the publication awarded the VSG with a 93 rating making it one of the highest ratings ever for a non-Cuban brand. Again, in 2007, VSG was awarded a slew of 90 plus ratings in Cigar Insider reaffirming its place among the very top cigars in the world today. The VSG’s introduction started an important industry trend toward full-bodied cigars and today, few would argue that it not only started the movement, but remains, in spite of scores of imitators, as the top full bodied cigar anywhere.

To create this great cigar, Ashton called on Carlos Fuente, Jr. of Tabacalera A. Fuente who worked with us for two years to develop the VSG’s incredible strength while keeping within the Ashton standards of excellence in taste, flavor and construction. When introducing the VSG, the Company knew it would be a success but never anticipated the demand and recognition it would give the Ashton name.

In November 2003, the new Ashton Heritage Puro Sol was introduced and immediately received a 90 rating from Cigar Insider and numerous accolades from industry insiders and consumers alike. The Ashton Heritage Puro Sol will be a cigar steeped in the tradition and honor of two legendary cigar families, the Fuentes and Meerapfels. This exquisite cigar marks the first time a Cameroon wrapper has surrounded an Ashton blend and the results are stunning. With the marriage of Carlos Fuente Sr’s blending and the African cameroon wrapper selected by the late Rick Meerapfel, the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol is destined for a place in cigar history.

To help celebrate its 20th anniversary, Ashton introduced the Ashton Estate Sun Grown (ESG), a spectacular, limited edition cigar blended by Carlos Fuente Jr. with a proprietary blend using wrapper grown exclusively on the Chateau de la Fuente farm. Each year a new size will be introduced until 2010 when all five sizes will be available going forward.

No matter which Ashton cigar is chosen, one can expect unsurpassed quality, consistency and pleasure beyond expectation

 

 

Dear Valued Customer and Visitor,

Please feel free to use this area to leave your feedback here.  Your valuable feedback can be about a cigar you have resently smoked, our customer service or our website in general.

Many thanks for your time.

      The Cuban Cigar Walk London

An Accompanied audio guide around four of the finest Cigar stores in London.

The Cuban Cigar Walk has been produced to cater both for the keen Cigar enthusiast and his or her spouse. The guide contains both history of the Cigar industry in London and many of its famous customers, including Sir Winston Churchill and the history of Mayfair and St James from the Civil War right up to date.

 

The walk passes many points of interest including:

·         Jack Barclay – London’s first Bentley dealers  

·         The site of the Beatles last live performance

·         The Royal chocolatier Charbonnel & Walker

·         The Royal & Burlington Arcades

 

For full details of the route and to hear a sample of the walk go to the Cuban Cigar Walk Web Page

 

Cost £45.00 per person

To confirm attendance we ask for a minimum of 50% payment 28 days before the date of the walk with the balance payable 14 days before the walk.

 

Timings:

9.45  - meet for  a 10.00 start  at the Churchill statue at the Junction of Old Bond Street and New Bond Street

10.15– Bourdon House 

12.00– A glass of Pol Roger champagne  at Davidoff, Jermyn street

12.45 – Lunch – at the Red Lion Pub in Crown Passage. (Lunch not included in walk cost) 

2.00 – JJ Fox & Robert Lewis/ Cigar Museum & Cigar Sampling Lounge, St James’s Street

Technology

Each walker will be provided with a radio receiver. This allows each walked to hear the pre recorded audio.  For hygiene reasons we ask you to bring your own headphones.

 

Numbers:

The walk will be limited to a maximum of 20 people due to the size of some of the smaller stores on the walk.

 

Dress Code:

There is no formal dress code for the walk however I would ask that the minimum should be “smart casual” and no shorts please.

 

Walk Dates for 2010 (all Saturdays)

·                  17th April ·                  15th May ·                  12th June ·                  10th July ·                  21st August ·                  18th  September ·                  9th October

To Book a place on one of the walks please email nic@citiesinsound.com or ring Nic on 0208 447 1627.

 

Private Walks

If you would like to arrange a special Private guided Cuban Cigar Walk please contact Nic Wing via the Cities in Sound web site  - www.citiesinsound.com or email nic@citiesinsound.com

 

Images relating to previous Cuban Cigar Walks can be found below.

Many thanks to everyone who attended our fantastic event on the 25th of February 2010. We all had a wonderful evening enjoying a truly hidden gem produced in Cuba - Saint Luis Rey. 

The reviews on this wonder cigar from those who completed the tasting notes has been extremely positive.  The vast majority of these being consistently and bags of flavour. From the different sizes Saint Luis Rey produce, the Regios and Petit Coronas received the highest marks as an excellent all rounder.

The photographs from our event can be found on our facebook, freddie@jjfox.co.uk , which you are welcome to view. For those who attended and would like to leave their reviews about the cigars they smoked or the event in general, please kindly post your comments here. Customers or world wide web visitors, have you tried Saint Luis Rey cigars? If you have done in the past you are also most welcome to post your comments here.

Here is a small selection of pictures taken on the night.  Some of these pictures were taken in our new sampling lounge area above the shop.

Happy Smoking!

 

SAINT LUIS REY CIGARS

 

 

 

For the month of February 2010, we would like to invite you to try this fantastic cigar at our promotional price. Saint Luis Rey cigars are made in the Romeo Y Julieta factory so the flavors are very similar. February 2010 is the perfect opportunity to try Saint Luis Rey Cigars as we have made our prices very competitive to your traditional Romeo Y Julieta Cigars. The added beauty to these cigars is that they are already aged for three to five years. Please see our table below for price comparisons between Saint Luis Rey and  Romeo Y Julieta. Happy Smoking!

Fox of St james february 2010 promotion

 

 

ROMEO Y JULIETA			Saint Luis Rey
		Internet Price	Internet Price	OUR PRICE
Size Name	Pack			Per Pack
Exhibition No.3.	25’s	300.00	SERIE A	£265.00
Exhibition No.3.	1’s	12.00	SERIE A	£10.50
Coronas	25’s	260.00	Coronas	£230.00
Coronas	1’s	10.50	Coronas	£9.50
Exhibition No.4.	25’s	265.00	Regios	£235.00
Exhibition No.4.	1’s	10.95	Regios	£9.50
Petit Coronas	25’s	200.00	Petit Coronas	£175.00
Petit Coronas	5’s	45.00	Petit Coronas	£40.95
Petit Coronas	1’s	8.00	Petit Coronas	£7.00

 Construction of Saint Luis Rey

  There are three parts to each cigar:

·        Filler

·        Binder

·        Wrapper

Filler

The filler is the centre of the cigar and is made with leaves from three different parts of the Criollo plant. It is the blend of these leaves that determines the strength and flavor of the Saint Luis Rey brand.

Binder

The binder leaf is wrapped around the three filler leaves, holding them in place. The binder leaf is wrapped around the three filler leaves, holding them in place. The binder leaf is also from the Criollo plant.

Wrapper

The wrapper leaf, the one you can actually see, is from Corojo plant. This is a very fine leaf with a silky appearance. It is graded into colours: Claro (lightest), Colorado Claro, Colorado, Maduro (darkest). Customers often choose a box of cigars because of the colour.

How the leaf is grown

Although Cuba has five main tobacco regions the plants used for export are mainly from one region in the west of the Country, the Vuelto Abajo in the Pinar del Rio province.

During the summer the fields are often ploughed using animal traction. From October seedlings of about 15cm in height are planted. The plants need about 45-50 days to reach full maturity.

Corojo plants (for wrapper leaf) require very special treatment. Their fields are covered with muslin cloth to protect the delicate leaves from direct sunlight.

Criollo plants (for filler and binder) are exposed to the sun to produce the wider variety and greater intensity of flavours for the different blends of tobacco required for each brand.

Harvesting begins 50 days after planting. Leaves are then hung in barns for another 50 days. Following this they are packed into large bundles, a fermentation takes place that lasts up to 30 days. The leaves are now moistened and classified according to their particular type. They are re-bundled and undergo a second, longer, fermentation.

The leaves are packed in bales and stored in warehouses during an ageing period after which they can be sent to the factory.

 

Making a cigar

At the factory the Corojo (wrapper) leaves are gently moistened and carefully colour graded. These are now ready for the roller.

The Master Blender at the factory sorts the filler and binder leaves to make the perfect blend for Saint Luis Rey. These leaves will vary considerably in strength and flavor. Some will be 12 months old, with others over two years. Secret recipes for brands are closely guarded.

The cigar rollers only tools are a wooden board, a sharp curved blade called a Chaveta, a guillotine and a pot of vegetable gum. The average daily output per roller is about 120 cigars.

Once rolled the cigars are kept in conditioning rooms, often for months, to allow them to lose some of the additional moisture gained during rolling.

The final stage in the factory is dedicated to achieving a perfect presentation of the cigar. They are once again colour graded (with 65 different shades) to ensure that each box has a consistent colour. Even then in each box cigars are packed dark to light – left to right with the best side of the cigar facing up.

The Saint Luis Rey box

Products of outstanding quality are common prey for imitators. Each box of genuine Havana cigars carries five identification marks:

·        The green Cuban Government Warranty Seal (that was introduced in 1912).

·        The Habanos chevron (A corner sticker introduced in 1994).

Three ‘hallmarks’ imprinted into the base of each box:

·        Habanos sa logo (that has appeared since 1994).

·        Hecho en Cuba mark (that has appeared since 1960).

·        Totalmente a mano (since 1989).

The EMS (English Market Selection) sticker is a Hunters & Frankau initiative and is attached to all boxes of their brands that they sell to the trade within the UK. Clearly Saint Luis Rey boxes will not have an EMS sticker.

Flavour

Saint Luis Rey is regarded in the light to medium category in terms of strength and flavor.

Sizes of cigars

There are over 50 shapes and sizes of Havana cigars, although most sales in the UK are from the sizes within the Saint Luis Rey range. The diameter, called Ring Gauge, is measured in 64ths of an inch. Therefore a 42 ring gauge is 42/64ths of an inch.

Saint Luis Rey	Length (inches)	Ring Gauge
Double Coronas	7  5/8	49
Churchill	7	47
Lonsdale	6  1/2	42
Serie A	5  5/8	46
Regios	5	48
Corona	5  1/2	42
Petit Corona	5	42