Spotlight On: Partagás Cigars
At James J. Fox, we stock a huge range of cigars from the biggest and best-known brands from across the world. In past articles, we have taken a look at a number of these brands, including:
Spotlight On: Romeo Y Julieta Cigars
Spotlight On: Montecristo Cigars
Spotlight On: Hoyo De Monterrey
Spotlight On: Cohiba Cigars
This time, we shall take a look at the Partagás brand and what it is that makes Partagás cigars so fantastic.

History of the Partagás Cigars
Partagás is one of the oldest cigar brands, having been established in 1845 in Havana, the cigar capital of the world. The company was created by Don Jaime Partagás y Ravelo, a Catalan who migrated to Cuba in 1831 where he worked for a businessman in the city of Havana. It wasn’t too long before Don Jaime opened his own factory from which he began producing the very first Partagás cigars. In 1845, his factory was established and Don Jaime became the owner of a number of the best plantations in the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba. Don Jaime was widely respected for his instinct for blending and fermenting tobaccos as well as his ability to choose from the finest tobaccos. However, it was not only his skills that helped to lead the brand to success but also his attitude towards his workers. It is said that he hired one of the first lectors to read to and entertain the cigar rollers as they worked. Sadly, in 1868, Don Jaime was murdered whilst on one of his plantations, forcing his son, José Partagás to take over the business. Over the coming years, the company changed hands, seeing the involvement of a number of businessmen. During this time, the Paratagás brand became incredibly successful, being second only to H. Upmann in the export of Cuban cigars. In 1960, shortly after the end of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro’s government seized 16 cigar factories, with the Partagás factory being among them. In the years to come, the brand was selected as one which would continue production, allowing us to purchase and enjoy the Partagás cigars we have today.