James J Fox

25/03/2025

Another great evening came to fruition at James J Fox on the evening of Thursday 20th March as we paired the latest Plasencia Zodiac year release with the iconic Taiwanese whisky brand, Kavalan. While the ci**rs and whiskies went down a treat with guests for the pairing, adding to the charm on the night was our friend Nick Hammond as he indulged guests with his entertaining anecdotes and riveting experiences during his voyages across the world. It had been too long since we last had Nick at an event, so we thank him for joining us.

It's the first lancero we’ve paired at a sampling evening in a while and it delivered an excellent medium bodied smoke, as the aesthetically elegant vitola has been rolled with all Nicargauan leaves.

We paired the cigar with Kavalan, a quite unique whisky with a profile like few other whisky brands. Michael Pendergast from Speciality Brands joined us as brand ambassador on the evening. We enjoyed their Classic Single Malt and Tripe Sherry to start the evening, while guests were treated to a Limited Edition Speciality Brands Cask Strength Vinho Barrique bottling at the end.

Again, a big Thank you to Nick, Roy and Michael for keeping guests immersed in an evening of a great pairing and great conversation. Thank you to the guests for joining us and being a part of a winning combination of expertise.

07/03/2025

A highly anticipated pairing awaited us on Thursday 20th February as we finally got our hands on the award-winning My Father MF The Judge. It was the Corona Gorda and it lived up to expectations, medium-to-full strength and highly flavorful. The Judge is a boldly flavourful blend combining three different fillers, two binders using Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo to***co with the cigar being completed with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. A fantastic composition to create one of the best blends in Nicaragua.

Fresh from the Tor Tour 2025, with one of their stops being the My Father factory, was Tor Imports Alfonso Scherzi and the legendary Scott Vines. Alfonso gave a great introduction to the cigar as he indulged guests with cigar talk throughout the night.

The cigar was paired with four single malt whiskies by Aberfeldy, the 12, 16, 21 and an extremely limited edition bottling of a 22 year old White Port Cask finish. Aberfeldy has a distinctly floral and mellow body with sweet tendencies of honey, throughout its core profile. This more delicate flavour paired supremely well with The Judge as it harmonised with the cigar’s core earth and wood notes to enhance the flavour of both through the contrast of flavours.

A big thank you to Scott and Alfonso for joining us and to India Blanch for bringing us 1 of the 276 bottles of the exceptional 22 years White Port cask bottle. Also a big thank you to Luke Coles at the Aberfeldy distillery for the welcome and a great insight into the Dewar’s and Aberfeldy brands.

07/02/2025

This is the UK Habanos Regional Edition 2023, which is now available at James J. Fox. Selectos No.3 is a Cervantes size measuring 6 ½” (165mm) x 42 ring gauge and often referred to as a Lonsdale, with the only other cigar in current production with this vitola being the Montecristo No.1. The previous UK Habanos Regional release was the Por Larranaga Larranaga 47

This is a medium bodied cigar with the flavour beginning sweet and floral with a citrus sweetness being apparent in the first third. As the cigar progresses it develops with spice becoming more dominant in the flavour. While the few regular production Flor de Cano ci**rs are all short-filler, using to***co from the Semi Vuelta as well as Vuelta Abajo regions, all their regional edition are long filler with all the to***co exclusively from Vuelta Abajo.

Launched 6th February 2025, the Selectos No.3 is the third UK Regional Edition from the brand, following the Short Robusto (2010) and the Gran Cano (2013). The 2023 UK Habanos Regional Edition has been presented in 5000 numbered SLB boxes of 25 ci**rs

04/02/2025

So nice we had to do it twice…

Last year we had the pleasure to host an event at our flagship pairing two ci**rs with two cognacs and two Armagnac, presented by the one and only Dawn Davies MW. Well, when the opportunity again arises to talk cognac with Dawn while pairing with two Habanos Ci**rs, it’s an occasion you simply don't want to miss out on. So, on Wednesday 29th January we arranged said opportunity for us and guests as we welcomed Dawn back to James J. Fox. We were also delighted to welcome, Isabella Shorter, Events and Show Assistant for TWE Events.

We decided to go with the pair of Juan Lopez No.2 and a Cuaba Divinos – two flavourful ci**rs, both highly-rated by aficionados despite being two of the more lowkey brands of Habanos. Dawn eloquently demonstrated the differences between cognac and Armagnac, both the overt profile of the spirits as well as their origins. It was just a taster to what is in store for attendees to The Cognac Show. Good luck to The Whisky Exchange and their events team for their 2025 shows.

Thank you to our guests for joining us for our first sampling event of the year. We’re looking forward to the next one already…

07/01/2025

Join Kirby Allison as he explores James J. Fox at 19 St James's Street, London, delving into the craftsmanship and tradition that defined Churchill’s lifelong passion for fine ci**rs. A journey through legacy, luxury, and unparalleled style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7tSCRF21pE

This is part 3 of the series: Winston Churchill - The Fabric of the Man. You can find the first two episodes via Kirby Allison's Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/

In this third episode of The Fabric of a British Icon, Kirby Allison continues to explore the life and style of Winston Churchill by delving into the institu...

13/12/2024

We were delighted to be joined by Sebastien Decoppet, founder of Cavalier Ci**rs for an event at James J. Fox. Hosted in association with Bright Leaf Distribution, retailers from around the UK came together to sample the collection of Cavalier ci**rs. It was a wonderful evening to see friends, sample some excellent ci**rs paired with a new rum on our radar Takamaka.

Thank you to Phil and Alan for their work on the evening and for bringing the UK cigar industry and Sebastien under one roof for a great evening of ci**rs.

09/12/2024

Churchill's 150th Birthday - On Thursday 28th November we held our annual Churchill Birthday Event at James J. Fox for guests to enjoy three of Churchill’s favourite pleasures – ci**rs, champagne and cognac. To a full house, we surprised guests with a Por Larranaga PL47 cigar instead of the traditional Romeo y Julieta Churchill as we paid tribute to what would have been Sir Winston’s 150th Birthday. Of course, we poured a customary Pol Roger for guests on arrival, which is widely considered his signature champagne. We also decided to go with Churchill’s Cognac of choice, Hine, having both the Rare and Grand Champagne XO on the evening.

Guests came from all corners of the UK and even beyond to celebrate this occasion and we thank all who joined us on the evening for indulging in great conversations and making new friends. We would like to thank Mr. Sean Croley, for talking about the history of Churchill, the 19 St James’s Street’s association to Churchill and Por Larranaga. We would also like to thank Mr. James Gulliver, brand ambassador for Hine Cognac for joining us and talking about the cognac and the brand’s connection to Churchill.

29/11/2024

COMING NOV 30: Winston Churchill is remembered as a wartime leader, orator, and statesman—but beyond his political and military accomplishments lies a man of unparalleled style, taste, and distinction. The Fabric of a The Man takes you on an extraordinary journey through the life and legacy of Churchill, uncovering the craftsmanship, quality, and tradition that defined him.

Join Kirby Allison as he celebrates the 150th birthday of Winston Churchill with the debut episode of this remarkable series, premiering on YouTube this November 30th. From the grandeur of Blenheim Palace to the bespoke tailors of Savile Row, the storied halls of J.J. Fox, and the serene beauty of Chartwell, this series reveals how Churchill’s love for craftsmanship, fine ci**rs, exquisite champagne, and impeccable tailoring shaped his identity and legacy.

Through timeless fragrances, bespoke garments, and moments steeped in tradition, The Fabric of a British Icon uncovers the untold story of Churchill’s life and the enduring details that made him an icon.

Celebrate the legacy of Winston Churchill with us. Subscribe now and join Kirby Allison on this unforgettable journey into the life of one of Britain’s greatest figures. Episode 1 premieres November 30th!

🔍 FEATURED IN THIS SERIES
🔸 Henry Poole (https://www.henrypoole.co.uk) (IG:
🔸 Lock & Co. Hatters (https://www.lockhatters.com) (IG:
🔸 Floris London (https://www.florislondon.com) (IG:
🔸 Pol Roger Champagne (https://www.polroger.com) (IG:
🔸 J.J. Fox (https://www.jjfox.co.uk) (IG: **rs
🔸 Chartwell House (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell) (IG:
🔶 Blenheim Palace

11/11/2024

Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?...

Last Thursday for Halloween we invited guests to join us to pair the Foundation Cigar Company’s Olmec Grande with Mezcal from Los Siete Misterios. Joining us on the evening was the brilliant George Frakes, Director of 1573 Ci**rs and the masterful Gabriela Moncada, Agave ambassador for Speciality Brands.

We matched the with Espadin Mexicano around the halfway of the cigar and that was followed by the full-bodied small batch Tobola towards the end. We planned to start with the Doba-yej and we did in some regard as Gabriela, with a little help from a friend who happens to be one of the finest mixologists on the planet, produced a quite amazing Mezcal Negroni as a welcome cocktail.

The Olmec has flavour and character in abundance and it is one of our favourite ci**rs to arrive in 2024. Knowing their master blender Nicholas Melillo as we do, we’re sure he would approve of the pairing for taste as well as the story of Mexican heritage being told by George and Gabriela. Both are very much deserving of their ovations on the evening.

It was a wonderful night and we thank both experts for helping put this evening together. The guests were superb on the evening and we are delighted with their responses on the pairing and appreciation for Gabriela and George. Mezcal may be checked off the list as a first time pairing, but it will not be the last time we pair with this great artisanal spirit.

16/10/2024

Habanos ci**rs & Cuban rum was our pairing as we saluted Cuba’s “Dia de la Independencia” with a H.Upmann No.2 & Eminente Rum. It has been a while since we’ve enjoyed a light-to-medium Habanos cigar for a sampling evening, mainly because the evenings have suited a more fuller bodied cigar profile. So, the pairing of the No.2 with Eminente’s Reserva 7 and Gran Reserva 10 was a great change and one which worked perfectly on the evening.

The H.Upmann No.2 is one of the Habanos ci**rs that we consider to be underrated. It’s not mentioned enough when talking about the best cigar from Habanos. It’s a cigar perfect for any time of the day.

Our Master of Habanos experts Nic and Yiannos spoke to guests about the cigar on the evening, as we were delighted to be joined by Max Helm, global ambassador for Eminente Rum to speak about the rum. Actually, it was more immersive than just speaking to guests with Max bringing unrefined sugar cane molasses and pure aguardiente for guests to see the ingredients before it’s created into Eminente. We started the night with the Cuban cocktail Canchanchara, shaking it up with Eminente Ambar Claro, freshly pressed lime juice, honey syrup and ice.

It was a great evening with a wonderful atmosphere created by the fantastic guests on the evening.

08/10/2024

It was our great pleasure to welcome Jorge Padron Jr of Padrón Ci**rs for a sampling evening here on St James’s. We enjoyed a Q&A, led by Jorge and Scott Vines as well as Scott reading a profound excerpt from the memoirs of the late great Jose O. Padron, Jorge Padron Jr’s legendary grandfather. A big thank you to TOR - The New World Ci**rs DistributorTOR - The New World Ci**rs Distributor for organising this evening with us and ensuring the guests had a wonderful time with the fantastic Padron Damaso No.15 cigar. A relatively milder cigar than Padron’s anniversary series ci**rs, the Damaso delivers a core flavour of earth with a gentle flavour of oak whisky barrel notes of pecan nuts to provide a distinct sweetness. A pleasant cigar anytime of the day.

We selected The Lakes Distillery to join us for this pairing, as brand ambassador Hemil Haria and their spirits retail partner for the event JPHA joined us to talk about three The Lakes Whisky expressions – The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.7, Galaxia & Equinox. Each are very different, which was apparent as guests opinions really varied on which one they preferred, sparking interesting debates.

Our next event this Thursday is sold out but the tickets for our event on Thursday 31st October is now online. Book your place now.

19/09/2024

Bond Roberts launched the 109 Linea D Number 1 at our Flagship on St James’s Street, London on Tuesday 17th September. Friends and aficionados of Bond Roberts who joined us on the evening were the first people in the world to sample the cigar in our cigar sampling lounge.

If you are unfamiliar with Bond Roberts, it is a company established in 2019 by passionate cigar experts Robert Ayala and Robert Fox. The long-time friends with their extensive knowledge of the cigar industry – Ayala, leading the world’s most popular cigar forum, Friends of El Habano, and Rob Fox, MD at James J Fox – created the cigar exchange platform for aged, vintage and rare Cuban Ci**rs to offer a secure and trusted trading environment.

The 109 cigar is the second release from Bond Roberts, following on from the Petit 109 Linea D Number 6.

Hamlet Paredes, who has been friends with the Bond Roberts duo for more than two decades was tasked with creating the blend for the ci**rs. His vast experience of the cigar industry and hands-on approach is established, but the trust & knowledge amongst these three gentlemen is what has delivered their desired outcome.
Rob Fox said, "Hamlet Paredes blended the ci**rs to create a complex mix of medium strength rich, clean and sweet to***co flavours, creating a classic vitola which evolves through the thirds. Our investment in the Bond Roberts business, our collaboration with Friends of Habanos, Rob Ayala and Hamlet and the development of the Bond Roberts cigar have been some of the most important of my career, and I'm immensely proud of the results we've achieved”.

Bond Roberts ci**rs are exclusively available at James J. Fox, jjfox.co.uk and our Selfridges London store as well as St’ James’s.

17/09/2024

We are delighted to host a gentleman from a legendary cigar family at James J. Fox for a cigar sampling event on Wednesday 2nd October. The man we are welcoming is Mr. Jorge Luis Padron of Padron Ci**rs. He is in London for just the one night, so we had to make this event to show our appreciation to him and give UK cigar aficionados an opportunity to meet a cigar expert from one of the leading families in the industry.

The cigar we will be sampling on the evening will be the Padron Damoso No. 15 (6’’ x 52). Not the Padron we have become accustomed to through the years, instead a Connecticut wrapper with a medium-to-full body and flavour. 19 St James’s Street has enjoyed history with Padron; the Nicaraguan brand were specially commissioned to produce our commemorative 225th Anniversary ci**rs in 2012. It has been a while so it will be a great reunion on the evening with a member of the family.

We will be pairing the cigar with a selection of drams from English Whisky brand The Lakes. Joining us will be Hemil Haria, UK Brand Ambassador for The Lakes Distillery as he details the whiskies we will be trying, including their latest unique Galaxia bottling. The Lakes have created a great impression in the world of Whisky with multiple awards awarded to many of their bottles.

Book your place now:
https://www.jjfox.co.uk/sampling-evening-with-jorge-padron-wednesday-2nd-october-6-30pm.html

11/09/2024

A return to our events with a great pairing of two fantastic brands, Arturo Fuente & The Facuncdo Collection, with an additional tasting of the fantastic Santa Teresa 1796. We smoked the medium-to-full bodied Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No.2 – a 6’’ x 55 piramide vitola cigar. The Dominican cigar company is one of the biggest cigar brands in the world, renowned for their incredible, but more importantly, consistency in flvaour and construction. There are only a handful of brands who are considered elite by cigar enthusiasts and Fuente is certainly one of them.

Through sheer coincidence we were given the pleasant surprise to be briefly joined by Joshua Meerapfel. The Meerapfel family history in the cigar industry is significant, with their most prominent aspect being the development of to***co in Cameroon and Central African Republic. They have worked with Arturo Fuente for decades, providing their famed Cameron wrappers on some of their ci**rs. The Don Carlos collection is a range that has this particular wrapper and we were delighted Joshua came by the shop to talk to guest and add more to an already enjoyable evening.

We paired the cigar with five rums. Yes, five. There are four rums in the Facundo Bacardi range, Neo, Eximo, Exquisito and the outstanding jewel of the collection, Paraiso. We were again joined by David Behan, brand ambassador for Bacardi, who informed and entertained guests with his great charisma and expertise. At the end we poured a glass of Venezuelan Rum, Santa Teresa to finish the evening. With a wonderful insight to the work Bacardi are doing, we’re delighted to know all in attendance who wasn’t familiar with either Fuente, Facundo or Meerapfel, now know their quality.

We have three events in October so take a look at what is to come…

16/08/2024

We hope you have all enjoyed a great summer, enjoying the sun and the outdoors at home or abroad. Now we’ve reached September, we’re delighted to return with our cigar sampling events for Autumn. We currently have five scheduled dates, starting on Thursday 5th September with an outstanding pairing of two powerhouse brands hailing from the Caribbean, Arturo Fuente and Bacardi.

We will be sampling the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No.2 on the evening. Fuente ci**rs are highly rated by almost all cigar smokers – without doubt one of the top tier cigar brands – and Don Carlos No.2 is one of their most popular and highly scored ci**rs, as seen in Cigar Aficionado magazine.

We will pair the Fuente cigar with 4 rums from two brands within the Bacardi portfolio. We will be joined by a brand ambassador to guide guests through the tasting experience of Bacardi’s most premium rums. We will be sampling both the Eximo, Exqusito and Neo expressions of the premium Facundo Collection along with the outstanding Venezuelan Rum Santa Teresa 1796.

Join us as we resume out Events at James J. Fox

31/07/2024

We are delighted to have released our first product for this collection – a collaboration with one of the most distinguished brands in the cigar accessory industry, S.T Dupont.

As the James J Fox “Monogram” is our endorsement of quality, the natural choice for the first product in our “Monogram” range is a pairing of a S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 lighter and a Cigar Cutter & Stand.

Both items in the set will be finished with black lacquer panels with the “Monogram” logo, and gold featuring diamond point and microdiamond tip decoration. The sets will be limited edition, numbered one to fifty and presented in a S.T. Dupont large, lacquered gift box.

Find out more information here: https://www.jjfox.co.uk/blog/news/the-monogram-collection/

12/07/2024

The rain may have been intense in London this past Tuesday, but that didn’t stop a group of us to come together to discuss ci**rs, watches and whiskey. We were delighted to be joined by E.P Carrillo cigar ambassador, Ken Silverio, and Cuervo y Sobrinos Sales Director, Sonia Campoli for their insight into their respective brands as we had a first-hand look at both. Also joining us was Alfonso Scherzi from TOR - The New World Ci**rs Distributor and Daniel McNutt from Apex Luxury

We sampled the E.P. Carrillo Encore Noir, which is new to their portfolio in the UK market. The Noir is a follow-on from their award-winning Encore Majestic. Produced in just one vitola - Majestic No.2 (5 3/8’’ x 52) – the cigar has layers of flavour as it combines to***cos from multiple regions. With a flavourful maduro wrapper producing fantastic espresso and dark chocolate notes around a predominantly peppery blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler, this medium-to full bodied cigar is another testament to great work by the legendary Perez-Carrillo family.

Sonia gave a brief introduction before indulging in questions from guests about the watches and brand. We had on display recent releases from their Robusto and Buceador collections. To different styles but fantastic timepieces from a brand with an amazing history. We will be hosting another cigar evening with Cuervo y Sobrinos in the Autumn as they showcase another exciting new release.

The Noir was paired with a whiskey with quite a unique flavour profile. Since the cigar is bold and flavourful, we went for a strong American Whisky, produced by Stoll & Wolfe, distilled in Pennsylvania. A cask strength level whiskey at 58.75%, their 7 Year Old Single Barrel Rye came across incredible smooth, providing a “toasty” and a distinctive savoury note (practically meaty) making its flavour profile balanced with a subtle dark chocolate sweetness and light hints of to***co.

03/07/2024

E.P Carillo Cigar Sampling Evening - Tuesday 9th July 6:30pm

We will be sampling a new E.P Carrillo cigar on the evening of Tuesday 9th July and we'll be joined by brand ambassador Ken Silverio and Tor Imports Alfonso Scherzi. The cigar is an evolution from the Cigar Aficionado Magazine's 2018 Cigar of the Year, Encore Majestic, R.P Carrillo Encore Noir. This is a more full bodied cigar, with a bold maduro wrapper boasting strong notes of cocoa, espresso and leather. An excellent addition to the legendary Ernesto Perez- Carrillo's portfolio of ci**rs.

We will be joined by Cuervo y Sobrinos International Sales Director Sonia Campoli and Apex Luxury Director, Daniel McNutt as they discuss the global watch brand and their new releases. The brand has an existing relationship with ci**rs and we are delighted to welcome them back to James J. Fox to talk more on their historic connections.

Join us for another wonderful evening of luxury lifestyle on St James's Street. This is our last event ahead of a summer break, so don't miss out and book your place today.

https://www.jjfox.co.uk/e-p-carillo-cigar-sampling-evening-tuesday-9th-july.html