JJ Fox, London & Cohiba Maduro 5 Secreto

[winelover]

Hi, today I have qualified as a solicitor (that's a lawyer to you folk across the pond). For London and JJ Fox start reading from here, otherwise for Secreto only please scroll down.

JJ Fox

Anyway(s) I went into town and stopped by at JJ Fox on St. James' Road, Green Park, London. I just had to walk past the Davidoff store because I kind of always go for the less popular and less ostentatious alternative - that just happens to be more quintessentially British. For those of you who don't know, JJ Fox is where Churchill used to get his cigars from, and even has a cigar museum.

Upon entering JJ Fox, I was taken aback by the sheer old fashioned nature and vastness of the store. Just said to the store keeper "I'm just going to take a look round" - because if you're buying your buying boxes you need serious money at UK prices. After casing the joint I got round back to the start, where I noticed one of the store keepers mentioning this will go for £85 a stick! I was flabbergasted and naturally enquired. Apparently they'd acquired some partagas lusitanias from the 70s in a 50 cab box with round caps from a private collector. Amazed as I was, I had only set out to get a budget cigar for a quick smoke as funds dictated. I settled on a cohiba maduro 5 sectros. I enquired about smoking the cigar inside to which I was accomodated under the pretence that I was "sampling", although both of us knew we were good for one cigar. During my smoke (reviewed below) I was absolutely staggered because some sloppily dressed thirty something came in and bought £1600 of cigars (3 boxes + 1 humi) within 15mins. El Pres you must get a store in Mayfair London - staggering money.

SECRETO REVIEW STARTS HERE: (sorry for the wait!)

I was expecting a chocolaty smoke from reviews of the aged wrapper. Dark chocolate I got. Not only that but full bodied butt kicking on an empty afternoon stomach dark chocolate. This all seemed a bit much accompanied by my rather tame mineral water. I perservered, just trying to absorb the atmosphere, the painting of Churchill in front of me, the copy of European Cigar Journal at my disposal. It was an okay smoke at best until about half way. Funnily enough everything totally changed once I poured a coffee. I was trying to resist it thinking I can't have one on an empty stomach esepcially as I had a double espresso earlier. Anyway the filter coffee (on the house) went like an absolute treat with the secretos. In fact it couldn't have matched it better. It was divine. It was like coffee plus dark chocolate cigar = mocha . I smoked the cigar to the nub and got a real nicotine buzz.

In conclusion, didn't initially like the secretos, but have to say, paired with a coffee it was a treat. Also note that it was a lot more powerful than expected. Would consider a box given that they are a fraction of the price of their older siblings, but then they are dearer than their popular cousin - (king) reyes.

[Mel39]

» Hi, today I have qualified as a solicitor (that's a lawyer to you folk

» across the pond).

Well done Graham. Your student loan repayments start now:-(

I work not too far from St. James and could've possibly made it.

Anyhow, next time maybe. I work in Mayfair from 2pm-7pm M-Fri and could meet up before 2pm with advance notice.

I'm afraid our Prez would still hit the same problem working here in the UK, the ridiculously high taxes on tobacco.

There was a launch party for the Mads in July which I attended. That was near St. James. It cost £60 a head but we were given one of each of the three vitolas, so I guess the entry fee was not too bad.

Mel39

[stever]

Congrats. QC next?

High prices notwithstanding, I love the atmosphere at JJ Fox. I always pay them a visit when I'm over. Very nice and helpful staff. Smoked my first Ramone Allones Belicoso Fino there.

Nice review on the Secreto. Agree that's it's excellent with coffee. Try an expresso next time.

Hope to meet up with you guys.

[Professor Twain]

Congratulations, and thanks for relating your story about the visit to JJ Fox. I just finished reading a book about Churchill and his love of cigars, it is highly recommended, light, fun reading.

[link]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Churchills-Cigar-Stephen-McGinty/dp/0230528929[/link]

I have had only one Secretos but have a box squirreled away. The one I had showed potential to be an interesting change of pace cigar, interesting chocolate taste, but not at all like a Cohiba.

[anacostiakat]

Congratulations!!

[El Presidente]

Well done Graeme ;-)

I expect a few photo's of you Londoners at JJ Fox enjoying (sampling) a cigar....once you boys beat the Boks (Seth Efrikans) in this weekends Rugby World Cup Final :-D

[broozer]

nice review and JJ's is a wonderful cigar shop. i've had the pleasure of smoking a few cigars while sitting and having coffee. how's the new renovations looking to the new humidor?

bill, brian and the other fellas there are good people.

bruce

[winelover]

» Well done Graham. Your student loan repayments start now:-(

(Tell me about it!!!)

» I work not too far from St. James and could've possibly made it.

» Anyhow, next time maybe. I work in Mayfair from 2pm-7pm M-Fri and could

» meet up before 2pm with advance notice.

Next time I'm in London I'll definately bear that in mind. I live in Godalming (near Guildford), in Surrey, but my new job is now in Winchester whereas it used to be in Richmond. Still, I like to head into town every now and again. I've PM

[trumpetchris]

Congratulations. What sort of law are you planning to work in? Criminal, corporate, family?

I know the prices are awful, but to smoke a habanos in a cigar museum? Has to be worth it once in a while.

[winelover]

» Congratulations. What sort of law are you planning to work in? Criminal,

» corporate, family?

»

I'll be doing private client work, including tax, trusts, wills, powers to attorney etc.

[GTS21]

Very nice writeup! Pre 1976 Partagas Lusi 109s???? ARGGGHHHHH

[Don Candido]

» JJ Fox

»

» Anyway(s) I went into town and stopped by at JJ Fox on St. James' Road,

» Green Park, London. I just had to walk past the Davidoff store because I

» kind of always go for the less popular and less ostentatious alternative -

» that just happens to be more quintessentially British. For those of you

» who don't know, JJ Fox is where Churchill used to get his cigars from, and

» even has a cigar museum.

I love that store and that area. If visiting London, cigar smokers need to plan for at least a half day to go to Fox, Dunhill and Davidoff, which are all within a block of each other. I spent a lot of time in each store. The first time I visited them was the Summer of 1996. While I was smoking cigar at JJ Fox, they took me through the museum, and showed me where Oscar Wilde signed their register... I do not remember, maybe they showed me Winston Churchill's signature too.

At Dunhill, they had some old stock Dunhill Havana Clubs. They also had a humidor of Dunhill Cuban cigars that were green (double claro). I have never seen cubans that color. I thought the price was nuts. It would be a pretty rare collectors item to have. And I really wonder how they tasted? I was just too new to cigars at the time to know what I was looking at. Damn...