I must confess, that while I smoke cigars, I don't smoke them with any regularity. But I do appreciate them not only for the flavour, but also for the relaxation they provide. This is not a quick smoke, it is a ritual in which time must be set aside to enjoy them, time without interruption. And it is that break in the day which affords complete relaxation.
On a recent visit to London, I made a point to stop at a tobacconist and purchase some Cuban cigars to bring back to the States. This is something which has long been denied and on my last trip to Europe, I needed to be sure I'd smoked all my Cuban cigars which I'd bought, before I returned to the States. Oh how I enjoyed those Cohiba Siglo VI Tubos and how I wish I would have been able to bring even one back home to enjoy at a later date. Thankfully times have changed.
I'd done some research before my arrival in London, so I knew that in a very small area in St. James, I could find three excellent tobacconists, Davidoff, Dunhill and J.J. Fox, formerly Robert Lewis.
So on the day before my departure I set aside time in my afternoon and visited J.J. Fox. They have a sampling room, where you may smoke a cigar you have purchased from them, in the theory of sampling it to verify a larger purchase, though that is not required. This would allow me to try an unknown cigar first, and if I enjoyed it, purchase more before I returned to the States.
They have a beautiful shop and a large walk-in humidor filled with an incredibly large selection of Cuban cigars. Its not surprising that with so many Cuban cigars to choose from, the Dominican cigars which I find in the States were not to be seen anywhere in the shop.
I selected a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No 2 http://top25.cigaraficionado.com/2016/hoyo-de-monterrey-epicure-no-2/ which was ranked the #9 best cigar in 2016 by Cigar Aficionado. The salesman cut and lit my cigar for me and I went upstairs to the tasting lounge. This is beautiful room with with leather chairs and sofas, provided with free Wi-Fi as well as tea and coffee. I settled down for the better part of the next hour and enjoyed this beautiful cigar. I knew almost instantly that some of these would be returning to the States with me.
After I'd finished my cigar, I went back downstairs and purchased a few more of these cigars for myself, a requested cigar for a family member back in the States, and a Partagas Serie E No. 2 for myself. Ranked as the #3 best cigar in 2016 by Cigar Aficionado and the highest ranked Cuban cigar in that ranking, http://top25.cigaraficionado.com/2016/partagas-serie-e-no-2/, it's a bit stronger than my typical smoke, so I'll be trying this at home at my leisure. If I like it, I may well buy more on my next visit to London.
Before you leave J.J. Fox, be sure to visit their cigar museum, filled with such historic artifacts as a box of Winston Churchill's cigars, the oldest box of Cuban cigars, and cigar ledgers for Oscar Wilde and Winston Churchill. Even if you don't smoke, this small museum is quite interesting.
Be sure to visit J.J. Fox on your next visit to London https://www.jjfox.co.uk/
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