Cigar events take place across the UK every week, but on Thursday evening the hottest ticket in town was at James J. Fox on St James’s Street, London, for the UK launch of the Punch Néctares No.50 — Ireland’s first Habanos Regional Edition.

Guests arrived from 6.30pm for the standing-room-only event on the ground floor of the historic store. Attendees were welcomed with an H. Upmann Petit Robusto alongside the star of the evening, the Punch Néctares No.50. The launch ran until around 9pm, with a packed venue reflecting the strong interest in this landmark release.

The evening was opened by Jimmy McGhee, who recently moved from Hunters & Frankau to join James J. Fox.

He introduced Rob Fox, a director of James J. Fox, who spoke about the significance of this cigar. “This cigar is particularly special to us,” Fox said. “Not only is it Ireland’s first exclusive cigar, it’s also one of only five cigars released under the Habanos 2022 Regional Edition programme. It’s been produced in a cabinet of 50 — the connoisseur’s preferred format for collection and ageing — and it shares its 50 ring gauge, 160mm dimensions with the Magnum No.50. It was even made in the same factory, at the same time, as the H. Upmann Magnum No.50 Gran Reserva. You can take from that what you will.”

Fox also highlighted the deep personal and historical connection between the Néctares name and the Fox family business. He described how his grandfather, following the Second World War, collected dollars from American soldiers leaving Europe and used them to establish relationships with Cuban cigar factories. These relationships later led to iconic box selections and exclusive James J. Fox exclusive releases from brands such as Partagás, El Rey del Mundo, Por Larrañaga, Hoyo de Monterrey, Bolívar — and, of course, Punch Néctares. Check the details of these exclusive releases on the Cuban Cigar Website.

Also present on the evening were Yiorgos Manesis, managing director of James J. Fox Dublin, and José Antonio Cejas Díaz, corporate director at Hunters & Frankau.

Guests included representatives from Hunters & Frankau including Sean Croley, as well as cigar author, Nick Hammond.

It wasn’t the only launch of the week, as the venue also hosted a trade-only event to mark the release. Here, the Sahakians and The Orchants are seen sampling the new cigar.

Following the launch, the Punch Néctares No.50 will be available exclusively for one week from James J. Fox locations on St James’s Street, at Harrods and at Selfridges, before being distributed nationwide to Havana Cigar Specialists by Hunters & Frankau, the UK’s sole authorised importer of Habanos cigars.

The Punch Néctares occupies a unique place in Irish cigar history. Originally produced exclusively for James J. Fox in Dublin and London, the line was discontinued in the 1980s but remained highly sought after by Irish collectors for decades.

The modern revival, Punch Néctares No.50, officially debuted in Dublin last June at an event hosted by Ampersand, Ireland’s Habanos distributor, alongside Hunters & Frankau. It marked Ireland’s first participation in the prestigious Habanos Regional Edition programme.

Fox has previously described the release as “a moment of immense pride”.

“Finally bringing Ireland its first Habanos Regional Edition is hugely meaningful for us,” he said. “The Punch Néctares No.50 reunites the Punch brand with its historic Néctares line and reflects our long-standing commitment to cigar culture in Ireland.”

The Néctares No.50 is a Magnum 50 format cigar, measuring 6¼ inches (160mm) with a 50 ring gauge. It has been blended to reflect Punch’s classic medium-bodied profile and is produced using filler and binder tobaccos from Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo region in Pinar del Río. Each cigar is handmade using the traditional tripa larga method.

• Country of Produce: Cuba
• Cigar Size: Double Robusto
• Factory Name: Magnum 50
• Length: 160mm (6¼”)
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Body: Medium

The cigar features two bands: a specially commissioned Punch band naming the vitola, and, for the first time, a Regional Edition band bearing the inscription “Exclusivo Irlanda”.

Production is limited to 1,400 cabinet-style boxes of 50 cigars — just 70,000 cigars in total. I need to spend some time with this cigar as I didn’t get to finish it at the event due to too much chatting. It started incredibly well humidified I must say a nice soft smooth start.

The London launch also featured pairings with specially selected Irish pot still and single grain whiskies produced in Dublin for the UK market.

All in all a great was night had!

If you’ve had a chance to sample one I’d love to hear your thoughts on the cigar in the comments!