George Frakes

Spear’s Review

George Frakes is one of the names behind 1573, importers of Havanan and Nicaraguan cigars, but in parallel runs an independent advisory service.

He said, ‘I purposefully don’t align myself with any particular retailer or brand. I used to work at James J Fox and Sons, looking after high-net-worth hospitality sales and rare cigars, but now I’m not aligned with anything. We don’t have any online presence, we don’t go shouting about it.’

New clients come through word of mouth and recommendations, as well as training butler schools in the way of cigars. 

‘My first move is to understand the client’s previous experience. I like to find what their expectations are. Much like the world of wine, some people are looking to smoke high-end cigars on a regular basis, or buy for investment, or collect, or buy for hosting reasons. Then, if possible we sit down and smoke some cigars.’