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Eric Newman Inducted into the Cigar Hall of Fame

Eric Newman Inducted into the Cigar Hall of Fame

by | Nov 10, 2022 | Awards and Achievements

Eric Newman Inducted into the Cigar Hall of Fame
 

Tampa, FL – This week, Cigar Aficionado magazine inducted Eric Newman, president and third-generation owner of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., into its Cigar Hall of Fame.  Established in 1997, the Cigar Hall of Fame has recognized 23 leaders for their extraordinary lifetime achievements in the cigar industry.  Eric’s father, Stanford J. Newman, was in the inaugural Cigar Hall of Fame class.  The Newman family now joins the Fuentes and Padrons with two family members in the Cigar Hall of Fame.

A grandson of company founder Julius C. Newman, Eric Newman was born into the cigar industry.  When he joined the family business in 1972, Eric’s first job was curing tobacco leaves in the basement of J.C. Newman’s historic El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa.  During the past 50 years, Eric worked his way up in the company and became its president in 1986.  His many achievements include relaunching the Brick House brand in 2007, building what is now the second-largest cigar factory in Nicaragua, and keeping the last traditional cigar factory in the United States open.  He is also a past Chairman of the Cigar Association of America.

Eric Newman Cigar Hall of Fame

“I am very honored and humbled,” said Eric.  “It is a privilege to continue our family’s 127-year tradition of cigar making.  It is especially meaningful to receive the same recognition that my father did 25 years ago.”

Today, Eric and his brother Bobby Newman lead J.C. Newman along with Eric’s son, Drew.  After 50 years in the cigar industry, Eric has no plans to retire.

“I wake up every day excited to go to work,” he said.  “Working in our family business is invigorating.  Cigars today are better than they have ever been.  I have witnessed the transformation of cigar industry over the past 50 years, and I continue to be excited for the future of our family, our company, and the cigar industry.”

 

    The following is Cigar Aficionado’s description of this award:

    “His familial roots in the tobacco industry are four generations deep. His knowledge of Tampa’s cigar history is encyclopedic. And his time in the cigar world spans half a century. That’s why conversations with Eric Newman are not only fascinating but highly educational.

    “The family business started in the late 1800s in Cleveland, Ohio, eventually moving to the landmark El Reloj building in Tampa in the 1950s. J.C. Newman Cigar Co. has some 22 million cigars made by hand in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and a small amount in Tampa-all under Newman’s supervision
    and guidance.

    “Newman made a brave decision in 1986 when he, along with his brother Bobby and father, Stanford, bought the remaining shares of the business from his other family members. They mortgaged the factory for a bank loan to pay out the family in cash and put the company in negative equity. The La Unica brand, a premium smoke presented as a bundle cigar, helped to get them out of the red.

    “Today, J.C. Newman produces stalwart brands such as Cuesta-Rey, Diamond Crown, Brick House and El Baton. Newman has been industrious in his ability to lead his company into the 21st century by creating cigars that are both traditional and modern in style.” – Cigar Aficionado

    eric newman smoking a diamond crown black diamond cigar
    eric newman with his son drew newman posing with award
    Honoring Veterans Day with The American Cigar

    Honoring Veterans Day with The American Cigar

    by | Nov 9, 2022 | Our Products

    J.C. Newman Honors Veterans Day with The American Cigar
     

    Tampa, FL- In honor of Veterans Day on Friday, November 11, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is partnering with 14 premium cigar retailers across the United States for a special promotion featuring The American cigars.  Third and fourth-generation owners Bobby and Drew Newman will personally attend the event at Corona Cigar Co. in Tampa from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

    “As the first all-American cigar, The American is the perfect cigar to recognize and celebrate the veterans who have served our country,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman.  “We proudly hand roll The American in our 112-year-old El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida with heirloom American cigar tobaccos.   Not only is every leaf of tobacco grown in the United States but all of the packaging, from the cigar boxes to the cellophane tubes, is made in America as well.”

    Close Up on The American Cigar Band on top of American Flag

    Each retailer will have a special selection of The American cigars that were rolled with the 2019 crop of Florida Sun Grown wrapper and have been aged for one year.   Each retailer will also be giving away a selection of The American hats and felt pennants, which are also made in the United States.  The grand prize at each store is an authentic Louisville Slugger baseball bat emblazoned with The American shield.

    The American is a highly acclaimed medium-bodied cigar.  As J.C. Newman rolls just 160 of them per day, The American is a very special, limited, boutique cigar.  The American received the Cigar Trophy for Best Brand and Cigar from the United States in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

    “There is simply no cigar like The American,” said Drew Newman.  “We invite cigar enthusiasts to tour our El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa so that we can show you how we hand roll The American and keep America’s historic cigar-making tradition alive.”

     

      The American Veterans Day Participating Retailers

      The American Cigar on Vintage American Cigar Box
      Cuesta-Rey No. 95 Cameroon Launch

      Cuesta-Rey No. 95 Cameroon Launch

      by | May 5, 2022 | Our Products

      J.C. Newman Celebrates 127 Years with Cuesta-Rey No. 95 Cameroon
      These special cigars are an El Reloj factory exclusive.
       

      Tampa, FL – Because Julius Caeser Newman founded his cigar company on May 5, 1895, today is J.C. Newman Cigar Company’s 127th anniversary.  In celebration, J.C. Newman is releasing the new Cuesta-Rey No. 95 Cameroon cigar as an exclusive at its historic El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida.
       
      Fourth-generation owner, Drew Newman, explains:

      “After the Cuban Embargo was imposed in 1962, my grandfather, Stanford J. Newman, scoured the world for new types of tobacco. He discovered exquisite African Cameroon Wrapper (ACW) and was the first premium cigar maker to use it in the United States. Stanford wrapped ACW with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and long filler tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic to create the Cuesta-Rey No. 95. It was smooth, elegant, and flavorful, and became the top-selling premium cigar in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.  Sixty years later, we are proud to have recreated the original blend of my grandfather’s most famous cigar, the Cuesta-Rey No. 95.”

        Cuesta-Rey No. 95 Cameroon is handmade in J.C. Newman’s historic El Reloj cigar factory in the “Cigar City” of Tampa, Florida.  It’s a 6.25 x 42 cigar that retails for $15 each.  Beginning today, J.C. Newman is selling this special cigar in limited edition packs of 5 cigars as a factory exclusive.  Cigar enthusiasts who visit J.C. Newman’s cigar museum, take a factory tour, or attend a special event at its El Reloj factory will be able to enjoy this very special cigar.