Jeff Borysiewicz, Tanya Borysiewicz, Eric Newman, and Bobby Newman celebrating the City of Tampa’s 138th birthday and the launch of Diamond Crown Tampa with a cake that is a replica of the Diamond Crown Tampa cigar box.

Tampa was built by the cigar industry and Diamond Crown Tampa pays tribute to Tampa’s legacy as Cigar City.  Diamond Crown Tampa’s packaging features many of Tampa’s famous landmarks, including the Tampa Theatre, Plant Hall, Bayshore Boulevard, the Jose Gasparilla pirate ship, and J.C. Newman’s iconic El Reloj cigar factory.

Diamond Crown Tampa is available at Corona Cigar Co. locations in Tampa, Orlando, and Sarasota, the J.C. Newman Factory Store in the Ybor City historic cigar district, and at Visit Tampa Bay’s store in Downtown Tampa.

One of J.C. Newman’s historic brands, Sarzedas was known as

“The Aromatic Cigar.”

U.S. Patent Office records show that J.C. Newman first rolled Sarzedas cigars in 1900. A century ago, Sarzedas was widely known as “The Aromatic Cigar.” One hundred and twenty-five years later, J.C. Newman will reintroduce Sarzedas cigars at the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in New Orleans this weekend. The new Sarzedas cigars are handmade at J.C. Newman’s PENSA cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.

“I have loved the Sarzedas name and the brand’s history as ‘The Aromatic Cigar’ for years,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “I have been wanting to bring this historic brand back, but had to wait until we could create a blend that lives up to the brand’s legacy. Sarzedas is the most flavorful cigar we have ever made.”

J.C. Newman ships the el reloj collection, a 2024 taa exclusive

This new limited edition box set includes the first release of angel cuesta shade and tampa smokers.

Tampa, Fla. – Today, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is shipping The El Reloj Collection to Tobacconist Association of America members across the United States.  This a new box set contains 10 luxury cigars handcrafted in J.C. Newman’s iconic El Reloj cigar factory in the “Cigar City” of Tampa, Florida. A total of 500 boxes are shipping to 51 TAA members with a MSRP of $240 per box.

“America has a rich cigar tradition that dates back to 1612 when the first commercial tobacco crop was planted in the Virginia Colony,” said fourth-generation cigar maker Drew Newman. “When my great-grandfather founded our family business in 1895, there were 40,000 federally licensed cigar factories in the United States. Today, El Reloj is the last large cigar factory still rolling cigars in the country. The El Reloj Collection showcases how we are keeping America’s historic cigar-making tradition alive by handcrafting exquisite luxury cigars in the United States.”

The American

The American was the first cigar rolled when the El Reloj cigar factory opened in 1910.  In 2016, J.C. Newman reintroduced The American as the first and only 100% all-American cigar. J.C. Newman proudly hand rolls The American using 100% heirloom American tobaccos. This special cigar features an exclusive Florida Sun Grown wrapper. The Connecticut Broadleaf binder is grown by an eighth-generation family farmer. The filler is a combination of a Connecticut Havana and Pennsylvania Mennonite tobaccos. All of the packaging, including the boxes, bands, cigar labels, and cellophane tubes, is made in the United States as well.

LeRoy Neiman Collector’s Edition

LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012) was widely known for his expressionistic paintings of musicians and athletes, and for drawings of friends like Muhammad Ali and Frank Sinatra. He was famous for his handlebar moustache and for always enjoying a cigar while he painted. The LeRoy Neiman Collector’s Edition series celebrates the legacy of this iconic cigar-smoking artist. This year’s release features LeRoy’s 1987 painting, “Left Bank Café,” which depicts a lively gathering at a Parisian café. It is rolled with a Havana Rosado wrapper, a Florida Sun Grown binder, and a blend of aged filler tobaccos from Latin America. J.C. Newman and the LeRoy Neiman Foundation donate all profits to support arts education in Tampa’s public schools, including those surrounding the El Reloj cigar factory.

Tampa Smokers

A century ago, Tampa was known as the Fine Cigar Capital of the World. At its peak, Tampa’s 200 cigar factories in Tampa handcrafted more than 700 million cigars per year. In 1919, Tampa’s local baseball team was named the Tampa Smokers to celebrate its place as Cigar City. Many famous athletes played for the Tampa Smokers, including Al Lopez, who was the son of cigar workers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Tampa Smokers cigars celebrate two of America’s historic traditions: baseball and cigars. These beautiful cigars are hand rolled at El Reloj with an Ecuadorian Shade wrapper and a refined blend of blend of binder of filler tobaccos from Latin American where baseball continues to be a favorite pastime.

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Introduces The Troublemaker

This soft perfecto is the newest size in the Diamond Crown Julius Caeser brand of luxury cigars.

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. introduces The Troublemaker, a new size to its top-selling Diamond Crown Julius Caeser brand of luxury cigars. The Troublemaker is a 5.75” x 52 soft perfecto. It is packed in leather boxes of 20 cigars with a suggested retail price of $17 per cigar. Like all Diamond Crown cigars, The Troublemaker is handcrafted by the Fuente Family for the Newman Family at Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic. 

One of my longtime mentors is Rich Dolak, the vice president of operations at both J.C. Newman and Arturo Fuente,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “Since I was a teenager, I’ve sat in Rich’s office and listened to him teach me about the cigar business. Above Rich’s desk hangs a vintage poster with a unique cigar shape. Three years ago, I asked him, ‘Why can’t we roll a cigar like that?’”

“We call it ‘The Troublemaker’ because it was very difficult to make,” said Newman. “Rich used a knife to shape a dowel to match the cigar shown in the poster above his desk. We then used that hand-carved dowel to create custom cigar molds for this special size.”

The first boxes of The Troublemaker shipped today to the 36 Diamond Crown Cigar Lounges across the country. The Troublemaker will be exclusive to the Diamond Crown Cigar Lounges until it becomes available nationwide early next year. 
 
“Because this cigar was such a pain to create, the factory has another name for it,” said Newman. “As that name is not appropriate to print, its officially called ‘The Troublemaker.’”

J.C. Newman Introduced Tampa Smokers Cigar with Baseball All Stars

This new brand honors Tampa’s historic minor-league baseball team, the Tampa Smokers.

Tampa, Florida – Last night, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. introduced Tampa Smokers cigars at an event hosted by the Florida Sports Hall of Fame at J.C. Newman’s historic El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida. This new cigar celebrates the Tampa Smokers, a minor-league baseball team that played in the Cigar City from 1919 to 1954. Numerous Major League Baseball alumni attended last night’s event, including Wade Boggs, Clint Hurdle, and Dave Magadan.
 
“Baseball and cigars are two of America’s historic pastimes,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “It seems only fitting to celebrate the new baseball season with a cigar that honors Tampa’s historic minor-league baseball team, the Tampa Smokers.”

A century ago, Tampa was known as the Fine Cigar Capital of the World. The 150 cigar factories in Tampa handcrafted more than 500 million cigars per year. In 1919, Tampa’s local baseball team was named the Tampa Smokers to celebrate its place as Cigar City. Many famous athletes played for the Tampa Smokers, including Al Lopez, who was the son of cigar workers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

A photo of the 1947 Tampa Smokers team from the Smithsonian Institution.

“The Tampa Smokers packaging incorporates the original design of the Tampa Smokers jersey, which prominently featured a Tampa cigar,” said Newman. “These special cigars are packed in boxes with rounded corners that are reminiscent of the shape of a baseball.”
 
Tampa Smokers cigars are hand rolled at J.C. Newman’s iconic El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida. They will be on display this weekend at the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in Las Vegas along with a unique humidor constructed from baseball bats. J.C. Newman plans to ship Tampa Smokers cigars to premium cigar retailers in time for the World Series this fall.

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Ships The American Black Bison Cigar Case

This uniquely American cigar accessory is handmade in the USA and contains 100% American cigars.
J.C. Newman is also shipping the fall release of The American and Angel Cuesta cigars.

Today, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is shipping The American Black Bison Cigar Case. This limited-edition cigar case is unique because both the case and the special cigars inside are all-American. Both the case and the cigars were made in the United States using all-American components. J.C. Newman is releasing 350 cases with a suggested retail price of $300.

“The American Black Bison cigar case celebrates the centuries-old tradition of American cigar making,” said Drew Newman.  “The craftsmanship of the case and the cigars contained inside is exquisite, and I am very proud that this case is all-American.”  

The case was handcrafted by Brizard and Co. in California using leather from one of the most iconic symbols of the United States, the American Bison. The Bison leather used in this cigar case came from Ted Turner’s ranch in Montana. Inside are three cigars from the first release of The American cigar in 2019. They were rolled in 2018 with wrapper from the 2016 crop of Florida Sun Grown tobacco. These cigars have been aging in the basement Cigar Vault of J.C. Newman’s 113-year-old El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida, for the past five years. 
 
In addition to The American Black Bison Cigar Case, J.C. Newman is shipping the fall allocation of The American and Angel Cuesta cigars to 107 of the finest premium cigar retailers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.  Both The American and Angel Cuesta are hand rolled in El Reloj.

J.C. Newman Ships Brick House Ciento por Ciento 2023 Cigars

This limited-edition cigar is exclusive to members of the Tobacconist Association of America

Yesterday, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. began shipping the 2023 release of Brick House Ciento por Ciento cigars.  This year’s release is a 6.25” x 54 toro packed in boxes of 10 cigars.  The suggested retail price is $11 per cigar.  J.C. is shipping 800 boxes to TAA members across the United States.

“First rolled in the 1930s, Brick House was one of my great-grandfather’s original cigar brands,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman.  “He created this brand to honor the rural village where he was born in Austria-Hungary. The house where he was born was known as the ‘brick house’ because it was the only house in the village made of brick. The bottom floor was a general store and tavern and my family lived on the second floor.”

Brick House Ciento por Ciento cigars are bold and flavorful.  They featured a dark wrapper grown in Nicaragua’s Jalapa Valley.  The binder tobacco is grown in Esteli and the filler comes from three regions in Nicaragua.

“These Brick House cigars are very special because we roll them with 100% Nicaraguan tobacco,” said Newman.  “‘Ciento por Ciento’ means 100 percent in Spanish. These are the only cigars that we roll entirely with Nicaraguan tobacco.”

#             #             #

Find a Ciento por Ciento Retailer Near You

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Introduces the El Reloj Set

201 LEGO Bricks Build a Replica of the Historic El Reloj Cigar Factory in Tampa

Brizard and J.C. Newman Introduce The American Black Bison Cigar Case

The limited-edition luxury cigars and case are both handcrafted in the United States

Tampa, Fla. — In celebration of Independence Day, Brizard & Co. and J.C. Newman Cigar Co. are introducing The American Black Bison Cigar Case.  This three-finger cedar-lined luxury cigar case is handcrafted in California by Brizard with genuine American Bison leather from Ted Turner’s Bison herd in Montana.  Each case contains three vintage three-year-old The American Robusto cigars, which were rolled with 2018 Florida Sun Grown wrapper in J.C. Newman’s historic El Reloj cigar factory in Florida.  This is a limited edition of 350 cases with a suggested retail price of $350. 

“One of the fundamental requests from J.C. Newman was to have, like the cigar, a 100% American made product,” said Cyril Brizard.  “Bison leather is supple, with many characteristics ranging from natural wrinkles, pebble grains and is four times as resistant as regular cow leather.”

“I am very proud that The American Black Bison Cigar Case is a 100% American luxury product,” said Drew Newman.  “Bison is an iconic American animal.  Because it is handcrafted in America with American components, this case honors the history of the United States and the tradition of American cigar-making.”

Brizard further described the case as follows:

“This three-finger cedar lined case is very masculine yet elegant and packed with understated details that make it so unique. The black bison leather is trimmed with a handmade thin red leather pipping. Inside the case, the edge of the cedar lining is trimmed with The American cigar boxes original cigar box edge strips featuring The American logo. This can only be seen when the case opens. At the base, a polished brass plate features a laser engraved The American logo and a Bison silhouette. On the lower part, an oblong shaped matching brass plate features the serial number ranging from 1/350 to 350/350. After being hand polished and engraved, both plates are sealed with a special brass lacquer used on musical instrument which prevents it from tarnishing over time. The case includes two solid Spanish cedar dividers which have multiple functions; they add structural rigidity, separate three cigars and while seasoned help retain humidity inside the case. Like all Brizard & Co cases, The American Bison case has a tight fit between top and bottom parts in order to ensure optimal seal and ideal humidity. The cases although very light are made mounting the leather of thin galvanized steel plates in order to have structural rigidity and prevent accidental crushing of cigars. They can fit up to three 60 ring gage cigars and can open to different lengths.”

J.C. Newman Celebrates the 137th Anniversary of First Cigar Rolled in Tampa By Reintroducing Sanchez y Haya Cigars

Sanchez y Haya Rolled the First Cigar in Tampa on April 13, 1886

One hundred thirty-seven years ago today, Sanchez y Haya rolled the first cigar in Tampa, Florida.  Many others followed, causing Tampa to become known as “Cigar City” and the “Fine Cigar Capital of the World.”  In celebration of this anniversary, J.C. Newman has recreated the original Sanchez y Haya cigars and will reintroduce them at a celebration this evening at Hotel Haya in Ybor City.  Hotel Haya is located on the site of the original Sanchez y Haya cigar factory in Tampa’s Ybor City historic cigar district.

Although Vicente Martinez Ybor decided to build the first cigar factory in Tampa, his friends Serafin Sanchez and Ignacio Haya opened their factory a few weeks before Ybor’s factory was complete.  Because of this, Sanchez y Haya was designated as “Factory No. 1” in Tampa.

Because cigars were much smaller a century ago, J.C. Newman’s recreated Sanchez y Haya cigars are short robustos measuring 4.5” x 50.  Each is hand rolled with either a Sumatra Sungrown or a Oscuro Maduro wrapper and Cuban-seed binder and filler tobaccos, just like Sanchez y Haya used in 1886.  These cigars are sold individually inside vintage Sanchez y Haya cigar boxes with a suggested retail price of $8.  Sanchez y Haya cigars are sold exclusively in Tampa.  In addition to Hotel Haya, they are available at the J.C. Newman Factory Store in the historic El Reloj Cigar factory and other select premium cigar retailers in Cigar City.