Cigar Info
In July of this year, just before the PCA trade show, J.C. Newman Cigar Co announced a new size in it’s completely American-made line, The American, a Double Robusto. The J.C. Newman The American Double Robusto measures 5.5 x 56 and is now the fattest cigar in the American blend. It is sold in 20-count boxes and each stick carries a retail of $17.50.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The history of cigar making in America goes all the way back to 1612 when the first crop of tobacco was planted in Virginia. All of the original American colonies grew tobacco including many of the Founding Fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
The American Double Robusto, like the rest of the line, is rolled at J.C. Newman‘s El Reloj cigar factory in the “Cigar City” of Tampa, Florida. The blend starts with an exclusive Florida Sungrown (FSG) wrapper grown by Corona Cigar’s Jeff Borysiewicz, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Connecticut Havana and Pennsylvania Mennonite filler tobaccos. Since the Double Robusto is a larger ring gauge than the rest of the line, it has an extra leaf of Pennsylvania ligero tobaccos, making it also strongest The American cigar. Part of the appeal of The American is that every part of the cigar including the packaging, the wood in the cigar boxes, the paper for cigar labels, the cellophane that protects each cigar, and even that cigar itself is made in the United States.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Double Robusto
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 56
Country of Origin: USA
Wrapper: USA (Florida Sun Grown)
Binder: USA (Connecticut Broadleaf)
Filler: USA (Connecticut & Pennsylvania)
Factory: El Reloj
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 5 – Lauren S. (Lauren S.) Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard) Matt Cade (CadeTNCC) Sean F. (fullermaine) James H. (Keikan Jim)
Price: $17.50
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: July 2021
Contributed by: J.C Newman
Initial Impressions – J.C. Newman The American Double Robusto
Appearance: 92
“This is a great-looking mottled medium brown in color cigar. It has no soft spots with minimal veins and nearly invisible seams.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Aroma: 90
“I am getting a strong barnyard scent with a hint of milk chocolate.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
First Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“The cold draw reveals a slight mint joined by some woodsiness. Upon torching the foot, a medium-strength cedar emerges via the retrohale while a much bolder black pepper spice saddled up with some oak present themselves on the draw. That cedar is joined by a light coffee note less than an inch into the smoking experience while the strong, heavy oak continues to dominate the draw all the way through the first third. At the end of this initial section, a very faint butter note joins the party on the retrohale and yes, of course, that’s a good thing.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“Wow, this cigar is holding nothing back. A strong wall of multiple kinds of pepper kicked me in the mouth from the get-go. Black pepper, red pepper, and lingering chili pepper that lingers on the tongue, nose, and throat long after a puff.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Second Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Second third tasting notes consist of Sweet tobacco cedar with citrus creeping in on the backside. The burn has been a little uneven, however, no touch-ups have been needed. retro continues to be smooth. The finish has a slight BBQ char which lingers for days. The ash is a little flaky for my liking but holds strong until I tap it in the ashtray.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“Stronger hickory notes coming during this portion of the stick.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Final Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“For a cigar that continues to feature so many flavors through the nose that are usually described by me to me as more delicate and nuanced (butter, mint, light coffee) this stogie’s strength profile is still bordering on medium/full strictly due to the boldness of that oak coming through via the draw. Construction has remained excellent from start to finish.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“The final third pretty much mirrored the second third for me. Cedar and other woodsy notes with a hint of citrus and a slight char. The burn remained a little wavy but nothing off-putting. No relights have been needed.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Overall Impressions – J.C. Newman The American Double Robusto
Draw: 95
“The draw was wide open, a bit too open especially for the ring gauge. It sometimes felt like I was getting a ton of air along with the smoke.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Burn: 93
“Slight unevenness that needs a minor touch. Overall, an even burn.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Construction: 92
“No complaints in the construction. Beautifully rolled with no soft or hard spot to note. The ash was a little flaky leaving bits of ash on my shirt but I can deal with that. For a cigar of this size, it was a fairly quick smoke and did not last as long as I thought it should.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 91
“I love peppery cigars, but this almost pushed too far even for me. I did enjoy the experience but even hours later I had a lingering feeling like I had eaten way too spicy wings. Not the most complex but if you love a full-bodied cigar with multiple kinds of pepper this is a must smoke.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
“Very good smoke, the only issue was a looser draw which made it burn a little hotter.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“This wasn’t the prettiest cigar to look at prior to lighting up. The mottled wrapper had color inconsistencies, some protruding veins, and it was a bit soft to the squeeze. I’m happy to report that NONE of that mattered upon setting the cigar on fire. Today’s Lesson: Don’t judge a cigar by its appearance or you might just miss out on a great smoking experience. Having said that I’m sure I’ll smoke a gorgeous-looking cigar next and it will be a total dud. Flame on!” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“An awesome cigar! Nice notes of sweet and salty mixed with notes of woodiness. Makes me want another. Great late afternoon stick.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
“A very nice smoke but not quite where I would put it in a premium category. It is definitely one I would consider smoking again if the price point were right.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 65
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Lauren S. | 90 | 92 | 95 | 92 | 95 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 92 |
| Joseph S. | 90 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Matt Cade | 85 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 92 |
| Sean F. | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 97 |
| James H. | 92 | 90 | 93 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 88 | 90 | 90 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.