Sanchez y Haya rolled the first cigar in Tampa, Florida exactly 100 years ago this week. This was the first in a long line of cigars to be made in Tampa causing it to be 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 reintroduced them at a celebration 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.
J.C. Newman Cigar Company has announced it's latest project: The American. It will be launched at two events happening at the same time in Orlando and Tampa on Friday, May 31st. What makes this project so unique is that it is 100% American. It is made from tobacco grown in the US and rolled at J.C. Newman’s El Reloj factory in Ybor City, Florida. In addition, the boxes, bands, labels, molds, cellophane tubes, and everything else is made in the United States. This cigar was originally released in 1910.
"So I must start off with this statement: I need to smoke this cigar again to get a true idea of what it is all about. That being said there are some high notes but that can not overcome the tight draw. This is the number one killer of any cigar for me. Disappointing..." -Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Havana Q is described as being a Cubanesque cigar and a cousin of the value-priced line Quorum. Havana Q is also a value line but comes in larger ring gauges than Quorum. They come in vacuum-sealed humi-bags of 20 and will be sold at brick and mortar shops including very small locations.
This cigar while the first two thirds had a similar profile this for sure wasn't a bad thing. Enjoyed this cigar from beginning to end and always happy for that next puff. I have smoked plenty of the Julius Caesar in other sizes and have to say this perfecto was a treat. If you have a Diamond Crown lounge near you pick one up!
"Overall, I feel this was an excellent cigar, although on the mild side, the flavor combinations which stayed the same, but transitioned in dominance from third to third, made for an interesting cigar. The silky smooth texture and cool temperature allowed me to take this all the way down to a nub. Although it was a long smoke due to the size, I would definitely consider putting this in my rotation, and I am curious to see what this turns out to be." -Angel M. (Angel)
For the past five years, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. has released their, now annual, Brick House branded beer stein which their fans can get with a seven-cigar purchase at participating retail locations, dubbed Bricktoberfest. This year, the stein is a 1 liter “Das Boot” and is decorated with the Brick House vista and dated with Bricktoberfest 2022. This year is even more special because instead of just a beer stein, they are also releasing a brand new cigar of that same name.
"Overall this wasnt a bad smoke. It was uninspiring for me though and really didnt do anything that would make me interested in smoking it again. If the draw were better it might be of some interest to others that like floral flavor profiles. " -Dave W. (mdwest)
"The first third was good with flavors of woods and dark fruit with a nice sweet finish. The second third was mediocre at best and at one point I considered putting it down. I'm glad I didn't though because it picked back up in the final third where it shined. I wouldn't pay a premium for this one, but I would smoke it again. " -James H. (Keikan Jim)
As a part of the restoration process for their El Reloj Cigar Factory in Tampa, J.C. Newman had to clear out almost 70 years' worth of items from the building. During this process, they uncovered some hidden gems, one of which was a trap door from the 1930s with a secret staircase that went from the General Managers' office down into the basement. It was used to hide when the Tampa Mafia would come through looking for payroll cash. Another item was J.C.'s (Julius Caesar's) travel trunk that accompanied him on his voyage from Hungary to Cleveland in 1889. One of the most interesting discoveries was a box stash of 10-year-old Brick House cigars tucked away in the basement years ago to age and wait for a special occasion to arise. To celebrate their 125th year, they are going to release them to the public by way of TAA retailers and named Brick House Beginnings.