Today, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is shipping The El Reloj Collection to Tobacconist Association of America members across the United States. This 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 El Reloj Collection includes the following cigars:
Two The American Toro
Two Angel Cuesta Rosado Toro
Two LeRoy Neiman Collector’s Edition 2024
Two Angel Cuesta Shade Toro, first release
Two Tampa Smokers, first release
“The El Reloj Collection includes the first release of both Angel Cuesta Shade and Tampa Smokers,” said Newman. “Angel Cuesta was first rolled for Spain’s King Alfonso XIII a century ago. Angel Cuesta is a smooth and refined cigar, rolled with a Nicaraguan Shade wrapper. Because Tampa is ‘Cigar City,’ our minor league baseball team was the ‘Tampa Smokers.’ This cigar celebrates the historic connection between cigars and baseball and will be introduced at the start of next year’s baseball season.”
The Newman family invites cigar enthusiasts to visit El Reloj, which is open to the public on weekdays and the first Saturday of the month. Walking through the factory is like stepping back in time. Visitors can explore J.C Newman's museum, take a guided factory tour, enroll in a cigar-rolling class, or attend a private event. J.C Newman hand rolls the luxury cigars in this special collection in The American Room on the third floor.
About the Cigars Inside The El Reloj Collection:
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.
Angel Cuesta
Angel Cuesta was created a century ago as the official cigar of King Alfonso XIII who ruled Spain from 1886 to 1931. Eric Newman has an old oil painting in his office depicting Carlotta Cuesta presenting a box of Angel Cuesta cigars to the king. Today, Angel Cuesta cigars are hand rolled in The American Room of J.C. Newman’s 114-year-old iconic El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida. They feature a beautiful Ecuador Havana Rosado or a Nicaraguan Shade wrapper with a blend of aged binder and filler tobaccos from three continents. Angel Cuesta is finished with a pigtail cap that is reminiscent of an angel’s halo. When you light an Angel Cuesta cigar you will experience a cigar that was rolled for royalty.
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.
