2K Cigars Festival – Cigar Masterclass by Aldo Puncioni

The morning program of the 2K Cigars Event featured an educational masterclass led by Aldo Puncioni of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., offering participants both a look into the company’s history and a practical approach to evaluating premium cigars.

Puncioni began by introducing the origins of J.C. Newman, the oldest family-owned premium cigar manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, a Slovak immigrant from what is today Prešov, Slovakia, the company has remained in family ownership for four generations. During the presentation, Puncioni shared the family’s immigration story, explaining that the name “Julius Caeser Newman” originated when an immigration officer was unable to record the founder’s original name upon his arrival in the United States.

The session then shifted from history to cigar tasting. Puncioni introduced his Method of Six, a structured framework designed to help smokers evaluate cigars more systematically by focusing on six key criteria:

• Taste
• Aroma (together with taste, these determine the cigar’s body)
• Strength
• Balance
• Complexity
• Finish

Rather than relying solely on personal preference, the method encourages smokers to assess each category individually before forming an overall impression of a cigar.

To demonstrate the concept, participants sampled three versions of Perla del Mar, each produced with the same filler and binder while featuring a different wrapper: Shade, Maduro and Corojo. Tasting the cigars side by side allowed attendees to experience firsthand how significantly the wrapper leaf influences flavour, aroma, body and the overall smoking experience, even when the internal blend remains unchanged.

The masterclass offered valuable insights for both seasoned passionados and newcomers. It served as a reminder that understanding a premium cigar begins with understanding how to taste it.