This week, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is shipping the fall release of The American and Angel Cuesta cigars to 104 of the finest premium cigar retailers in 35 states. Both The American and Angel Cuesta are hand rolled in J.C. Newman’s iconic El Reloj cigar factory in the “Cigar City” of Tampa, Florida. This is the second and final release of these cigars in 2024.
“As we prepare to honor those who have served our country on Veteran’s Day next week, I wanted to release some of the finest American-made cigars,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “As a 129-year-old, four-generation, American family business, we are proud to help keep the centuries-old tradition of American cigarmaking alive with The American and Angel Cuesta.“
When it was built in 1910, J.C. Newman’s El Reloj cigar factory was considered the largest cigar factory in the world. Today, it is the last large cigar factory still operating in the United States. Inside, exceptional cigar workers hand roll no more than 80 The American and Angel Cuesta cigars per day.
“El Reloj is the premier destination for cigar tourism in the United States,” said Newman. “We invite cigar enthusiasts to visit our cigar museum, take a guided factory tour, and enroll in our cigar-rolling and tobacco-tasting classes.”
The American cigars are rolled with 100% heirloom American tobaccos. It is the only cigar rolled with Florida Sun Grown wrapper. Its Connecticut Broadleaf binder is grown by an eighth-generation family farmer. The filler is a combination of a Connecticut Havana and Pennsylvania Mennonite tobaccos. From the wood and hinges on the cigar box to the cigar bands and cellophane tubes, every part of The American is made in the USA. The American has received numerous accolades, including Cigar Journal’s Cigar Trophy for Best Brand/Best Cigar from the United States in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Angel Cuesta was created a century ago as the official cigar of King Alfonso XIII who ruled Spain from 1886 to 1931. These luxury cigars feature an Ecuador Havana Rosado 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. In 2024, Angel Cuesta received a Cigar Journal’s Cigar Trophy Best Boutique Cigar from the United States.