The American From J.C. Newman Set To Officially Debut
The American, a cigar brand from first teased three years ago, is finally ready for its official debut. On Friday, May 31, The American will simultaneously launch at events in two Florida stores, Corona Cigar Co. (Orlando) and Davidoff of Geneva Since 1911 (Tampa) beginning at 6 p.m.
The American is one of the most ambitious cigar projects to come to market in recent memory. Everything about the cigar—the tobaccos, boxes, bands, labels, cigar molds and even the cellophane—hails from the U.S.
The cigar features wrapper grown in the Florida sun by retailer Jeff Borysiewicz, who owns the shops where The American will debut. Borysiewicz began growing tobacco in The Sunshine State in 2014. The binder is Connecticut broadleaf, grown by eighth-generation farmer John Foster, while the filler is a blend of Connecticut Habano (also grown by Foster) and some Pennsylvania leaf grown by the Mennonites in Lancaster County.
The American comes in four sizes: Churchill, which measures 7 inches by 47 ring gauge; Toro, 6 by 54; Robusto, 4 1/2 by 50; and Torpedo, 6 1/8 by 52. The brand ranges in price from $16 to $19.50. Each size will come in 20-count boxes.
The patriotic theme goes beyond the tobaccos, though, as The American was rolled in El Reloj, J.C. Newman’s cigar factory located in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood. Additionally, the packaging is made in the U.S., entirely out of materials sourced from the U.S., too.
“The American speaks to the heart of who we are: a four-generation, 124-year-old, American family business,” said Drew Newman, great-grandson of company founder J.C. Newman.
