Tag Archives: Tampa

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A Quick Trip to Tampa, J.C.Newman, Hockey and Sanchez y Haya

Monday I took what is becoming an annual event,  a trip to Tampa to go to a Flyers hockey game!  Once again I met up with Kevin (CigarProp) to smoke cigars and watch hockey.  Of course we smoked some great J.C. Newman cigars both at Corona Cigars in Tampa pre-game, and at the Diamond Crown Lounge in the Benchmark International Arena (the only NHL arena that still has a cigar lounge!).  The lounge has been remodeled since last year, overlooks the ice surface, and is the best way to watch a game short of being able to smoke in the seats!  It’s a beautiful lounge with comfy seating, TVs, and a nice selection of J.C. Newman and Fuente cigars. The service is excellent as well, with attentive staff there to make recommendations and cut and light your cigar if needed. If you ever have the opportunity to get club level seats at a Lightning game, it’s well worth it!

 

Photo Credit : Kevin

 

Tuesday morning I decided my best course of action was to get to the La Segunda bakery in Ybor to get some coffee and a cinnamon bun for breakfast, and pay a visit to El Reloj.  I enjoyed an enormous cinnamon roll and a double espresso in the Cigar Workers Park across the street from the factory. It just so happened that my visit perfectly aligned with the ground-breaking ceremony for the Sanchez y Haya building that the Newmans have been working to renovate over the past couple years.  It was a media event. TV stations were there, as well as a bunch of dignitaries, including Kathy Castor, the area’s member of the House of Representatives. Drew Newman, great grandson of J.C. Newman, who has. spearheaded this, as well as the renovation of El Reloj, spoke about the history of the building and the plans for the future. It’s refreshing to see their local elected officials getting behind something cigar related. I felt fortunate and honored to have stumbled across this event. It’s my hope that next year I can go down for a game again, and stay at the hotel!  I took a few pictures, and have included the local news video below. 

 

 

Many thanks to the folks at J.C.Newman for the hospitality!  I’m glad I got to visit with Bobby, Eric and Drew for a few minutes, and meet Amanda. I’m sorry I missed Sydney. It’s always good to hang out with Kevin!  

 

Until the next time, 

CigarCraig

 

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November 28, 2025 · 10:18 am
July 27, 2025 · 9:05 am

My Father Blue, Diamond Crown Tampa and Davidoff Maduro

I smoked a few pricey cigars this week, outside my usual comfort zone. However this first one wasn’t one of those! I picked up a few of the new My Father Blue in toro and gordo, and smoked one in each size. This is from the company’s new Honduras factory and uses tobacco grown on their Honduran farm. It has a Connecticut rosado broadleaf wrapper, and Corojo and Criollo tobaccos from Honduras. My first impression was what a gorgeous cigar this was. The bands are beautiful, tying in the whole “Blue” thing, they really pop on the shelf. Blue was once considered the kiss of death on a cigar band, but now longer, this is a stunner. It starts with some spice, who’s surprised? The best food comparison I can make is rye bread (TY NK for putting that in my head). I smoked both the Toro Gordo and the Toro and they were superb, a real winner. I’ll be very interested in smoking more cigars from the Honduras factory, including whatever Tatuaje might do there.

 

I was fortunate that J.C. Newman shared some of their new Diamond Crown Tampa cigars with me, it’s hard to say when I’ll get back to Tampa, as these are exclusive to shops in the city.  I also have a hard time dropping $30 on a cigar.  This is a Diamond Crown with a little extra, which is the Florida Sun Grown tobacco grown at Jeff Borysiewicz’ farm in Clermont, Florida.  These are still made at Tabacalera Fuente, and still have an Connecticut Shade wrapper, although it looks darker to me than I’m used to.  It’s only available in a 6½” x 52 Toro. The guts are Dominican, except for the FSG ligero.  I was amazed at how good this cigar was, but I shouldn’t have been, I guess.  My first Diamond Crown cigar was back in 1998 and it, along with all it’s siblings, have been favorites ever since.  The new Diamond Crown bands are beautiful, and they added a large band on the body of the cigar that has Tampa imagery, El Reloj (not El Rehol, dammit Coop!), a rooster, Gaspar’s ship and other Tampa landmarks.  It’s my week for smoking beautiful cigars!  This was another bready cigar with the FSG spice which is unique.  I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to try it, and recommend it, it’s a special treat.  

 

I could have smoked something more ridiculously expensive than this next cigar, but I’ll hold off on that one for a couple weeks. Once again, I was fortunate to receive a sampling of the newish Davidoff Maduro, and selected the 6″ x 54 Toro for my Friday evening smoke.  This has a chocolaty maduro wrapper from Ecuador, a Mexican binder and Dominican fillers.  A box will run you a little over a grand, make sure you get free shipping if you buy online!  If I ever have a box of these you’ll know I won the lottery. This was another pretty cigar, the bands are classic, in this case it’s the wrapper that catches the eye.  This cigar burned perfectly, razor straight with a perfect draw. It had some of the cocoa one expects, some spice, and that musty umami that I think Davidoff cigars usually have. This was stronger than I expected, it being a Davidoff and all, and I had to put it down sooner than I usually do (most cigars are finger burners for me). I had to take Zino’s advice and put it down around the band, which made me sad. My value brain saw me leaving $15 in the ashtray!  I inherited frugality from my late mother.  This was an impressive cigar anyway, and I very much appreciate Davidoff sharing these with me.  It was a special treat.  

 

We’ve been busy with the stresses that go with handling an estate, getting a house ready to sell, going through generations of  stuff, and trying to turn some of it into cash.  Cigars have been my therapy, hopefully it’ll be behind us soon. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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January 10, 2023 · 7:00 am

News: J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Releases 2023 José Gaspar Cigars

This is pretty regional, and not something I generally share, but it’s pretty cool and the video that J.C.Newman produced for this made me laugh. This looks like a very accessible

blend.  

 

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Releases 2023 José Gaspar Cigars

Celebrates Tampa’s two world-famous traditions, cigars and Gasparilla

 

Tampa has two-century-old traditions: Since 1885, Tampa has been known as “Cigar City.” Since 1904, pirates have been invading Tampa and throwing a large festival

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called Gasparilla. Today, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. brings both traditions together by introducing José Gaspar cigars. Handcrafted by J.C. Newman, a 127-year-old, four-generation family business, José Gaspar cigars pack a punch perfect for any pirate.

 

“José Gaspar was one of most feared pirates in the Americas,” said Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner. “Sailing from his base near Tampa Bay in the late 1700s, he terrorized the Gulf of Mexico and amassed a great fortune. Gaspar celebrated victories with a bold and flavorful cigar. This cigar honors his legacy and the tradition of Gasparilla.”

 

 

This year, J.C. Newman is releasing 10,000 José Gaspar cigars. The 2023 release of José Gaspar is a 6’ x 54 cigar wrapped with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. The 2023 José Gaspar cigars are sold in packs of 5 cigars with an MSRP of $40. José Gaspar cigars are only available at the following locations in the Cigar City of Tampa, Florida:

 

Casa de Montecristo
Cigar Castle
Cigar City Brewery
Corona Cigar Company
Edwards Pipe and Tobacco
Grand Cathedral
Hotel Haya
J.C. Newman Cigar Museum and Factory Store
King Corona International Plaza
King Corona Cigars
Tobacco Depot
Vincent & Tampa Cigar Co

 

“When pirates invade Tampa and parade down Bayshore Boulevard on January 28, they will be enjoying José Gaspar cigars,” said Newman. “Just like the pirates of Gasparilla, however, José Gaspar cigars will sail out of Tampa Bay at the end of January and will not be available again until next year.”

 

About J.C. Newman Cigar Co.

Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America. J.C. Newman rolls its El Reloj, Factory Throwouts, and Trader Jacks cigars by hand-operated, vintage cigar machines at its historic cigar factory in Tampa, Florida. It also hand rolls its Brick House, Perla del Mar, El Baton, and Quorum cigars at the J.C. Newman PENSA cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. J.C. Newman’s Diamond Crown, MAXIMUS, Julius Caeser, and Black Diamond cigars are handmade by Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic. With its longtime partners the Fuente family, the Newmans founded the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, which supports low-income families in the Dominican Republic with education, health care, vocational training, and clean water.

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December 11, 2022 · 9:49 am

Cigar Heritage Festival and Some West Tampa Black Cigars

Last Sunday I attended the Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City. As I may have said in last weeks post,

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it was my first visit to that area, long overdue.  I spent a disproportionate amount of time at Corona Cigar’s Tampa location, even had a great meet-up with old friends from the alt.smokers.cigars usenet group! I got to hang around a lot with Kevin and Jessica of CigarProp, many thanks to them for driving me around!  But Sunday was the day for the Cigar Heritage Festival, a brisk half a cigar walk from my hotel (2 miles, it was a beautiful day!). I wasn’t sure what to expect, a sentiment shared by several vendors and even the staff!  I somehow ended up with a VIP pass, which allowed me access to some seating areas, none of which I took advantage of. It also included about seven tickets for cigars, more on that in a bit.  The festival covered the Centennial Park and three of the streets surrounding it. There were a bunch of vendors there, many of the people who were principle and prominent “faces” of the brands were there.  I have to think that folks like Steve Saka and Tony Gomez being there meant net to nothing to 90% of the attendees, but I enjoyed catching up with some ol

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d friends, Island Jim Robinson among them. One of the highlights for me was meeting Ron Hunt, the host of the All About Wine podcast. You might think it odd that someone who hasn’t had a drink in over 30 years knows someone from the wine industry, but Ron has been a member of a weekly video chat I am involved with, and is fairly new to premium cigars. I introduced him to several people there, and had him collect on my aforementioned VIP cigar tickets. He gave a really nice description of the event on his latest episode. I also ran into my old friend Keith, who I had seen the day before, and interrupted his sleep schedule once again to hang out :-). From what I’m told, sales were brisk, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust was selling boxes, exceeding expectations.  There was a band, food trucks, and all sorts of other lifestyle vendors.  I bought a cool t-shirt and a gift for my wife. I especially enjoyed the chickens and roosters wandering around!  I recommend the event, and a visit to “Cigar City” in general.  

 

While I was there I ran into my old friend Ricky Rodriguez, formerly of CAO, presently of West Tampa Tobacco Co.. It took me a while to find him, I thought he’d have his own booth, but he was set up with a local cigar store, Tobacco Depot.  Ricky was busy taking pictures with people, like the celebrity he is, I had a moment to talk with his daughter, Sara, the Brand Activation & Engagement Manager for the company. I asked her if she had smoked her first cigar yet, having heard that she had never smoked before.  Her answer surprised me, I guess, it was a no.  She said she has no interest, although she was going to spend an extended time in Esteli learning rolling and blending, so maybe she’d be inspired to try there.  I, naturally, recommended trying. I’ve never seen this young lady without a huge smile on here face, she’d certainly be a great cigar ambassador.  Ricky gave me a prototype of the Black and White in lancero size, and I smoked the Black version this week, along with a Black Robusto for comparison.  I need to go out and pick up a White so I can smoke the other one, I like to have a baseline, and I have only smoke a couple Whites.  Something odd about the Black in the lancero format, I was concerned in the first inch, it was a little rough, kind of like the coffee that’s been sitting in the pot half the day, you know, the good stuff! After the first inch though, it went someplace unexpected.  There were distinct notes of spices that I identify with Christmas baking, it really turned into something special. The coffee notes smoothed out, but that delicious spice kept going.  It was good, better than the Robusto I smoked the next day, which is still a tasty cigar!  I’m very much looking forward to the White lancero! 

 

That’s all for today.  Secret Santa names have been picked and distributed!  I’ll be putting a package together today!  Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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August 26, 2020 · 9:21 pm

Cigar Bundles of Miami Tampa Behike Maduro and Rocky Patel Edge Barrel Aged Cigars

It’s been a busy week so far, but that’s good. My cigar consumption is down by about 50% just because my afternoons are consumed by a job where they weren’t before! I’m not suffering any ill effects! I dug into another pack of cigars that CigarProp Kevin sent me, these were from Cigar Bundles of Miami, a retailer in, you guessed it, Miami. I’ll get to the others in the pack Sunday, but I started with the Tampa Blend Behike Maduro, a pigtailed 6″ x 56,  which actually measured slightly longer than 6″ by my ruler. I don’t complain when they measure longer. This was a really nice looking cigar, and, according to t

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he website, they retail around $8. I have no idea what the blend is, but the cigar was flavorful, what I expect from a Maduro cigar, tasty cocoa and coffee flavors with some sweetness. If I had to guess, I’d venture to say that the wrapper was San Andrés, but that would just be a guess. It was solidly medium and burned very well, was nicely constructed, and burned a solid two hours. I’d probably allow this to dry a bit if I were to smoke this again, but it was certainly a nice cigar. I am looking forward to smoking the rest of the cigars in this sampler. 

 

I was going to smoke one of the other cigars in the sampler tonight, but one of my new coworkers threw me a curve ball. One of the guys who started the same day I did is a fellow cigar lover, and he said he smokes Diesels, so I gave him a Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask as it’s my favorite Diesel and he hadn’t heard of it. He didn’t understand that I give cigars and don’t expect reciprocity, and returned the gesture today with a Rocky Patel Edge Barrel Aged Toro, which is another one of his favorites. Of course, I appreciate the gesture, it’s always fun to trade cigars, and I hadn’t smoked this cigar, so I figured this would be tonight’s cigar. I can see this becoming a thing. I’m liking this

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new gig. This cigar might be a Cigars International Exclusive, as I know that this gentleman lives in the Lehigh Valley and frequents the downtown Bethlehem, PA store, and I don’t see it listed on the Rocky Patel website. The cigar was a 6″ x 52 toro, and has a Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. This was a good smoke, fairly heavy with a good load of spice. As I’ve mentioned many times before,

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nearly 30 years without a drink I have no frame of reference for

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any residual flavors that may be imparted by bourbon barrels, but the flavor of the cigar was good, rich, spicy and earthy. Again, it was on the stronger side and I liked it. Thanks to John for sharing this one with me, and I’m glad he enjoyed the Diesel! 

 

I’m patiently awaiting my Smoke Inn Battle of the Bands sampler(s), go check out the competition and buy a sampler or two from tour favorite cigar media contestant! There might be something special happening here surrounding this coming soon!  that’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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