10-Year-Old Brick House Cigars Heading to TAA Retailers

This year’s TAA release from J.C. Newman is a trio of cigars that are anything but new.

Rather than creating a new blend for the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series Program, J.C. Newman is releasing three sizes of Brick House that were aged for 10 years after rolling.

The company says it found the cigars while it was renovating its factory and headquarters in Tampa last year as part of its 125th-anniversary celebration. To clarify, these cigars were rolled in Nicaragua—not Tampa—likely at the San Rafael factory in Ocotal. Today, Brick House is rolled at J.C. Newman’s PENSA factory in Estelí.

• Brick House Beginnings – TAA Exclusive Churchill Natural (7 1/4 x 50) — $9.60 (Box of 10, $96)
• Brick House Beginnings – TAA Exclusive Mighty Mighty Maduro (6 x 60) — $9.80 (Box of 10, $98)
• Brick House Beginnings – TAA Exclusive Mighty Mighty Natural (6 x 60) — $9.80 (Box of 10, $98)

Blend-wise, the Brick House Natural cigars use an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The Mighty Mighty Maduro uses a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers.

J.C. Newman says that it expects to begin shipping the cigars in May. There are approximately 1,100 boxes total between the three sizes.

The TAA is a fairly small group of some of the country’s top tobacconists, about 80 retailers as well as 40 or so manufacturers. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, a unique event that works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals for these generally high-volume merchants.

During the event, the organization holds two selling events, one known as the Dream Machine where the retailers collectively order to secure larger discounts, while the other is a more traditional trade show. Typically, around a dozen manufacturers release new exclusive cigars for the retail members of the organization under the TAA Exclusive Series Program banner. Those manufacturers agree to give a portion of the proceeds to the organization, usually around 25 cents per cigar.

TAA 2021 will host a virtual meeting on March 23 and then plans an in-person event at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic this October.

So far, only six companies have announced their TAA ESP releases for 2021:

• CLE
• Crowned Heads
• J.C. Newman
• La Flor Dominicana
• Kristoff
• Villiger