Brick House Ciento Por Ciento 2023 Begins Shipping

Yesterday, J.C. Newman began shipping the Brick House Ciento Por Ciento 2023, the company’s exclusive release for retailers that are members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA).

The cigar is a 6 1/4 x 54 toro extra made entirely of Nicaraguan tobacco, including a wrapper from Jalapa, a binder from Estelí and fillers from three different regions.

Each cigar has an MSRP of $11 and production is limited to 800 boxes of 10 cigars. Like other Brick House cigars, it is made at the J.C. Newman PENSA factory in Estelí.

“First rolled in the 1930s, Brick House was one of my great-grandfather’s original cigar brands,” said Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman, in a press release. “He created this brand to honor the rural village where he was born in Austria-Hungary. The house where he was born was known as the ‘brick house’ because it was the only house in the area made of brick. The bottom floor was a general store and tavern while my family lived on the second floor.”

“These Brick House cigars are very special because we roll them with 100 percent Nicaraguan tobacco,” said Newman.  “‘Ciento Por Ciento’ means 100 percent in Spanish. These are the only cigars that we roll entirely with Nicaraguan tobacco.”

J.C. Newman used the Ciento Por Ciento as its TAA exclusive in 2019. Those cigars were also 6 1/4 x 54 toro extras but used different packaging and a lighter wrapper.

The TAA is a membership group, which also includes approximately 40 manufacturers, that 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—which took place March 26-30 at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic—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, a minimum of 50 cents per cigar.

TAA 2023 exclusive cigars from CLE, Espinosa Premium Cigars, Ferio Tego, Forged Cigar Co., General Cigar Co., Gurkha, Joya de Nicaragua, Kristoff, Miami Cigar & Co., My Father, Plasencia and Quesada have already begun shipping. In addition, Crowned Heads, E.P. Carrillo, J.C. Newman, La Palina, Rocky Patel, Quality Importers Trading Co. and Tatuaje have announced their TAA 2023 releases.