IPCPR 2018: J.C. Newman

There’s technically nothing new at the J.C. Newman booth this year. The American — the company’s new release — was actually shown off last year, or at least the boxes were. Two existing lines are receiving updated packaging, but neither are new. And there’s the Toast Across America set, once again the famous Shark size, also not particularly new.

The booth is also not new. Once again, the Newman’s longtime partners in both manufacturing and distribution—Arturo Fuente—share one half of the booth, while the Newmans get the other half. It was a bizarre time in the Fuente/Newman booth as at times it seemed rather quiet—albeit there were probably still seven representatives writing orders—and then other times you couldn’t move down the center.

The American

Ever since this project was announced, I wanted to know how this cigar would be received by retailers and consumers. The concept is to make a cigar entirely of American materials with American labor. That means American tobacco, American rollers, American boxes, American labels. As such, it’s not cheap. The question for me is will retailers concern themselves enough to sell the story to consumers: this cigar is the first one to use the Florida Sun Grown (FSG) wrapper, but the real think that makes it different is that it doesn’t rely on inexpensive, Central or Latin American labor.

What is interesting is that the cigar will only be offered to accounts who meet with the cigar’s creator: Drew Newman.

• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Florida Sun Grown)
• Binder: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
• Filler: U.S.A. (Connecticut & Pennsylvania)

• The American No.1 (7 x 47) — $19 (Boxes of 20, $380)
• The American No.2 (6 x 54) — $18.50 (Boxes of 20, $370)
• The American No.3 (4 1/2 x 50) — $16 (Boxes of 20, $320)
• The American No.4 (6 1/8 x 52 Torpedo) — $21 (Boxes of 20, $420)

Production: Regular Production

Launch Date: Summer 2018

Diamond Crown & Maximus Packaging Update

The Diamond Crown and Diamond Crown Maximus brands now get new packaging.