José Gaspar, J.C. Newman’s Gasparilla Cigar, Returns for 2023

Tampa-based J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is celebrating the city’s famous pirate festival with an exclusive cigar.

For the second year in a row, the company is releasing a José Gaspar cigar to coincide with the festival which takes place from January-March each year. This year’s cigar is both a different size and blend compared to 2022. The José Gaspar 2023 is a 6 x 54 uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. It is made at J.C. Newman PENSA in Nicaragua.

The MSRP is set at $8 per cigar and is sold in packs of five. Production is limited to 10,000 cigars and J.C. Newman is only selling the cigars at select Tampa retailers:

• 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

The name, José Gaspar, is a reference to the legendary pirate who inspired the Gasparilla Pirate Festival which is celebrated each year in late January. While he might be one of the most famous pirates in history—and has his own Wikipedia page—there’s little to no evidence there was a real pirate named José Gaspar. Each year, Tampa plays host to a festival that begins each January and lasts into March, during which three major parades and other smaller events take place.

“José Gaspar was one of most feared pirates in the Americas,” said Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman, in a press release. “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.”