J.C. Newman held an event last night (March 20th) at their historic El Reloj factory in Tampa, debuting their Tampa Smokers cigar with the help of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. This included numerous MLB alumni, including Wade Boggs, Clint Hurdle, and Dave Magadan.
The cigars are named for the minor-league baseball team of the same name, who played in Cigar City from 1919 to 1954. Among the most notable players (at least for cigar fans) for the Tampa Smokers over the years was Al Lopez, who was the son of cigar workers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“Baseball and cigars are two of America’s historic pastimes,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “It seems only fitting to celebrate the new baseball season with a cigar that honors Tampa’s historic minor-league baseball team, the Tampa Smokers.”
The cigar features the Tampa Smokers’ logo on the box and sub-band, which prominently displays a Tampa cigar as the underscore for “Smokers.” While the J.C. Newman revealed little details on the cigars themselves, the company disclosed that they are being rolled out of the El Reloj factory. This makes the cigars roughly the fourth premium experience to come out of the factory since its recent renovation, joining The American, Angel Cuesta, and last year’s LeRoy Neiman 2023 Collector’s Edition.
Tampa Smokers will be on display at tomorrow’s PCA trade show in Las Vegas, presented alongside a unique humidor constructed from baseball bats. J.C. Newman plans to ship Tampa Smokers cigars to retailers in time for the World Series this fall.
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