J.C. Newman Cigar Co. took a trip to the basement to find a TAA exclusive; A stash — around 1,100 boxes — of 10-year old Brick House cigars that had been tucked away for a special occasion.
The treasure comes in three sizes and was discovered while the company was preparing to restore its El Reloj Cigar Factory in Tampa.
The Brick House Beginnings comes in a 6.25 x 60 Mighty Mighty Maduro and Mighty Mighty Natural ($.9.80 per/$98 for a 10-count box), and a 7.25 x 50 Churchill Natural ($9.60 per/$96 for a 10-count box). Shipping begins in May.
The cigars were rolled at the San Rafael Cigar Factory in Nicaragua, and the Naturals use an Ecuadorian Havana seed wrapper, while the Maduro uses a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. Both use Nicaraguan filler and binder.
Their discovery was part of an overall unearthing of the past in 2019, as workers began preparing for the renovation. They found a secret staircase in the building, leading to a steel door that opened onto a vault where the management could hide from bandits, or the “Tampa Mafia,” which operated in the 1930s.
Also discovered was J.C. Newman’s travel trunk, which he had brought with him from Hungary when he emigrated to the U.S. in the late 1800s.
