What is J.C. Newman PENSA and What Do We Make There?

What is J.C. Newman PENSA and What Do We Make There?

You may have heard the term J.C. Newman PENSA when researching our company, especially in the last few weeks. The name is actually an acronym, the letters of which stand for, ‘Puros de Estelí, Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima.’

This factory, located in the rapidly growing city of Estelí, Nicaragua, is the origin of many of our highly-acclaimed cigars; most notably Brick House, Quorum, and Perla del Mar.

The number of cigars imported from Nicaragua continues to grow year over year and Estelí is the epicenter for the industry. Why is Estelí such a hot spot for Nicaraguan cigars? The soil, the culture, and the people.

Nicaraguan Soil and Growing Region

 

 Estelí, Nicaragua is a major region for tobacco growing and rolling. More than 15 cigar manufacturers have their Nicaraguan operations in Estelí, and that doesn’t even include the tobacco farms.

With its rich, volcanic, fertile soil, tobacco seeds easily take root in the valleys of Estelí. The black soil produces thick leaves that are full of flavor and a unique spice; our Brick House wrapper leaves are grown on farms that are mere miles away from our J.C. Newman PENSA factory.

The growing season falls between September and May. The rainy season occupying most of the summer, reinvigorating the soil for strong, aromatic leaves.

Tobacco Plants in Rows Nicaragua

The Factory and J.C. Newman PENSA Employees

 

Hands Rolling Tobacco Leaves Into Cigars

 

 J.C. Newman PENSA and the over 800 employees there are one giant machine, working in a perfect circuit to bring your favorite cigars to local retailers.

Tobacco comes in from all over Nicaragua (and all over the world) and is fermented, sorted, and stripped at PENSA, giving J.C. Newman full control of the cigar creation process.

Hundreds of skilled rollers make between 400 and 600 cigars daily with such precision and delicacy, it can only be described as an art form.

Future for J.C. Newman in Nicaragua

 

As our cigars continue to grow in popularity, J.C. Newman PENSA continues to expand. Brick House, Quorum and Perla del Mar cigars require more rollers, more quality assurance, and more tobacco that needs to be cured and sorted, every year.

J.C. Newman PENSA is currently the second largest cigar factory in Nicaragua and shows no sign of slowing anytime soon. With a team of master blenders and seasoned cigar makers, J.C. Newman will continue to create new blends and brands showcasing the unique flavor of Nicaragua. The recent addition of the TAA exclusive ‘Ciento por Ciento’ is one such blend example. Keep your eyes on us as we continue to create beautiful Nicaraguan cigars for you to enjoy.

Drew Newman and Early Trips to the Dominican Republic

Drew Newman and Early Trips to the Dominican Republic

My family’s partnership with the Fuentes began in 1986 with the launch of La Unica, our first cigar handmade at Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic. This was followed by the introduction of Cuesta-Rey and our Diamond Crown cigar brands. In 1990, our partnership deepened with the formation of the joint company now known as Arturo Fuente Cigar Company, which distributes Arturo Fuente cigars in the United States.

Because of our close relationship with the Fuentes, my father, Eric Newman, and grandfather, Stanford Newman, would frequently fly down to the Dominican Republic. They went there to meet with Carlos Fuente, Sr., and his son Carlito and to blend and develop new cigars together.

When I was nine years old, I convinced my father and grandfather to take me along with them on to see the Fuentes. I still do not know why they agreed to let a nine-year-old tag along, but I absolutely loved the trip and the experience of traveling with my father and grandfather.

This first trip was the start of an annual pilgrimage for three generations of Newmans. Over the next decade, my father and grandfather planned their March trip to the Dominican Republic around my school’s spring break schedule so that I could travel with them each year.

On the flights from Miami to the Dominican Republic, I remember looking out the window and being amazed at how the color of the water changed from dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean to the beautiful turquoise of the Caribbean. Because the Santiago airport had not yet been built, we flew into the resort town of Puerto Plata. While everyone else on the plane was dressed as if they were destined for the beach, my father and grandfather wore coats and ties. At the airport, we were greeted by Carlito who picked us up in his car and drove us across the mountains to Santiago.

As a young kid, I remember the Dominican Republic as a lush, tropical oasis where everything felt foreign. Not only did everyone speak a different language, but the food, music, and even the driving habits were nothing like home.

On my first trip, I remember walking into Tabacalera A. Fuente and being surprised at how different the Fuente cigar factory felt from “El Reloj,” my family’s historic cigar factory in Tampa. It was large and bustling and, to a small child, the Fuente factory felt like a maze full of adventure.

The bouquet of aromas of the Fuente factory left a strong impression on me. I remember being surprised at how the factory did not have a single smell, but rather different aromas in different rooms due to the various tobaccos being used. More than once, the smell of fermenting tobacco was so overpowering, that I had to run outside to find fresh air.

The days were very long on these trips. Carlito would pick us up from the hotel after an early breakfast and we would not return until after a late dinner at night. The hardest part of these trips for me was that Carlos, Carlito, Stanford, and Eric would frequently work through lunch – frequently forgetting to feed me, too.

During the day, when the grownups were reviewing spreadsheets that I did not understand, I would often sneak away and wander through the factory on my own. I remember being mesmerized at how the cigar rollers would swiftly roll each cigar, one by one, to the beat of the Dominican merengue playing from the speakers. At least once per trip, I would get lost in the Fuente factory and someone would have to help me find my way to the front office.

On my third trip when I was 11 years old, we visited the tobacco farm that would later become known as Chateau de la Fuente. At that point, there was nothing there other than tobacco and barns. This was long before the gazebos, Hemingway House, and other facilities were built. The farm was pretty rugged. At the end of the day, I remember the adults lighting up a prototype cigar made from special tobacco from the farm. Unfortunately for me, the only refreshments that the adults brought with them were ice-cold Presidente beer and Brugal rum. No one had thought to bring water or something else for me so I had to just sit there until they finished their prototype cigars.

One of the things that sets the Fuente and Newman families apart from other cigar companies is that we are two, four-generation family businesses.  Both of our families have been passing the family tradition of handcrafting premium cigars from generation to generation for more than 100 years. 

When my grandfather passed away in 2006, our three-generation trips to visit the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic ended.  Today, however, I am fortunate to be able to continue traveling with my father, Eric, and my uncle, Bobby, to see the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic and our factory in Nicaragua, and to help promote and sell our family’s cigars around the world. 

“It is very special working in a family business. One my proudest moments in our company was at the RTDA (now IPCPR) trade show in 2005. One afternoon, my father, Stanford, and son, Drew, and I decided to walk around the show. As we passed one booth, I overheard another exhibitor say to someone else, “Wow – there goes three generations!” Hearing this filled me with pride and made me feel very grateful to be able to share our family tradition with my father and my son.” – Eric Newman.

 

Rubio to Hold Small Business Field Hearing in Tampa

Rubio to Hold Small Business Field Hearing in Tampa


Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, will convene a hearing titled, “Keeping Small, Premium Cigar Businesses Rolling” on Friday, April 5, 2019, at 1:00 PM. Directly following the hearing, Rubio will hold a brief media availability.

The hearing will look at the climate of overregulation of the premium cigar industry, an iconic staple to Florida’s economy. Earlier this year, Rubio re-introduced the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which seeks to exempt premium cigars from excessive and overly burdensome U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and fees. Last year, Rubio spoke on the Senate floor on behalf of his amendment to save the premium cigar industry after leading a bipartisan letter to the FDA that urged an exemption of premium, hand-rolled cigars from these overreaching regulations, which threaten American premium cigar manufacturers and retailers, and could force this industry of mostly small businesses across the country to close. In 2016, Rubio visited Tampa’s J.C. Newman Cigar Company to meet with workers whose paychecks are being threatened by destructive regulations from Washington. In 2014, Senator Rubio penned an op-ed that called for “a halt to unnecessary federal regulations that threaten” this industry.

The hearing will be live-streamed on Senator Marco Rubio’s Facebook page.

Members of the media planning to attend must RSVP to RubioPressShop@rubio.senate.gov

Witnesses
Mr. Charles Maresca, Director of Interagency Affairs, Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration

Dr. Brad Rodu, Endowed Chair, Tobacco Harm Reduction Research, University of Louisville

Mr. Jeff Borysiewicz, President and Founder, Corona Cigar Company and Florida Sun Grown, Florida’s only tobacco farm

Mr. Drew Newman, General Counsel and great-grandson of the Founder, J.C. Newman Cigar Company

Hearing Details:
Keeping Small, Premium Cigar Businesses Rolling
Friday, April 5, 2019
1:00 PM, EDT
Hillsborough Community College, Ybor City Campus
Performing Arts Building
2112 North 15th Street
Tampa, Florida
Note: Directly following the hearing Rubio will hold a brief media availability.

Cigars of Tally: Diamond Crown Lounge

Cigars of Tally: Diamond Crown Lounge

Cigars of Tally Diamond Crown Lounge Grand Opening

On April 4th of 2019, Cigars of Tally opened their second location in Tallahassee, Florida as a designated Diamond Crown Lounge! There’s so much you won’t want to miss – be sure you stop in soon!

Cigar Deals and Special Appearances

From 6 pm – 10 pm on April 4th the Cigars of Tally Diamond Crown Lounge hosted their grand opening party featuring a ton of great deals. Those who purchased any single cigar in the Diamond Crown Royal Family (Diamond Crown, MAXIMUS, Julius Caeser or Black Diamond) received a free Diamond Crown Julius Caeser 1895 cigar. This 1895 is a cigar only available to distinguished Diamond Crown lounges. 

Those who purchased any box in the Royal Family received a free, limited edition, Diamond Crown Double Belicoso Gift set and was entered for a chance to win a Diamond Crown Alexander 160 Count Humidor.

And if the cigars weren’t enough, 3rd Generation Owner and President Eric Newman was on premises, to meet, greet, answer questions and tell some stories about the J.C. Newman family legacy and the story of the Diamond Crown cigar.

The Diamond Crown Lounge Designation

Cigars of Tally has a reputation that proceeds itself. As a staple of the cigar industry in the state of Florida, we are honored to partner with them as they open their second location as a Diamond Crown lounge.

Diamond Crown lounges are places where cigar aficionados can meet up and enjoy an unparalleled selection of fine and exclusive premium cigars. This is a lounge you’ll want to visit time and time again for Diamond Crown events or to relax with other cigar lovers. Cigars of Tally Diamond Crown Lounge offers a wide bar selection to pair with your favorite smoke. The lounge also boasts a number of flat screen televisions, an outdoor smoking patio, and is well appointed with a beautiful humidor full of your favorite premium cigars.

Cigars of Tally Diamond Crown Lounge
Address: 926 Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32303
Phone: (850) 727-0085

Thank you to everyone who came out to join us last week! We appreciate your support. Be sure to stop in again soon.

You can see this lounge location and a list of all our Diamond Crown Lounges by clicking here.

Cigars of Tally Diamond Crown Lounge
Cigars of Tally Humidor
Cigars of Tally Diamond Crown Signage
J.C. Newman Introduces Limited-Edition Brick House Cigar

J.C. Newman Introduces Limited-Edition Brick House Cigar

J.C. Newman Introduces Limited-Edition Brick House Cigar 

J.C. Newman Cigar Company will release its first Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) exclusive brand, Brick House Ciento por Ciento. 

Brick House Ciento por Ciento offered as TAA exclusive

Handcrafted in J.C. Newman’s Nicaraguan factory, Puros de Estelí Nicaragua, S.A. (J.C. Newman PENSA), Ciento por Ciento only uses tobaccos grown in the rich, volcanic soils of Nicaragua. It is the first Nicaraguan puro blend in the Brick House line, hence the name, which means 100% in Spanish. The wrapper is a Habana-seed, corojo leaf grown in the Jalapa Valley which encloses binder and filler from three of Nicaragua’s mountainous regions. 

Production has been limited to 500 boxes and is only available for purchase by TAA members. The cigars will only be available for purchase at the 2019 conference and will ship by the end of May. At that time, a list of retailers where the cigar is available for purchase will be released.

Brand: Brick House Ciento por Ciento

  • Size: 6 1/4 X 54
  • Box Count: 25

About J.C. Newman Cigar Co.

Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America.  J.C. Newman rolls its El Reloj, Factory Throwouts, and Trader Jacks cigars by hand-operated, vintage cigar machines at its historic cigar factory in Tampa, Florida.  It also hand rolls its Brick House, Perla del Mar, El Baton, and Quorum cigars at the J.C. Newman PENSA cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.  J.C. Newman’s Diamond Crown, MAXIMUS, Julius Caeser, and Black Diamond cigars are handmade by Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic.  With its longtime partners the Fuente family, the Newmans founded the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, which supports low-income families in the Dominican Republic with education, health care, vocational training, and clean water. 

Ciento Por Ciento Retailers

Brick House Ciento por Ciento Box
Brick House Ciento por Ciento Single Cigar with TAA Cigar Foot Band
Diamond Crown Received No. 6 from Tobacco Business

Diamond Crown Received No. 6 from Tobacco Business

The Diamond Crown No. 3

Tobacco Business Magazine recently named the Diamond Crown No. 3 as #6 in their lineup of Top 25 Cigars.

Our line of Diamond Crown cigars is one of our proud legacies here at J.C. Newman, and we are honored to have it make yet another cigar industry publication list. We are but one of 25 distinguished companies on this list and are proud to appear alongside them.

The Diamond Crown Cigar Profile

The Diamond Crown No. 3 has been given a lot of reviews in the past and received a number of tasting notes from distinguished cigar industry professionals.

“Thick and pale with an easy draw and semi-even burn. The smoke is not particularly heavy in texture and the cigar’s salty start mellows to show light creaminess.”

“This squat cigar has an even draw and burn, delivering smooth, soft smoke that is mild and nutty. A well-balanced smoke.”

  • Size: 6 1/2 X 54
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Strength: Medium

The Diamond Crown Story

In celebration of J.C. Newman Cigar Company’s 100th Anniversary in 1995, Stanford Newman joined Carlos Fuente, Sr., to develop an exceptional series of Super Premium cigars. Stanford dreamed of making the best cigar in the world with no regard for how long it would take or how much it would cost, his dream was realized in the Diamond Crown cigar.

Handmade in the Dominican Republic by the world-renowned Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia, Diamond Crown cigars are rolled by the very best Master Rollers and undergo rigid quality standards before public release.

Today, the Diamond Crown name has been extended into a complete line of cigar merchandise and accessories as well as a luxury experience in the Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge.

The Black Diamond Radiant Receives 95 Rating

The Black Diamond Radiant Receives 95 Rating

The Diamond Crown Black Diamond 

Cigar and Spirits Magazine recently rated the Diamond Crown Black Diamond as a 95.

The Black Diamond Cigar Profile

The Cigar and Spirits Magazine reviewer gave the following tasting notes. “This dark and toothy robusto burns evenly with an open draw that shows notes of pepper, charred oak, and a bit of licorice sweetness. The cigar reviewed was a Black Diamond Radiant. 

  • Size: 4.5 X 54
  • Wrapper: Sun Grown Connecticut Maduro
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Dominican Republi

The Black Diamond Cigar Story

The Diamond Crown Black Diamond is available in three sizes: Emerald, Marquis, and Radiant. 

The Radiant recently received a 95 rating from Cigars and Spirits Magazine. Featuring a Connecticut Havana Seed Wrapper, and Dominican Republic Binder and Filler, the Black Diamond is handmade in the world-renowned Tabacalera A. Fuente. 

This cigar is in limited production and is only available in select retailers as the fourth and latest installment in the Diamond Crown Royal Family series of cigars. Tje small batch allows for we the highest standards of quality assurance for each stick. 

The American Cigar and Florida Sungrown Wrapper

The American Cigar and Florida Sungrown Wrapper

The 100% American Cigar

Made with 100% American Tobacco, rolled in the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker factory in America, packaged in American cellophane and placed in a box made from wood from American trees, this is the all American cigar.

The Brick House Double Connecticut

The Brick House Double Connecticut

Our Hottest-Selling New Cigar in 100 Years

Without a doubt, Brick House Double Connecticut is our family’s fastest-selling new cigar in more than 100 years. With a unique blend of Connecticut and Nicaraguan tobaccos and a smooth, rich taste, Brick House Double Connecticut has taken the American cigar market by storm and earned accolades from cigar reviewers around the world. The secret to Brick House Double Connecticut’s success is its tobacco,
construction, and price.

The Double Connecticut Tobacco

What I love about Brick House Double Connecticut is that it marries classic “Old World” premium cigar tobaccos from Connecticut with bold and flavorful “New World” tobaccos from Nicaragua.

For nearly 400 years, farmers have grown premium cigar tobaccos in the Connecticut River Valley outside of Hartford. William Thrall was one of the first settlers in Connecticut shortly after it became a British colony. In the 1640s, he started growing tobacco on his plot of land and began a legacy that has now spanned more than 10 generations. In 1911, his descendant, O.J. Thrall, helped develop the method for growing tobacco under the cloth – what we know as Connecticut Shade – to produce fine, smooth wrapper leaves. We proudly wrap Brick House Double Connecticut with Connecticut Shade grown by the Thrall family, the authentic pioneers of Connecticut Shade.

The binder in Brick House Double Connecticut is Connecticut Broadleaf – the most famous premium cigar tobacco grown in Connecticut. Our Broadleaf binders have an equally impressive pedigree. John Foster’s ancestors began farming in Northwestern Connecticut in 1790. More than two centuries later, they are still cultivating the same land. John and his family grow Brick House Double Connecticut’s Broadleaf binder.

The point here is that Brick House Double Connecticut contains two of the finest cigar tobaccos in the world. Unlike some other cigars that save money by using so-called “Connecticut” tobaccos that actually are grown in other countries, Brick House Double Connecticut features real, genuine Connecticut Shade and Broadleaf, grown by two long-established American families who have demonstrated a commitment to quality for hundreds of years.

We pair these two outstanding Connecticut tobaccos with a complex and flavorful blend of Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. In contrast to the “Old World” tobaccos grown in Connecticut for centuries, farmers first started planting cigar tobacco in Nicaragua after the Cuban Revolution in the 1960s. This newness can be seen in the bright, bold flavors that make Nicaraguan tobaccos world famous.

For Brick House Double Connecticut, we selected a blend of long filler tobaccos grown in three different valleys in northern Nicaragua by three of the finest tobacco-growing family companies: Aganorsa, Oliva, and Perez. We chose this unique blend because these filler leaves compliment each other to create a vibrant bouquet of flavors. To enhance the cigar’s construction, we wrap the filler with a secondary binder from Nicaragua. Unlike others, we age our filler tobaccos, which enhances the taste of the leaves but removes any harshness.

The Construction of the Cigar

My grandfather, Stanford J. Newman, believed that every cigar had to be perfect because if a consumer smoked a flawed one, he may never try that cigar again. Although it is very difficult to make a handmade product like Brick House Double Connecticut perfect every time, perfection is our obsession.

As our J.C. Newman PENSA cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, we have a very rigorous quality control process to ensure that each cigar meets my grandfather’s very high standards:

First, an immediate supervisor in our rolling room physically inspects every Brick House cigar before itis allowed to leave the cigarmaker’s table.

Next, Brick House cigars move to our inspection room where our trained inspectors closely examine each cigar, one by one, again before allowing them to enter our aging rooms.

Last, after completing the aging process, a quality control inspector in our packing department re-inspects every Brick House a final time and sorts them by color to ensure a uniform presentation in each box.

Handcrafting cigars is a slow and labor-intensive process. We do not take any shortcuts and strive for perfection. The end result is that Brick House Double Connecticut is an outstanding cigar.

An Amazing Stick at a Competitive Price

There are countless cigar brands from Nicaragua.

The truth is that our Brick House cigars are of the same quality and caliber as the average $10 Nicaraguan cigar. We just happen to sell our Brick House cigars for a lot less so they retail for around $6 instead of $10.

How do we do it? It is pretty simple:

First, we own our own factory. Brick House cigars are rolled in our J.C. Newman PENSA factory in Esteli. This means that there is no factory owner, importer, distributor, or other middlemen who have to be paid and make a profit.

Second, J.C. Newman PENSA is the second largest cigar factory in Nicaragua. It is very clean, efficient, and well run. Our economies of scale allow us to have lower operating costs than the many smaller Nicaraguan factories.

Third, we are an old, long-established family company. Because we have been handcrafting cigars for four generations and 123 years, we have lower profit margins than most of our competitors.

Together, this allows us to sell Brick House for a fraction of the cost of its Nicaraguan peers, making Brick House an outstanding value for your customers.

From the highest quality tobaccos to its superior construction to its affordable price, it is no secret why Brick House Double Connecticut is our family’s hottest-selling new cigar brand in 100 years. If you are not featuring Brick House Double Connecticut in your humidor, you are missing out on one of the finest and most successful new cigars in the world.

Handcrafted Accessories

Handcrafted Accessories

We all know that premium cigars are entirely handcrafted: A skilled artisan takes naturally fermented and aged tobacco leaves and rolls them into beautiful, luxurious premium cigars. Hand cigar making is an old-world tradition that has not changed. Today, we hand roll our cigars just like my great-grandfather did a century ago.

Premium cigars, however, are not our only handcrafted product. All of our Diamond Crown and Craftsman’s Bench humidors and cigar accessories are also handmade as well. Each one is constructed individually, one at a time, by hand, with the same care and dedication as a premium, handmade cigar.

My uncle, Bobby Newman, and I recently visited the factories that hand craft our Diamond Crown and Craftsman’s Bench humidors and cigar accessories. As a four-generation, family business, we are personally invested in our products and are regularly present in all of our factories to ensure that our products consistently meet our family’s high standards of quality.

Diamond Crown Humidors

From start to finish, each Diamond Crown luxury humidor is handcrafted. The process is elegantly simple:

  1. First, craftsmen assemble natural wood to form a six-sided box. There is no lid yet – the humidor is simply a box that is fully enclosed on all six sides.
  2. After passing the first of four quality control inspections, the humidor receives its first coat of varnish. It is then left to rest and dry for 24 hours. This process is repeated, again and again, 14 times. In total, it takes two weeks just to apply the gorgeous and luxurious high gloss finish to a single humidor.
  3. After the second inspector carefully inspects the finish, a craftsman carefully cuts the lid is into the humidor, installs top quality brass hardware, and lines the humidor with genuine Spanish cedar.
  4. The third inspector checks the alignment of each lid and each humidor’s seal before a craftsman carefully cleans and hand polishes its exterior. He then stamps the Diamond Crown logo on the humidor.
  5. Lastly, the humidor is wrapped in a felt bag for protection and placed in a luxurious presentation box before the fourth inspector examines the package one final time and allows it to leave the factory.

Other companies make humidor lids and bottoms separately in an assembly-line fashion in order to save money. We do not do this. Instead, we fully finish a six-sided box before cutting the lid in order to ensure that the wood grains of the top and bottom of each humidor match and that each humidor’s seal is perfect. Working slowly and meticulously, it takes nearly a month to make a Diamond Crown humidor. Because of the natural variations in wood grains, no two Diamond Crown humidors are the same.

Diamond Crown Leather

Our Diamond Crown luxury leather cigar cases are handcrafted by master artisans on the northern coast of Spain near the French border. These craftsmen are continuing a centuries-old tradition of hand-making high-quality leather goods.

The process starts with calfskins that are hand-selected for our Diamond Crown leather cigar cases. We use hides from young cows because they are softer and more supple. They are also lighter while still very durable.

We naturally tan the leather using vegetable dyes. This is an organic, environmentally friendly process that dates back to 6000 BCE. Artisans use bark and other vegetable tannins to naturally color the leather. Vegetable tanning highlights the natural grains of the leather and allows it to develop a natural patina over time.

A craftsman next cuts the necessary pieces for each cigar case from the same hide in a way that accentuates the natural grain of the leather. All of the pieces for each case are cut from the same hide to ensure that everything matches. Using old-world tools, the craftsman then hand assembles the cigar case and adds a soft lining.

Once assembled, the case is soaked in water so that it becomes pliable. Then, the craftsman uses molds from ash wood and hand tools to form each case into the proper shape to protect handmade cigars. This is a very slow and complex process, requiring tremendous skill and experience.

After each case is dried, it is finally hand polished and finished to give it a bright shine before being carefully inspected and placed in felt bags and a luxurious gift box. This commitment to quality and old-world tradition is why there are no finer leather cigar cases on the market than our Diamond Crown.

Craftsman’s Bench Accessories

Similarly, each of our Craftsman’s Bench cigar accessories is handcrafted. Our all natural wood humidors are built by hand, piece by piece. Our cigar cases are made from genuine leather and are cut and assembled by hand. Even with our cigar cutters, each blade is hand polished and then hand assembled, and inspected by hand before being branded with our logo. The main difference with our Craftsman’s Bench humidors and cigar accessories is that we use value-priced components and employ economies of scale to deliver more affordable products than our Diamond Crown luxury humidors and cigar accessories.