J.C. Newman Cigar Co. and the LeRoy Neiman and the Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation have announced a new collaboration: the LeRoy Neiman 2023 Collector’s Edition cigars. Unveiled at the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in Las Vegas, this luxury, handcrafted cigar brings together America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker with the foundation of the iconic cigar-loving artist, LeRoy Neiman. Significantly, all profits from this collaboration will be channeled towards arts education in public schools.
Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman, spoke on the synergy between art and the cigar industry, emphasizing Neiman’s signature fusion of creativity and fine cigars. Tara Zabor, Executive Director of the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, also echoed this sentiment, remarking on how cigars were a ritualistic part of Neiman’s creative process.
The Collector’s Edition cigars are handmade at J.C. Newman’s El Reloj cigar factory in Tampa, Florida. The 2023 release is a 6” x 52 toro crafted with a Havana Rosado wrapper, Florida Sun Grown binder, and a blend of aged Latin American filler tobaccos. Limited to 10,000 cigars, the product is presented in 500 cabinets, each containing 20 cigars. The cost per cigar is set at a suggested retail price of $20.
Each cabinet holds an authentic lithograph of Neiman’s 1978 painting, “Irish-American Bar.” The image is wrapped around each cigar, and the cabinet’s bottom features a print of Neiman’s paint-splattered New York City studio floor.
The Foundation’s profits from the collaboration will be used to support arts education in Tampa’s public schools, including those surrounding the El Reloj cigar factory.
J.C. Newman plans to release the LeRoy Neiman 2023 Collector’s Edition cigars to the top U.S. cigar retailers in November.