Today, we look at the Brick House in the Crystal Churchill frontmark by J.C. Newman Cigar Company. The Crystal Churchill takes the Brick House Churchill and packages it in a clear glass tube. The Brick House brand has proven to be the most successful brand in the J.C. Newman portfolio. In 2009, J.C. Newman Cigar Company resurrected the Brick House brand. The original Brick House brand came from company founder Julius Caeser Newman, paying homage to the brick house he grew up in Hungary. Made in the United States, the original Brick House brand was a Cuban puro. The resurrected Brick House featured an Ecuadorian wrapper produced in Nicaragua and was positioned as a value-priced premium cigar. Since then, Maduro, Connecticut, and several limited off-shoots have been added to the line.
SPECIFICATIONS
An Ecuadorian Havana Wrapper highlights the Brick House Beginnings Natural over a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigar is produced at J.C. Newman’s PENSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Churchill measures 7 1/4 x 50 and is available in the Crystal Tubo and non-tube formats.
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Havana
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: J.C. Newman Puros de Estelí Nicaragua, S.A. (JC Newman PENSA)
- Churchill 7 1/4 x 50
PERFORMANCE
The Brick House Crystal Churchill opened up with notes of earth, natural tobacco, apple, bread, and cedar. There was no dominant note early on, but midway through the first third, the earth and apple became primary. There was also an additional layer of cedar on the retro-hale. Later in the first third, some red pepper surfaced. During the second third, the apple notes diminished while the cedar and pepper increased. Midway through the cigar, the cedar joined the earth at the forefront, while the pepper joined both notes in the last third. The Crystal Churchill finished with a soft, cool nub.
The strength and body of the Crystal Churchill were medium, with a slight edge going to the body. Both the burn and draw get excellent scores. The burn required little in the way of touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and straight burn line. As for the draw, it had a touch of resistance, making it ideal in my book.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the Brick House line, I admit the Ecuadorian Havana-wrapped line hasn’t impressed me as much as the Maduro and Connecticut offerings. When it came to the Crystal Tubo, I was quite surprised. I found this to be the most flavorful version. Add in excellent construction and a lot of complexity, and this cigar is a winner. I can’t infer if the glass tube does anything for the Brick House Crystal Churchill, but I was quite pleased. This is a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. At $10.50, the Crystal Churchill still has great value, and it’s one I would smoke again and buy multiples for my humidor.
Summary
Key Flavors: Earth, Natural Tobacco, Apple, Bread, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 89
REFERENCES
Previous Assessment: Brick House Beginnings Mighty Mighty Natural TAA Exclusive (2021)
News: n/a
Price: $10.50
Source: J.C. Newman Cigar Company
Brand Reference: JC Newman
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
Note: Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments using a lightweight, shorter format. They will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time or a blend we are looking at in a different size.
