At a February 27, 2025, event at the Tampa Baseball Museum, J.C. Newman Cigar Company officially launched its Tampa Smokers cigars. The line was first introduced at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. The line pays homage to a former minor league baseball team, the Tampa Smokers. The Smokers played in the Tampa area from 1919 to 1954 and got their name from Tampa being “the Cigar City.”J.C. Newman originally planned to have the cigars ready for the 2024 World Series, but now the plan is to have Tampa Smokers ready for opening day.
Last night, a sold-out crowd of 150 attended the launch of J.C. Newman’s new Tampa Smokers cigars at the Tampa Baseball Museum. Many baseball celebrities, including former Tampa Bay Rays Managers Larry Rothschild and Joe Maddon, participated in the event. The event coincided with the 100th year of baseball spring training in Tampa.
“Baseball and cigars are two of America’s historic pastimes,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman in a press release. “It is only fitting to celebrate the new baseball season with a special cigar that honors Tampa’s first professional baseball team, the Tampa Smokers.”
The Tampa Smokers are also produced in Tampa at J.C. Newman’s El Reloj factory. The blend features an Ecuadorian Shade wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and undisclosed filler tobaccos from Latin America. The cigars will come in two sizes: a 6 x 52 Toro and a 7″ cigar shaped like a baseball bat.
J.C. Newman has announced that there will be 200 retailers across the country receiving Tampa Smokers..
Photo Credits: J.C. Newman Cigar Company
