For a lot of guys who enjoy a good cigar after a long day, certain brands just feel like old friends. J.C. Newman Cigar Company out of Tampa has been one of those names for longer than most of us have been around. This year the family-owned operation reached a big milestone: 130 years in the cigar business. To mark the occasion, they released something special – a limited-run humidor packed with a brand-new size in their Diamond Crown lineup.
Drew Newman, the fourth-generation owner running things today, calls Diamond Crown the family's anniversary cigar. His great-grandfather started the Diamond Crown name way back at the beginning. Then in 1995, his grandfather Stanford J. Newman teamed up with Carlos Fuente Jr. to bring out Diamond Crown Classic for the company's 100th birthday. Thirty years later, with the brand itself turning 30 and the whole company hitting 130, it only made sense to come back to Diamond Crown for the celebration.
Image credit: J.C. Newman Cigar Company
The star of this release is a glossy white piano-finish humidor that looks sharp sitting on any shelf. Inside each one are exactly 130 cigars – all Diamond Crown Classic Belicoso No. 9. These are made down in the Dominican Republic at the Arturo Fuente factory, the same place that handles the regular Diamond Crown production. The cigar itself measures 6 inches by 50 ring gauge, a comfortable belicoso shape that tapers at the head for an easy light and a concentrated draw toward the finish.
Under that smooth Connecticut shade wrapper, the filler and binder are all Dominican tobacco. The blend matches the rest of the Diamond Crown Classic line, which has always leaned mild to medium. But the company says they used a little more mid-priming viso leaf in these, giving the Belicoso No. 9 a touch more strength and body than the other sizes. It's not a powerhouse by any means, but that extra viso should add some nice depth and a bit more pepper on the palate.
If you made it to the Big Smoke Las Vegas All-Access party back in 2024, you might have gotten an early taste. That's where the Belicoso No. 9 first showed up for folks to try. Now, with these anniversary humidors hitting stores, the size is finally available to buy.
Only 130 of these humidors exist, and most already shipped out to retailers last month. The suggested retail price comes in at $2,250, which breaks down to about $17 per cigar. For collectors or anyone who appreciates a well-made keepsake, that white piano finish alone makes the humidor something you'd want to keep long after the cigars are gone.
Image credit: J.C. Newman Cigar Company
Drew Newman seems pretty excited about the new size. When asked if the Belicoso No. 9 might eventually become part of the regular Diamond Crown lineup, he told Cigar Aficionado: “I hope so. Maybe for the holidays. The new Diamond Crown Classic Belicoso No. 9 size is such a great cigar that I would love to share it with cigar enthusiasts around the world later this year.”
That comment has a lot of longtime Diamond Crown smokers paying attention. The brand has built its reputation on consistency and a refined, easygoing smoke that doesn't overwhelm. Adding a belicoso with a little extra kick could give regulars another option when they're in the mood for something with slightly more presence.
What stands out most about this release is how it ties together generations of the Newman family. From the original Diamond Crown over a century ago, through the 1995 relaunch with the Fuente family, to this 130th anniversary piece, it's a reminder that some businesses still stay in the same hands decade after decade. In an industry where big corporations own many of the famous names, J.C. Newman remains one of the last big independent family operations in America.
For anyone who's ever toured the old El Reloj factory in Tampa or just enjoyed a Diamond Crown on the back porch, this humidor feels like a nod to that history. It's not just 130 cigars in a fancy box – it's a way to own a small piece of a story that's been going strong since 1895.
Whether you're thinking about tracking one down for the collection or just hoping that Belicoso No. 9 shows up in shops later this year, the 130th anniversary release shows that J.C. Newman is still doing things the way they've always done them: with family pride, careful craftsmanship, and cigars worth slowing down to enjoy.
