J.C. Newman Concludes “The American Story” — A Four-Part Look at America’s Last Handmade Cigar Legacy

J.C. Newman has released the final chapter of The American Story, closing out a four-part documentary series that stands as one of the most detailed looks at American cigar manufacturing ever produced.

For a company founded in 1895 — and the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in the United States — the project serves as both a reflection and a record of something increasingly rare: a premium cigar made entirely in America.

A Story Built from Seed to Smoke

The American Story follows the full journey behind The American cigar — from the soil where the tobacco is grown to the hands that roll, pack, and present it.

Each chapter builds on that narrative:

• Chapter One centers on Tampa’s historic Ybor City and the El Reloj factory — the last working cigar factory of its kind in the United States
• Chapter Two shifts to the farms of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, highlighting the growers behind the leaf
• Chapter Three focuses on the craftsmen — rollers, box makers, and printers — who bring the cigar to life
• Chapter Four, the finale, reflects on the people and commitment required to sustain a tradition that has nearly disappeared

At its core, the series is about continuity — the idea that tradition only survives when it is actively carried forward.

The American: A Fully Domestic Cigar

At the center of the story is The American, a cigar defined by its origin.

Every component of the blend is sourced from within the United States, and every step of production takes place domestically.

Wrapper: Florida Sun Grown
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Pennsylvania Type 41 and Connecticut Habano
Factory: El Reloj, Tampa, Florida

Vitolas include:

• Robusto (4½ × 50)
• Toro (6 × 54)
• Torpedo (6? × 52)
• Churchill (7 × 47)

MSRP: Starting around $18.50

More Than a Documentary

This series isn’t positioned as a product showcase.

It’s a documentation of a process — and of the people behind it.

At a time when nearly all premium cigar production has moved outside the United States, J.C. Newman’s continued investment in domestic manufacturing stands apart.

The El Reloj factory is not just historic — it is one of the last remaining examples of large-scale cigar production in America.

Why It Matters

The American Story captures something that is steadily disappearing.

Not just a method of production, but an entire ecosystem — farmers, rollers, craftsmen — connected through a single product.

Whether you smoke The American or not, the series offers a rare look into what it takes to preserve that tradition in today’s cigar industry.

All four chapters are now available, with the full story ready to be experienced from beginning to end.