In 1895, a Hungarian immigrant by the name of Julius Caesar started up what is now the oldest family-owned, premium cigar brand that manufactures cigars in the United States. Relocating to Ybor City, Florida in 1954, the family business, which is in its fourth generation of Newman ownership, still resides in Tampa today.

The unique thing about J.C. Newman cigars is that they have three different brands under one moniker. Some of the blends that they create over in the Dominican Republic factory (other than Diamond Crown) are the likes of La Unica and Cuesta-Rey.

When it comes to other famous brands they blend at their second factory in Nicaragua, you’re looking at popular blends such as Brick House, Perla del Mar, and El Baton.

They don’t stop there! Blends they manufacture at their factory in Florida are Tampa Trolleys, Trader Jacks, and Factory Throwouts that are extremely popular over here in the states.

After being in the cigar industry for almost three years, this year is the first time I’ve ever smoked, let alone heard of J.C. Newman cigars. I’m going to speak on behalf of all new cigar smokers when I say that we tend to smoke “trendier” cigars, and not cigars from companies who've been around forever and a year.

After smoking the Diamond Crown Julius Caesar, I’m making it my mission to dive more into cigar companies with a long, extensive, rich history, they provide a plethora of unique cigars that all have an amazing backstory they want you to be a part of.

History of the Diamond Crown Julius Caesar

When I first smoked the Diamond Crown Julius Caesar in May of this year, I was completely blown away. I was also extremely upset with myself for not smoking anything from J.C. Newman sooner.

Released in 2010 after appearing at the IPCPR Trade Show in 2009, the cigar pays homage to the company’s founder who started the company over 125 years ago!

Rolled at the famous Tabacalera Arturo Fuente Factory in the Dominican Republic, this stogie utilizes top-notch tobaccos from all over Central America and the Caribbean!

Let’s dive a little bit deeper into my Diamond Crown Julius Caesar review. The size I chose to smoke for this review was the 6.5 x 52 Pyramid, which was the perfect size for this type of medium-bodied smoke.

Cigar Specs

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Strength: Medium

Wrapper: Ecuador Habano

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Caribbean/ S.A.

Duration of Smoking Experience: 55 minutes

Sizes Available:

• Diamond Crown Julius Caesar Hail Caesar (6 x 60)
• Diamond Crown Julius Caesar Toro (6 x 52)
• Diamond Crown Julius Caesar Churchill (7.25 x 52)
• Diamond Crown Julius Caesar Pyramid (6.5 x 52)
• Diamond Crown Julius Caesar Robusto (4.75 x 52)

Cold Draw

For this smoke, I used a punch cut, which provides a bevy of smoke once you inhale. After I punch cut the cigar, I took a few cold draw puffs and had a hefty touch of cedar and black pepper. I was curious to see if those flavors would last throughout this gem.

First Third

Once lit, it took me a while to detect the notes I spotted in the cold draw. However, five minutes into my smoking session, instant flavors of cedar, cream, and fresh-cut grass hit my taste buds with full force.

That touch of black pepper in the cold draw was yet to be detected. But I had a sneaky suspicion that it would show up in the second or final third.

Second Third & Final Third

Once I entered the second third, the draw and burn were immaculate. As expected, the black pepper note I was able to taste in the cold draw came correct in the second third. Along with a hint of chocolate and dried fruit, the black pepper really enhanced this cigar and brought it to another level.

As I was nearing the final thirds, the fresh-cut grass from the first third disappeared, while the cedar flavor from the first third was slightly sticking around but was overpowered by the delicious tastes that were developing in the second third.

The final third left me with much to be desired compared to the first two-thirds. For me, all the delicious flavor notes from the second third disappeared quicker than I would have liked. I got a dash of chocolate and cedar that remained throughout.

Overall Strength

With the wrapper being a little more on the darker side, I expected the strength to be overwhelming. But once it was lit, the complexity of the cigar balanced out perfectly and the strength of the cigar remained medium throughout my entire smoke time.

Pairings

While I smoked, I enjoyed a dark stout from Founders. I found the coffee sweetness of the stout complemented the flavors in the Diamond Crown perfectly.

Next time I smoke one of these gems I’m thinking of pairing it with a piece of dark chocolate and a whiskey on the rocks.

In Conclusion

For a box of 20, the most expensive box is $320, and the least expensive box is $225.00. So, on average, a single Julius Caesar cigar costs anywhere between $11.25 to $15.80. It’s more on the expensive side for sure, yet it’s totally worth it.

The issues I had in the final third did not sway me one way or the other. The Diamond Crown Julius Caesar cigar is still a very tasty and delightful cigar that should be enjoyed by all!

If you’re a novice smoker like me and want to take a gamble on some vintage, historical cigar brands, then the Diamond Crown Julius Caesar by J.C. Newman will be right up your alley!