Brand: El Baton

El Baton

El Baton is one of J.C. Newman Cigar Co.’s most popular Nicaraguan long-filler brands. Made from the choicest aged Ecuador and Nicaraguan tobaccos, El Baton is the powerhouse of the J.C. Newman portfolio. Originally released as a Nicaraguan handmade cigar in 2008, Drew Newman put his own spin on the brand created by his great-grandfather and remade by his father. Drew created a new blend and packaging design, drawing upon the romance of Tampa’s cigar industry and the rustic beauty of Nicaragua’s tobacco growing regions. The cigar blend is arguably the most robust and full-bodied cigar in the J.C. Newman portfolio. The silky, spicy sweetness of the cigar’s Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is complimented excellently by the cigar’s peppery and hearty Nicaraguan filler. As the J.C. Newman website proudly declares, “this isn’t your grandfather’s stogie!” This cigar is the latest creation from Drew Newman’s mind. So far, the young tobacco industrialist has created excellent cigars in the form of The American, the Yagua, Perla del Mar, Black Diamond, and the Angel Cuesta. El Baton is no miss. This cigar is one of the finest Nicaraguan cigars available. Furthermore, it has a very palatable price point. The cigar comes in a good range of sizes (Double Torpedo, Double Toro, Robusto, and Belicoso). El Baton was a handmade nickel cigar from the American Midwest. J.C. Newman acquired the brand and began manufacturing it with Havana and domestic tobaccos (from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York) in Cleveland and Marion during the 1910’s and 1920’s. Two factors led to the demise of the brand: the Great Depression and mechanization. With decreased consumption of handmade cigars due to their price point, El Baton struggled to find a market niche. As more machines became employed in J.C. Newman’s factories, the handmade cigars began to disappear altogether. With the resurgence of handmade consumption in the 1990’s, J.C. Newman turned back to handmade cigars and utilized handmade labor to make their cigars once again. Intended as a trial cigar for their new mid-tier Nicaraguan long-filler cigars, El Baton was a smash hit and stood on its own two feet. Cigar aficionados, however, will be taken off their feet by the cigar’s incredible flavor and hearty aromas.