Tasting Note

In a world where cigars seem to get more and more expensive, Brick House is a shocking bargain. The brand is owned by J.C. Newman Cigar Co., a Tampa, Florida company that has made cigars since 1895. Brick House is one of its older brands, named for the sturdy home where company founder Julius Caeser Newman lived as a boy. Originally it was made with Cuban tobaccos, but it fell victim to changing times during the Great Depression and was taken off the market, remaining dormant for decades. In 2009, J.C. Newman revived Brick House, and reinvented it as a Nicaraguan smoke made with local tobaccos and a Cuban-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. Now, the Newmans make Brick House in their Nicaraguan cigar factory, which is known as PENSA. Brick House has been a solid performer in Cigar Aficionado blind tastings, earning several 90-point scores. The Churchill is a remarkably tasty smoke, showing a complex flavor profile of wood, leather and nuts, with sweet spices and a cappuccino finish. On top of that, it punches far above its weight class, and is clearly one of the best bargains in cigar shop humidors. A big, flavorful cigar for less than $9 (before taxes) is not so easy to find anymore.