LeRoy Neiman 2024 Collector’s Edition Now Shipping
The 2024 version of the LeRoy Neiman cigar from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is on its way to cigar stores. The series of smokes was introduced in 2023 and is named for the mustachioed artist and illustrator best known for his colorful paintings of athletes in motion. Neiman was also a consummate cigar smoker.
Things have changed a bit for 2024, however. While the 2023 edition was a toro, this year’s release is a Churchill that measures 7 inches by 50 ring gauge. The box also showcases a different piece of Neiman’s artwork: “Left Bank Café,” a 1987 image depicting a lively gathering at a Parisian café.
“We chose to feature this image because LeRoy was the official painter of the Olympic games for decades and this year’s summer Olympics are in Paris,” says Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman. “We are releasing these special cigars early this year so that they will arrive ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris games.”
Like last year’s release, the cigars are composed of an Ecuadoran wrapper that J.C. Newman refers to as “Havana Rosado” as well as a sun-grown binder from Florida and filler from Nicaragua and America. The cigars are made in Tampa at J.C. Newman’s El Reloj factory, sell for $22 apiece and come packaged in 20-count cabinets. Only 600 boxes are being produced—the first 400 are going out now and the remainder will be released in November. All the packaging lithography of Neiman’s art was done by Vrijdag Premium Printing in Holland.
People of a certain age might remember Neiman’s risqué cartoons in Playboy Magazine. Those who appreciate art are probably familiar with his colorful portraits of athletes and how he captured Olympic sports in motion with his splashy, expressionist style of painting. Fans of the Rocky series of films may recall his appearances as a ring announcer, and his painting of the titular character against Apollo Creed seen in the conclusion of Rocky III.
This project is a collaboration between J.C. Newman and the LeRoy Neiman Foundation. Profits from this cigar will support arts and education in public schools.
