Five-Year-Aged Nicaraguan for $12: The Brick House Beginnings
Five-Year-Aged Nicaraguan, and Only $12
At Mardo, we think the Brick House Beginnings Ciento Por Ciento is a perfect example of why enthusiasts should watch value-driven releases, not just expensive limited editions. J.C. Newman has picked it as its 2026 TAA exclusive.
What makes it interesting is five-year-aged Nicaraguan tobacco, the heritage of J.C. Newman and the craftsmanship behind the Brick House brand. At just $12 a cigar, extensively aged tobacco at an approachable price is increasingly hard to find.
AT A GLANCE
- J.C. Newman's 2026 TAA exclusive: the Brick House Beginnings Ciento Por Ciento.
- Built on five-year-aged, 100% Nicaraguan tobacco.
- A Jalapa-grown Habano-seed wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler.
- Only 800 boxes of 10 (8,000 cigars). $12 per cigar, $120 per box.
- Made at J.C. Newman's PENSA factory in Esteli. Ships late October 2026.
Why Five Years of Aging Matters
The headline here is the aging. Five years is a long time to sit on tobacco, and most makers will not do it. Aging lets harshness mellow and flavors settle. It can add smoothness, balance and complexity to a cigar.
We will be careful not to promise specific flavors, since we have not smoked this one. But properly aged tobacco is one of the clearest paths to refinement. Finding it at a $12 price point is genuinely unusual, and that is the whole hook.
100% Nicaraguan, Start to Finish
The name tells the story. Ciento Por Ciento means 100 percent, and here it points to an all-Nicaraguan tobacco composition. The wrapper is a Nicaraguan Habano-seed leaf grown in Jalapa, over a Nicaraguan binder and filler.
Brick House Beginnings Ciento Por Ciento at a glance
| Wrapper | Nicaraguan Habano-seed (Jalapa) |
|---|---|
| Binder | Nicaragua |
| Filler | Nicaragua |
| Aging | About five years |
| Factory | PENSA, Esteli, Nicaragua |
| Production | 800 boxes of 10 (8,000 cigars) |
| MSRP | $12 per cigar · $120 per box |
Jalapa is one of Nicaragua's most prized growing regions, known for refined, aromatic tobacco. A Jalapa wrapper on an aged puro is a promising combination on paper, and it fits the value-forward story this release is telling.
The Value Angle Is the Real Story
This is where it gets interesting. The premium cigar world often ties a higher price to higher quality. A $12 cigar built on five-year-aged tobacco pushes back on that idea directly.
You do not need a $25 price tag to deserve attention. Sometimes the most exciting releases are the ones that combine quality tobacco, proper aging and honest pricing. On paper, the Brick House Beginnings checks all three of those boxes.
What a TAA Exclusive Means
A quick explainer. TAA stands for the Tobacconists' Association of America, a group of established brick-and-mortar shops. Each year, makers create cigars that only TAA members can carry, and distribution stays limited to those participating retailers.
With only 800 boxes planned, that scarcity adds another layer of appeal for collectors and seasoned smokers. And it does it without the need for exaggerated hype, which is refreshing.
Brick House and J.C. Newman
Some background helps. J.C. Newman Cigar Co. dates all the way back to 1895, which makes it one of the oldest family cigar companies in America. Brick House is its brand known for delivering quality at accessible prices.
That heritage is part of why this release lands the way it does. A company with more than a century of history putting five-year-aged tobacco into a $12 cigar is making a quiet statement about value, not chasing a trend.
Mardo's take
- A cigar does not need a $25 price tag to deserve attention. The Brick House Beginnings Ciento Por Ciento combines quality tobacco, five years of aging and honest pricing, and that is exactly the kind of release we like to point people toward.
- Is it worth chasing? If you value aged Nicaraguan tobacco and you shop at TAA stores, yes. At $12 with only 800 boxes, it is accessible and limited at the same time. Just remember the smoke still has to deliver what the spec sheet promises.
- We have not smoked it, so there are no ratings or tasting notes from us. What we can say is that five-year-aged tobacco at this price is genuinely rare, and that alone makes it worth a look.
Where It Fits, and What We Carry
To be clear, this is a TAA exclusive with availability that may vary, so we are not claiming any Mardo allocation or inventory. We are covering it as industry news. If aged Nicaraguan tobacco appeals to you, explore the premium Nicaraguan cigars and boutique cigars we carry at Mardo.
Great cigars aren't defined by their price tags.
Explore the premium Nicaraguan cigars we stock at Mardo.
Browse Nicaraguan cigarsA Release Worth Watching
Five-year-aged Nicaraguan tobacco, limited production and a $12 MSRP make the Brick House Beginnings Ciento Por Ciento a release that deserves attention for what it offers, not simply because it is exclusive.
So we will ask you: does five-year-aged tobacco at $12 change how you think about value, and would you track down a TAA cigar to try it? Tell us where you land.
Mardo Cigars sells premium tobacco products intended for adults 21 and older. Please enjoy responsibly.
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