Here’s something that may not be well known, but Nica Rustica might be my favorite Drew Estate cigar. I’ve often said that I’d happily buy two or three before I’d buy a Liga Privada, just because I find them to be just as good a cigar at a far better price. I do think they were better with the wild “rustica” tobacco in the blend, not many people got to try that back in 2013, before they were released, bu that tobacco was impossible to source in a sustainable manner, as it grows wild along side the road. It really added something special to the cigar though. The final version ended up being darned good, and I hope they don’t mess it up. The new packaging looks spiffy!
Drew Estate unveils a top-to-bottom relaunch of its affordable Nica Rustica brand with a newfound commitment to the trade and consumer, including a detailed roadmap to take the beloved cult brand to the next level !!
From the Wynwood Safehouse in Miami, Florida, Drew Estate Founder and President, Jonathan Drew confesses, “We did NO JUSTICE to this beautiful brand the first time around, but now you’re hometown heroes, Drew Estate, are ready for redemption as we re-launch Nica Rustica with a newfound conceptual lens, commitment to excellence, and overarching strategy that I personally warranty to make the good people of Estelí super proud of us. Come join Willy, Pedro, Frank and me for the big debut on the Drew Estate Freestyle Live: Special Edition, which will air on Thursday, May 6th, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Drew Estate’s Facebook Live page (facebook.com/drewestatecigar).”
Founded upon a message of tribute to the people of Estelí, Nicaragua, the completely new packaging and artwork has been hand painted by Subculture Studios’ lead artist Richard “Dog” Diaz, celebrating the home to La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate and the good people who live there.
“The Pride of Estelí” … rugged, robust, rustic and always satisfying, Nica Rustica Broadleaf Selection is a medium-to-full bodied smoke that’s unpolished, unrefined and perfect for hardcore tobacco lovers. As part of Nica Rustica’s relaunch, graffiti artist Diaz draws his inspiration from the colorful colonial houses that make up Estelí’s lively, winding street barrios. Drew Estate is replacing Nica Rustica’s traditional black-bundle packaging with classy wooden boxes that adorn Diaz’s artwork. The “El Brujito” image of a shaman (or witch doctor) that was carved in stone by Pre-Colombian indigenous folk living near Estelí more than 6,000 years ago is retained in some parts of the presentation, but respectfully minimized in the new rendition.
People who have grown to love Nica Rustica need not worry, as the Nica Rustica blend will remain unchanged and will retain its dark, rustic, spicy and robust flavor profile, though it will now be known as Nica Rustica Broadleaf. Nica Rustica Broadleaf features a Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf Medium wrapper, Mexican San Andres Negro binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa, with availability beginning in July for three sizes: Belly (7 1⁄2 x 54, Belicoso), El Brujito (6 x 52, Toro) and Short Robusto (4 1⁄2 x 50). Each vitola will be packaged in 25-count boxes.
Jonathan Drew continues, “When Drew Estate opened its doors in Estelí in 1998, the mission, philosophy and mantra was to unite New York City and Nicaragua to birth a cigar company unlike any that the world has ever experienced. From our earliest days, the most important core value was our bond to Estelí, the newly proclaimed ‘Mecca of Cigars.’ Nica Rustica has always been a high tribute to our Nicaraguan colleagues and community, as well as toward its boundless future. This redo is long overdue, and we nailed it in every aspect. We are investing huge Swisher money behind this brand, believe that.”
Nica Rustica provides excellent value for premium cigar smokers, from beginners to aficionados. Belly has an MSRP of $161.93/box or $6.48/cigar; El Brujito’s MSRP is $143.93/box or $5.76/cigar, and Short Robusto has an MSRP of $125.93/box or $5.04/cigar. The re-imagined Nica Rustica cigars will be available beginning in July.
ABOUT DREW ESTATE
Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.
