Tag Archives: drew estate

by | September 3, 2023 · 10:51 am

Rocky Patel Sixty, La Gloria Cubana Serie S, Wooden Indian’s Pig Roast and Crux Cigars

It was a busy week, I celebrated a birthday and my daughter took us all out to a Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. That was a lot of fun, it was a tremendous parade of meat, and I dined on plenty of steer and swine.  I think Evan Darnell of Red Meat Lover’s Club would have been proud.  I had a lot of great cigar choices available to celebrate, but my son got me a couple of Rocky Patel Sixty Toros, which was an absolutely appropriate choice to celebrate this particular birthday.  This cigar came out two years ago to celebrate Rocky’s 60th, it has a San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and is made in Rocky’s Nicaraguan factory. I’m fortunate that Rocky made a cigar for his birthday that exactly aligns with my palate, where a lot of Rocky Patel cigars really don’t. This is a luscious, dark, rich, cigar with heavy espresso and earthiness in the second half.  This was a great gift, my son has been to Nicaragua and an IPCPR show with me, so he’s no stranger to the leaf, he did well, although this one was a no-brainer.  Recommended regardless of your age (within reason, you know what I mean!).

 

I smoked a few of the new  Maduro cigars over the last couple of weeks, with some trepidation.  I was so tremendously underwhelmed with the “natural” version of the Serie S, it just made me wonder how it actually got past the decision makers, I’ll give it another try in the future, maybe it needs age, but I remain dubious.  Regular readers will know I’m a big La Gloria fan, it hurts my heart when I don’t like a release.  I was hoping the Maduro version would offer some redemption. This was the Robusto Gordo size, 5½” x 56, which is a perfectly acceptable size.  It has a San Andrés Maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, made in the El Credito sub-factory within STG’s Santiago factory. This reminds me a little of the Serie N in strength and earthiness. It’s better than it’s natural counterpart, however I don’t know that, for me, it competes favorably with the like of the Serie R Esteli Maduro. Additional samples will be put to rest for later evaluation in the LGC humidor. 

 

Yesterday I stopped by the Wooden Indian Tobacconist in Havertown, PA where they were having their annual Drew Estate Charity Pig Roast. I may have missed dropping by one or two of these over the last decade or so, but I try to stop in, it’s always an amazing event.  Dave Mayer and his staff put on a great spread, Pedro Gomez has replaced Marvin Samel as the face of Drew Estate, Matty Rock, and of course several levels of sales staff were on hand.  I don’t remember it being on Labor Day weekend in the past, but I could be wrong, but the usual gang of DE loyal weren’t there, although some people came from Maryland and New York to attend. There was a good crowd for the few hours I was there (long enough to enjoy a Blackened M81 Toro, about 2 hours or so), and I enjoyed fellowship with some old and new friends. I assume a significant sum was raised for Operation: Cigars for Warriors.  Wooden Indian is amongst the best shops around and they are one of two Liga Privada lounges, and, therefore, one of the only stores that has an exclusive Laga Privada, the Pancetta.  

 

I happened to come by some Crux Epicure Habano cigars this week, in Toro and Robusto, and couldn’t wait to light one up.  It’s been years since I had Crux cigar, maybe the only ones I’ve smoked are the Ninfamaniacs going back maybe a decade. They just don’t seem to be present on the shelves around here, or I don’t notice them. The line has somehow avoided my notice one way or the other.  This one has a Nicaraguan Habano seco wrapper, over Nicaraguan binder and fillers made at the Plasencia factory in Nicaragua.  This is a really nice, well balanced smoke, there’s a sweet spice that makes it a little brighter than the darker cigars I like, making it a pleasant change of pace.  I’m actually smoking the Robusto as I type and it’s very nice with coffee, and my wife just set a plate of home fries in front of me…be right back…shit, they are hot, I’ll get back to them.  Now I have a problem, because I want to try the Maduro in this blend, going to have to hunt around.  

 

Enjoy the long weekend, if you are so lucky to have one. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | May 26, 2023 · 7:25 pm

A Video Interview with Marvin Samel, Writer and Director of iMordecai

I first met Marvin at a local cigar shop back in 2009, it’s when I smoked Liga Privada No. 9 for the first time.  I enjoyed seeing Marvin at events over the years, but it’s been quite a few years since we talked.  When I heard he was making a movie, I was excited.  When I heard iMordecai was available on Amazon, I watched it immediately.  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, it was relatable and quite touching.  Here is my discussion with Marvin.

 

 

Here is the trailer:

 

 

I highly recommend seeing iMordecai, it’s available on Amazon and Apple TV.  Thank you to Marvin for taking the time, and to Matty Rock for connecting us. 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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by | November 13, 2022 · 12:33 pm

Big Fundraiser Giveaway Winner Announcement!

I usually recap a few cigars I smoked during the week on Sundays, but I only really smoked one new cigar this week, the Mi Querida Black “SakaKahn”, and it was pretty good. I had smoked one at the PCA show with Steve, and have been looking forward to smoking more. So far, it’s really good, but doesn’t hit me like the Triqui Traca and the “Blue”. It comes across as milder to me.  Obviously more research is in order.  In the spirit of this particular giveaway, I had a Liga Privada T52 last night that was pretty good.

 

Speaking of Saka, I have to give him a big thank you for kickstarting the K9s for Warriors fundraiser with his donation of a über-rare box of Liga Privada Pequeńos.  This is believed to be the only box (first of four ever made) in existence. Steve scribbled on the bottom, but otherwise it’s pristine! When he provided this and announced it, I decided that I was going to offer the first name drawn their choice of prizes: The Pequeńos, the Drew Estate Barnsmoker pre-party pack, the Barnsmoker pack, and the NewAir Humidor generously provided by Kevin Shahan, the addition of which definitely pushed us over the $5000 mark!  Many thanks to Kevin for this and his promotion of the event!  Wouldn’t it be funny if he won the humidor? Thank you to everyone who donated to this worthy cause.  

 

Here’s the way this is going to work: I’m drawing the first winner and asking him what prize he wants. When I get a response, I’ll draw the second, third and fourth winners and, starting with the second, give them their choice of the remaining prizes.  My wife and I spent the morning reviewing the entries, double and triple checking, and I have a spreadsheet with everyone’s info.  I am happy to share that upon request.  SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO! 

The first winner is Marvin Roberts!  I’ll be contacting you to get your prize preference!  Watch for the next post tomorrow or Tuesday with the next winners!

 

Thanks again for everyone’s generous donations!  I’m especially thankful to whoever it was that made the donation to round the total to the nearest $5, my CDO thanks you!  Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | October 28, 2022 · 9:32 pm

Contest! Win Some Drew Estate Goodies with a Twist! – Updated –

Back in August we attended the Drew Estate Connecticut Barnsmoker, and came home with a boatload of cool goodies!  Normally I would have a simple contest, but with this amount of great Drew Estate gear and cigars, I wanted to try to do some good.  It’s tricky, but I’ve decided to put a fundraiser on Facebook, and ask people to donate to what I consider a worthy charity. We’ll compile a list of entries and pick winners of two prize packages from the entrants.  In an effort to avoid any problems, I’ll just add an entry for every five dollars donated and chose winners at random.  Since I don’t think Facebook is keen on tobacco products, the description in the fundraiser will be limited. It won’t be easy on my end, but two people will win these two prize packages.

 

Package number 1, the pre-party package:

There’s a backpack, sunglasses case, lighter, cigar stand, travel humidor, lighter, battery pack, wallet and toiletries case.  There’s also some cigars (from my personal humidor, for legal reasons), including the DE 25 collection of nine cigars, and event only two packs of Liga 10, Undercrown Tuani, and Herrera Esteli Caja China. This is a very nice collection.

 

Package number two, the Barnsmoker package:

 

Included in this package is a Barnsmoker sling bag, cutter, lighter, cigar stand, cap, travel humidor, pocket knife, bandana, banner and challenge coin.  The cigars are the ten cigars we got at the door, and nine cigars collected at the event.  I’m not sure which collection is better, they are both pretty great! 

 

UPDATE!  

Pack number three, the Liga Privada Pequeńos:

 

Steve Saka is providing a rare box of Liga Privada cigars from 2012. The box has some writing on the bottom, but is the first of four boxes ever created.  These Pequeńos are about the same size as the Dirty Rat, if memory serves.  Steve has posted a video about the box here. Since it seems like this has become the premier item in this giveaway, so here’s how I’m going to do it.  I’ll pick one winner, and ask what prize they prefer.  I’ll do that with the second also, and the third, well, that person will get what’s left (which will still be spectacular!).  Here’s Will Cooper’s take on this great cigar, one of which he shared with me and it was exceptional.  https://cigar-coop.com/2012/09/cigar-pre-review-liga-privada-no-9.html This is a real unicorn, I doubt there are any in the wild.  I can’t thank Steve enough for helping out!  

 

UPDATE #2!

Pack number four, a NewAir Humidor:

 

Kevin at CigarProp/I’d Tap That/TrashPanda is providing this Newair® Smoker’s Club Electric Cigar Humidor 250 Count Electric Humidor. From NewAir: This Electric Cigar Humidor comes with Opti-Temp™: a heating and cooling system designed to preserve the full flavor of your cigar collection. Inside the stylish stainless-steel design, you’ll find removable Spanish cedar shelves, a cedar drawer, and an easy-touch digital thermostat that gives you full temperature control from 52-74F degrees Fahrenheit.  I have a larger NewAir that works wonderfully.  This is a $675 value!  We are down to the last few days, so get in for a chance to win one of these four packages! Thanks Kevin! 

 

I’ve chosen K9s for Warriors as my charity. This covers two areas of interest for me, dogs and veterans.  From their website:

Determined to end veteran suicide, K9s For Warriors provides highly-trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. With the majority of dogs coming from high-kill rescue shelters, this innovative program allows the K9/Warrior team to build an unwavering bond that facilitates their collective healing and recovery.

Please visit this link:https://www.facebook.com/donate/676320833848466/6876379542374088/ and make a donation.  Facebook handles the money, and gives it all to K9s for Warriors. I’ll track the donations and keep a spreadsheet, assigning numbers to each donation. The donation period will end on November 11th (Veterans Day) and I’ll post the winners on November 13th.

 

Thank you to Drew Estate for having us at the Barnsmoker and for providing amazing products!! If you haven’t been to one of these, go!  Thanks also to Steve Saka and Kevin Shahan for their contributionsThat’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | September 30, 2022 · 8:28 pm

News: Announcing Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate

Maybe I’m late to the party, but here’s the news from Drew Estate about the new brand they launched on the Freestyle Live event Wednesday.  I’ve smoked the samples in the pack, and I personally enjoyed the Toro most of the three.  Very interesting cigars!

 

Blackened Cigars “M81” By Drew Estate

BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate is a passion project that brings together three immensely talented and vastly experienced cigar enthusiasts—Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate; James Hetfield, Metallica co-founder, singer and guitarist; and Rob Dietrich, the Master Distiller and Blender of BLACKENED American Whiskey. The collaboration began with Hetfield and Dietrich, who frequently enjoy cigars together.

 

“It is really a fun social thing for me, a fellowship, to have a few buddies sit around with a few sticks,” Hetfield says. “My buddy, Rob Dietrich, BLACKENED’s Master Distiller, and I frequently enjoy cigars together and he introduced me to Jonathan from Drew Estate. The three of us connected and shared each other’s vision and story about where we’ve been, what we like to see and what is important to us now, and we all came up with what a BLACKENED ‘M81’ Cigar would look and taste like. I love the Maduro leaf and I’m super excited for everyone to try this.”

Having been friends for well over a decade, Dietrich and Drew always wanted to combine their talents to collaborate on something special, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Samples from the Drew Estate portfolio were sent to Hetfield and Dietrich who kept cigar journals to critique the cigars and identify what they liked and disliked about each one. After two years of enjoying and sampling cigars together, the group decided on the exact flavor profile that would become BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate.

 

“This was a project that was purely born from passion …for music, for fellowship, for life, and all the in-between moments within,” says Dietrich. “James, Jonathan and I worked together to create what we feel like is the perfect cigar. The result is truly a monster of flavor—all-maduro, designed with definitive depth for darker and bolder palates.”

 

BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate presents a journey through different Maduro leaves, starting with a thick and oily Maduro wrapper that’s grown in the rich volcanic soil of Mexico’s San Andres Valley. The blend includes a thick and meaty Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf Maduro binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro tobaccos, including the boldest Pennsylvania Broadleaf ligero in Drew Estate’s vast tobacco inventory. Maduro to the Core, BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate is dark, bold, rich and powerful with alluring notes of espresso, leather and dark chocolate.

 

“Hetfield, Dietrich, and the DE team have dedicated an immense amount of time into this historic brand,” adds Drew. “BLACKENED Cigars ‘M81’ by Drew Estate reveals layer-after-layer of Maduro’s deepest, darkest, most magical, and mysterious character that narrates a defining story of just one thing … passion!!!”

 

Presented in beautiful copper-accented black 20-count boxes, BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate debuts in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), Corona Doble (7 x 50), and Corona (5 x 43). Exclusively available to Drew Diplomat Program participants beginning on Sept. 29, BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate’s MSRPs are: $183/box or $9.15/cigar for the Corona; $189/box or $9.45/cigar for the Robusto; $197/box or $9.85/cigar for the Toro; and $207/box or $10.35/cigar for the Corona Doble.

 

 

 

 

ABOUT ROB DIETRICH

Rob Dietrich is the Master Distiller and Blender of BLACKENED American Whiskey, and the former Master Distiller for Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. Dietrich has more than 15 years in the industry and is well-regarded for his unique limited-release, cask finish expressions such as Snowflake, Sherry Cask and more recently, the Masters of Whiskey series. Dietrich is responsible for every aspect of production and is committed to not only maintaining the original recipe of BLACKENED, using artisanal methods and a handcrafted approach, but is also dedicated to creating contemporary and unique world-class whiskey. Dietrich initially learned the art and science of distilling from legendary distiller Jess Graber whom he proudly calls his mentor. His passion for music was honed throughout 10 years spent in the music business, beginning with working with Bill Graham Presents, and also as a freelance agent for a variety of venues like Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater and The Fillmore in San Francisco and Denver, as well as producing and managing many tours and festivals. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and served from 1992 to 1995. His two tours in Somalia, as well as relief operations in Haiti, helped shape his life-affirming philosophy.

 

ABOUT SWEET AMBER DISTILLING CO.

Established in 2018, Sweet Amber Distilling Co. is a producer of hand-crafted spirits. Helmed by Co-Founder and CEO John Bilello, Sweet Amber launched with the creation of BLACKENED—a masterful collaboration between late whiskey luminary Dave Pickerell and rock icons Metallica, which is now available in all 50 states and parts of Canada, with plans to expand rapidly. Sweet Amber is a nimble, dynamic organization that is completely virtual, allowing a greater flexibility, efficiency, and geographic coverage across the U.S. with depth of experience in the spirits and music industries.

 

ABOUT METALLICA

Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents.

The band’s several multi-platinum studio albums include Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, … And Justice for All, Metallica (commonly referred to as The Black Album), Load, Re-Load, St. Anger, Death Magnetic, and most recently Hardwired…to Self-Destruct, released in November 2016 and charting at #1 in 32 countries. Metallica’s awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards and a 2009 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden’s Polar Music Prize.

 

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in 1996 in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Drew Estate has singlehandedly defined modern day cigar culture through a hard-hitting, authentic, bottom-up approach to lifestyle branding and culture building. Our mission and manifesto is “The Rebirth of Cigars,” which we amplify through our uncanny authenticity, high energy and through deeply-loved brands produced from La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua, such as: ACID, 20 Acre Farm, Deadwood, Factory Smokes, Herrera Estelí, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fire Cured, Liga Privada, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial and Undercrown; and the celebrated Barn Smoker, Cigar Safari and Freestyle Live experiential events. Learn more about our story and our brands by visiting Drew Estate.

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