Tag Archives: drew estate

by | April 12, 2022 · 5:53 pm

News: Drew Estate Previews New Premium Cigar Brand In All-New Freestyle Live Event Packs

Drew Estate has another one of their Freestyle Live events coming up! I usually tune into these as they are fun and informative.  I wonder what the new cigar brand will be this time? 

During its May 12 “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast, Drew Estate will introduce its newest premium cigar, and the company is giving consumers a chance to preview the brand before its global unveiling with the release of an all-new Freestyle Live Event Pack. Packs will be available at participating retailers nationwide beginning on April 11.

 

Drew Estate has prepared a total of 10,000 Freestyle Live Event Packs, which will have an MSRP of $39.99. Every Freestyle Live Event Pack will include three of the new premium cigars [without bands], a Freestyle Live 3-cigar case, a Freestyle Live cutter with cigar rest and a Freestyle Live wallet.

 

Additionally, each Freestyle Live Event Pack will include a Freestyle Live badge with a QR code, which purchasers may use to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win amazing prizes! The grand prize is a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport, valued at $33,000. The second-place prize is a Drew Estate Barrel Bar, valued at $2,000. Or sweepstakes entrants may win one of 25 third-place prizes, a travel humidor adorned with custom artwork by Subculture Studios, valued at $100 each.*  

 

Retailers who sell Freestyle Live Event Packs are automatically entered for a chance to win prizes too! The grand prize consists of $7,500 in Drew Estate credit and two Dreamseat recliners; the second-place prize is $2,500 in Drew Estate credit and a Drew Estate Barrel Bar; and the third-place
prize is $1,000 in Drew Estate credit and one Mega standing ashtray.**

“This Freestyle Live Event Pack is gonna set off a chain reaction for the follow up Freestyle Live: Special Edition on May 12 due to the increase in packs we puttin’ on the street,” says Jonathan Drew, President and Founder of Drew Estate. “Trust me, gonna be a posse tuning in to try and guess what that new cigar could be.”

To learn the mystery cigars’ identity and experience other surprises Drew Estate is set to debut, be sure to tune in and join the fun on May 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the next “Freestyle Live:
Special Edition” broadcast, which is available only through Drew Estate’s Freestyle Live YouTube
channel (youtube.com/drewestatecigar) and Drew Estate’s Facebook Live page
 (facebook.com/drewestatecigar). Participating retailers where Freestyle Live Event Packs will be available can be found at drewestate.com/freestylelive2022 beginning on April 15.

 

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C. (excluding MA, MI, & VA), age 21+. Void where prohibited. Starts 04/11/22; ends 05/03/22. To enter without purchase, send a postcard with your first name, last name, complete mailing address, email address and date of birth (postmarked by 05/03/22; received by 05/10/22) to: Drew Estate: Attn Freestyle Live Sweepstakes,12415 SW 136th Ave Suite 7, Miami, FL 33186. Total ARV of all prizes: $37,095. Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received. For full Official Rules, visit https://drewestate.com/freestyleliveeventpack/. Sponsor: SWI-DE, LLC, 12415 SW 136th Ave, Suite 7, Miami, FL 33186.

 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (incl. D.C.; excl. MA, MI and VA), 21 years or older. Enter Sweepstakes by: 5/4/22. To enter and for Official Rules, including prize descriptions, visit https://drewestate.com/freestylelive_tradepromotion/. Odds depend on number of eligible entries received.  Void where prohibited.  Sponsor:  SWI-DE, LLC, 12415 SW 136th Avenue, Suite 7, Miami, FL 33186.

 

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.

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by | April 10, 2022 · 9:37 am

EP Carrillo Short Run, Nica Rustica and La Libertad Cigars

I’d like to have a week go by without incident. This week it was a leaking pipe, which required calling a plumber to come and cut holes in some walls to fix. It took time away from my day job that I made up, which meant I skipped my regular Friday evening working at the cigar shop. If it isn’t one set of pipes, it’s another, so it seems! I had just passed the kidney stone, finally, last week. That only took a month. But I’m able to take some solace in a cigar here and there. Earlier in the week I smoked an E.P Carrillo Short Run Retro 2022. I smoked this in the Short Play size, which is 5″ x 50. This has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuador binder and fillers from Nicaragua, Mexico and Honduras.  Boy, this was a great cigar! I did a little reading about this blend, and Ernesto says that he used Honduran tobacco in the blend for the first time in 14 years, the last time was as a binder in the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami. As one might imagine, the Short Run was right up my alley, rich cocoa and espresso, with some earthiness. It was really exceptional. I can’t recall if I smoked any of the previous Short Runs! I may not have come across them or had the opportunity. Give this a try, they aren’t even that expensive!

 

Yesterday I tried out my first of the new Nica Rusticas from Drew Estate. I’ve smoked many Nica Rusticas. I’ve often said that I’d buy two or three of them to one Liga Privada any day of the week. It’s been one of my favorite Broadleaf cigars for a long time. However, I haven’t had one since they repackaged them, and I’ve been worried that they changed. I’ll admit that I haven’t smoked a great many of the Short Robusto vitola, but I think this one started out making me a bit concerned. It didn’t seem to have the depth of flavor that I was used to, but eventually it came around and developed into what expected. It burned for an unusually long time for a 4½” x 50 cigar. I took a walk, which ended just before it poured rain, and spent a total of about 90 minutes smoking the cigar. Also, these don’t seem to have the same ridiculous amount of smoke pouring from them as they used to. I believe this is a process change, but I’d have to visit the factory again to confirm this. I can’t believe it’s been eight years since I was there. I want to go back.  Anyway, now I have to smoke an El Brujito, maybe an old one against a new one to see how they compare. 

 

Last night I dug into a package I received from Villiger Cigars in January and smoked a La Libertad Gran Toro. This is almost a Nicaraguan Puro, the binder is from the DR. The wrapper is Criollo grown in Jalapa, with fillers from Jalapa and Esteli. They have moved production to their own factory in Esteli, which is new. The old version had an Ecuadoran wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, so this is a completely new blend. Oddly, there is a familiar flavor to the wrapper on the lips. I can’t explain it better than that of Red Man chewing tobacco, and I think of that every time I put a La Libertad to my lips, regardless of the vintage. Weird. Obviously, there’s no hint of this flavor once lit, I don’t think, I’ve never smoked Red Man chewing tobacco. I can’t imagine that gooey stuff would burn well. A few years ago I wrote a post comparing to iterations of this cigar (here) , do I have to root through the humidor and see if I can compare the three? I doubt I still have one of the originals, but it’s hard to say, I’m a bit of a packrat. It was a good smoke, although I found the flavors to be a little muted. There were some hints of wood, spice and a little sweetness. René Casteñeda gave me a corona at the TPE which I’ll have to give a try, oddly, the 6″ x 54 Gran Toro may not have been the best expression of this blend. For another take on this, check out my friend, Kap’s, review.  

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by | April 5, 2022 · 7:34 am

News: Drew Estate Releases Smoke Inn’s 25th Anniversary Cigar

I guess when I first met Abe he was only about 11 years into Smoke Inn, because it was 2008, and we met at a brunch with Steve Saka in Vegas. I don’t usually post news items about shop releases, but this one hits a bunch of things I like.

 

Last year marked the 25th Anniversary of the first Smoke Inn premium cigar store, and Drew Estate and Smoke Inn’s owner, Abe Dababneh, are celebrating the landmark achievement with the launch of a special commemorative Herrera Estelí cigar honoring Abe’s father and mentor, Raji Dababneh.

 

The Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji (6 x 50, Toro) is a limited-edition cigar that’s lovingly produced at El Titan De Bronze, the Little Havana boutique cigar factory that’s owned by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera’s family and where Herrera Estelí Miami cigars are made. Constructed using a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, the Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji is a spicy medium- to full-bodied cigar with hay and floral notes.



Every Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji cigar features a commemorative band around its foot, and the cigars are packaged in 10-count boxes that are adorned with the Smoke Inn logo. Ramping up the celebration and honoring Raji Dababneh even more, Raji’s signature is emblazoned on the bottom of every box.

 

“When I was growing up in Chicago, I watched my dad work tirelessly at the little grocery store he owned,” says Abe. “He always put in whatever it took to overcome any challenges and keep a roof over our heads and food on our table. He is a true inspiration for me as a businessman, husband and as a father. I learned, and continue to learn, so much from him. Dedicating our 25th anniversary cigar to him is the best way for me to give my heartfelt thanks to him for all that he has done for me.”

 

Founder and President of Drew Estate, Jonathan Drew adds, “Abe and I have been close friends from very early on, and he has always been a true ‘stand and deliver’ guy who deserves tremendous success. His father, Raji, clearly has been a great mentor and teacher. It’s an honor to pay tribute to Raji, as well as celebrate Smoke Inn’s 25th anniversary with this majestic Herrera Estelí Miami expression.”

 

The Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji will debut at Smoke Inn’s 25th Anniversary party on May 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. atop the Tru By Hilton Pompano Beach hotel. Guests to the epic event will meet Jonathan, Willy, Abe, and the man of honor himself, Raji Dababneh, while enjoying food and spirits and grooving to beats spun by Drew Estate’s very-own D.J. Eli. All guests will receive a party packet containing a commemorative “The Raji” ashtray and 29 assorted cigars, including the Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji, as well as experience other surprises as the evening unfolds.

 

Available beginning on April 6th and limited to only 250 people, tickets for Smoke Inn’s 25th Anniversary party are sure to sell fast. Tickets cost $250 and may be purchased exclusively through the company’s website, smokeinn.com. After the event, Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji cigars will be available exclusively at Smoke Inn while supplies last.

 

 

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.

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by | March 19, 2022 · 9:17 am

News: Drew Estate Releases New Gordo Size Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Exclusively for the Van Winkle Family

Just throwing this out there on a Saturday morning. I really enjoy the Pappy Family Reserve Cigar, it’s almost like a really, really refined Kentucky Fire Cured to me.

 

Drew Estate and Pappy & Company are teaming up once again to add the new Gordo (6 x 60) vitola to the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrel Fermented premium cigar line. Crafted for connoisseurs who love large ring gauge cigars, the Gordo will launch on March 19 and will be initially available exclusively on Pappy & Company’s website, pappyco.com, before becoming accessible to Drew Diplomat Program participants nationwide in 2023.

 

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Barrel Fermented cigars are the result of a close collaboration between Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate, and the Van Winkle family to pay homage to Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle and the unparalleled bourbon legacy he began creating more than a century ago. The cigars feature a Tapa Negra-style Kentucky Fire-Cured and barrel-aged wrapper over a Mexican San Andres base wrapper, as well as aged Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan and Kentucky Fire-Cured filler tobaccos. Medium- to full-bodied, Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrel Fermented cigars offer an ultra-premium smoking experience with notes of coffee, cedar and charred wood and an overall smoky sweetness that pairs perfectly with bourbon, whisky or scotch.


“Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrel Fermented cigars are a symbol of quality, distinction and rarity, just like our family’s bourbon,” says Carrie Van Winkle Greener, Co-Founder of Pappy & Company “We are proud of our collaboration with Jonathan and the rest of the Drew Estate team to produce a completely one-of-a-kind cigar that deepens our family’s legacy for producing authentic handcrafted high-quality products and expands our already widely popular collection of Barrel Fermented cigars.”


“Pappy Barrel Fermented stands alone as the most difficult, complex blend we have ever produced due to the intricate level of leaf processing in both Kentucky and Louisiana, as well as leaf placement at the factory floor,” adds Jonathan. “Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrel Fermented is complicated to produce, and this is the singular reason that we produce very few of them.”



Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrel Fermented Gordo cigars are packaged in 10-count boxes with an MSRP of $175/box or $17.50/cigar. They will be available exclusively at pappyco.com beginning on March 19.

 

 
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.

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by | February 27, 2022 · 9:55 am

Cigars on My Tropical Getaway and a Contest!

We just returned from a brief getaway to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we spent a few days sitting on the beach and doing nothing else. I really had no plans to visit any cigar shops as I took plenty to smoke, but I ran across a couple shops and, of course, had to stop in. When I vacation my modus operandi is to take favorite cigars that I know I enjoy and I’m confident that will perform well, I’m there to relax and I don’t want any surprises or disappointments! So if you follow my Instagram or Facebook feeds you’ll see my smoking relatively run of the mill (for me) cigars, but I love them and they bring me joy. As we were wondering around our “neighborhood of Isla Verde, we came across a little cigar shop in a strip mall (http://www.cigarit.com/). It had a small walk in humidor with some classic selections, good stuff, reasonable prices, and the guy working there was very nice and knowledgeable. I made a courtesy buy of a Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Belicoso, which is in the humidor now. Yesterday, as we were walking around Old San Juan after having lunch, we happened across The Cigar House. I literally smelled it walking by, as the road was narrow and I didn’t see the sign, nor was I looking for it. It was a happy accident. This place had been recommended to me, and for good reason. The humidor is enormous and well stocked. If our trip had been a week later, we would have caught Erik Espinosa and Guy Fieri there for the Knuckle Dragger launch! I bought a Tatuaje T111 Broadleaf and enjoyed it in their comfortable lounge. It was a very relaxing trip, the weather was perfect, we got some sun, and had some great cigars on the beach.

 

Contest

 

We arrived home to a find package on the porch from my friends at Drew Estate. It had just been delivered, people were home, it’s not like it sat there all week! Anyway, it seems like the sort of thing that someone may need more than I do, so let’s have a giveaway! This is a neat 20 Acre Farm leather cigar case with five 20 Acre Farm cigars. The case has pockets for accessories and cigars, wrapped in embossed white leather. It’s nifty. 

So, you know the drill! Leave a comment on this blog post, no where else, to enter. I’ll pick a winner next Sunday, March, 6, 2022. Must be of legal age to win, and the winner will need to email me with their details (that’s the internet equivalent of  “must be present to win”, I guess, meaning don’t make me work too hard to give you stuff!). I might add some other goodies in as well!  Thanks to the folks at Drew Estate for making this possible! 

 

That’s all for now, I have some stuff to catch up on. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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