Tag Archives: Herrera Esteli

by Craig Vanderslice | May 11, 2022 · 6:22 pm

News: Limited Edition Herrera Estelí Lanceros Return As Diplomat Exclusive

Here’s some news from Drew Estate. There are some Herrera Esteli cigars I really like, and a few I’m not fond of, but the Lanceros are usually really good. I may still have a few hanging out in the humidor someplace, I have a whole mess of various lanceros for some reason. Don’t forget to check out tomorrow night’s Freestyle Live event!

Drew Estate’s 2022 limited edition Herrera Estelí Habano Lancero and Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero are returning soon to participating Drew Diplomat Program cigar sellers. Both cigars will be showcased during Drew Estate’s “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast, which will air tomorrow night from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern on the company’s Facebook Live page (facebook.com/drewestatecigar) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/drewestatecigar).

Only four bunchero-rollera teams at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate are qualified to craft the Lancero size (7 x 38), which is notoriously difficult to make because its narrow ring gauge can restrict the cigar’s draw. Many experienced cigar lovers around the world appreciate the immense skill and dexterous hands required to handcraft the Lancero shape and they also appreciate a Lancero’s tendency to emphasize the strength and flavor characteristics of the wrapper, due to the smaller ratio between wrapper to filler leaves in a Lancero’s blend.

“The Lancero is generally my favorite size, but that’s especially true for the Herrera Estelí Habano and Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf cigars,” comments Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera. “Both blends are made from wrapper leaves that are rich and bold. The Lancero size allows the smoking characteristics of those beautiful leaves—especially their nuances—to truly grab your attention.”

Medium-bodied with sweet, spicy and cedar wood notes, the Herrera Estelí Habano Lancero is made using a savory Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Honduran Habano binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. Spicy, elegant and smooth, the Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero is composed of an extraordinary higher priming of Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that Drew Estate reserves for use in only this cigar, blended with a luscious Brazilian Mata Fina binder and opulent Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.

“Lanceros are slender and elegant cigars that present big challenges to cigarmakers,” says Jonathan Drew, Drew Estate’s Founder and President. “These spectacular skinnies are pure phat-on-flavor!!! Our most devoted cigar nerds are gonna be amped when they spark ‘em up. They are truly elegant, like our Master Blender himself. Phenomenal work product from Willy and the team!!!”

Exclusively available to all qualifying Drew Diplomat Program participants, both the Herrera Estelí Habano and Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lanceros are packaged in 15-count boxes with an MSRP of $194.24.Both Herrera Estelí Habano Lancero and Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero will be shipping 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.

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by Craig Vanderslice | 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

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by Craig Vanderslice | April 29, 2021 · 6:03 pm

News: Herrera Estelí Limited Edition Lanceros Return as Drew Diplomat Program Exclusive

If you’re a Lancero fan, you can hardly go wrong with the Herrera Esteli Lanceros. To be honest, I enjoy the Lancero about the most in the regular Herrera Esteli line, taking the Norteño and Brazilian Maduro out of the equation. Something about the Lanceros hit me right, and it doesn’t have anything to do with any wrapper to filler ratio nonsense. Then there’s the broadleaf version that’s super yummy. Read on…

Drew Estate will release limited edition Lanceros for Herrera Estelí Habano and Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf for 2021. Exclusive for Drew Diplomat Program participants, the limited-edition Herrera Estelí Lanceros will debut during Drew Estate’s Freestyle Live: Special Edition, which airs on Thursday, May 6th, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern on Drew Estate’s Facebook Live page (facebook.com/drewestatecigar).

A notoriously difficult vitola to make, there are only four bunchero-rollera teams at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate who are qualified to craft the Lancero size (7 x 38) due to its narrow ring gauge. Lanceros require expert hands to perfectly arrange the individual tobacco components, assuring the cigars’ complexity and ideal draw, which is difficult to attain. Cigar connoisseurs around the world appreciate the Lancero vitola partly because they respect the handcrafted talent that’s necessary to create the cigars and partly because they enjoy the heavy wrapper emphasis realized while smoking a Lancero.

Willy Herrera, Master Blender of Drew Estate, says from the El Titan de Bronze factory in Little Havana, “The Lancero size is the one vitola where you get to experience the real essence of a cigar’s blend and savor the truest taste of all of the cigar’s individual components. In larger sizes, where there is proportionally more binder and filler leaf in the blend, a wrapper’s flavor profile might be masked a little bit. A Lancero brings out the intensity of all the tobaccos’ flavor. I always prefer to smoke a Lancero when I can, and I wanted to make sure fans of Herrera Estelí could enjoy the same experience.”

The Herrera Estelí Habano Lancero is made using a flavorful Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Honduran Habano binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The medium-bodied cigars are sweet and spicy with cedar wood notes. The Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero is composed of an exceptional higher priming of Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that Drew Estate reserves throughout the year exclusively for this cigar, a bold Brazilian Mata Fina and rich Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The blend offers a smoking experience that’s spicy, elegant and smooth.

Jonathan Drew, Drew Estate Founder and President, adds from the Wynwood Safehouse, “Lanceros are certainly not as popular as large ring gauge cigars, but they have a cult following amongst the most educated cigar geeks who love majestic capa leaf, what I call the ‘oro’ of the plant. Everyone knows that Willy blends spectacular Lanceros.”

Both the Herrera Estelí Habano and Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero are packaged in 15-count boxes with an MSRP of $194.24. The cigars will be available exclusive to Drew Diplomat Program participants. Herrera Estelí Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero will be available beginning in June; Herrera Estelí Habano Lancero will be available beginning in August.

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

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by Craig Vanderslice | October 14, 2020 · 8:56 pm

A Herrera Esteli Habano Edicion Limitada Lancero and Odds and Ends

I’m kind of running low on new cigars to write about, and this isn’t a plea for new cigars or anything, just a bit of explanation of why things seem to have slowed down here a little. I haven’t been getting out to get new things to smoke enough. Some of it’s laziness, some of it’s just enjoying some of the cigars I have on hand. For instance, I smoked a CAO Flathead Sparkplug 450 that had been in the humidor for a few years that was really good, and smoked the new Perdomo 10th Anniversary Sungrown Toro again and decided that I really do enjoy it more than the Maduro, which is strange for me. This concludes the “odds and ends” portion of tonight’s post.

Tonight I smoked this year’s Herrera Esteli Habano Edicion Limitada Lancero. This cigar was announced last March, and was part of Drew Estate’s Summer Takeover. In the Herrera Esteli lineup, I tend to prefer the Maduro varieties, the Norteño and the Brazilian Maduro, and I tolerate the regular Habano line. In the case of this Lancero, it’s a different story. This is a special cigar. I need to dig around, because I think I still have one of last years in the humidor, but this years is really good. It’s a 7″ x 38 with a cap, no pigtail, which is just fine, I generally cut them anyway, no manhandling the pigtails for me. There’s a candy sweetness about halfway through that really was delightful, and the whole cigar was a pleasure to smoke, assuming one smokes it slowly, so as not to overheat it. As with all thin cigars, if they are smoked too fast they burn hot and taste bitter. This can be confused with being stronger, or the tired wrapper to filler ratio argument. Smoke a lancero slow, and it’s a nice, cool smoke.

If you et a minute, check out MyCigarShirts.com, they have some neat cigar t-shirts and sweatshirts! That’s all for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by Craig Vanderslice | June 10, 2020 · 8:56 am

News: Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero Goes Nationwide

Last one, I promise (unless I get another e-mail this morning!) This one has my attention. Stogies in Houston has an amazing track record of curating a fine selection of lanceros, I’ve had the good fortune of having sampled a few. Willie Herrera has an amazing track record of having blended some fine cigars, even a few in the lancero format, and I’ve been fortunate to have sampled a few of those as well. One doesn’t see a great many Connecticut Broadleaf lanceros, so I’m really looking forward to getting my paws on some of these.

Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero Goes Nationwide

Drew Estate announces today the national launch of the Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero Tienda Exclusiva, exclusively to Drew Diplomat Retailers. This release will be showcased on the upcoming Freestyle Live: Special Edition hosted on facebook.com/drewestatecigar on June 11^th from 7:00-9:00pm EST.

Initially launched as a Tienda Exclusiva to STOGIES World Class Cigar in 2016, the Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero is a testament to those aficionados who obsess over the smaller ring gauge vitola for its unique smoking experience. Every year Drew Estate pulls aside exceptional, higher priming broadleaf to use for limited edition releases, including this meticulously blended cigar. Featuring a high priming of Connecticut Broadleaf capa, with a bold Brazilian Mata Fina binder and rich Nicaraguan fillers, this Broadleaf Lancero is packaged in 15-count boxes and is a masterpiece from the mind of Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera.

From El Titan de Bronze in Little Havana, Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera exclaims, “There is always a challenge to blending lanceros. Sure, you have amazing broadleaf that’s going to really provide that burst of rich flavor, but the trick is how you bunch the filler leaves in a way that provides the complexity, so the cigar doesn’t become one dimensional. I knew when I first sampled this blend it was going to be loved, and now is the time to unleash it through our Drew Diplomat Retailers.”

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew President and Founder of Drew Estate adds, “Our Pre-Industry Team at La Gran Fabrica work Connecticut Broadleaf very hard in the pilones, using air flow, bulk pressure, water, and heat over years to reach the maximum flavor and color. Willy and the Production Team then follow up this process in blending this beautiful material into majestic blends for Liga Privada No. 9, Nica Rustica, as well as this very Herrera Lancero that we’re bragging about today. The Herrera Lancero hits a whole new broadleaf profile, super delicious. As An Phan, our Senior Brand Manager says, “APPROVED.”

The Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero Tienda Exclusiva is sold in 15-count boxes with an MSRP of $186.96 and will be shipping in September.

For full coverage of Herrera Esteli Connecticut Broadleaf Lancero and all of Drew Estate’s upcoming national releases check out our 2020 #DESummerTakeover promotion at www.drewestate.com/summertakeover and be sure to tune in to Freestyle Live: Special Edition hosted on facebook.com/drewestatecigar on June 11th from 7:00-9:00pm EST.