7.11.2008

ACID / Drew Estate Cigars

For my first cigar post I'd like to choose a whole line of cigars that deserves some attention for it's unique flavors and ingenuity. The ACID line by Drew Estate is an acquired taste but I do believe that everyone should try them.


The company was started about eight years ago by two lawyers that gave up their careers for a shot in the cigar industry. It began with one cigar roller making their "house brand" for the shop they owned in Manhattan and grew to having their own factory in Nicaragua just a few years later.


They use a blend of tobacco from 12 different countries. This however is not what makes them unique. What makes them unique is that they "infuse" the tobacco with herbs, spices, oils, tea, coffee, rose petals, and anything else they believe will be good in a cigar. This infusion process gives their cigars enough flavor to be noticed but not enough so that it overpowers the taste of the tobacco. These are completely unlike any other cigars I have ever had.


There are a couple of standouts in their lineup. The most peculiar one is a cigar called the "Wafe". This cigar is the only cigar to ever have a patented shape. It is very flat, thin and a good for a quick smoke. The Kuba Kuba is one of their much more popular cigars with a much bigger (54 gauge Robusto) and more natural shape.

I have tried two of their cigars. I picked the most popular ones to try (mentioned above).

We'll start with the Wafe. This cigar was pitched to me as "Something that definitely shouldn't be a good smoke but somehow it just works". The light was fine and took quickly. The draw was surprisingly good and the ash lasted for a while falling at about 1 + inches. In the end however it began to burn unevenly and I became rather disappointed. I attributed this to the strange shape. Less than half and inch thick and flat is not how a cigar should be. The taste however was pretty incredible. Smooth with an odd sweet taste that never went away. I came to find out through some research that the cigar is infused with honey and cream.


The second was the 54 gauge Kuba Kuba. This smoke smelled a bit like incense to me but I was not disappointed. The light was nice and the draw was pretty good. Long lasting with no real flavor transitions. I honestly cannot tell you what makes this cigar taste the way it does. It is sweet and smooth but more earthy than the Wafe. Definitely the better of the two.

I have heard good things about the Earth and Spice cigars as well.

Bottom line: It is something different. I consider myself pretty new to the hobby but I recognize that these are not your typical cigars. If you try these and hate the cigars completely then I apologize. Smooth with enough flavor that your girlfriend might like them but strong and earthy enough so that you don't feel like a complete pansy. Worth trying.


They range from about $3.95 and up.

1 comment:

Flying Ties said...

Nice review and way to start off the cigar section of the blog.

The tobacco used in those cigars sounds an awful lot like pipe tobacco - the good kind. Especially the flat Cigar - that sounds an awful lot like a couple of the aromatic tobacco's that I used to smoke. Did it taste almost like almond/pecan cookies?

I often wondered why the aromatic tobacco's weren't used in some cigars (much like there are robust cigars, there are robust pipe tobacco's, etc).

I expect a couple of more reviews after this week - enjoy yourself!