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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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by | September 4, 2022 · 9:39 am

A Cabaiguan, a Mystery Cigar and a Sancho Panza The Original

Once again I’m having a cigar while I write. I don’t usually smoke in the mornings, but I’ve been enjoying it the last few Sundays, because I know that very soon it won’t be a comfortable thing to do.  To be honest, I really don’t like this time of year. When my end of August birthday comes around, I get depressed, because it signals the end of summer.  I love summer, Fall is a major bummer for me.  I know many disagree, like cigars, everyone has their preferences, I prefer to be warm over cold.  So I’m enjoying every last drop of summer I can.  More on the cigar later, I just lit it up, and it’s pretty good!  But I smoked a few other cigar in the last half of the week, starting with a big Tatuaje Cabaiguan.  This is a new shape for this year, the Cabaiguan No.752, which is 7″ x 52 (good name, that worked out well!).  I thought maybe this was in the Guapos series because of the pigtail cap, but I believe I’m wrong.  This has an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers and binder.  It was a very nice cigar, toasty with a hint of sweetness.  I definitely lean more toward the maduro in this line, but this was a really nice shade cigar.  

 

Near the end of this month, September 28th, Drew Estate is having another Freestyle Live events to reveal a new brand.  They put together packs with three sizes of the new cigar, as well as a cutter, case and flask set.  It amuses me that people are trying to guess what this cigar is, as if it were a line extension. I smoked the toro size yesterday and was really happy with the cigar.  I want to smoke the robusto and Churchill too, but I want to save one for the event! I am actually toying with the idea of buying another pack, but I don’t need more goodies, although I have a feeling I could probably find a good home for them 😉! The case and cutter are really nice, I have no need for a flask! Anyway, this cigar had a very unique flavor, a sweet spice I can’t identify.  It was, in my opinion, better than any Liga Privada. I was enamoured with it. I’m going to go out on a limb, for the sake of documentation, and say that I think it has a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper.  It’s something very different, whatever it is, and Willy Herrera outdid himself on this one.  I hope it’s not outrageously priced. I love the Undercrown 10, and this was better.  I can’t wait to see what this is!  

 

Sometimes you smoke a cigar on a Saturday evening hoping to write about it on Sunday, and the cigar doesn’t perform the way you’d like. Perhaps it’s super tight until around the band, and  then it’s falling apart from playing with it to loosen it up.  The flavor is good, but it doesn’t end up being a good experience. This is why I’m smoking a new Sancho Panza The Original robusto as I write this. So far, this sup-$7 cigar is outperforming one that was several time the price. Sancho Panza has been around a long time, I remember buying a box of Extra Fuertes nearly 20 years ago for about $35. They recently worked with the new General Cigars Employee, Matt Booth, on the rebrand. The new look is growing on me and I’ve been looking forward to trying them.  This cigar has a Honduran Connecticut Shade wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Brazil.  I’m really enjoying this cigar with my morning coffee, it’s silky smooth and rich, not a mild, papery shade cigar.  I look forward to getting into the Super Fuerte and Double Maduro! These are super budget friendly and this one was really quite good.  

 

That’s all for today. It’s a holiday weekend, I guess, I don’t celebrate it as the end of summer, but having Monday off is a reward for my labors through the year, I suppose. Soon I’ll have to put the shorts away and get the hoodies out, something I dread. Anyway, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | August 18, 2022 · 5:38 pm

News: Drew Estate Previews All-New Brand in Latest Freestyle Live Event Packs

Fresh on the heels of the Connecticut Barnsmoker, here’s some news from Drew Estate.  An “entirely new brand”!  Interesting!  I admit that the last new brand they launched with a freestyle event didn’t interest me. The Nica Rustica Adobe was a good one, but not an entirely new brand. 

 

During its Sept. 28 “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast, Drew Estate will unveil an entirely new premium cigar brand … and the company is giving consumers the ability to experience it prior to its formal launch in the upcoming Freestyle Live Event Pack. The packs will be available at participating retailers nationwide beginning on Aug 18.

 

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 any brand identification on them, a Freestyle Live 3-cigar case, a Freestyle Live cutter with cigar rest and a Freestyle Live flask. 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 incredible prizes! The grand prize is a 2022 black Dodge Charger, valued at $32,000. Second prize is a Gibson Les Paul Dark Limited guitar, valued at $1,600. A total of 25 sweepstakes entrants will win the third-place prize of a pewter ashtray designed by Subculture Studios, valued at $100 each.*

Freestyle Live Event Pack participating retailers can win a prize too!!! All retailers who sell Freestyle Live Event Packs are automatically entered for a chance to win one of three prizes. The grand prize consists of $5,000 in Drew Estate credit and a Drew Estate Barrel Bar; the second-place prize for retailers is $2,500 in Drew Estate credit and a Drew Estate Mega Standing Ashtray; and the third-place prize is $1,000 in Drew Estate credit.**

“Dodge Chargers, Gibson Les Pauls, Barrel Bars … oh my” exclaims Jonathan Drew, company Founder and President with a big smile from his Sag Harbor, NY, home. “While all the prizes are definitely dope, the big news is in the new brand release. It’s just a different level of mega-excitement when we drop a completely new brand on the Freestyle. It’s not a new line extension or something that already exists in the DE brand portfolio, my dudes and dudettes … it’s something meatier. This brand is going to change the world. Mark my words.”

Learn the mystery cigars’ identity and experience all the other surprises Drew Estate will debut by tuning in on Sept. 28 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the next “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast, which will be aired only on Drew Estate’s Freestyle Live YouTube channel (youtube.com/drewestatecigar) and Drew Estate’s Facebook Live page (facebook.com/drewestatecigar). Until then, be sure to stop over at drewestate.com/freestylelive2022 beginning on Aug. 18 to find the complete list of participating premium cigar retailers where you can snag your own Freestyle Live Event Pack.

 

*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 08/15/22; ends 09/21/22. Purchase Entries must be submitted by 11:59:59 PM ET on 09/21/22. To enter without purchase, send a postcard with your first name, last name, complete mailing address, email address and date of birth (postmarked by 09/21/22; received by 09/27/22) to: Drew Estate: Attn Freestyle Live Sweepstakes,12415 SW 136th Ave Suite 7, Miami, FL 33186. Total ARV of all prizes: $36,599. 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 who are retail trade partners of Sponsor. Enter Sweepstakes by: 9/15/22. 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 | August 14, 2022 · 11:33 am

2022 Connecticut Barnsmoker and Pre-Party

I got back late last night from another great Drew Estate Event, the Connecticut Barnsmoker.  I would have just gone to the PA Barnsmoker last month, but testing positive for Covid after the PCA show made that sound like a bad idea.  Fortunately Connecticut is only 4½ hours away (6 with traffic), so we drove up Friday to go to the VIP Pre-event event.  I can tell you, and my wife, who accompanied me and took a lot of the pictures will attest, this event alone would have been worth the trip! First, the SWAG and cigars are ridiculous.  Great food and a band from Minnesota called Viva Knievel who played all the hits! The event was held at the New England Air Museum, and we were treated to a walk through two hangars loaded with vintage aircraft.  There were large planes outside which provided an amazing backdrop.  The food was very good (I passed on the alligator), and many fine cigars were smoked. I ran into a bunch of old friends, and we had a great time! 

As if all of this wasn’t enough, Saturday we arrive bright and early at the Foster Farm for the first of the two day event.  I’m guessing that they split it up over two days because of the number of attendees, as the group there was smaller than I remember from past Barnsmokers.  The day started with presentations at three stations, with Jonathan Drew, Pedro Gomez and Willie Herrera, accompanied by the principles of the farm, telling us about the planting, cultivating and processing of the various tobaccos grown on the farm.  The backdrop here, among several curing barns, was a large field of tobacco destined to me Liga Privada T52 wrapper.  After this was another great meal of barbecue, there was chicken and pork, as well as brisket, slaw and mac and cheese, and apple crisp.  All very delicious! Then there were all of the activation stations! This was a bit of a Trick or Treat, with coupons for each station and activities, in some cases revolving around the brand. Besides the ten great DE cigars we got upon entry, along with more neat SWAG, we collected more cigars.  I also got a haircut at one of the two barbers there, I got a new look from the Barber and Cigar Company (@the_barber_and_cigar_company on IG) and nobody seemed to notice! I passed on the cigar rolling at the Undercrown activation, although I wish I had dragged my wife there to see how she’d do! 🙂 (she took a lot of the great pictures here). I’ve done it plenty of times and wanted to give others a chance! The event ended with raffle prizes, one dude won BOTH of the barrel shaped bars! I hope he didn’t fly in, but he was very excited about it.  I got the spend some time with some great friends who I hadn’t seen much, and I’m sure I missed a few people.  I think Op: Cigars For Warriors raised about $32k over the three day event!

 

 

The Barnsmokers are events I heartily recommend, you certainly get a lot out of it, in education, in cigars and SWAG, and in joining friends for a great time! I really missed the PA event in my backyard, but this one was well worth the trip.  Thanks to Joe and the whole DE crew for  a great experience!  

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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