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 L

ive 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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by | August 10, 2022 · 5:00 pm

Dissident Bloc and Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue Cigars

I started dipping in to the PCA show samples, and and one that caught my eye was the Dissident Bloc.  This isn’t a new cigar, but it was one I hadn’t tried before.  I spoke with Cyn and Josh Coburn, the new owners of the brand a the Oveja Negra booth.  They seem to have a passion for the brand.  I smoked the corona gorda size, 5 5/8″ x 46, one of my favorite sizes after toro.  The cigar has an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, whatever that is, Ecuador

(again, could be anything

) binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers.  This cigar was my cup of tea. It had dark, rich espresso flavors, and I quite enjoyed it. I wish it had been larger, because it left me wanting more. I like most of the cigars made at Oveja Negra, and this one is no different. 

 

My video interview with Tatuaje Cigars Pete Johnson has quickly jumped into the top five viewed videos on Youtube! The numbers are relative, I don’t consider myself a “Youtuber”, it just a place to put videos to me.  Anyway, I smoked the new Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue in the No. 1 size, which is a 6¼” x 52 Toro. This cigar has a shade grown Nicaraguan wrapper, and is fully composed of tobaccos grown by the Garcia family.  The Verocu is one I usually grab when I stop at Holt’s in Philly, I like them.  This one is more on the creamy side, with coffee and cocoa.  It performed well and is one I will revisit.  It was a very nice cigar. 

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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by | August 7, 2022 · 10:21 am

PDR and German Engineered Cigars

Welcome to post number 1601!  I’m not sure if that’s a milestone, but I noticed that I had made 1600 posts over the course of the last 13 years (officially at the end of the month, but close enough!), and that seemed like something worth mentioning.  That’s 123 posts per year, or 10 per month.  I know it’s not Coop or Halfwheel, but I think it must show some level of dedication, right?  Anyway, naturally I celebrated by smoking some cigars.  As I write this I’m smoking a PDR El Criollito (pronunciation tips gladly accepted).  This 5″ x 54 Robusto has an Ecuador Criollo 98 wrapper, San Andrés binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan Criollo 98 fillers.  I’ll preface this by saying that I’m not the biggest Criollo fan. This cigar, however, is darned tasty. It’s a little nutty, but mostly just good, well cared for tobacco.  I also don’t normally smoke in the mornings, but this is going very nicely with coffee. I’m kinda digging it.  

 

I also smoked PDR’s Connecticut Valley Reserve Azul Churchill again this week.  This is an interesting cigar. It has a Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado wrapper, Binder from Jalapa and Dominican Corojo, Condega, Nicaragua Criollo fillers.  More Criollo.  Obviously the wrapper isn’t fermented to maduro like we are used to with Broadleaf, so it’s not quite a sweet as usual, but still has some sweetness, with some drying sensation on the palate. It still was quite good. By the way, the band is gorgeous on this cigar, not that that makes a huge difference.  The construction was exceptional, it burned with a flat ember that always amazes me, getting all the fillers to burn as the exact same rate is impressive. 

 

Also this week I sampled a couple vitolas in the German Engineered Cigars Raumzeit line.  This is what they have to say about it on their website:

 

 

Your first impression of RAUMZEIT is characterized by a light, silky, fragrant wrapper.

Its smoke combines aromas of nuts, cream, honey, stardust, and malt with white pepper, minerals, cloves, flying saucer, and nutmeg into a wondrously sweet and complex experience.

 

Body: light to medium

Wrapper: Nicaragua – Connecticut

Binder: Indonesia – Sumatra

Filler: Nicaragua -Jalapa & Dominican Republic – Piloto

 

First, “Raumzeit” is German for “Spacetime”.  I wasn’t really much of a fan of the flavor of these, I found them rather floral. Perhaps is was just too complex for my palate.  I did note that the construction on these was excellent, and the 3½” x 44 Half Corona was a bit more intense than the 5″ x 54 Robusto. Perhaps I just don’t care for stardust and flying saucer flavors, I guess,  but if you like cigars that I don’t care for, these would probably be a great option to try. I didn’t get a chance to meet the German Engineered Cigars guys at the PCA show, they were busy when I walked by and I didn’t get back to them. I’ll make a point of it if we re in the same place at the same time again.

 

That’ll do it for today.  Next weekend I’ll be going to the Connecticut Barnsmoker (to make up for missing the PA).  Looking forward to seeing everyone there.  Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | August 3, 2022 · 6:00 pm

PCA 2022: Powstanie/Cigar Hustler with Mike Szczepankiewicz

Mike Szczepankiewicz of Cigar Hustler/Powstanie

Cigars is another one of those guys in the cigar industry who’s a triple threat. Mike has a podcast, a store and a brand (the later two co-owned with his brother, Greg). I’ve known Mike for a few years and I find him to be a likable fellow. It’s nice when you find someon

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e who has the same muscular physique (of course, I kid. I haven’t set foot in a gym since high school).  After an interesting interaction with Mike, which I may or may not go into some day, we had a brief chat about all of his various projects.  

 

 

Again, thanks to Ed O’Neal for manning the camera for me. I think the videos he shot look much better than the ones I do solo (the

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front facing camera has a lower resolution, and the angles are a problem, I need to get a better tripod). Also thanks to Mike and his crew for taking a few minutes and having my back.  

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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