The Good Stuff:

The next Tobacconist’s Association of America release to hit the shelves is Drew Estate’s Herrera Esteli TAA exclusive. As I spoke about during my last review, the TAA is a small group of retailers (about 80) across the United states who meet up every year to discuss issues that the cigar industry faces, and this blend is only sold in those few shops to help support their cause. The Herrera Esteli is a variant of the original Herrera Esteli and is the first blend that Willy Herrera, Drew Estate’s master blender, has created for Drew Estate which utilizes Connecticut Broadleaf. Following the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is a Brazilian Mata Fina binder surrounded Nicaraguan fillers. The Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro comes packaged in boxes of 12 and runs $12 per cigar. Big thanks goes out to the Drew Estate team for sending a couple of these our way to review.

Size: 6 x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $12
Pairing: Modern Times City of the Dead (Imperial Coffee Stout 7.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro starts out with an absolutely gorgeous, consistent, dark brown wrapper. The wrapper’s color is very deep in most areas with a few lighter spots around the soft veins, and a bit of a darker shade coating the cigar’s cap. The texture of the wrapper is very, very toothy with a good amount of oils. The wrapper is very hard, and dense. It almost feels like it would take a chainsaw to get through it. The Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro’s body is beefy, round, and incredibly tightly packed. The cigar is very heavy as it leads up to a perfectly round double cap. The cigar is polished off with the red version of the Herrera Esteli band as well as a red and gold secondary band with the “TAA Exclusive” label on the front.

The wrapper on the Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro gives off a very pungent cocoa and cedar aroma while the foot of the cigar carries much more spice and natural tobacco scents. The cap cut surprisingly easily and clean using my Xikar double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some great grainy/earthy flavors buried beneath a great sweetness and cedar.

First Third:

The Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro starts out with a nice, big cayenne pepper blast along with some really bold, dank, tobacco flavors. As the pepper fades the cigar unleashes some very bold coffee, chocolate, cedar, and musk all with a very sweet overtone. I wasn’t expecting the cigar to start off as bold as it did, but I’m not complaining. As i continue into the first third a nice, subtle black cherry fades in and out as well. The draw is perfect. Each tiny puff kicks out a great amount of thick, white smoke while the cigar unleashes a huge amount of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is a bit wavy, but not too concerning as it leaves behind a beautiful trail of solid white ash which held on for over an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro and this cigar is still pouring on the flavors. The cigar now leads with a bold dark chocolate, espresso, and sweetness with some nutty, cedar, spice flavors backing it. The retrohale coats my nasal passage with even more dark chocolate as well as some sharp spice and cedar. The burn line is now burning flawlessly without the need of my torch while I close out the second third with only a very mild nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third of the Herrera Esteli is much of the same, and there is nothing wrong with that. Strong dark chocolate, coffee, and cedar lead the way with a very sweet overtone and subtle nut, and spice. The flavor profile of this cigar is incredible. The body ramped up a bit in the final third, and barely reached into the medium/full zone. It took me an hour and a half to take this cigar down and I enjoyed every second of it.

Overview:

Willy has always been great at putting a classic touch into all of his blends. The Herrera Esteli TAA Maduro is no exception. The blend is as close as you can get to a classic maduro while utilizing modern tobacco. The Connecticut Broadleaf adds more sweetness, and a nice little tarty tang to the equation while helping the cigar reach a medium/full body experience. The price is a bit high on this cigar, but it wont stop be from stocking up. It seems like the manufacturers who have taken the time to create TAA exclusive blends have really kicking out some incredible blends, for a worthy cause. Do your part by supporting them, you won’t regret it.

Pairing:

Modern Times is a small brewery in San Diego, California that has created some of my absolutely favorite beers. The city of the dead is a 7.5% stout which includes Guatemalan coffee aged in bourbon barrels. That’s right, the coffee is aged, not the beer. Modern Times claims that this is the first time a beer had been created with barrel aged coffee (that they know of). Modern Times knows two things really well, coffee, and beer. Pair them both together and the outcome is outstanding. The beer leads with a ton of sweetness, dark chocolate, coffee, malt, and milk with a heavy mouthfeel before finishing smooth with even more coffee, chocolate and sweetness. This beer is way easy to drink, and only leaves behind a slight bit of the coffee acidity and a bit of bourbon. The beer and cigar were a match made in heaven as they both carried almost identical flavor profiles. I’d also pair this cigar with a sweet, spice rum, bourbon, or Belgian quad.

The post Drew Estate Herrera Esteli Maduro TAA Exclusive appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Norteno is the first release from Drew Estate since Willy Herrera was named the Master Blender earlier this year. Willy has been working hard on creating a maduro blend using a Mexican San Andreas wrapper for some time now. When I was down at the Drew Estate Factory a few years back Willy actually handed me a test sample of a box-pressed Maduro he then just called “The Square”. Thinking back to this smoke, I wonder if it was an early version of the Norteno. The word “Norteno” refers to people in the Northern regions of Nicaragua where Esteli is located while the band features the national bird of Nicaraguan the Guardabarranco. The Norteno by Willy Herrera features a bold Mexican San Andreas Maduro wrapper, Spicy Honduran binder, and extensively aged tobaccos from the Jalapa and Esteli regions of Nicaragua. The Norteno by Willy Herrera comes in six box-pressed sizes, all boxed in quantities of 10: Coronita (4 x 46), Corona Extra (4.75 x 48), Bellicoso Fino (5 x 50), Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54), Toro (6 x 50), and the Lonsdale Deluxe (6.5 x 44) and range from $10 to $12 a cigar.

Size: 6.5 x 44
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Aged Esteli and Jalapa Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $11
Pairing: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (Imperial Stout 13.8% ABV)

Prelight

The Norteno by Willy Herrera is a toothy little creature. The wrapper is very hard, and very thick featuring a sandpaper-like texture throughout the entire body. The wrapper’s color is a deep, dark, consistent brown with only a few darker areas in the webbing of the tobacco leaf. The wrapper is laid seamlessly throughout the body of the cigar all the way up to the round, triple cap. As with all of the formats in the Norteno line, the Lonsdale Deluxe features a beautiful soft-box-pressed structure which I have always preferred due to a very comfortable mouth and hold feel. The Norteno is polished off with a deep mossy greet and ivory band featuring the national bird of Nicaragua as well as the word “Norteno” on the front, and “Herrera Esteli by Drew Estate” as well as a bit of information about the tobaccos use in the blend. The cigar itself is very firm and very tough. It gives almost nothing as I squeeze it between my fingers.

The wrapper on the Norteno gives off a bit of sweetness, coffee, and syrup while the foot of the cigar is very spicy with lots of pepper and natural tobacco aromas. The cap was incredibly easy to clip using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw is pretty potent posting flavor notes of syrup, chocolate, coffee, and a ton of spice.

First Third:

The Norteno by Willy Herrera starts out with a bang leading in with a whole mess of black pepper and spice. After a few puffs the pepper begins to subside and you can pick up great sweetness, spice, oak, berry, and a bit of tartness. Ever since Jeremy and I have had a conversation about the tartness found in most Mexican San Andreas wrapped cigars it’s always one of the first things I notice. The draw is remarkable and another reason why I love the soft box press. It takes no effort to get a huge mouthful of thick, white smoke. The burn line is slightly wavy leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white and medium gray ash which held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Norteno by Willy Herrera and the pepper has found it’s way out of the flavor profile. While the body is still in the medium/full range all the flavors have taken a step back as a creamed coffee has taken main stage. Backing the coffee is soft sweetness and cedar with a good amount of spice and chocolate with an oaky finish. The retrohale is awesome as it coats my nasal passage with lots of oak, spice, and sweetness. The burn line is still a bit wavy but I haven’t had to reach for my lighter yet. I am feeling zero in the nicotine department as I close out the second third of the Norteno by Willy Herrera.

Final Third:

Into the final third of Drew Estate’s Norteno by Willy Herrera and the flavor profile is much of the same as the second third. Lots of spice, creamed coffee, and oak with a bit of sweetness, syrup, and tart. There is also a bit of pine sneaking itself into the mix but it comes and goes. The burn is now burning perfectly and never once did I have to reach for my lighter for any touch ups or relights. The strength has remained medium the whole way through and I feel almost no nicotine as I close out the cigar. It took me a total of an hour and forty five minutes to take the Norteno down to the nub and I experience no harshness all the way through.

Overview:

The Drew Estate Norteno by Willy Herrera was one of this year’s most anticipated releases and with good reason. I honestly think that almost anything Drew Estate kicks out instantly becomes sought after, but it’s justified as they put a lot of time and effort into great blends and the Norteno is just another notch in the belt. Willy is kind of a badass and I’ve always been a big fan of his work. The Norteno is probably one of the more unique blends in his portfolio. The Norteno is complex, yet super balanced which is something Willy is known for. The flavors are very complimentary and enjoyable yet very bold in this blend. The price may be a bit steep but I personally wouldn’t mind paying the coin to include the Norteno in my daily rotation especially with the box count of 10 which makes it much easily to pull the trigger on. In comparison, the Norteno and Herrera Esteli are mountains apart. Each deliver a totally different experience so comparing the two would be an injustice.

Pairing:

One of the nations, possibly one of the word most sought after beers. I was lucky enough to grab quite a few boxes this black Friday of the 2014 release of Goose Island’s Bourbon County and I’m glad I got as much as I did. This is a beer I never see in our parts. I’ve had a few of the different varieties of this release over the last few years but 100% of those were acquired in trades so I was happy to see these on shelves locally for the first time. It’s with good reason that this limited release sells out so quickly. Aged in Bourbon Barrels this Imperial stout clocks in at a whopping 13.8% ABV. The beer is thick, almost syrupish and the mouthfeel is similar. Right away you’re hit with the bourbon and the booze as it starts to smooth out the spice, vanilla, sweetness and chocolate begin to creep in while it finishes boozy, and creamy with lots of bourbon and spice notes. The spice, chocolate, and syrup paired in beautiful with the Norteno by Willy Herrera while the bourbon and vanilla added a bit more dimension to a great flavor experience.

The post Drew Estate Norteno by Willy Herrera appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Big changes are in the works at Drew Estate Tobacco Company. Two weeks ago, an announcement was made of Nick Melillo’s departure from Drew Estate . Nick was responsible for tobacco purchasing, as well as blending. One week later, Willy Herrera was named Master Blender of the company. Since joining the DE team in 2011,Willy has only released one blend to-date, the Herrera Esteli. In December of 2013 news broke that a limited edition cigar was being released under the Herrera Esteli line in early 2014. After a few set backs, the Herrera Esteli Lancero – Edicion Limitada 2014 has finally arrived. And it has arrived with a bang.

This limited edition Herrera Esteli comes in a  7 1/2 by 38 lancero and produced at Drew Estate in Esteli, Nicaragua. One of my favorite sizes. Regular production vitolas of the Herrera Esteli include: Short Corona (5 1/4 by 46), Robusto Extra (5 1/2 by 52), Lonsdale (6 by 44), Piramide Fino (6 by 52), and Toro Especial (6 1/4 by 54).

The Facts

Samples Provided by Drew Estate
Price: $12
Vitola: Lancero
Size: 7 1/2  by 38
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 hour and 20 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

Everything about this cigar screams class – the look, the size, and both bands. The wrapper leaf is light brown in color. The seams are easily seen against the light colored leaf. A couple of green color imperfections are spotted. As I check for soft spots, the wrapper leaf feels delicate under my fingers.

I absolutely love the smell of the wrapper with its notes of warm, rich cedar and tobacco. It is the smell you get going into a walk in humidor. The foot has distinct notes of barnyard, along with cedar. Upon removing a small piece of the triple cap with my double guillotine cutter, rich notes of clove and cocoa present themselves on the cold draw.

First Third

The peppery spice is impressive right off the bat, warming my mouth and leaving a tingle in the back of the throat. As the cigar burns down through the first ¾ inch, some faint sweetness begins to show through. The cedar is also much more noticeable as the pepper has backed off a bit. The smoke texture is somewhat chewy.  After knocking the first ash off, the cigar is beginning to cone letting me know to slow it down. I forgot how fast a lancero can burn at my regular smoking rate.  The ash is white and the burn is even. The flavors are definitely full and I am already feeling some nicotine. I do not recall feeling any nicotine, especially so early on, in the other vitolas.

Middle Third

As I pull into the second third of this limited edition cigar, the smoke is creamy and the cedar and faint sweetness are still pulling through in the profile. The pepper is balancing nicely, but, if you are a spice fan, the retrohale continues to showoff the spice. A unique acidic quality, somewhat floral, somewhat perfume-like, is adding to the complexity of the Hererra Esteli Lancero . A small crack in the wrapper has formed right on the seam. It look like I’ll be able to burn past it with no issue.

Final Third
Sure enough, I was able to burn past the crack. The cigar was and is still performing beautifully. The draw is perfect, the smoke production is awesome, and flavors are full and engaging. The flavors have not developed much from the middle third except for some earth or leather notes that have joined the mix. Burning down to the final inch, the smoke remains mostly cool and the flavors pleasant.

Wrap-up

Willy Herrera far exceeded my expectation with the Herrera Esteli Lancero – Edicion Limitada 2014. This small ring gauge brought more body, fuller flavors, and a good amount of strength to the table. From start to finish, this stick was an absolute treat. A classic smoke well worth the $12 price tag. I look forward to the direction Willy Herrera will take Drew Estate Tobacco Company in regards to the expansion of their traditional lines. I am also excited to see where Nick Melillo will pop up in the industry.

The post Drew Estate – Herrera Esteli Lancero appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Drew Estate

Even with their 2013 releases (Nica Rustica and Kentucky Fire Cured) delayed, the Drew Estate table had no problem drawing the crowds, men and women alike, throughout the day.  With the No. 9, T52, Undercrown, Herrera Esteli, infused lines and Joya de Nicaragua products available, there was something for everyone. Fabian Ziegler, national sales director for Drew Estate, represented the company for their first appearance at Foxtoberfext.

Knowing it would be a full day of cigar smoking, I grabbed a Herrera Esteli to kick off the day.  The more I visit the Herrera Esteli the more I enjoy it. Tony mentioned to me that during his trip to Esteli earlier this year that he smoked a Herrera Esteli each morning. Something about the profile and the way it compliments a cup of Joe makes it a great morning stick.

It was a great event at a great location with lots of happy smokers.  I enjoy hanging and smoking with people who truly enjoy both the simpleness and complexity of a cigar. – Fabian Ziegler

 

J. Fuego Cigars

Jesus Fuego arrived at the event looking like he just finished a deep-sea fishing excursion. Whether on purpose or accident, his apparel was quite fitting since a box purchase of the Edicion de Familia could land you on a deep-sea fishing trip with Jesus. As Tony and I made our way around to Jesus’ table, he introduced us to his new Connoisseur line. My immediate reaction was to reach for the Original size but he insisted that we smoke the Gordo 5 by 60. He couldn’t have been more right. While still uncomfortable in the mouth, the cigar delivered in the flavor department. Unlike my past two experiences with the Connoisseur Originals, the Gordo did not become a dud at the halfway point.

As the end of the event drew near, I made my way back to the table to purchase a brick of the Sangre de Toro Originals as I did last year. Under $2 bucks a stick, I do not think there is a better deal on the market.

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars

Nish Patel attended Foxtoberfest in place of Rocky Patel this year. With a smile as bright as his head, Nish Patel lit up the event. One of the first cigar we were handed  was the Rocky Patel Royale. The Royale was one of several cigars released by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars this year and wears an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

As I mentioned in Post 1 of Foxtoberfest, Matt Booth really enjoyed his brief visit to El Paso. Well, Nish had only good things to say about El Paso as well and he will be making another appearance on November 6th at a local shop.

My Father Cigars

Everyone in attendance could agree that the true celebrity of Foxtoberfest was Sparky D’Lighter. Only making a few brief appearance during the event, we were able to capture a moment between Sparky and Jose Ortega. Along with being Sparky’s personal handler, Jose Ortega is the Vice President of Sales for My Father Cigars. You can follow Sparky D’Lighter’s adventures on Twitter, @SparkyDLighter.

Boutique Blends

Rafael Alejandro of Boutique Blends proudly displayed and promoted their Aging Room Maduro that was released at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show. Since its release, the AR Maduro has been making a lot of noise in social media and cigar review sites. After smoking the Aging Room Small Batch M356 back in February, I have been intrigued with Boutique Blends and keeping an eye out on their cigars.

Not being outdone by fellow manufacturers, Boutique Blends arrived at Foxtoberfest 2013 with a SWAG event exclusive cigar. Tony and I snagged a 5-pack of the SWAG exclusive and will be posting a review in the near future.

Ashton

I was introduced to Ashton’s La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva line at last year’s Foxtoberfest which I instantly fell in love with , so I was excited to be one of the first to get their  hands on the new San Cristobal Revelation by Ashton. Tony previewed the cigar before the event and had this to say:  “This new release features an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper, the same wrapper used on Ashton’s Virgin Sun Grown of ‘VSG’ Cigar only using a lower “viso” priming wrapped around Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar will come in 5 sizes, 3 of which are box-pressed and will carry a price point between $6.95 and $9.50 a cigar. This should be a regular production cigar and will come packaged in boxes of 24.”

262 Cigars

Clint Aaron made his second appearance at Foxtoberfest continuing to fight the good fight to bring lanceros back into fad. At the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, 262 Cigars unveiled the Revere Lancero which was available at the event. While I did not grab one, this is a cigar I plan on hunting down soon. Along with the Revere line, the Ideology and Paradigm lines were also available. I am not sure if Cliff Coen was trying to punish Clint or was just looking for a little entertainment, but he stuck Clint right next to Matt Booth for the 8 hour event. I am sure Clint is seeking psychological help after that.

The folks at Fox seem to one-up themselves with each and every Foxtoberfest. I was honored to be in attendance again this year. Matt Booth frightened me though. It is true what they say, “Don’t feed the animal. – Clint Aaron

With all that was taking place throughout the day, we didn’t have a chance to visit the Xikar or Oliva Cigar Company representatives.

Below is a gallery containing all photos we took at the event. I know it may be a bit of a cumbersome gallery so if you’d like to view them on Facebook instead (no account required) click here.

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The Good Stuff: The Herrera Esteli is created by the infamous Willy Herrera. This man was the force behind El Titan de Bronze until joining forces with the Drew Estate team recently. Here is what Steve Saka had to say about Willy and the blend:

Herrera Esteli is the brainchild of Willy Herrera, newest member of the Drew Estate team. Willy’s presence at Drew Estate is notable, as he brings an authentic Cuban influence to the team. Herrera Esteli is a medium plus blend with an exceptional amount of creaminess and great balance of spice and sweet. Herrera Esteli will be available in select retailers in 25ct Slide Lid Boxes. The brand will feature five sizes, including the Short Corona Gorda, Robusta Extra, Lonsdale Deluxe, Toro Especial, and Piramide Fino.

Saka speaks about Willy coming on board at Drew Estate:

“Unlike most companies, we have decided to take the slow and low approach to his joining our team. Basically, we stuck him in Nica for over a year at a bench and gave him the key to our tobacco and said: “Create a great cigar…” We gave him no boundaries or limits. Willy then spent f’ing forever working on this first blend… drove me a little crazy, made a lot of bad blends along the way, but I think we overwhelmed him a bit – I don’t think he was prepared to have so many tobaccos to blend from, rather daunting… our man Nicholas helped nudge him a little here and there and viola! Willy created something I consider great.

Along the journey, Willy has become a very competent handmade cigar bunchero and rolero – so over this next year you will begin to see him in stores personally handrolling his own and other blends. Check him out when he is in a store near you! Ask him tons of questions while you’re at it!”

I got a chance to meet Willy in Nicaragua last year and he actually let us sample a few of the prototypes for this blend. I don’t know how close they were to the final release, but Jonathan Drew made mention to us that Willy was tearing through prototype blends like there was no tomorrow. That’s how meticulous this man is and that there was a good chance we smoked wasn’t near the final product. The Herrera Esteli should start hitting shelves any day now. The blend will come in 5 sizes: Short Corona (5 ¼ x 46), Robusto Extra (5 ½ x 52), Lonsdale (6 x 44), Toro Especial (6 ¼ 54), and the Piramide Fino (6 x 52). The will come in boxes of 25 and will range from $7.95 to $10.45 a cigar. I have had the pleasure of smoking the Short Corona, Robusto, and the Toro.

Size: 6 ¼ x 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $9.35
Pairing: Sixpoint Brownstone (American Brown Ale 6% ABV)

Prelight: The Herrera Esteli starts off with one of the most beautifully consistent wrappers I have ever seen. Silky smooth, oily as hell, and a perfect light yellowish brown from foot to cap. The Herrera Esteli screams of Herrera’s Cuban heritage from the meticulous construction, flawless choice of wrapper, round triple cap, and design on the band. I am a sucker for minimalistic band designs (and maximum design, it’s that area in between that does nothing for me) and this cigar pulls it off perfectly. The band mimic’s old Cuban style band designs with a simple white band, with gold embossed flourishes and red text. The front reads: “Herrera Esteli – Imported from Nicaragua” in big, bold text with some additional disclaimers on the side informing the consumer of the highest grade tobacco used in the blend, created at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate by hand. The Herrera Esteli is a beefy cigar with a lot of weight to it. It’s extremely firm with no soft spots, but I can feel how thin and delicate the wrapper is as I worked around the cigar. The wrapper sports only minor, seamless, thin veins running the length of the cigar.

The wrapper on the Herrera Esteli gives off a very sweet aroma mixed with some mild cedar while the foot of the cigar gives off nothing more than a subtle tobacco scent. I really had to dig deep to really get any type of aroma off the cigar. The cap cut clean and like butter using my double bladed Palio cutter. Right off the bet I am greeted with a ton of spice and cedar. I wasn’t expecting the amount of flavor produced by the cold draw considering how tame the aroma of the blend was.

First Smoke: The cigar starts out with a nice little black pepper bit that I wasn’t really expecting.  Shortly after the cigar blasted me with strong spice, cedar, and what almost tastes like black tea. The draw on this bad boy is perfect. Seriously, every little puff just fills my mouth with this linger, thick, white smoke. This is the construction that Willy has been known for in full effect. The burnline on the cigar is rather thick and it’s producing a few early, minor waves that don’t really concern me too much. The ash is a beautiful this, compacted white with light grey spots. It held on for about an inch and a half before giving way. The ash fell onto the floor literally a split second before this picture was taken. Sorry, but I wasn’t able to capture the first ash. Stupid wind..

Halfway There: The spice continues to be the dominant flavor in this Herrera Esteli. It’s crazy, I have had a handful of these all in different sizes but this Toro has to have the most pronounced flavor out of each of the formats I have smoked. Outside of the spice the black tea is still going strong with some slight vanilla, sweet tobacco, and soft cedar with just a bit of lemon. The retrohale on this cigar is shockingly good. Despite the soft cedar in the smoking experience the cedar is crazy strong on the retrohale along with a bit of the black pepper. The burnline has corrected itself for the most part and I am feeling a slight nicotine kick from the cigar already.

Finish: That spice is just killing it in this cigar. It’s still rocking while the cedar has ramped up, the black pepper finally faded out, the vanilla and tea are gone and have been replaced with a heavily creamed coffee flavor. This is one of the smoothest, creamiest experiences I have had in a long time. It’s interesting that a cigar with a bit more strength can be so smooth. Good work Willy. The burnline finished a bit wavy but I never had to touch up or relight the cigar the entire time. I did feel a nice little nicotine kick from this cigar once I laid the nub to rest. One note on this cigar is how slow it burns. It actually took me almost 2 hours to smoke this cigar down to the nub. The entire process was very, very creamy and smooth. It reminded me of the feeling you get while drinking a full glass of milk.

Overview: The first time I smoked this cigar I wasn’t overly impressed. Each time I smoked it afterwards I liked it more and more. Now that I have smoked this Toro I can honestly say that not only is it my favorite size in the line-up, but it completely changed how I feel about this cigar. You can really taste the blend and the increase in body and strength. This is a damn good cigar. And although it has the makings of a great “Mild, in the morning with my coffee” cigar, the extra body will make me consider this cigar a regular rotation blend. It’s smooth enough to enjoy any time of the day, but has all the makings of a cigar that you could enjoy in place of your hefty, after dinner smoke. I’m really interested to see what Willy has in store for the upcoming year. I think that Drew Estate scored a gem here. I’ve always been a fan of his work and Drew Estate needed the character that Willy’s blends bring to the table.

Pairing: I posted on my twitter page yesterday that I have been a Sixpoint fan boy as of late. Every brew that I have had by the company has been remarkable. They make one of the only IPAs (Resin) on the market that I could truly see myself enjoying everyday. I decided to pair this Herrera Esteli with Sixpoint’s staple brew, the Brownstone. When I was thinking about a pair for the cigar I remember just how smooth and creamy this cigar was, and the Brownstown is probably one of the creamiest beers I have had in a long time that shares a lot of common characteristics with the blend. The Brownstone is an American Style Brown Ale that comes in at 6% ABV. The beer starts off with an almost milky texture (much like Guinness) and finishes with a creamy mixture of malty, barley goodness. You will pick up a lot of subtle spices and a nice mild hoppyness from the brew which actually helped me pull that lemon flavor out of the cigar.

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