The first thing I can say about this brand is that it is still one of the most underappreciated mild to mellow bodied cigars available. It’s four country blend is smooth, balanced and pleasantly tasting with a wonderful aroma from it’s large volume of smoke. They draw great and are made well to boot!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Colombian-Dominican-Honduran
Binder – Honduran
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Connecticut
EP Carrillo’s Inch series was specifically designed for smokers that prefer larger ring sizes. As each edition’s blend was formulated, the level of strength and overall character changed. The Ecuadorian Colorado wrapper encasing this stick results in an earthy tasting full bodied, fairly strong smoke not found in it’s Natural and Maduro counterparts.
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Habano
In the six years since this edition was released, it’s gained more and more fans. After a slow start this stick was just rated 92 and achieved a top 25 cigar status in 2020. This was no surprise to those of us that have been enjoying it over the years. Unlike many of the company’s stronger entries, this stick is medium bodied and very user friendly. With the just the right amount of sweetness, tobacco taste, slight spice and strength, many new smokers found a favorite. Pick your favorite size and grab a five pack. This is thoroughly enjoyable smoking experience!
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Corojo
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Habano
Just in case you didn’t know, Undercrown is made in the image of the coveted limited production Liga Privada line from Drew Estate. The company describes it as follows. “Incorporating many of the same rare tobaccos of different vintages and primings, this cigar is no mere replacement.”
Those smokers that felt the Undercrown maduro was a bit too strong will absolutely love this Shade edition. The most compelling evidence is the great reviews. Halfwheel @ 90. Blind Man’s Puff @ 93 and Stogie Press @ an astounding 95! And this is just a few! One taster says it best.“Want a smoke that’ll blow your pants off with delicious medium bodied notes of vanilla wafers and pancakes, pick this one up now!” What more would you like to know? This Undercrown is another winner for sure.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Blender: Willy Herrera
The Maduro and Sun Grown versions offer more medium to full bodied flavor and are equally wonderful!
La Vieja Habana Corojo is another one of Drew Estate’s masterpieces that are totally affordable for everyone to enjoy!
Believe it or not, La Vieja Habana was Drew Estate’s first brand! Handmade from the quality leaf left over from the manufacture of Drew Estate’s premium cigar brands, the La Vieja Habana is an exceptional smoking value. This tripa mezclado cigar consistently delivers a great flavor with an excellent draw and burn.
This cigar combines a beautiful Cuban Corojo wrapper with filler tobaccos from Estelí and the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua. Like the other styles, it is a mixed filler cigar with a premium wrapper. Medium bodied with lots of flavors, it has an earthy taste with hints of spice and a pleasant aroma.
But Beware! Due to the popularity of these these cigars, they are in and out of stock frequently. So if you’re looking for an affordable, hand made smoke that can be enjoyed everyday, pick one we have and enjoy!
Check out the other styles of La Vieja Habana available on The Cigar Thief HERE
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Cuban Corojo Seed
Isla Del Sol is another masterpiece from Drew Estate. This hand made Nicaraguan and Sumatran beauty is priced literally so everyone can enjoy them. You’ll notice a bit of sweetness when your tongue touches the cap and a hit of infused coffee/cocoa beans throughout. Depending on your taste this cigar steers toward the mild to slightly medium spectrum.
One thing that will not disappoint is the fine construction and aromatic smoke production, the latter of which Drew Estate has definitely mastered. These totally affordable well made cigars are smartly packaged and adorned with tobacco leaves inside.
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper – Sun Grown Sumatra
Factory Smokes Sungrown is one of four of Drew Estate’s entries into the ever growing handmade Budget-Value category for all of us to enjoy for under $2 a stick!
With attention to detail, all Factory Smokes are made by hand. The big difference is the tobacco inside is made up of mixed fillers available at the factory. To put it another way, these leaves are the same crop used in their premiums! And on top of this, Factory smokes were created by Master Blenders Willie Herrera and Jonathon Drew himself!
A point often overlooked is that bundled cigars are rarely review and rated. But it’s no surprise that many critics were duly impressed. With this in mind, here’s what some had to say about Factory Smokes Sungrown:
Smooth burn/Clean finish/Notes of cedar and spice/Good draw/No sour or bitter tastes/Great taste/
Notes of cream, natural tobacco, and sweet woodsy nuances
You be the judge. But without a doubt, these cigars are worth more than their price for sure!
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Sungrown
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Indonesia
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Blenders: Willy Herrera, Jonathan Drew
This is a strong, robust, full bodied, Cuban style cigar. Buckle Up!
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98
Ferio Tego Metropolitan Selection Habano is one of a collection of 5 different blends. And this one is considered the best of the bunch.
With attention to detail, the dark Habano wrapper encases selected Nicaraguan longleaf fillers and binder. When this Nicaraguan puro edition was launched in 2017, it got serious notice as the Gordo size garnered a 91 rating. Venturing out of the mild to mellow flavor zone, this cigar goes directly into the solid medium plus to full body realm. What catches everyone by surprise is that the Metropolitan Selection Habano possesses a signature Cuban style thats also tempered with smoothness. The bonus is a perfect draw giving way to a huge volume of aromatic smoke as well.
Just so you know, these cigars are in and out of stock quickly. Stay connected with us to see when more come in.
See all the Ferio Tego cigars available on The Cigar Thief HERE
Kristoff produces an extensive line of highly rated cigars. What sets their Connecticut aside from other top quality mild tasting cigars is that the four different Dominican leaves making up the filler actually gives this smoke a full flavored mild taste! Hard to explain I guess. Yes, it’s mild but it’s smoothness is unmatched.
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Connecticut
Factory Smokes Shade is one of four of Drew Estate’s entries into the ever growing handmade Budget-Value category for all of us to enjoy for under $2 a stick! Jonathan Drew’s creation of Drew Estate started a revolution of amazing cigars. From Acid to Liga Privada , Undercrown and beyond. No matter which Premium or Super Premium brand he produced we knew one thing, we got what we paid for.
This Shade entry offers those of us that enjoy smooth tasting mild to medium bodied cigars an everyday choice. Blind Man’s Puff gave this cigar a 90 rating! And on top of this, Factory smokes were created by Master Blenders Willie Herrera and Jonathon Drew himself! What more do you need to know?
Check out the other three blends on Factory Smoke available on The Cigar Thief HERE
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Indonesia
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Blenders: Willy Herrera, Jonathan Drew
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo (5th Priming)
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Honduran Corojo | Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Factory: Diadema Cigars de Honduras, S.A. (Honduras)
Without doubt, Montecristo Espada is one of this iconic company’s best cigars ever!
The Spanish lesson for today is: Espada means sword. When the Espada appeared garnering a 92 rating and becoming one of the top 25 cigars of the year we all knew it was worth the price. What must be remembered is Espada is made in Nicaragua at Plasencia Cigars and is a collaboration between Plasencia and the Altadis blending team, Grupo de Maestros.
With attention to detail, the very rare wrapper from 2010 encases vintage Nicaraguan filler and binder tobacco from three prized growing regions. In fact, the filler and binder leaves are even older! The result is a medium bodied purebred with an interesting combination of sweetness and spice thats creamy and balanced. Cigar Aficionado describes this amazing smoke perfectly. “An exceptional smoke offering the spice of a gingersnap with touches of cinnamon that build to a sweet, spicy finish.”
It’s no surprise Espada has been pleasing cigar smokers for almost a decade and is still going strong.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano (Jalapa) Vintage 2010
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano (Jalapa) Vintage 2009
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano (Jalapa) Seco Vintage 2008, Nicaraguan Habano (Jalapa) Viso Ometepe Vintage 2008, Nicaraguan Habano (Condega) Ligero Vintage 2008
This is probably one of the best full bodied cigars you’ve never heard of. This 90 rated stick has been flying under the radar for over six years. What sets this Nicaraguan puro aside from many others is the characteristic of its blend, Soon after lighting up it hits you with a robust burst of flavor that begins to settle down with a bit of sweetness as you move along then ramps back up again. This is a very very flavorful cigar with a great aroma.
Origin – Nicaraguan
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Nicaraguan
When Altadis, the cigar giant thats brings us Monte Cristo, Romeo and Upmann….to name a few decided to create a value priced entry they didn’t take any shortcuts. These handmade sticks use Dominican tobaccos across the board with a bit of Honduran binder giving it a mild to medium bodied taste that’s smooth and mellow. The Connecticut Shade dark Maduro wrapper is a rarity in the budget friendly category. It gives this particular cigar a more robust taste without increasing its overall strength Enjoy!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican-Honduran
Binder – Connecticut Broadleaf
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Broadleaf
This edition is yet another accomplishment of Casa Fernandez’s unique ability to continue crafting intricate blends appealing to every smokers desires and specific taste preferences. This Maduro is medium to full bodied and loaded with rich flavors of espresso, cocoa and light pepper. There’s also a bit of a cherry like sweetness throughout as well, if you can believe it!
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Aganorsa
Filler: Nicaraguan Aganorsa
La Opulencia received a 95-rating and was named the #2 Cigar of 2018. Make no mistake, this box pressed beauty is a full bodied smoke. However, it’s unusually creamy and smooth along the way without harshness.
Origin – Nicaragua
Fillers – Nicaraguan [Cuban seed tobaccos grown by the Garcia family]
Binders – Nicaraguan [one Corojo and one Criollo]
Wrapper Type – San Andres Oscuro
Tabak Especial Dulce the original coffee infused premium cigar. The underlying taste of roasted coffee beans combined with a unique blend of tobacco produces a very enjoyable medium bodied smoke. Needless to say, it’s great with a cup of espresso! Enjoy!
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Broadleaf
*These items cannot be shipped to Massachusetts state addresses
When you have a chance, click on the “Ask Richie” icon on the upper part of the screen and read my “Bundles of Joy” submission. You’ll then understand how important the valued priced bundle category has been to both cigar makers and lovers.
This edition is one of the best medium bodied smokes available for the price. It’s well made with a great draw yielding a smooth, satisfying smoking experience across the board.
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican
Binder – Connecticut
Wrapper Type – Cameroon
I have to admit that the rarely made Short Torpedo size is one of my go to cigars.
A year after the Synchro line arrived, Davidoff wrapped the unique blend of fillers and binder with a Habano 2000 wrapper ramping up its predecessors medium bodied taste to the medium-full bodied scale. If you enjoy the the first Synchro, the Fogata gives you more!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican-Nicaraguan
Binder – Mexican
Wrapper Type – Habana 2000
This edition is yet another accomplishment of Casa Fernandez’s unique ability to continue crafting intricate blends appealing to every smokers desires and specific taste preferences.
This beautifully made medium to slightly full bodied cigar delivers lots of aromatic smoke and a mouthful of intense spice, espresso, and even more peppery flavors. Oddly enough, there’s a pleasant sweetness towards the finish. Like spice? This is the one!
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Aganorsa Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Don’t be afraid of the dark! This edition is probably one of the best examples of why Ernesto Carrillo is the Master Blender he is.
Achieving a 92 rating and placing in the top 25 cigars of 2017 was well deserved. This super slow burning edition is jammed pack with tobacco and yields a smooth, creamy and slightly sweet medium to full bodied flavor that is balanced and can be enjoyed by everyone.
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Nicaragua
Binder – Ecuadorian
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Broadleaf
You enjoy smooth and creamy, mild to medium bodied cigars and want to see why everyone loves Ernesto Carrillo. Bingo! You found it! This sticks great aroma and ample draw will allow you to experience a refined, balanced and slightly sweet tobacco taste that has become one of this Master Blenders great offerings to many smokers with taste preferences like you!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Connecticut
