Distinguishedruffian_Mitch

Nica Rustica Adobe Announced From Drew Estate
Drew Estate Nica Rustica Adobe

Drew Estate has revealed the secret identity of the mystery cigar inside its latest Freestyle Live Event Pack … the all-new Nica Rustica Adobe, the second expression in Drew Estate’s value-priced Nica Rustica line. Nica Rustica Adobe’s introduction happened during last night’s “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast, which aired from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern on the company’s Facebook Live page (facebook.com/drewestatecigar) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/drewestatecigar).

The Nica Rustica brand is Drew Estate’s homage and tribute to Estelí, Nicaragua, home to La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. The soul of the lively romantic barrios of Estelí, adorned with their colorful colonial houses, magically comes to life in Nica Rustica Adobe, which will be available in three sizes: Toro (6 x 52), Robusto (5 x 54) and Gordo (6 x 60). While retaining many of the same characteristics as the Connecticut Broadleaf expression, Nica Rustica Adobe is the spicier version, using a Habano wrapper, Brazilian binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa. Unpolished and unrefined, Nica Rustica Adobe is a medium- to full-bodied cigar that offers load of spice with a bold and very long finish … the perfect companion for adventurous cigar buffs.

Nica Rustica Adobe will be available in 25-count boxes that feature colorful original artwork by Subculture Studios’ Richard “Dog” Diaz, who captures the rugged, robust and rustic essence of Estelí. Diaz’s romantic vision of Estelí also incorporates the city’s official symbol and proud emblem, El Brujito, a petroglyph of a native shaman carved some 6,000 years ago onto a rock on a mountain near Estelí.

“Nica Rustica Adobe is a proud and no-nonsense cigar that represents our strong bond between La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate and its beautiful Nicaraguan home, where the mountains meet the sun,” says Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate. “We are united as one with the proud Estelíanos who work in and run our factory … and who bring the Drew Estate story to life every day around the world. From our house to your humidor, Nica Rustica Adobe is an audacious Habano experience that everyone at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate is excited for you to try.”

Nica Rustica Adobe provides excellent value for premium cigar smokers, from beginners to aficionados. Toro has an MSRP of $143.93/box or $5.76/cigar; Robusto’s MSRP is $129.93/box or $5.20/cigar; and Gordo has an MSRP of $161.93/box or $6.48/cigar. Guests at tonight’s DE25 Exclusive Pre-Party will be the first to experience Nica Rustica Adobe cigars.

Nica Rustica Adobe will also be featured during a two-day Drew Estate event at The Humidour Cigar Shoppe. Jonathan Drew kicks off the extravaganza with a marquee virtual event on Thursday, May 19, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The next day, La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate Factory Spokesman, Pedro Gomez, will host an in-person event at The Humidour Cigar Shoppe from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with deals on all Drew Estate products available throughout the day. Contact The Humidour Cigar Shoppe at 410-666-3212 or visit humidour.com for more information about these events.

Nica Rustica Adobe will be available for regular distribution to all retailers beginning in August.

The Raji From Smoke Inn & Drew Estate
Drew Estate The Raji

2021 marked the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the first Smoke Inn premium cigar store, and on Friday 05/06/22 Drew Estate and Smoke Inn’s owner, Abe Dababneh, celebrated the landmark achievement with the launch of a special cigar that not only commemorates Smoke Inn’s historic birthday but also honors Abe’s father and mentor, Raji Dababneh. This cigar was blended by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera and produced at El Titan De Bronze, the Little Havana boutique cigar factory that’s owned by Herrera’s family and where all Herrera Estelí Miami cigars are made. While the top band is visually the same as the Miami release it is a completely new blend and something Willy says is unlike anything else he has blended. Also every Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary Raji cigar (yeah I know, it’s a mouthful, deal with it) features a commemorative band around its foot. I was fortunate enough to make it to the event and pick up a couple of boxes so you know a review had to happen, so let’s get into this thing.

The wrapper is the color of dark roasted coffee beans with a fair amount of mottling, some noticeable veins running along the body and a soft powder coat finish. The cigar was firm to the touch but a bit bumpy giving it an overall rustic appearance. The odor from the body is cedar, barnyard and hay. From the foot the hay really stays out and notes of sweet tobacco. The cap cuts easily causing no damage to the body. The cold draw is a little on the firm side but not tight, I get flavors of Licorice, heavy cream some bread and a hint of spice. After all the preliminary things it is time to light this thing.

Straight away the cigar starts off with the taste of well seasoned meat with a nice briny flavor that gets your salivation going when you press your young to the roof of your mouth and a pepper finish that lingers. Smoke production is ample and has a medium weight mouth feel. On the retrohale I notice more of the pepper and a sneaky sweetness hiding.

Moving into the second third of this cigar the meatiness is still present with the spices picking up a bit and the flavor of well aged tobacco that has a slightly sweet floral taste. The burn stays even with no need for touch ups and the smoke continues to billow out leaving a lovely aroma in the room.

In the final third, which is almost always my favorite, the flavor really picks up. At this point the cigar basically becomes a meal with a taste you can nearly chew on. The meat flavor becomes dense and is akin to eating a steak that was prepared just right and finishing with a rich spiciness. The burn line stays even for the duration and the smoke production was like a freight train.

This ended up being a phenomenal cigar that I took down to a nub I really can’t say enough good things. It finished out to a medium/medium full flavor that stayed with me for while after smoking that kept reminding me how good the cigar was. It would pair well with just about anything but my suggestion for a non-alcoholic drink would be a black tea and for booze definitely a nice bourbon on the rocks or bring out the subtle sweetness in the cigar with an old fashioned. If you’re not in Florida to pick one up in person they will be available on Smoke Inn’s website while supplies last and with how good these are they won’t last long. In fact I’m going there now to pick up another box.

FOOT NOTE: The Herrera Estelí Miami Smoke Inn 25th Anniversary The Raji cigars are packaged in 10-count boxes that are adorned with the Smoke Inn logo. Ramping up the celebration and honoring Raji Dababneh even more, Raji’s signature is emblazoned on the bottom of every box. Along with a commemorative Raji ashtray every box purchased between now and the end of August (if stock holds out that long) will give you an automatic entry into the Smoke Inn/Drew Estate Little Havana Weekend Drawing that will be done on September 14th. (The trip time will be determined in October.) Winners will experience a celebratory Dinner Thursday Night Near Smoke Inn’s Headquarters in Boynton Beach. Friday the group will depart to Little Havana where we will tour the legendary El Titan de Bronze Factory where the Raji Cigar was made along with other Little Havana Sites, Plus a Special DE Experience. Lunch and dinner will be provided. The experience will end with a Saturday Morning Special LIVE broadcast of KMA Radio from Smoke Inn HQ with a specially catered Brunch. If you’re not in Florida to pick one up in person they will be available on Smoke Inn’s website while supplies last and with how good these are they won’t last long. In fact I’m going there now to pick up another box.

Wrapper –  Mexican San Andrés

Binder – Nicaraguan

Filler – Nicaragua /Dominican Republic

Website: www.Smokeinn.com

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 pints.

  • Mitch Rockwell AKA El Prez is the founder of Distinguished Ruffian. While starting out as a chef at a young age he was introduced to cigars while cooking for various people. He left that industry and became a Licensed Optician and Hearing Instrument Specialist but, cigars and cooking are his real passion.

Kintsugi by Alec Bradley Cigars
Kintsugi Alec Bradley

Now here is a cigar that is super interesting; the name alone “Kintsugi” is pretty remarkable on its own when it comes to naming a cigar. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold – a metaphor for embracing your flaws and imperfections. Kintsugi teaches you that your broken pieces make you stronger and better than ever before. When you think you are broken you can pick up the pieces, put them back together, and lean to embrace the cracks. 

I can certainly express one thing, I embraced every puff and draw during this tasting of “Kintsugi”. Kintsugi is an elegant, multifaceted medium bodied cigar created by Alec and Bradley Rubin. They had created this cigar to pay homage to the ancient Japanese art form which in turn joins pieces of ceramics back together with gold lacquer-making them even more beautiful. Cigars, like the gold lacquer, are a bonding agent-bringing people from all walks of life together. With a Honduran Habano Wrapper and Honduran/Nicaraguan binders & fillers, being produced at the Raices Cubanas factory in Danli, Honduras, “Kintsugi” certainly was created to celebrate camaraderie! 

Being that the two brothers (Alec & Bradley) grew up in the cigar industry and under the guidance of their father (Alan Ruben), they have learned to appreciate the tradition of cigars (the history, the blending, the agriculture, the social significance) their very first release back in 2018 was the “Blind Faith”. Then in 2019 their second release was the “Gatekeeper” and of course their third release in 2020 was none other than the “Kintsugi”. That’s enough history let’s get into my review of this wonderful cigar. 

Before lighting up, I took a few moments with some dry pulls. My immediate sense of taste went to milk chocolate, cardamom, toasted cashew, and a very light essence of sweet cream. In my opinion, my palate was pleased and my glands started to salivate before lighting up. Let’s see what the next step has in store. 

Upon Lighting up, some floral notes hit me with a hint of white pepper, a swirl of milk chocolate and believe it or not, because I have not thought of this particular snack in quite some time but I’m sure you have heard of or at least tried, Asian snack mix? (You know that Asian version of our Chex mix except it has that sugary glaze on them on peas in that mix.) Well, if you’ve tried them then you know you get that toasted, grainy, sweetness that makes you want more. At least for me anyway, I always want more. Now if you have not tried that type of mix, as I described, it has a toasted grain with some sweetness. It’s such a unique taste that A: you should definitely try some and B: I’m wondering if having that snack mix to snack on while smoking this cigar would enhance. Hmm… maybe next time I’ll try that. Anyway, onward to the first third of this cigar. 

Carob Chips come to mind. Another flavor profile I have not thought of in awhile. What are Carob Chips you ask? Carob Chips are from a sweet pulp that is dried, roasted, and then ground into a powder. Carob is less bitter than chocolate AND is not made with added sugar but while I continue to smoke the first third there is some sweetness with a hint of cedar creeping through. 

Continuing on down to the second third of “Kintsugi” most of the profiles are remaining present. Although, some new flavor profiles joined the palate party; picking up some woodsy earthiness along with a subtle hint of saffron. Maybe it’s the floral note that remained present is why I tasted saffron. The toasted notes continued to please my palate but it certainly transits from cashew, to almonds, to that Asian snack mix. 

Reaching the last third of the cigar the richness of everything came through and then some; notes of coffee, salted dark chocolate, cedar and leather, all of which had that sweetness to keep the glands salivating. Overall, this is a very good cigar. In my opinion I’m giving it a 4.3 out of 5. Now, I’m partial and enjoy smoking Honduran tobacco so this rating maybe higher than what you would rate it as. With that said, “Kintsugi” comes in four different sizes for you to try: Corona Gorda (5-5/8 x 46), Robusto (5×50), Toro (6×52), and Gordo (6×60). 

If you enjoy Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco then there is a good chance you will enjoy this cigar. Most certainly this cigar is moderately priced ranging from $7.40-$10 (depending on what state you are in prices may vary) so only one last thing to do. Go and purchase one for yourself and give it a try!

Wrapper –  Honduran Habano

Binder – Honduran/Nicaraguan

Filler – Honduran/Nicaraguan

Website: www.alecbradley.com

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 pints.