"Overall, this was an excellent cigar. It started off a little rough, but the rough patch only lasted for just a moment. Shortly after a few draws, everything transitioned into a much smoother and more flavorful cigar, so don’t let the first few puffs fool you. It does have a little nicotine punch, so maybe not for someone too sensitive to nicotine. The dominating flavors of Coco, baking spice, and cedar along with the leather kicking in towards the end, made for an overall enjoyable experience. I did find that although the smoke was smooth during the second and final third, it did dry out my mouth a little bit, so you would want to have something on hand to drink while smoking this cigar. I would definitely recommend this to individuals with a more robust pallet and would definitely smoke this again. " -Angel M. (Angel)
"I enjoyed this cigar and look forward to seeing what it is so I can smoke it again. Though the opening black coffee flavor was almost too bitter for me, it transitioned into a smooth and spicy blend. By the final puffs that were very much reminiscent of Mexican chocolate, I hated having to finally put it down. " -Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
"This was a cigar that offered up some good notes of salted nuts, warm baking spices, and the tartness of plums. It also hit a high note of pepper towards the end that hit with just the right amount of pop. While the notes were strong enough and moderately complex, the construction issues really took away from the experience. With all of this being said, I could see checking these out with a couple singles and see if it hits within your wheelhouse." -Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
"This cigar was very enjoyable IF you take your time. Because of the looser draw, some cadence is required so it didn’t overheat and throw off flavors into the mix. Overall, the wonderful first and second third with a medium-bodied profile with various leather, earth, and peppery tobacco flavors as well as a myriad of other nuances that showed up. Getting into the last third was a bit difficult for me as this cigar started to turn full body mode and required a bit of constitution to finish. If you’re looking for some delicious excitement with a slap your mama in the face ending, this cigar might be just for you!" -John A. (Bostoneo)
"The beginning notes of vanilla, raisin, roasted coffee, and leather and how it transitioned from the first to the second third really kept my interest. Packed full of flavors. The burn and draw were perfections. This is a cigar I would definitely try again and recommend to any cigar Smoker. Very well done overall. " -Kevin J. (maninblack77)
"Overall, a very good cigar. With enjoyable flavors of cedar, cinnamon, and leather along with a pepper background. there was a small nicotine buzz that kicked in towards the end but nothing I couldn’t handle. The texture of the smoke was fairly smooth and the temperature was between warm and cool. I would definitely recommend this and put this in my rotation." -Angel M. (Angel)
"Overall, a great cigar. Plenty of smoke and enjoyable flavors. Although the flavor transitions were not super complex, the flavors of leather, cedar, and the later presence of sweetness made for an overall pleasurable experience. The temperature from the smoke was fairly cool and I was able to take this one all the way down to a nub and never really picked up any harshness. I will definitely smoke this cigar again." -Angel M. (Angel)
"This was a intense flavorful smoke with a ton of smoke output during the whole time smoking it. The flavors were a really nice sweet cedar flavor with some red pepper spice on the tongue like red pepper flake on a pizza. The retrohale was intense black pepper then fade some then picked back up at the end." -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
During their latest “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast, Drew Estate, joined by James Hetfield of Metallica and Rob Dietrich of BLACKENED American Whiskey, revealed that the mystery cigar in their latest Freestyle Live Event Packs was the all-new BLACKENED Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate.
"This was a winner from beginning to end. An abundance of flavors ranging from chocolate and cocoa to nutmeg and leather. Strength was medium throughout but not mild. I would definitely smoke this cigar again. And I would recommend this to anyone wanting to rethink lanceros. Extraordinary smoke." -Kevin J. (maninblack77)