Drew Estate Blackened S84 Toro – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Drew Estate and Blackened are back with another collaboration, this time with the S84 “Shade to Black.” If you were a fan of the Blackened M81 that shook things up in 2022 with its bold, maduro-heavy profile, the S84 is like the next evolution—keeping the intensity but with a twist.

The S84 stays true to its roots with a mix of Nicaraguan Maduro and Pennsylvania Broadleaf fillers, all held together by a Connecticut Broadleaf binder. But this time, the blend is wrapped in a lighter, more refined Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade leaf, offering a new dimension to the Blackened lineup.

This cigar comes from the minds of a power trio: James Hetfield of Metallica, Rob Dietrich, the master distiller behind Blackened Whiskey, and Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate. It first hit the scene in a mysterious Freestyle Live pack, leaving fans guessing before the official release. The name “S84” pays homage to Metallica’s 1984 album Ride The Lightning, with the shade wrapper adding a nod to the iconic track “Fade to Black.”

Prices range from $10-$12 throughout all the sizes of the range, and they are of course rolled at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: USA, Nicaragua
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Blender: Willy Herrera
Number of reviewers: 4 – Angel M. (Angel) Chris M. (Chris) Alan (Eulogy) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Price: $10.50
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: March 2024
Contributed by: Drew Estate Cigars

Initial Impressions – Drew Estate Blackened S84 Toro

Appearance: 95

“I really like the look of the cigar with a very generous triple cap, tight seams, and golden hay wrapper. The wrapper is so light that there are some odd bunching that would be far less noticeable with a darker hue.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Aroma: 94

“On the wrapper of this cigar, I pick up tons of musty hay, a small amount of vanilla and some baking spice. On the foot of the cigar, there is a lot of sweet tobacco, baking spice and cedar smell coming through.” –Angel M. (Angel)

First Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“The draw is wide open and the flavors are dense. Dry notes of tobacco, cedar, baking spice, and red pepper coat the mouth with a lot of nicotine.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“Honey and hay are the first flavors that greet me. Light cream, slight citrus and a non-distinct spice add in beneath those. The cream develops into a cashew butter note getting deeper into this third. A solidly sweet start to this smoke.” –Chris M. (Chris)

Second Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“Going into the second third, the white pepper has definitely diminished and has dropped to the background. The roasted nut has also dropped to the background and the cigar is pretty much dominated by Cedar, and some vanilla. Smoke has smooth out a bit, but still remains a bit warm.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“Hay, honey and citrus are currently at the forefront. Creamy cashew butter and a slightly dry earth at a moderate level. I’m still getting the mildest amount of spice, just through the finish. It does pick up slightly nearing the midpoint, almost a jalapeño heat, without the flavor. The slight dip in sweetness throughout this third detracts from the experience a little.” –Chris M. (Chris)

Final Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“In the final third, the white pepper came screaming back in to the forefront and the cedar, vanilla, which still remained dropped to the back. The smoke did dry out some more, but still was fairly enjoyable.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“The final portion of the cigar has lost much of its pepper punch and became much milder with the primary flavors being herbal tea with a grassy finish. While I am enjoying the flavors, I would’ve loved if the habanero had returned along with that peach that I got in the beginning.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Overall Impressions – Drew Estate Blackened S84 Toro

Draw: 93

“After taking a sliver off the top, I get a nice, slightly firm draw. It stays about the same after light up. I’m getting pretty solid smoke of a single puff.” –Chris M. (Chris)

Burn: 97

“I was super impressed with the burn because of how loose the draw was. It burned razor sharp the entire time and I never needed to do any touch ups.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Construction: 93

“The body was solid to the touch prelight, seams were very tight, and the triple cap was huge. It looked very well made but the wrapper looked a little stretched because of how light the wrapper was.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Overall Strength: Mild-Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Light-Medium
Experience Overall: 90

“Overall, this was an enjoyable cigar, definitely on the mild side with a good amount of white pepper and some interesting transitions. There was a little bit of bitterness that kicked in towards the end of the cigar, but nothing offputting. With this type of cigar, I would recommend it to somebody with a pallet for mild flavored cigars, and I think it would go well with light flavored drinks, such as lagers, white wines, or even a light mixed cocktail.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“The flavor profile of this cigar lands in the traditional Connecticut range, but it does it pretty well. The flavors were consistent, but they shifted around enough to keep it interesting. It burned well enough throughout most of the smoke, that the tunneling issue was a complete surprise. I’m hoping I just got the dud of the bunch. I’d be tempted to try this blend again. I think that if whoever produces this makes it in Robusto, I’d be more likely to grab that Vitola. All that said, if you like a really slow-burning Connecticut, and these are a reasonable price, I’d recommend giving them a shot.” –Chris M. (Chris)

“It does a lot of things right with a fantastic with creamy smoke and great construction. The first and third notes were very bold and rich while the middle felt a bit muddled. It is a solid morning smoke and is strong enough to hold up to a strong drink. Worth a shot to see how you enjoy it.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“I’m not really a fan of Connecticut-wrapped cigars but samples like this one are changing my mind. A nice variety of flavors and even a little power to pique my interest…I’m ready to smoke another and would be happy to share with my smoking friends.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 83

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Drew Estate Blackened S84 Toro – Blind Cigar Review