Cigar Info
Just before IPCPR 2019, Drew Estate announce two lines celebrating the ACID to year anniversary: The limited edition ACID 20th and KUBA ARTE. The ACID KUBA ARTE comes in a unique packing of seven collectible water tower humidors. The water tower has been a symbol of Drew Estate for a long time. The design for these water towers was a collaboration with five Brooklyn artists.
Jonathan Drew President and Founder of Drew Estate says, “KUBA ARTE is a groundbreaking project that has never been seen in the cigar industry. For inspiration, we returned to our roots in DUMBO, the origins of Drew Estate and ACID, and meditated from the Brooklyn rooftops finding our Chi. We witnessed a skyline to behold, decorated with water towers, graffiti and of course the illustrious Manhattan Bridge. It was on those rooftops that we spent many of our nights dreaming of what Drew Estate would become, that “KUBA ARTE” was born.”
The ACID KUBA ARTE comes in one vitola, a 5 13/16” x 54. The blend uses a Broadleaf maduro wrapper, Indonesian binder, and fillers from Nicaragua. Each water tower contains 20 cigars with a Boveda. 1,750 of each of the 7 designs were made. Each tower sells for $238.00 ships September.
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
- Wrapper: Broadleaf Maduro
- Binder: Indonesia
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Size: 5 13/16 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 54
- Vitola: Torpedo
- MSRP: $11.90
Pre-light
The smell of menthol is quite pervasive. Even at a distance, I can smell it when the wind blows at me. Actually, smelling the foot, I get a more rounded menthol, stone fruit, and pine. The construction is actually top notch, it resembles a lot of the Unico series by Drew Estate. The torpedo cap is well shaped and applied. The wrapper is slightly toothy as well as leathery to the touch and the seams are practically invisible. My lips are almost candy sweet after cutting the head and tasting for the prelight. It’s the same notes as the foot but slightly more subtle.
First Third
It smokes like a chimney in a good way. The smoke output is unreal, like most of the Unico series. I’m finding that I do like the level of red pepper on the finish. There’s a sort of cooling from the menthol, candy sweetness from the tip, and kind of piney tobacco finish. The heat of the pepper is a nice balance from the sweetness. After about a quarter of an inch there’s some leather that also starts to join the fray.
Second Third
The sweetness has subsided a bit. I’m not sure if I’ve gotten use to how sweet the tip is or if most of it has dissipated on my lips. The menthol is still there but it’s not as aggressive as the first third. I’m getting a very fruity note that I can’t quite place. It’s like stone fruit or maybe Fruity Pebbles? Its never gone out but it does need a few starter puffs to really get it smoking again. At the halfway point menthol kicks in again and I’m getting a bit of coco.
Final Third
There’s a little more coco and leather to be found this third. The sweetness is only really there if I lick my lips now and I’m pretty sure it’s Fruity Pebbles that I’m tasting. The menthol is still there but more of a resting in the back of my palate kind of way.
Overall Impressions
As I’m finishing up this cigar, I’m not sure if people really care about what someone thinks about an Acid. People that hate flavored cigars aren’t going to want to try it and people that love Acids are going to want to smoke one regardless of what I thought about it. I’m not a flavored cigar smoker but I can recognize a quality cigar when I smoke one. Even if it’s not really in my wheelhouse, it a well made cigar. The burn, construction, and draw are all top notch. The flavors are interesting albeit not subtle. Go and give one a shot.
-Alan (Eulogy)
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