Drew Estate Tabak Especial Ltd. Ed. Red Eye

Club members who think they don’t like infused cigars are going to be in for a big surprise when they try this baby. Drew Estate cannot be equaled when it comes to producing top-caliber infused cigars with deliciously unique aromas. The process they use to create their exotic flavors and aromas has never been duplicated. Their attention to detail is flawless as is their quality control. The tobaccos used for each blend are uniquely different from one another. Founded by Jonathan Drew, Drew Estate is currently a top manufacturer of Nicaraguan cigars, not limited to infused blends. With the medium-bodied Tabak Especial, Drew takes the coffee-infused cigar to bold new heights. He has carefully suffused Esteli-grown long-leaf tobaccos with the robust nuances of Nicaragua’s finest coffee beans and cloaked them in a dark and rich Maduro wrapper. The result is a rich tobacco core layered with savory espresso notes and a touch of milk chocolate, all perfectly balanced by a sweet, velvety aftertaste. The limited edition Red Eye is made with three times the ligero typically used to produce a cigar this size. As a result, you can expect it to boom with big, rich Nicaraguan flavors. Look for a top notch burn. You’re going to want to smoke this one down to the nub. Try it with cognac and soda over ice—2-oz. liquor, 5-oz. soda ought to do it.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world. The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.