Sometimes…sometimes a cigar blind sides you. What I mean is, sometimes a cigar comes into your possession and your first thought is, “this is gonna suck” only to have that cigar prove you wrong and you’re left with the thought of “man I’m glad I smoked that.” Such a story came to fruition for me with the Natural by Drew Estates.
EDIT – While I describe this cigar as being part of the flavored/infused cigar category, I was wrong. Thanks to those who brought it to my attention that this cigar is neither flavored or infused but rather uses non-traditional tobacco which provides its exotic natural flavors. I’m human and I wrongly lumped and generalized the cigar…thanks for the image below @Famous_Hayward
Video runs around 12:30 and I have to say, while I’m not your typical flavored/infused cigar connoisseur, after smoking the Natural by Estates, I can see why flavored/infused cigars are so popular as every now and then, you come across one or one comes your way, that really surprises you.
Summary – The Natural lived up to its name. While there was a definite sweetness to the cigar, it didn’t have the artificial characteristics of other infused/flavored cigars. The sweetness took on a more balanced natural sweetness and along with some exotic flavors, made for the perfect afternoon companion.
I was always under the impression that they used non standard cigar tobaccos that are not infused for the natural line. That is if I do recall correctly from when they were hitting the scene.
Nice review as always Jerry. I enjoyed the Natural as well. Like you said – one of those cigars that you don’t expect to like but you do.
I’ve never smoked and infused cigar. This might be one I’ll try. I like sweet and of course, the natural flavor in nice also.
Adam is correct, these are NOT infused cigars WHATSOEVER. They’re blended with black smoking tobaccos from Syria, Turkey, China, Louisiana, Bumblefuck, etc.
If I understand correctly, the tobaccos used are more akin to pipe tobacco than to traditional cigar tobaccos.
Great review, might have to get some of these….
Infused, flavored, “nontraditional tobaccos” it doesn’t matter, these sweet cigars are just not for me. I tend to lump them in with the Swishers of the world. So DE can bitch all they want about the cigars not being flavored, or bitch that the Naturals are not infused at all but “nontraditional tobaccos” but if DE is bothered by the confusion, stop making Swisher Naturals and Swisher Acids. Make more cigars like the Liga Privada #9.
Now I know the flavored cigar business is big. But if you want to play in the flavored cigar realm, compete in that realm, and continue to make cigars that taste flavored, then accept it when people call your cigars flavored. In short, I’m tired of hearing DE clarify that this cigar isn’t flavored, or that cigar isn’t infused. The bottom line, your cigars are closer to White Owls than to Tatuaje’s.
Whew, that felt good. Now back to your regular comments.
Just to be clear, thanks Jerry for the review because I know some people probably like this cigar. My rant is no way against you or those who like the cigar but against DE. Thanks again for all that you guys do.
I don’t smoke too many flavored smokes, but I like the Acid line better that the Natural. Nice review Jerry….even though I wanted to hear some singing!
Everything Irish_Mike said I will ditto :p
nice review Jerry, but I cant stand the “sweet” cigars – Only thing I taste is sweetness hat is there to hide the crappy tobacco. I figure if you use good tobacco, why should you have to add a sugary cap or other sweetness to it? I cant believe the cap is purely a natural sweetness like it is!
Mike
More and more people buy the Acid stuff, but when a cigar smells like it should be in a French whorehouse (Kuba Kuba) I at least expect an orgasm from it 😛
First off, good review Jerry! I have smoked the Natural and it’s not flavored like all of the acid cigars. Those of you who are against the flavored/infused cigars should try this cigar! I totally agree with Mike-knightrid on the infused subject! I also believe if it’s good tobacco it doesn’t need to be flavored! I have also gotten my buddies who don’t smoke to smoke the acids.(beginners)Don’t write it off.Try it you won’t be dissapointed!
Your review was right on. You thought it was a flavored cigar, but the entire review you kept saying it didnt taste flavored. Little did you know you were right the whole time. It was almost like a blind review of sorts because the cigar is not what you thought it was. Nice review, keep ’em coming.
Patrick Sherer, I have tried many DE’s cigars. About 3 years ago I thought I’d give them a shot to see what all the hype was about. I tried the Acids and the Natural. Since then I’ve tried the Java as well. I’ve had the Dirt, Root, Jucy Lucy, Twigs, Blondie, Kuba Kuba, and the Copper Label from CI. So I have given them more than a fair shot.
All of them are sweet and all have some flavored component to them. And the sweetness and the flavors to me are cloying. I wouldn’t comment so strongly on something I have not tried.
I disagree with you that people won’t be disappointed. I was both disappointed that I smoked such sickening sticks and that I spent good money doing so. But we will just have to differ about these cigars. Different smokes for different folks, I guess.
Great review Jerry! I have been a fan of all the Drew Estate lines for a couple years. I tend to like a more full-bodied cigar, but I find that the Drew Estate lines are a good break from my normal smokes or to “cleanse” the palette. For me, they work nicely and I enjoy the change of pace! Great job again!
I like the Natural Roots because of the pipe tobaccos in them…used to be a pipe smoker so those are flavors I am used to and enjoy. I don’t find them sweet so much as different. I believe the Root has Perique from St. James parish, Louisiana in it, possibly blended with Turkish Latakia, but this is only a guess, as I haven’t tasted either of those for a loooong time, and memory is fallible.
I have to agree with your review. I’ve had a couple of these. I consider them to be an aquired taste. I enjoyed the ones I smoked. They reminded me of pipe tobacco, which isn’t a bad thing. Thanks for switching it up a bit and trying this cigar!
It would have been cool for you to have sung something; who picked twisted sister?
Ever since I had the Acid I’ve steered way clear of Drew Estate, although I do want to try the Chateau Real and people really like Liga Privada. Maybe I’ll try the Natural, thankx to your review. Have a great 4th!
I think the Natural line are decent cigars. I remember liking the one called white rabbit I think. It was a lancero almost, and hell they might still make it but I’m not sure. I have a neat box still from a Natural sampler I bought six or seven years ago.
This natural cigar tastes like incense it reminds me of the blondie I bought when I didn’t know better. I asked the clerk if this was a flavored cigar and he said no. To me it tastes like a very smooth flavored phillie blunt. And tastes flavored. Misleading to say the least.
I was open minded, considering DE is so intent on touting these things as non-flavored… but seriously folks, this thing reminded me of something a 12 year old would sneak out of 7-11 with. Plenty of sugary corn syrupy goodness to satisfy the sweet tooth in every child…
Exotic tobaccos from around the world? I guess there is a reason why Latin America/Cuba has a monopoly on this shit.
If you don’t like the taste of real cigars, nobody is putting a gun to your head. Get another hobby. Stop posing with this godawful candy cane hanging from your mouth.
Its interesting that I watched this review this morning after stomping on one Dirt Torp, and shipping back the other four of the 5 sampler I just got yesterday! How they can call this a cigar is beyond me…Of course, this is the Natural Dirt Torpedo, and not the Clean, but it must be a very specific reason they call it DIRT! (I have another 4-letter word that better suits it…) The sweet cap was like sweetened vinegar, and the tobacco was harsh and tasteless…horrible. I like an occasional naturally sweet flavored cigar, and one of my favorite day-in-day-out is the AF Curlyhead Deluxe maduro, and my favorite 2 premiums are the AF Hem Sig and the AF Anejo which both have a naturally sweet quality, but these infused and flavored concoctions merely mean sweet; no coffee, mocha, expresso, chocolate, or anything else actually goes into em, just artificial flavors and sweetness…just my 2 cent rant…btw…whats your favorite naturally sweet cigars?
To all the purists that complain about sweetened tip. If you do some research you may find out that sweetened tip was used in some pre embargo brands of Cuban cigars. Would that make them suck? 🙂
Though this blend was not a favorite of mine it was not a horrible one either—–that said I would rather take the money spent on this and pickup a pig for instance. I also thought this was an infused cigar and would have sent it to someone that would have enjoyed it better.
Again, not a bad cigar but not my cup of joe!
Ummmmm……………………… Yeah these are weird.
I agree with Glacierman. You can’t go into the Natural line expecting it to be a regular cigar. They are made primarily with tobaccos used for pipe smokers. With this in mind, and if you like pipe tobacco you will enjoy the Naturals.
If you are looking for a Fuente or Liga forget it, they are not suppose to be that. They are an alternative smoke. I remember way back when John T’s used to make cigars from pipe tobacco. I enjoyed them but they smoked like crap. The Naturals are far superior. A quality cigar giving you the different nuances you taste with pipe tobaccos and providing an almost incense like aroma. Very relaxing and great for a change of pace.
I’ve been smoking cigars for over 20 years and have tried them all. To me a bad cigar is one that can’t draw or burns like crap. Otherwise it’s just a matter of the flavor not being to your liking. While I smoke predominently Pepins (my favorite being the Cuban Classic – Black label), I do enjoy these as a change of pace and don’t have to resort to bashing them or the maker because they don’t conform to the cigar snob standards.
You talk too much. Just review the damn cigar. You make a person not want to try it with all that talking.
Comments from the cigar snobs crack me up. DE makes great cigars, they taste great and smoke great. Traditional cigars leave your mouth tasting like a cat shit in it for the rest of the day, guess some guys like that 🙂
Comments from Redline crack me up. Great traditional cigars are great cigars, they taste great and smoke great. Drew Estate cigars makes great traditional cigars too, which is great, cuz most guys like that 🙂
Have to say, I was blindsided with this cigar and not in a
good way. I’m not a hardcore cigar smoker – I began a little over a
year ago and typically smoke one about every other week. I selected
this because the size was something I could smoke in a short
sitting during the winter (can’t smoke indoors!) and the price
suggested it was a decent brand. The first thing I do with a cigar
is moisten the cap, and to me it tasted like it had been dipped in
Splenda. When I could get past that artificial sweetener taste I
could tell it was probably a good cigar, but it most definitely did
not go with the nice local lager I was drinking. It should come
with a “Warning! Sweetened cigar!” sign, and that way there is no
disappointment. Frankly I’m skeptical that the sweetness is
“natural”, but I’m novice enough to accept that I don’t know enough
to say for sure. I’ll just avoid DE cigars in the future. There are
lots out there for every taste.
Well I’m not a SUPER DIE HARD ACID FAN but the flavor infused stories of that line DID open the door, and my palette, to become more adventurous so far as my journey with cigars went. I agree with some folks, the purists mainly, that a ‘real’ cigar doesn’t and SHOULDN’T need to flavor your cigars; let’s leave that to the ‘3 for $.99 “blunt wraps”‘. I agree the flavor should come from the blend of tobaccos the company uses. Now I’ll admit I STILL DO enjoy an ACID ‘Blondie’ or ‘Earthiness’ from time to time as they’re how I was introduced to the world of cigars. I’ve since then moved on to try numerous other brands and strengths and ‘flavors’ of stogies.
In closing I still have many DE (some of them ACID) cigars I’ve yet to try; the Liga Privada #9 being one and might I add that if anyone here hasn’t tried
DE’s “UnderCrown Shade’ you’re missing out on (IMHO) a really good cigar.
Cheers for now!
These comments are classic…cant tell the snobs in here at all… they warn ya about these types when getting into cigars lmao. Get over yourself or stay in ypure cave…not everyone has to like the same things. Snoody bitches