Drew Estate released the Undercrown Shade this year, 2015, at IPCPR in New Orleans too much fanfare. Blended by Willy Herrera, it was supposed to be a Connecticut wrapper cigar unlike any other you’ve ever tried before. Willy wanted something with more power and flavor and developed the Shade blend. We caught up with Willy […]
IPCPR 2015: Drew Estate & Herrera Esteli
We caught up with a “petite” Willy Herrera at the Drew Estate booth this year and discussed the new Undercrown Shade, the first non-Herrera Esteli line he has blended for Drew Estate and the challenges of working with Connecticut Shade tobacco. From there we touched on the new Herrera Esteli Tubo and the new limited […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 83
It’s once time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. In case this is your first Week in Smoke, be advised that it covers many (though not necessarily all) of the cigars I’ve smoked in the past week (or the past month, or however long it has been since the last issue), […]
Week In Smoke – Bayou Edition No. 7
I don’t do many Week in Smoke, but I’ve been down with a bad sinus infection the past couple of weeks so I haven’t been smoking many cigars. This past week, I’ve finally been able to enjoy some old favorites and some new cigars. I visited my good friend Jason Jackson, manager of Cigars and […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 63
It’s once time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. In case this is your first Week in Smoke, be advised that it covers many (though not necessarily all) of the cigars I’ve smoked in the past week (or the past month, or however long it has been since the last issue), […]
Drew Estate Undercrown Gran Toro
Earlier this week I posted a review of the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte and the comments on that review were inspiring. As I read through them, while smoking a Drew Estate Undercrown Gran Toro, I got the sudden urge to fire up my video camera. At first I didn’t want to do the review, mostly […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Issue 51
It’s once time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. In case this is your first Week in Smoke, be advised that it covers many (though not necessarily all) of the cigars I’ve smoked in the past week (or the past month, or however long it has been since the last issue), […]
Undercrown Dogma by Drew Estate
I want to let you in on a little secret. I have a pretty bad habit of firing up a cigar and pressing record on my camcorder. I record a review, or two, with the intention of going back and editing prior to posting here on Stogie Review. Every once in a while (actually, a […]
The Box-Worthies: Brian’s Top 10 Cigars of 2012
Making a top ten list is never an easy task, but I think it’s a worthwhile exercise to revisit the year, and spend some time thinking about its finer moments. I gave some thought to changing the way I do my top ten this year, like limiting it to only new releases. But then it […]
Liga Privada No. 9 by Drew Estate
In my Week in Smoke series I’ve been talking a lot about how great the Liga Privada No. 9 by Drew Estate has been smoking. It came as a bit of a surprise that none of us here at Stogie Review have actually reviewed it (we did publish a guest review). So this isn’t some […]