Drew Estate

Factory Smokes Connecticut Shade

Secondary cap is deep, but the top layer is shallow and a little ugly. All the same, it handled the double guillotine cut like a champ. The wrapper smells as most Connecticuts do, coffee, hay, and brown sugar. Seams are visible and done mottling is present, but it’s not too bad. Solid stick with just a little give. Cold draw has notes of bread, honey, cinnamon, and barnyard. Light up was easy. Immediate notes of buttered toast, sweet cream, and hay. White pepper and nutmeg on the retrohale. Into the first third and the burn canoed, requiring touching up. Grass notes come out, no doubt from the short filler of this Cuban sandwich. Ash is flaky and the foot smoke smells cheap. The grassy note turns to hay before the end of the first third. Ash falls in 1.5” chunks. As usual, the second third is the best third. White pepper turns to black pepper, but it exists only on the retrohale. Plenty of thick smoke. Flavor notes don’t change as much as the blend together better. Buttered toast, hay, a little cream, and a little cinnamon. Burn didn’t canoe, but it was wavy. Spice picks up a little. Foot smoke stays aromatic. Once the band is reached, the best of the cigar is over. Choose to quit due to the decline in flavor, or continue for the nicotine buzz. Final third and the sweet tobacco comes on strong. Pepper lingers. Foot smoke turns foul-ish. Band comes off easy with heat. As with most Drew Estates cigars, it really starts putting off a lot of smoke here. Under the tobacco taste, there’s a hint of coffee with cream, but that’s about it. The short fillers aren’t doing you any favors here. Draw lightly to avoid a mouthful of bitter tobacco. I stopped with an inch left after an hour. The finish is short throughout. Medium flavors, mild strength. The Maduro version of this cigar is probably the best in the line, but this one isn’t bad. Better inexpensive Connecticuts also exist for less than a dollar more, but this hangs with the competition. Probably won’t buy many more of these (if any), but I certainly don’t regret getting these 2.

Draw was tight. Burn was somewhat uneven, but that was due to a damaged wrapper. Outside of the damaged foot, the construction was decent, so I assume it didn’t leave the factory that way. The flavor was a little peppery, but overall a little bland. It’s not bad for a budget smoke.

Good flavor just enough pepper produced a lot of smoke good draw. Quick burn too