The Drew Estates Tabak Especial cafe con Leche - The Review

Drew Estates Tabak Cafe con Leche

This has been a hard review to write! I think I have smoked 6 of these bad boys, and each brings me a new experience! In my opinion, which isn't overly experienced, this is a GREAT cigar. It is almost perfectly crafted, perfectly balanced, perfectly flavored cigar.

So... before you read much farther, if you are not a fan Drew Estates infused variants of cigars you may want to give this review a pass.

However, if you would like to try something new, something strong, yet smooth. Something with not to subtle hints of coffee and cocoa and slightly sweet. Read on and pick one of these up from the guys at the Cigar Cave and enjoy!

So I am sitting on the Cigar Porch, the Traeger is smoking away on some baked potatoes and chicken and the weather has turned a bit towards rain. It is the perfect time to sit outside, a stout cup of coffee in hand, laptop at the ready and light up a cigar.

The first thing you notice when you pick up the Cafe con Leche torpedo shaped Tabak is how well crafted it is. It is perfect! the wrappers are smooth and void of any heavy veins, bumps or ridges. Note how well they Maduro and Connecticut wrappers blend; the line is nearly seamless The blending of the two wrappers provides a unique smoking experience: a strong initial light, from the 1/2 inch Maduro foot it then mellows for the next two thirds of the smoke before getting back to the strong, oily Maduro wrapper.

Smoking this cigar is a pleasure. From the first inch to the last nub, it never is harsh or bitter. I would class this as a medium to mild cigar, though I believe it is officially classed as a medium-full bodied smoke. Maybe I am getting desensitized by all those full powered sticks I seem to like!

The flavor of the coffee infusion really comes through when you smoke it. The infusion is complete, but subtle enough that the great tobaccos that Drew Estates are known for come through. Flavors abound in this stick! Once you get past the coffee, there are hints of cream, vanilla, and a touch of spice.

...Well, the first half has flown by far too fast! One of the nice things about these cigars is that because they are such a pleasurable experience to smoke that I never want to put it down! Consequently it smokes far too fast!

One of the things I look for in a good cigar is how well the ash clings as I smoke. Like every Drew Estates cigar I have smoked, the ask on the Cafe con Leche clings and clings and clings... I usually get over an inch and a half before feeling compelled to flick it off into the ashtray (the wife hates it when it falls onto the deck. The ashes seem to stick to the Trex decking as well as they do to the end of my smoke!)

A few more GREAT features of this cigar:

•  The cap is really well attached. I don't know about you, but I hate it when you make the perfect cut on the head of a cigar and spend half the time peeling bits of cap off your lip because it wasn't adhered well enough to the wrapper. This is not the case with ANY Drew Estates cigar that I have smoked (and I have smoked a few!).
• The Label. I know it sounds corny, but here is another area where Drew Estates has the competition whipped. They make a great label. I know the label seems like a small thing, but the detail that goes into each of their labels is just indicative of the great care and quality that they put into all their cigars. They choose the best tobaccos, they spend copious amounts of time to age and prepare them, they take pride in rolling some of the finest examples of hand rolled cigars I have seen, and the label just is the icing on the cake.
• From beginning to end its flavors are balanced and complex; even when you are down to the nub!

Another one bites the dust!

As I said, this was a hard review to write because the cigar is a very good smoke. Complex, smooth, tasty. I couldn't really wrap my brain how to describe it. Am I ready to put a box of 25 of these in my humidor? probably not. But, will I make sure there are always a few on hand to break out when the mood strikes? You bet!

If you are looking for something new, with a medium flavor, be sure to pick up one or five of these to try. You will not be disappointed! I have yet to not take one of these to a nub!

And to all my Southern Oregon reader, be sure to get by the Cigar Cave and check out the whole Drew Estates line-up!

Cheers!