It’s very interesting that two different cigar makers decided to introduce a relatively new type of tobacco to the premium cigar world, in the same year. Also, neither Sam Leccia nor the folks at Drew Estate knew about the other working with this type of leaf. The good folks at Drew Estate call this tobacco Kentucky Fire Cured while Sam Leccia refers to it as Dark-Fire. It is not a new strain of tobacco, rather a new process in which the leaves are cured with the aid of burning wood. The first process that any cigar leaf goes through after being picked is done in the curing barn. It’s a large, often rudimentary building, in which the leaves are hung from floor to ceiling. Here the leaves are “air-cured,” which is the process in which the chlorophyll is removed from the leaves and they turn brown and dry out. This is usually just a natural process in which no artificial heat is applied. Some folks use “green fire” which means propane heaters are used to speed up the process, but no flavors are imparted into the leaves this way. The “fire-cure” method has an entirely different effect on the tobacco. It imparts a lot of smoke and flavor into the leaves, most of which are from the oak, maple and other hard woods used to fuel the fires.

Cigar curing barns at Drew Estate in Nicaragua

I have previously reviewed the Sam Leccia Black, which uses just a little of this type tobacco, and pointed out that the smokiness was very subtle. Its presence could be tasted throughout the cigar, but at no time did it ever overpower the stick. The Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured is in a different flavor class than the lighter Leccia. I want to first point out that this cigar will not be for everyone. The smoky flavor is very strong and, like the Acid line, it may not please the most traditional of cigar smokers. With that said, I urge everyone to give it a try. It is unique, it is smoky, and it will require a nice glass of high alcohol bourbon or a peaty single malt Scotch, but well worth a try.

During the last week I paired this cigar with both Woodford Reserve Bourbon and a glass of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. First of all, the bourbon pairing was much better than the stout. The beer was just too sweet for this cigar. It needed something to complement the smoked barbecue flavor of this cigar and not be overpowered by it. As soon as you slide the cigar out of its wrapper your nose will take you back to your last camping trip when you stood close to the fire and roasted hotdogs on a stick. It is very intense. Once lit, the flavor ramps up quite a bit. I noticed that the bourbon kept in check a bit. The flavor is never bitter, but it is definitely something that I’m sure most cigar smokers have never experienced.

I did get some burnt toast and leather in the cigar, but the most prevailing flavor is the burnt oak. The cigar burned evenly and didn’t have to be touched up during either of my two test runs. The first cigar I tried was the “Just a Friend” which is a 6 x 52 and my second offering was the “Fat Molly” which comes in as a 5 x 56. I didn’t detect much of a different experience in the two vitolas, just much of the same flavors. The “Fat Molly” did burn a little cooler, as to be expected, and would probably be the size I would most likely purchase again. I didn’t detect a lot of sweetness in the cigar, but there was some in the end. Perhaps that same vanilla flavor imparted by the charred oak barrel into a bottle of bourbon.  

Is this my favorite Drew Estate cigar? No, but it is a great change of pace smoke.  It’s something that I will keep in the humidor for the next time I want to have a glass of a nice Islay Single Malt Scotch. As I stated earlier, this won’t be for everyone, but I do think this will be a successful cigar line for Drew Estate. The MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured is a medium bodied cigar and is reasonably priced at under $7. I encourage everyone to give it a shot.

Long Ashes,

Chris Gwaltney, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits North Florida Regional Manager. Certified Tobacconist and Cicerone Beer Server. Follow me on Twitter @abccigarchris.