Drew Estate’s Kentucky Fire Cured line is officially getting a trio of new additions today, as the company announced that it has begun shipping the MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Thang and Swamp Rat.

It’s the first time that Drew Estate has ventured into candela-wrapped cigars, which use a distinctive green leaf that stands out in humidors and offers a distinctly sweet flavor that can take on notes of grass and vegetables depending on the particular varietal and process. The blend is not being disclosed, yet it does use Kentucky fire cured tobaccos to create what the company calls a “deeply disturbing yet pleasing smoke” that offers a balance of sweetness, savoriness, and smokiness. The cigars feature a dual-wrapper design, with the candela leaf below the band and an undisclosed leaf above it.

Three sizes are being released, two of which share the Swamp Thang name while the third uses the rat term that has been used in other Drew Estate cigars, though it is not the same vitola as the famed Liga Privada Dirty Rat.

  • MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Thang Toro (6 x 52) –- $8.35 (Packs of 10, $83.50)
  • MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Thang Robusto (5 x 54) — $7.89 (Packs of 10, $78.90)
  • MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Rat (6 x 46) — $7.10 (Packs of 10, $71)

Drew Estate Swamp Thang Swamp Rat sizes

The three sizes are all regular production additions to the company’s portfolio and are being made at Joya de Nicaragua’s Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A. factory in Estelí. Each comes in 10-count soft packs similar to the company’s Kentucky Fire Cured lines.

Drew Estate Swamp Thang Swamp Rat bundles

The cigars were introduced last summer at the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, with a limited amount released at the company’s Kentucky Barn Smoker event held in October 2016, part of a series of events that brings consumers and company staff to tobacco fields and barns around the country for an educational and social gathering.

“We continue to demonstrate our leadership in the fire cured tobacco segment, making history as the first company to blend candela and Kentucky fire cured tobaccos in the premium segment,” said Jonathan Drew, president of Drew Estate, in a press release. “It is sure not to be like any other candela cigar you have ever smoked.”

Drew Estate Swamp Thang Swamp Rat boxes trays

Retailers will be able to present the cigars in wooden trays to facilitate the display and sales of individual cigars.

Images courtesy of Drew Estate.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.