If you were hoping to put All Out Kings, the collaborative cigar from Drew Estate and Caldwell Cigar Co. under this year’s Christmas tree, you’ll be disappointed to hear that the project’s full release has been delayed until March 2017.

Today, the companies issued a statement that announced the delay, and while a formal reason was not issued, Willy Herrera of Drew Estate alluded to the tobacco needing more aging before being ready for its full release.

“When Rob (Caldwell) and I began blending this project, we had to meet in the middle in terms of the strength of the cigar so that it was something Rob would enjoy as he is not typically a maduro smoker,” Herrera said via a press release. “We selected specific primings of Connecticut Habano wrapper that would be a bit more subtle, yet flavorful. This has taken a bit more time at the sorting tables and in addition the wrapper is extremely oily by nature, which has added to the aging process. I know everyone has been waiting and I’m causing additional stress for Rob, but I won’t let them out of the aging room until I feel they are ready.”

Caldwell Drew Estate All Out Kings IPCPR 2016

The cigar was unveiled at the 2016 IPCPR Convention and Trade Show, literally walked onto the show floor after the show had began. They were sold with the intention of having the full rollout happen in November 2016.

The blend is the result of a collaboration between Drew Estate’s Jonathan Drew and Willy Herrera, and Robert Caldwell of Caldwell Cigar Co. It features a Connecticut habano wrapper, Indonesian Sumatra binder and a filler blend made up of Connecticut broadleaf ligero, Dominican corojo 97 Seco, Nicaragua viso from Estelí, and Nicaraguan viso from Jalapa.

It is being released in four sizes, Smash (5 x 52, $13.80), Give Me Your Lunch Money (5 3/4 x 46, $12.80), Foreverlast (6 1/2 x 54, $14.80), and The Fourth Pose (6 x 54 torpedo, $15.80), each packed in 20-count boxes.

“Because working so closely with Caldwell and Herrera results in a raw expression such as AOK, the extra wait is acceptable to me,” noted Drew.

Robert Caldwell added that the cigars were well received at the trade show, and while he wanted to get them into the hands of retailers and consumers, he supported the delay in favor of getting them the proper age.

Drew Estate is producing All Out Kings at the company’s La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, while Caldwell is handling the project’s distribution.

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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.