Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Corona

In 2022, Drew Estate announced it was collaborating with Metallica frontman James Hetfield and Rob Dietrich of Blackened Whiskey to release a new line named Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate. That four-vitola line is made up of a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper covering a Connecticut broadleaf binder and a filler blend grown in Nicaragua and Pennsylvania.

Earlier this year, Drew Estate announced a follow-up collaboration with Hetfield named S84 Shade to Black, an homage to Metallica’s song “Fade to Black.” The new line incorporates an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper covering a Connecticut broadleaf binder as well as Pennsylvania broadleaf and Nicaraguan maduro fillers.

“You have a master distiller whose blended products throughout the world, considered one of the best in the world,” said Jonathan Drew, co-founder and president of Drew Estate, during the Freestyle Live event. “You have a master blender, one of the best in the world and then you have James. This guy is a passionate guy. Every song he makes, every product, everything he does, it’s like he’s breathing his life into it.”

The S84 Shade to Black debuted in the same four sizes as the M81 line.

• Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Corona (5 x 43) — $9.75 (Box of 20, $195)
• Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Robusto (5 x 50) — $10 (Box of 20, $200)
• Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Toro (6 x 52) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
• Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Corona Doble (7 x 50) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)

S84 Shade to Black is being made at the La Gran Fábrica Drew Estate factory in Nicaragua, and boxes began shipping to retailers in March.

• Cigar Reviewed: Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Corona
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: La Gran Fábrica Drew Estate
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut-seed)
• Binder: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
• Filler: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Broadleaf) & Nicaragua
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 43
• Vitola: Corona
• MSRP: $9.75 (Box of 20, $195)
• Release Date: March 2024
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The predominantly black bands of the Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Corona cigars contrast sharply with the dull golden brown wrappers. The wrappers on all three cigars are smooth—almost slick—to the touch despite the obvious lack of oil. There are some noticeable veins running up and down each cigar, and while all three cigars are quite spongy when squeezed, only my first one has a soft spot just under the main band. Aromas from the wrappers include wet hay, earthiness, leather tack, creamy nuttiness and barnyard, along with some generic candy sweetness. A roasted nuttiness leads the scents from the feet of all three cigars, followed by secondary aromas of gritty earth, straw, generic breadiness, barnyard and sweet vanilla beans. Finally, after punch cuts, the cold draws include flavors of spicy roasted peanuts, sourdough bread, earth, hay, cocoa nibs and more vanilla bean sweetness.

All three cigars start out with an extremely aggressive spice note on my tongue and lips, along with flavors of earth and white pepper. After about a dozen puffs, a flavor combination of creamy cedar and spicy roasted peanuts moves to the top of the profile, followed by additional flavors of gritty earth, bitter espresso, plain popcorn, dry hay and light nutmeg. On the retrohale, there is some light sweet bread that reminds me of a palmier, but it is mostly overwhelmed by the amount of white pepper that is also present. The flavor ends the first third at medium-plus, the body is at a point just under medium and the strength lands at a solid medium. Thus far, there are no issues with the construction for all three cigars, as the burn lines, draws and copious smoke production are all working together in harmony.

While the spice and white pepper are not as aggressive as they were during the first third, the combination is still a major part of the profile and prominent enough to give me a zing every time I take a puff. Dry hay and spicy peanuts are now the main flavors, easily topping secondary notes that include gritty earth, sourdough bread, nutmeg, dark chocolate and a vegetal flavor that reminds me of raw broccoli. There is less white pepper on the retrohales, and while two cigars feature about the same amount of bready, palmier-like sweetness that I found in the first third, my last cigar actually has quite a bit more of that flavor, which results in a more complex profile overall. Flavor for the first two cigars increases to medium-full and the final cigar hits full, while all three cigars feature a medium body and medium-plus strength. Construction continues to be a high point, as the massive smoke production, great draw resistance and non-problematic burn lines continue for all three cigars.

There are noticeable—and very welcome—decreases in the amounts of white pepper and spice that are present in the final third of the S84 Shade to Black Corona. The main flavors of roasted peanuts and hay become more distinct while additional flavors of toasted bread, barnyard, dank earth, cooca nibs and slight citrus peel show up at various points. The amounts of white pepper and bready sweetness on retrohale on the first two cigars seem to even out a bit. However, my final cigar continues to buck the trend set by the other two: there is significantly less spice and pepper on the palate and noticeably more palmier-like sweetness on the retrohale. Flavor for all three cigars hit at the full mark, while the body increases to medium-plus and the strength remains at medium-plus. Finally, two of the three cigars run into enough burn issues that they need corrections with my lighter to stay on track, but the draws and smoke production remain trouble-free until all three cigars come to an end.

Final Notes

• The cigar’s name S84 has a secondary meaning: the S stands for shade and 84 is a reference to 1984, the year that Metallica released its sophomore album, “Ride the Lightning,” which featured the aforementioned song “Fade to Black.”
• Although the S84 Shade to Black did not officially go on sale until late March, there were people who had already smoked the blend before then, albeit without knowing what it was. That is because Drew Estate began selling its latest Freestyle Live pack in January, which featured three unbanded versions of the cigar for people to smoke blind before and during the event.
• While the M81 cigars are only offered to stores that are part of the Drew Estate Drew Diplomat Program, the Shade to Black cigars are available to all retailers.
• I have never been a huge metal band fan—Dethklok notwithstanding—but I know greatness when I hear it, and the members of Metallica obviously know what they are doing.
• This will be an excellent candidate to do a redux review on in a year or so.
• The smoke emanating from these cigars smells distinctly of graham crackers, but I tasted none of that flavor in the actual profile at any point.

• While my three cigars measured extremely close to the official size of five inches long, none of them managed to hit exactly 43 ring gauge.
• The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel. Drew Estate did send us a box of toros, but it was not used for this review. See below if you’d like to win it.
• Drew Estate advertises on halfwheel.
• The final smoking time for all three cigars averaged out to one hour and 12 minutes.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co., Famous Smoke Shop, Gotham Cigars, JR Cigars and Smokingpipes carry the Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black.

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Drew Estate sent us a box of the Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Toros, now that box can be yours. Leave a comment on this post between now and June 21, 2024 and you’ll be entered to win.

• The winner is Doug.
• Must be 21-years-old or older to enter.
• Only open to U.S. residents with a continental United States shipping address.
• Comments must be left on this post on halfwheel.com. 
• Only one comment per person will be counted as an entry.
• Prize is (1) box of Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate S84 Shade to Black Toros. Shipping to an address in the continental United States is included.
• The winner is selected randomly using random.org.
• Winner will be announced on June 24, 2024.
• Total value is $210.
• Contest rules are here.