There has been no shortage of celebrities, athletes, entertainers and other well-known individuals who have partnered up with a cigar company to produce their own line of cigars. In some ways, hearing about another one shouldn’t be a surprise, yet at the same time, each new announcement still comes with some of that feeling.

In September 2022, Drew Estate provided the most recent surprise when it announced that it was working with James Hetfield of the heavy metal band Metallica on a new project called Blackened Cigars “M81.”

The cigar line is the result of a collaboration with Metallica’s James Hetfield, along with Blackened Whiskey, a project between Metallica and the late Dave Pickerell, the former master blender of Maker’s Mark. Following Pickerell’s passing, Rob Dietrich became the whiskey’s master distiller, and Hetfield and Dietrich would frequently enjoy cigars together.

“It is really a fun social thing for me, a fellowship, to have a few buddies sit around with a few sticks,” said Hetfield in a press release. “My buddy, Rob Dietrich, Blackened’s master distiller, and I frequently enjoy cigars together and he introduced me to Jonathan from Drew Estate. The three of us connected and shared each other’s vision and story about where we’ve been, what we like to see and what is important to us now, and we all came up with what a Blackened ‘M81’ cigar would look and taste like. I love the maduro leaf and I’m super excited for everyone to try this.”

Fans of the band will recognize that the 81 in the name is a reference to the year that Metallica was formed, while the M is a nod to the band’s name.

As the foot bands state, the cigar is “maduro to the core,” using a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, a broadleaf binder from the Connecticut River Valley and a filler that includes Nicaraguan tobaccos and a varietal called Pennsylvania Green River One Sucker, both maduros, and the latter one of the strongest types of tobaccos used in premium cigars.

It was a project that took approximately two years to develop, with Drew Estate sending samples to Hetfield and Dietrich and them smoking the cigars, keeping journals and providing feedback.

“This was a project that was purely born from passion…for music, for fellowship, for life, and all the in-between moments within,” said Dietrich in a press release. “James, Jonathan and I worked together to create what we feel like is the perfect cigar. The result is truly a monster of flavor—all-maduro, designed with definitive depth for darker and bolder palates.”

The line is offered in four sizes:

  • Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate Corona Doble (7 x 50) — $10.35 (Box of 20, $207)
  • Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate Toro (6 x 52) — $9.85 (Box of 20, $197)
  • Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate Robusto (5 x 50) — $9.45 (Box of 20, $189)
  • Blackened Cigars “M81” by Drew Estate Corona (5 x 43) — $9.15 (Box of 20, $183)

“BLACKENED Cigars ‘M81’ by Drew Estate is a dark, bold and unapologetic collaboration into what Rob, Jonathan and I believe is the perfect full-bodied cigar,” said Hetfield in a press release.

Like several other recent Drew Estate releases, the Blackened Cigars “M81” line debuted via Freestyle Live sampler packs that contained unbanded cigars ahead of a reveal on one of the company’s live online social events.

“Hetfield, Dietrich, and the DE team have dedicated an immense amount of time into this historic brand,” said Jonathan Drew, co-founder and president of Drew Estate. “Blackened Cigars ‘M81’ by Drew Estate reveals layer-after-layer of maduro’s deepest, darkest, most magical, and mysterious character that narrates a defining story of just one thing … passion!!!”

  • Cigar Reviewed: Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto
  • Country of Origin: Nicaragua
  • Factory: La Gran Fábrica Drew Estate
  • Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
  • Binder: U.S.A. (Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf)
  • Filler: Nicaragua & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Green River One Sucker)
  • Length: 5 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 50
  • Vitola: Robusto
  • MSRP: $9.45 (Box of 20, $189)
  • Release Date: November 2022
  • Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The wrapper on the Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto does its best to live up to the black theme, as it is a very dark shade of brown, but one that still contrasts with the black of the two bands. The wrapper has some oiliness as well as some texture to it, feeling thick to the fingers while the veins provide some ridges of additional texture. The cigars look quite good with nearly invisible seams, well constructed heads and applied caps. The cigar is firm with just the slightest bit of give. The foot has a thick aroma that has a bit of dark fruit followed by just a touch of black pepper and a bit of crumbled tree bark. The draw is ideal in terms of resistance, and the smoothness of the airflow is incredibly impressive to find. The flavor is a bit more muted here, with lighter, slightly damp earth, a touch of chocolate and a sprinkle of black pepper.

The first puffs of the Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto are a natural extension of the cold draw and aroma, with a smooth, mellow profile and a flavor that has a bit of the dark berry to it. It’s not long, however, before pepper enters and the flavor gets a bit more pointed. It’s a hard sensation for me to describe as it’s not just a flavor, but a change in mouthfeel that I have come to find as being fairly unique to this line. It does vary in intensity and prevalence from cigar to cigar, though I find it to be more common than not, and it seems to have roots in some sort of wood. Retrohales have a bit of pepper to them and aren’t quite as vibrant as the flavor, which now finishes with a slightly metallic edge. That said, I do like the stronger retrohales that I find from time-to-time, as it provide a bit more than just an accent to the flavor. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium-plus, and strength is mild-plus, with the first touches of strength coming out on occasion. Construction is outstanding with a smooth draw, even burn line and plenty of smoke production.

The second third starts with a bit of a shift towards a woodier profile, though the change is around the edges of the profile more than anything, as the core is still earthy, robust and fairly peppery. Thankfully, the profile is a bit more familiar and without whatever was giving the cigar that characteristic that I couldn’t really find words for in the first third. There are also some flirtations with creaminess in the flavor, which is quite enjoyable, though a retrohale that is now packed with white pepper dashes them away fairly quickly, while black pepper on the finish completes the task and leaves a lingering tingle. Flavor is a richer medium-plus than it was in the first third, while body holds around medium-plus and strength feels closer to medium. I’m not getting a typical nicotine strength hit, but there are some indications that one might be coming. Construction is very good if not outstanding.

The final third of the Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto starts with a very enjoyable richness marked by earthiness, a bit of black pepper and hints of dark chocolate. There are times that I think I’m picking up more of the dark berry sweetness as well, though by the time it registers it also disappears, which makes me pause before saying it’s actually there. Other times, there is a slightly metallic finish, something I’ve found with certain types of broadleaf and which always leaves me a bit hesitant when I see a blend with broadleaf in it. On the whole, if there’s one word to describe how the cigar has progressed thus far, it is richer, as the flavor is thick and hearty, with just an accent of pepper on the backend of each puff and another little bit on the finish. As this section progresses, the earth in the profile dries out just a touch, and I begin to get a bit of light irritation towards the top of my throat. A bit of heat comes in as well, though that can be abated by spacing out the puffs and letting the core cool just a bit before taking my next one. The Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto finishes around medium-full with an eye towards outright full, while body is medium-full and strength is medium-plus. Construction is still outstanding and I have little to complain about in that regard.

Final Notes

  • Prior to being assigned this review, I smoked a couple of the other sizes in the Blackened Cigars “M81” line, namely the corona and toro. I was a bit puzzled by the flavor in the corona, but once I found it in the toro and now the robusto, I’ve come to think that there is something about this profile that is unique to this blend.
  • I wouldn’t describe myself as a huge Metallica fan, though I certainly like a good number of their songs when I hear them. But given my other professional interests, I know them much more as the band behind Mariano Rivera’s entrance music.
  • In 2011, readers of Rolling Stone voted Metallica as the greatest metal band of all time.
  • Blackened Whiskey has one of the more unique aging stories when it comes to the world of spirits, as the band’s songs are played to the whiskey using low-frequency soundwaves while the whiskey is in barrels.
  • I didn’t get a huge nicotine hit, nor quite enough to have me feeling woozy or thinking about needing some white sugar, but there is definitely some strength present in the Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto.
  • Drew Estate advertises on halfwheel.
  • The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
  • Final smoking time was two hours on average.
  • Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigar Hustler, Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co. and JR Cigar carry the Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto.
87 Overall Score

Strip away the backstory, the celebrity involvement and whatever hype might come with that, the Blackened Cigars “M81” Robusto is an interesting cigar that has some very impressive moments of strength and richness, along with other moments where the cigar shows a funkiness that seems attributable to the strong broadleaf in the filler and the deep dive the blend takes into maduro tobaccos. This is another example of a cigar where I wish I could take all the best parts and put them together, ridding the cigar of the rougher, funkier spots that—for my palate—hold it back from being an exceptional smoke. I'd certainly recommend trying the line, especially in its different sizes, as it seems from my limited experience that this blend seems to shine best in its thicker vitolas, and just like a musician finding the perfect chords, when the Blackened Cigars "M81" finds its best notes, it does offer a rather enjoyable experience.

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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.