La Vieja Habana Maduro by Drew Estate Cigars

My first few puffs on my First Time experience delivered some soft pepper spices, almond paste, and leather tobacco flavors that also came through on the retrohale from this modeled Brazilian Wrapped cigar. I’m diggin’ this cigar so far… I have to keep reminding myself that this is budget “Value-cigar! … Don’t wake me up!

At the end of the second third, beginning of the3rd, the tobacco flavors that I was enjoying have given way to a light wispy smoke of almond paste flavors and required a relight for some reason after burning flawlessly… Except for the relight, the tobacco flavors I’m detecting at the final third are reminiscent of what I experienced in the Cuban Corojo blend.

Would I smoke this again…? Yep! I’m thinking I just might put this in the Cigar Walk Rotation.

Smoke time: 90 minutes 

Stay Smoky
Stay Chill

From Cigar.com
La Vieja Habana was Drew Estate’s first brand, originally made by Antonio Almanzar in New York City on 6th Avenue and 30th Street from 1994 until 1996. 1996 was the height of the cigar boom, and farmers throughout Central America suddenly became stressed-out businessmen, leaving roller Antonio sitting in Manhattan with no tobacco. Ultimately, Drew Estate had no choice other than to let La Vieja Habana rest.

In 1996, they moved their production of La Vieja Habana to Miami-based Nicks Cigar Company, makers of Perdomo. Although not very pricey, La Vieja Habana received surprisingly high results and acceptance without a dollar in advertising or marketing. By November 1998, all of the hard work was finally paying off. Then disaster struck, as Hurricane Mitch ravished Nicaragua. For the second time in 4 years, Drew Estate was forced to stop production of La Vieja Habana.

Then, 2002 brought Drew Estate to their fourth year of manufacturing cigars in their own factory in Esteli, Nicaragua; their second year of farming, and their third nationwide launch of La Vieja Habana. They had ample time to select and age genuine Ecuador Connecticut wrappers and purchase award-winning tobacco that would eventually turn out to exceed even their expectations. If there has ever been a company that believes in the magic of “Small Batch Production,” this is it.

The Experience

The Cigar