In March of this year, Drew Estate released the another cigar in the Blackened line: the S84 Shade to Black. This is the sophomore release for the line that is a collaboration between Metallica’s frontman, James Hetfield, Master Distiller of BLACKENED Whiskey, Rob Dietrich, and Drew Estate. Their first release, M81, was named after the band, Metallica, and the year they formed, 81. This release is a nod to their power ballad, “Fade to Black,” that was on their sophomore album Ride the Lightning that released in 1984.
When we caught up with Jonathan Drew at the PCA 2024 Trade Show, he was very excited about the release. Rob Dietrich was at the booth for at least a day, and the booth featured the BLACKENED Whiskey truck. Of Drew Estate’s collaboration with Hetfiled and Dietrich, Jonathan said that he enjoys giving Drew Estate fans the, “Zig-Zag-Zigula” of working with people that they would least expect.
OVERVIEW
VITOLA: Corona Doble
SIZE: 7″ x 50
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
FACTORY: La Gran Fábrica Drew Estate
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
FILLER: USA Pennsylvania Broadleaf & Nicaraguan
STRENGTH: Full
SOURCE:
Small Batch Cigar
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:
Studio/Lounge
WHEN:
May 24th @10am
DRINKS:
Bottled Water
WEATHER:
70° & 70%RH
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Regular Production
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE March 2024
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size: Boxes of 20
Production Totals: Unknown
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Corona Doble (7″ x 50)
o Corona (5″ x 43)
o Robusto (5″ x 50)
o Toro (6″ x 52)
BAND DESIGN
The S84 is double banded, just like the M81 was: a single thin “Blackened” band and a band at the foot that says, “S84 SHADE TO BLACK.” with a Drew Estate logo on the back. What separates the M81 and S84 bands is the color used on the band near the foot. The S84 keeps the color scheme of the “Blackened” band: black and white. The M81 uses a black and copper color scheme.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
Overall, the S84 looks pretty rustic. Veins crisscross the length of the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. You can feel every vein, yet the wrapper is soft to the touch. It is not toothy or mottled, but there is some discoloration found on the wrapper.
AROMA
The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper gives off notes of cedar, dry grass, and sweet tobacco. The foot is lightly toasted bread, a rich fruit note, tobacco, and a hint of barnyard.
COLD DRAW
The cold reveals notes of bread, fruit, nuts, and an earthy kind of funk. It’s a very pleasant taste. The draw itself does seem just a bit on the tight side in each cigar smoked for this review. It may be due to the length of the Corona Doble size.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Les Fines Lames Le Petit Carbon Fiber cigar knife
Fire: Peter James “The Bar” Single Flame Torch Lighter
Big notes of black pepper and baking spices from the initial light. A sweet, bread note linger on the palate. This is not your dad’s Connecticut. There’s a nuttiness that comes through that mixes with cayenne pepper.
SMOKE
Smoke comes in a satisfying amount with each draw. At rest, the S84 produces a good amount of smoke without being overly smoky.
FIRST THIRD
>> Buttered Bread, Coffee, Baking Spices, Black Pepper
Buttered bread, black pepper, and baking spices are all detectable as the initial light calms down. There are notes of dried fruits and nuts there, as well. A hint of coffee creeps in the background. Cayenne pepper lingers on my palate. There is an almost herbal note that comes and goes. The ash is grey with streaks of black. It is compact and resembles a stack of dimes. The burn line razor sharp and has a great “mascara” line due to the light color of the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. A bit of citrus zest joins the party. The smoke is a bit on the dry side. Nuts, coffee, and bread dominate now. Baking spices and black pepper still on the retrohale. There remains a red pepper spiciness that lingers on my palate. The coffee note and bread notes begin to subside as the citrus and pepper notes take center stage. Pepper still lingers on my palate. Avocado oil and cream now slide to the forefront. The first third just keeps changing and morphing…coffee, graham cracker, cream, baking spices, and black pepper now. All very similar to what’s come before, yet the nuanced differences and subtle shifts are exquisite. Full flavored but more medium bodied. The ash finally falls as I return the cigar to the tray. It keeps its shape and only flaked due to the height from which it fell.
SECOND THIRD
>> Avocado Oil, Baking Spices, Roasted Nuts, Pepper
The middle third begins with a nice sweetness that melts into a creamy note of butter. White pepper and baking spices round everything out and compliment the sweet, buttery notes. The earthiness of black coffee roars to life. Cinnamon roll lingers on the palate. Despite the ash and burn line being near flawless, the ash falls as I take a draw. Luckily, it was over the tray. It mostly held its shape. Still full flavored but the body seems to be ramping up to medium+. Coffee, earth, baking spices, nuts, and wood. White pepper rules the retrohale. Subtle sweetness is still in the background, but I have to really search for it. Roasted nuts and black coffee notes dominate now. Wood, baking spices, and pepper round out the flavors. There’s more complexity now than nuance. It’s in your face in the best kind of way.
FINAL THIRD
>> Chocolate, Coffee, Citrus, Black Pepper
The final third starts off with notes of sweetened coffee, bread, charred wood, baking spices, and a hint of dry roasted nuts. Black pepper returns to the retrohale. Maybe a touch of citrus? If it’s there, it’s very subtle. The flavors roll around my palate with each draw. The smoke is creamy now: a transition that took two thirds to achieve. The ash is still compact but the burn is just a tad bit wavy. Dark chocolate replaces the coffee note. Not the bitter dark chocolate, but the good stuff. Charred wood and an herbaceous note add their voices to the chorus. The S84 is still spicy and sweet. The best of both worlds. The final third is full bodied without being a pepper or spice bomb. Buttery smooth avocado oil and red pepper flake linger on the palate. A slight bitter note creeps in as I progress through the final third. Sweet chocolate, graham cracker, and campfire notes remind me of s’mores with a touch of coffee. Citrus helps round out the bitterness.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The flavors of the S84 Shade to Black are nothing short of great. Coffee, nuts, bread, graham cracker, wood, nuts, pepper, spices, and citrus. All in a medium to full bodied Connecticut. No muted cardboard here. The body ramps up as you smoke it, and the smoke transitions from dry to creamy. They melt together to make for a cigar experience that you won’t forget.
BURN EXPERIENCE
The burn on the S84 was near flawless. Only my carelessness caused the ash to flake. The mascara line was razor sharp for the first two thirds and only became slightly wavy in the final third.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.70 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.43 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
7.00 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.47 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Complex and nuanced flavors found throughout the S84.
- Well balanced and easily discernable transitions from third to third.
- The wrapper is a bit "rustic" looking.
- Middle third can seem more mundane if the smoker is not paying attention to the cigar.
“THINGS NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE…”
Connecticut cigars are not what they used to be, and that’s a good thing. Over the last few years I’ve seen a lot of cigar companies moving away from “boring Connecticut” blends, and the S84 Shade to Black is no exception. While Drew Estate places the S84 on the full side of the spectrum, the reality is that it starts in the medium to medium+ range and certainly ends on the full side of the spectrum. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper adds those layers of buttery, creamy, light notes that you expect from a Connecticut cigar; while the broadleaf binder and fillers add those rich, earthy notes that help bring the S84 to its “full” potential. (See what I did there?) I wonder if we’ll see a B86 (B for “Battery”) or maybe a P86 (P for “Master of Puppets”). As a massive fan of Mettalica, I’m looking forward to what Hetfield, Dietrich, and Drew Estate have in store for us, and the possibility of releases that span Metallica’s discography. Regardless, the S84 is a cigar that I could easily smoke as my first cigar of the day, or smoke as the last cigar of the evening.
