Drew Estate Nirvana Torpedo, $11.99 a stick
The Drew Estate Nirvana Torpedo is a great cigar. It was created by Drew Estate for Royal Gold and released in 2014. It’s rolled in Nicaragua, but breaks away from the recent trend of all tobaccos have to come from the same country. It has a Rosado wrapper grown in the Eastern province of Cameroon, Africa. The filler is Nicaragua, specifically Jalapa and Estelí, along with a portion from the Jamastran region of Honduras. The binder is San Andreas tobacco from Mexico. Why bring so many tobaccos together into one cigar? To create an excellent cigar with layered depth that evolves as you smoke it. This is not a minor feat.
The gold bands say quality from the first glance. The Cameroon wrapper is done exquisitely – limited veins and a striking reddish hue. It cuts well and smells complicated. You know you’re in for something special. The Cameroon wrapper has its natural sweet and spicy flavors that work well with the predominantly Nicaraguan filler. As I said, the cigar evolves during the smoke. Early on you get the Cameroon sweetness combined with earth, nutty, and coffee flavors. As you smoke it, the Cameroon flavors diminish as the Nicaraguan strength become more apparent. The cigar is in the medium to full strength range, but please don’t dismiss it if you only smoke full bodied. You will not be disappointed.
|
Factor |
Description |
Possible Score |
Score |
| Construction | Fresh out of the humidor, how does the cigar look? Are large veins evident in the wrapper? Does the cigar have a firm feel to it? |
1-15 |
15 |
| Band | Is the band an embarrassment that you wouldn’t want to smoke in public? |
1-5 |
5 |
| First Puff | How satisfying is the very first puff of the cigar? |
1-10 |
8 |
| Draw | Can the cigar be smoked without strain? Does it burn up too quickly? |
1-15 |
14 |
| Flavor | Does it achieve all three notes? Does the flavor come through to the smoker sufficiently? |
1-20 |
19 |
| Aroma | Is the aroma of the cigar while burning fragrant or offensive? |
1-10 |
9 |
| Ash/Burn | Does the cigar produce a solid ash? Is it flaky? Does it canoe? |
1-10 |
9 |
| Value | Bucks per puff. For the enjoyment is the cigar reasonably priced? |
1-15 |
12 |
|
Possible Score |
100 |
91.00 |