Drew Estate Blackened S84 “Shade to Black” Cigar Review
Blackened is back with a flavor ballad that only Metallica and Drew Estate can pull off.
Whether you call this “the Metallica cigar” or you go by it’s given name (Shade to Black), the Blackened S84 is the Connecticut wrapper follow up to the all-Maduro version that debuted from Drew Estate less than a year prior.
That first release—M81 Blackened—hit hard like the band’s early, heavier set list. Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets. You get the idea. And then there's Shade to Black S84. It got a haircut, became more accessible. It's like Load and Reload. Much more radio play. Humidor play, too. Probably.
How it started, according to Jonathan Drew:
“Rob Dietrich, Blackened’s Master Distiller, has been one of my best friends for almost 15 years. He brought Hetfield into the mix and I brought Willy and the DE brand team. This project is dope. We’re having fun with it.”
The Blackened S84 Shade to Black finds the blenders backing off the pedal by blending a more mellow wrapper with many of the same internals as the previous “Maduro to the Core” Blackened M81.
“’Shade to Black’ is more than just a cigar for us, it’s a celebration of passion and a tribute to the craftsman who strives for excellence in their lives.”
- James Hetfield, Metallica
“This collaboration of artistry just keeps kicking the door in on innovation! The ‘S84 Shade to Black’ is a powerhouse of a cigar, and there are times where vision and reality not only coexist, but thrive to excel and change the very landscape of an industry. This is that kind of cigar! It is a flavorful tango of the palate, balancing the easy taste of the Connecticut Shade wrapper with the rich maduro of the binder and filler.”
- Rob Dietrich - Master Distiller, Blackened
“The new S84 Shade to Black is a must-try for any Connecticut Shade smoker. It’s like a deep, dark, rich Connecticut that’s smooth as silky velvet, plush with triple plushness.”
- Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate
Cigar Details:
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Size: 6” x 52 Toro
Body & Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Fillers: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro, Nicaraguan Maduro
Presented in boxes of 20
Tasting Notes
First impression is the golden Connecticut wrapper, which is noticeably darker than other Drew Estate Connecticuts. The cigar draws very freely. Prelight tastes show up as hay, leather, and earth; the foot has a whiff of honey. First few puffs show off that expected Connecticut dryness, but the Blackened S84 definitely has some body – along with an oaky taste.
First third has very little in the way of strength, but the smoke has quite a bit of weight - it’s certainly not “thin.” Nuts and wood are forward, before the S84 starts to pick up some pepper, and other darker flavors. The pepper is fully established by the midpoint, pushing the Shade to Black from mild towards medium. Notable flavors here are oak and dark chocolate, in addition to the pepper and nut. Last third has a significant flavor buildup: wood, tannins, plenty of pepper and a dark sweetness. The smoke tops out at just about medium.
It's a Drew Estate Connecticut, but this one hits different than Undercrown Shade or Chateau Real. And that’s both in looks and in taste: the UC Shade is a lighter colored wrapper, all-Nicaraguan, and has more of a medium-bodied, charred wood taste. And while this Shade to Black Toro is more smooth that its CT counterparts, it is decidedly dark – that PA broadleaf filler is a difference-maker.