My Weekend Cigar Review: Blackened S84 ‘Shade to Black’ by Drew Estate

A Lighter Shade of BLACKENED

In March of this year, Drew Estate released BLACKENED “S84 Shade to Black,” a lighter follow-up of the their highly-rated and top-selling BLACKENED Cigars “M81 Maduro to the Core” cigars. The creation of S84 was also a continuation of the unprecedented collaboration between Jonathan Drew, BLACKENED Whiskey Master Distiller & Blender, Rob Dietrich, and Metallica co-founder, James Hetfield.

As the press release states: “The BLACKENED S84 Shade selection takes aficionados on a nuanced journey with its deliciously smooth and inviting blend.” This is due to the blend’s plush Ecuador Connecticut capa, U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Maduro fillers. Dietrich calls S84, “a flavorful tango on the palate,” and Jonathan calls it a “deep, dark, rich Connecticut that’s smooth as silky velvet.”

BLACKENED S84 Shade cigars are presented in bright white 20-count boxes and four shapes: Robusto (5x50), Toro (6x52), Corona Doble (7x50), and Corona (5x43).

Cigar Details:

Factory: Drew Estate – Estelí, Nicaragua
Size: 6x52
Body & Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut Shade
Binder: U.S. Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Maduro
Flavor profile: Creamy, woody, nutty, and lightly sweet

Presented in boxes of 20

BLACKENED S84 Shade by Drew Estate Cigar Review

The BLACKENED S84 sports a beautifully blonde Connecticut Shade wrapper with a sweet hay aroma, while the cigar’s base tobaccos smell more wheat-like. The cigar is firm throughout its length and expertly rolled. There’s also a leathery-feel foot band that reads: “S84 Shade To Black.” The triple seam cap was well applied but the head was slightly bumpy.

Once clipped, the draw was perfect with a tart, sourdough note, and upon lighting, the initial puffs were sweet and creamy. By the first half inch, the cigar showed signs of an even burn as a very fine, light gray ash began to emerge. The body & strength were just shy of medium at this stage. No standout flavors at that point other than some light pepper on the finish that tended to linger.

At inch one the cigar settled into medium body and strength. A note of nutmeg appeared, followed by a developing woody impression. Farther along and still creamy, a woody and nutty profile emerged with some underlying sweetness. Sourdough notes would randomly resurface.

By the midpoint, the S84 was consistent on all counts: body, strength, and top flavors. From there forward, the cigar issued a well-balanced brew of oak, cashew, nutmeg, and sweet tobacco with a white pepper finish.

In the final furlong, a mineral-like element cancelled out the sweetness, but a semblance of oak, nutmeg, and sourdough bread were able to remain afloat.

Was BLACKENED Shade Weekend Worthy?

Full disclosure, I picked up the BLACKENED S84 Shade to Black Toro shortly after it arrived in the retail store and remembered it pretty fondly. There’s also quite a contrast to the BLACKENED M81 Toro. After smoking the S84s for this review I appreciated the complexion of this cigar even more. It could’ve been a tad sweeter for my taste, but I agree that this cigar was every bit “a nuanced journey with its deliciously smooth and inviting blend,” as quoted above. All things considered, they chose the right tobaccos, especially for the true-blue Connecticut Shade smokers out there. The S84 may be lighter, but it’s far from wimpy.

As to pairing the BLACKENED S84 with BLACKENED whiskey, since Dietrich and Hetfield worked with Jonathan on this more laid-back smoke, I trust it’s as good a match as its bolder Maduro brothers, and I’m looking forward to that pairing with my next S84 Shade.

Please Note: Gary’s review was based on his experience and that your mileage may vary.