Vitola: Lancero- 7” x 38 ring gauge
- MSRP ~$13
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
In 2016, Drew Estate released a TAA-Exclusive version of the Herrera Esteli brand, featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. I fell in love with this blend almost immediately, and still pick them up when I see them (it became a semi-regular TAA-only release). The same year, they did the same blend as a store exclusive Lancero for Stogie’s World Class Cigars in Houston, TX. I was able to review that one a couple years ago and found it just about as enjoyable as the Toro version. That Lancero vitola was released in June 2020 to all Drew Diplomat Retailers.
In case you missed it, this blend uses Nicaraguan fillers, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and a high-priming Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The shipped in September and come in 15-count boxes. There has been no statement of exactly how many will be available, or if they are due to be a regular release. If past experience with Drew Estate is anything to go by, my guess is that they will be a semi-regular or annual release with a fairly sizable production every year…not as big as a regular Herrera Esteli, not as constrained as Liga Privada Unico Series releases.
I have smoked 3 or 4 of these from the September 2020 release before smoking this review sample, which I bought at Burns Tobacconist. If your local store is not a Drew Diplomat retailer, you can get these through Small Batch Cigar, a Leaf Enthusiast sponsor.
Notes
Because I did full reviews already of the Toro and H-Town Lancero, I thought doing another one for this (which is supposed to be exactly the same as the H-Town stick) would be redundant. I elected to do a pairing instead.
The big difference in this release and the H-Town (Stogies) release is that the H-Town used the white background band, while this one uses the red band that was on the TAA Toro and other “store exclusive” releases.
I paired this cigar with some standard Maker’s Mark that came in a non-standard bottle that I’ve taken to calling “The Commissioner’s Trophy.” Three years ago, a friend in California told me about these “Dodger themed” MM bottles and I asked him to get me one. I reasoned that I would open it that year when they won the World Series. Thanks to the dirty, no-good, lazy, cheating scoundrels in Houston (the Asteriskses, I believe they call themselves now), the Dodgers did not win the WS that year. They were outmatched by the Red Sox the next year and apparently decided to take an early leave in 2019 against the Nationals (who were unexpectedly good). This year, my team took it all…and I cracked open the bottle.
The cold draw on the HE Lancero Broadleaf was excellent and had flavors of earth, coffee bean, and semi-sweet chocolate. The wrapper strongly smelled off earth and ripe natural tobacco. Firing up gave me the familiar sweet and spicy and earthy flavor profile that I’ve come to expect from this blend.
Really the only thing that can go wrong with this cigar is the wrong blend (if it’s not exactly the same as the H-Town release, it’s really close enough) and the construction (and I’ve had a couple with wonky draws…either too loose or too tight). Thankfully this stick had no issues and tasted wonderful.
Pairing it with Maker’s Mark was also very nice. A lot of folks seem to have forgotten about this wheated Bourbon and those that remember it seem to spend a lot of time bagging on it. Frankly, I still like it as much as I ever did. It may not be quite as pleasing to the palate as Weller Special Reserve, but it’s also unlikely that you’ll see a fifth of MM at 4 times MSRP…oh, and you actually WILL see it in stores on a regular basis, too.
