“The Herrera Esteli is being positioned as Cubanesque and that is exactly how this cigar smokes. The difference is while this might smoke like a Cuban, it has all of the quality that Central and South American tobacco brings to the table. This cigar reminded me that I can really get a great cigar experience from a classic flavor profile.”
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| #15 – Herrera Esteli by Drew Estate |
Coming in at #15 on the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown is the Herrera Esteli by Drew Estate. The Herrera Esteli was long awaited new line launched in 2013 blended by Willy Herrera.
Herrera Esteli gives Drew Estate its first appearance on the 2013 Countdown. It also marks the fifth consecutive year that Drew Estate has made the Cigar of the Year countdown. The Herrera Esteli is the fifth Ecuadorian Habano wrapper cigar to make this year’s countdown.
Herrera Esteli was designed to fill a void in the Drew Estate cigar portfolio – namely a cigar that has a true Cubanesque flavor profile. This is exactly what this cigar does. The flavor notes served up include: toast, pepper, natural tobacco, and vanilla. The flavors are medium-bodied and are balanced by some medium strength.
This cigar was released in five sizes with a sixth size coming in 2014. When we sampled a pre-release, we ranked it as our #2 pre-release cigar for 2012. The production lonsdale scored very well with a 95 – one of the highest scores of the year on Cigar Coop.
Click here for our pre-release assessment of the Herrera Esteli. Click here for when we provided an assessment rating and score.
Blend Profile
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa and Esteli)
Vitolas Available
Robusto Extra: 4 7/8 x 46
Corona: 5 1/4 x 42
Lonsdale: 6 x 44
Piramide Fino: 6 x 52
Toro Especial: 6 1/4 x 54
Lancero: 7 1/2 x 38 (Coming 2014)
Recommended Vitola: Lonsdale
Score: 95 (2/12/13)
Assessment Rating: 4.0 – Box Worthy
For more information on our vision and criteria for the 2013 Cigar of the Year countdown, see our December 2013 Editor’s Corner.
