Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured

Drew Estate first launched the Kentucky Fire Cured brand in 2013, being a sub-brand of the MUWAT collection, which is rolled by the world-renowned Joya de Nicaragua factory in Estelí (aka the first and oldest Nicaraguan cigar factory). Using techniques more commonly found in pipe tobacco, Drew Estate turned to the barbecue-centric state of Kentucky, where a farm in Hopkinsville introduces a slow, wood-smoked curing process that imparts a distinct smokiness not unlike classic barbecue.

Despite fire-cured tobaccos being one of the most notable innovations in premium cigars over the last decade, the technique dates back more than 200 years. Kentucky Fire Cured cigars are therefore not lumped into the infused category, smoking much more traditional in character. The cigar makes use of dark fire-cured of leaves of Kentucky and Virginia, with one such leaf being used in conjunction with Mexican San Andrés maduro for the wrapper (the latter aiding in the cigar's combustion). A portion of these fire-cured leaves also make their way into the filler, though the entirety of the blend remains undisclosed. Kentucky Fire Cured is simultaneously traditional and unique in performance, offering a medium body and deep, rewarding, smoky characteristics along the lines of hickory, maple, campfire, sweet molasses, mesquite, and savory pork ends.