Smoked: Herrera Esteli Norteno Toro Especial & Starward Lagavulin Finished Single Malt Australian Whisky

Smoked at: Wetherington, Ohio

Herrara Esteli Norteno Toro Especial is box-pressed using Nicaraguan filler, a Honduran binder and an oily, toothy, dark brown Mexican San Andres wrapper. The band is simple – green on a white background with the silhouette of a Central American bird called a Guardabarranco It’s another creation of Drew Estate master blender Willy Herrara .

We’re pairing it with a Starward Lagavulin-Finished Single Malt Australian Whisky. A dram of single malt NOT from Scotland. Well, it does have Lagavulin’s blessing…and it’s last finished in a former Lagavulin cask. Yes, a rather bold experiment. Some might say “out of the box” thinking. Others would say “are you out of your mind” thinking. Let’s discover which applies.

The Norteno opens with a volley of charred wood, earth, a toasty taste, subtle spice, pepper, an array of nuts – walnuts, almonds & cashews, chocolate and dark roast coffee/espresso. From the first puffs, it’s a rich, bold, full bodied smoke. Caramel/toffee, sweet candy and a salty flavor nudge their way in during the end of the first third. Add hints of orange zest, orchard fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, leather and licorice during the second third. The coffee is getting darker as is the chocolate as we approach the finish line. I rarely can identify this many flavor notes in a cigar. Man, this thing has a lot going on.

The aged tobacco really shines as it builds throughout the smoke. Writing this, I’m reminded of the old Winston cigarette commercials hailing Winston’s “full, rich tobacco flavor.” Too old again? As Tyrone Davis sang, “If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time.” Again…too old?

The construction is first rate – open draw, near perfect burn line, a generous smoke output and white & grey ash that holds tight past the inch and a half mark.

Norteno Toro Especial is packed with a variety of flavors, surprising transitions, balance and complexity. This cigar has earned its props. It has everything you’d want in and expect from a full-bodied Drew Estate stick. The Norteno is a very good cigar.