6 Short, Infused SMokes for Colder Weather

Disclaimer: These are reviews I did for another site, in another time. The photos no longer exist, but the information will hopefully remain useful to some.

I. Short, Cold Weather Infused Smokes- Vol. I: ACID Blondie
Last year when the temps began to drop I gravitated to smaller vitolas and also smoked a good number of CAO Flavours. This year I decided to go a different route and find some different infused sticks that could be enjoyed in less than 45 minutes. I plan on doing 6 of these reviews over the next week or so as I try to search for a good 5am stick, or after-dinner-stroll-in-the-neighborhood smoke, when there is frost on the windows.


Vol. 1: ACID Blondie
4” x 38rg
Connecticut Wrapper
Single Price $4.80

This cigar had nice construction with a tiny pigtail cap. It was moderately soft to the pinch, but not mushy. I bit and pulled the cap to reveal a nice, open draw. The wrapper had a sweet, musky odor that reminded me of frankincense burning. The foot of the cigar also had a note of something like spearmint. The tip was sweetened, but the wrapper flavor balanced nicely with it so that the overall impression was pleasant. In a way it reminded me of lick an envelope with non-disgusting glue The cold draw was surprisingly unexciting with hay being the primary flavor, accompanied by wisps of butterscotch and what reminded me of coriander. Upon lighting the stick began with a nice earthiness and very faint woodiness that married with amaretto. It burned true and kept the same mild profile through the first half. In the second half it resembled something of a slightly overdone cinnamon roll, and when the last of the sweetness went away towards the nub it was like a run of the mill Connecticut smoke. Overall I liked the price, the fact it provided a solid 40 minute smoke, and the flavors. Many times the really small vitolas either plug, or burn cockeyed for me. This was well constructed and the burn proved it.
I give it a 8.4/10.

II. Vol. 2: Java by Drew Estate Connecticut
4.5” x 38rg
Connecticut Wrapper
Single Price $5.90

This wasn’t quite as attractive as the ACID Blondie, IMO. The wrapper had more wrinkles, and a stem faintly poked through in one tiny spot. It had a pigtail head which pulled clean, but a piece of the wrapper came off with the band around the foot. It was a little soft, but not too bad, and it felt very even down the length of the cigar. I couldn’t really smell much in the way of coffee when I sniffed the wrapper, but I did get an overwhelming and pleasant note of cocoa powder. I did find a light coffee bean scent in the foot itself. The cold draw was open and tasted virtually identical to a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino. If it wouldn’t be so rich in irony, a partnership between DE and Starbucks could easily produce a spin-off line of these that would sell to suckers for 2 to 3 times the cost because of brand recognition

A one sentence summary of this cigar would be: Imagine a smoking a Camacho Connecticut, rolled in a hot chocolate packet, while drinking a cup of mild breakfast blend. The flavors were much more subtle than those offered by ACIDs, yet the absence of a sweetened tip was as nice attribute. The burn was never razor sharp, and at one point required a touch-up following a ½” canoe. I also had some issues with the wrapper flaking near the cap. It offered a wonderful room note that was like a fresh drawn mocha with cinnamon sprinkled on the foam. In the second half I noticed a slightly more predominant woodiness, but the faint coffee and stronger cocoa notes were consistent. I actually thought the second half was a bit milder than the first. In summation, the construction issues were a bit disappointing for such a small cigar, but the flavor was a good change of pace. For the price I wouldn’t buy these by the box, but I still recommend Javas in a larger vitola to those looking for a change of pace. Overall: 7.3/10

III. Vol. 3: ACID Blondie Maduro
4” x 38rg
Maduro Wrapper
Single Price $4.80

This one looks just like its Connecticut wrapped brother- except for the darker, toothier exterior. Same vitola as the first Blondie I reviewed, same solid construction, and identical pigtail cap. I did find this cigar to be a bit more firm when squeezed. The wrapper leaf smelled of honey, cocoa, and mint. The foot offered the additional dimension of spice and sweetness. The sweetened cap pulled clean very easily to reveal a moderately snug draw. The cold draw tasted of earthy, with wisps of chocolate and what can only be described as sandalwood- it kind of took me back to the days when I was burning through boxes of Nag Champa on a daily basis.

I like this cigar more than its Connecticut counterpart, though they did share a few attributes. The contribution of the maduro wrapper is what really sold me on it. It offered a nice chocolate note that reminded me of when the chips in chocolate chip pancakes sear on the skillet. The burn was perfect and the thicker wrapper stayed intact, especially around the head. As with most ACIDs, this was a tale of two cigars. The first half was like chocolate that had been mixed with cider mulling spices. The second half, after the sweetened tip wand, tasted more like a traditional maduro with notes of leather and dark tobacco. It was mild to medium profile the entire way and never devolved into bitterness. The price is good, the burn was good, and the flavors were better than good. Overall: 9.2/10

IV. Vol. 4: Java Mint by Drew Estate
4.5” x 38rg
Maduro Wrapper
Single Price $6.20

I was pretty darn excited about this one. First- I love maduros anyway, but this one smelled exactly like it had been dipped in a pool of melted York peppermint patties The construction was decent with a slightly sloppier pigtail than the regular Java I smoked. The wrapper was moderately toothy and had a nice sheen that the Blondie Maduro was lacking. It didn’t feel as soft as the other PCs have, but it was consistent. The foot offered more notes of mint than the rest of the wrapper, and still delivered plenty of chocolate goodness. The pigtail didn’t pull clean to offer a decent draw, but the cap didn’t tear either. A quick bit of surgery with my knife and we were in business. The cold draw was open, but firm, and tasted like cocoa and a mixture of mint and faint cedar. Not very subtle, but very tasty.

I really enjoyed this cigar. It struck the perfect balance, IMO, between infused flavor and decent maduro cigar. There were a couple moments where the mint seemed just a tad too strong and gave me a bit of pause, but then it would settle back to a balanced tobacco, dark chocolate, and mint concoction. If you could smoke mint chocolate chip ice cream, it could be this cigar. It’s advertised as having notes of vanilla in the finish- that was not really my experience. It rounded off nicely, but no vanilla bean for me. This seemed to be the compromise between the flavor strength of an ACID that I enjoyed compared to the plain DE Java, and the heavily sweetened tip that inevitably comes along with the former. The burn was good, requiring neither touch ups, nor relights. The only downside is the pricepoint- steep for a PC, but a larger vitola of this blend would be worth $8 or $9 to enjoy now and again with a good espresso blend. Perhaps if caught on C-bid you could justify a box of these.Overall: 9.5/10

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V. Vol. 5: Isla del Sol by Drew Estate
5” x 44rg
Sumatra Wrapper
Single Price $3.65

This is sort of outside the definition of a “short” smoke because it seems to work out to an 1hr or 1hr 10min smoke. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a pleasantly surprising one. The wrapper was a medium sable brown with a little bit of teeth, moderate veins and a spattering of oily sheen. Construction was solid, evenly rolled, and topped with a decent cap. It smelled of hay and candy corn, with the foot exuding tobacco and honey notes. It had a sweetened tip and punched to open up a nice draw. The flavors were mild tobacco, cocoa, and something like macadamia nut.

The cigar began with a sweet woodiness that was comprised of more than just the sugared cap. It tasted a bit like caramel when it is really beginning to color nicely. As the stick progressed I found the woodiness remained, but the sweetness died away a bit and was replaced by something similar to a honey graham cracker. The burn was perfect and the strength was on the lighter side of medium, allowing me to enjoy it on an empty stomach at 5 in the morning. The best part of this stick is that while the infused flavors weren’t nearly as dominate, it remained a good smoke and though a larger vitola, it came in notably cheaper than either the Acids or the Javas.Overall: 9.0/10

VI. Vol. 6: Nub Café Cappuccino
5” x 42rg
Connecticut Wrapper
Single Price $6.00

This cigar came to me via @Trackmyer , and I wasn’t even able to sit on it a full week before giving it a go.

The wrapper was a little darker than the Connecticuts I’ve been smoking recently and it had a fair amount of veining. It was moderately toothy, but didn’t have much in the way of sheen. Construction was pretty neat with a few wrinkles around the cap and a very consistent feeling of thickness down the length when pinched. This cigar really did smell like a cappuccino. Like a number of other infused offerings, it had the coffee notes but it also had a light sweetness just like the froth on top its namesake. The foot had light woody notes and a bit of spice (like nutmeg). The cold draw was very firm and reminded me of a coffee topped aromatic pipe tobacco. The tip was mildly sweetened- but nothing like an ACID.

The cigar started with a toasted almond nuttiness and muted coffee notes. This developed further with the addition of a faint woodiness and spice. The second half had touches of vanilla and a bit more woodiness. It was reminiscent of the grounds drawer in my antique, hand-crank coffee grinder. The sweetness that was on the tip subsided and, while remaining mild, the coffee notes reminded me of a blonde roast that had been left sitting on the burner for too long. The burn was not perfect but never required touching up or relighting. There was a plug around 2/3rds the way through that I was able to smoke beyond, but it was annoying for about 5 minutes. The price on these is reasonable enough and the room note will be acceptable to many non-smokers. Overall: 9.0/10