Cigar Name: Drew Estate Medusa (6 x 44)

Cigar Description: Nicaraguan filler surrounded by Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper, done in a traditional Culebra form (3 cigars inter-twined together)

Cigar Strength: Medium

Review of the Cigar itself: I had recently saw the Drew Estate Medusa coffin on sale and thought it’d be a neat cigar to have for Hallowe’en or a meeting with 3 friends. Unfortunately, Hallowe’en was so busy and most of my friends were out of town that I never got to it. I finally decided to try it yesterday. I took it out of the box and carefully undid the twine on one end. I had contemplated actually smoking all three at once but decided against it. So I undid the other end and separated the cigars. Although tight together they did come apart with ease.

I sniffed the cigars, expecting either a sweet sugary or cocoa smell (very common amongst the Drew Estates cigars) or a nice mild, tobacco smell. I got neither. A bit puzzled I checked again. There was nothing wrong with my nose, I thought, as I checked an Arturo Fuente Seleccion D’Oro Churchill I had just purchased (just to be sure) and inhaled a sweet tobacco smell. It was odd to have a cigar that had no odor but I thought, eh, try it any ways.

These cigars have no cap and, thus, need no clipping. The construction seemed good, although hard to tell with the twisty-ness. The end lit easily and the draw was easy. But it was tasteless. Literally. Never have I had a cigar that didn’t have a taste — heck, I’ve even had some that tasted like wet straw and grass. Now I was flummoxed. Should I continue or try another? I decided to continue and it burned relatively fast. I had to re-light it regularly as it went out far faster than other cigars I’ve had. After a bit I got a hint of a cinnamon or pumpkin spice, I couldn’t make out which since it was faint but definitely there. Maybe it was a late bloomer?

I continued further but it was the only tease of flavour I got. After smoking it about half-way, I stopped. It just wasn’t worth burning air like this. This was definitely not a medium. It wasn’t even a mild. Whatever is milder than a mild is what this is. I still have the other two and may let them breath on there own, out of the tightness of the Culebra. If the second proves to be the same then these will definitely be on my do-not-buy-again list. I tossed the last bit and enjoyed the Arturo Fuente instead while I went after critters in my World of Warcraft game.

For the Horde!
Enjoyed with: water

Smoke time: approximately 20 minutes

Final Review Rating: 5/10

Monument Factoid: Culebra means snake in spanish and refers to the twisted shape of the cigar.