Roughly ten years ago Drew Estate came out with the original Legends. a near perfect cigar that is still talked about today and smoked. It is no easy task to follow-up something of that caliber. I believe they not only followed it up, but surpassed it with the next impressive installment. Welcome to Legends Black.
STATS:
Brand: Drew Estate
Release: Legends Black
Country: Nicaragua
Shape: Lonsdale
Wrapper: Brazilian
Binder: San Andres
Length: 6.7 inches
Gauge: 44
Sweet: Yes
Price (20 box) - $99.99
(single) - 4.99
First Impression:
Knowing how excellent the original Legends was you have to wonder if they could follow it up. In my mind I was expecting not an equal, but superior flavor and construction. My thoughts are a bit ambitious, but greatness doesn't come easy.
Pre-Smoke Ritual:
I wanted to really take my time with this. I want to get all the aromas I could as soon as I opened it. I got a great feel of the wrapper which was very nice. I made my cut and took a long and slow cold draw. The flavor was all there. I toasted the foot and went into lighting.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn:
Lighting took a little longer than expected. This was not an issue just unexpected. The draw was on the tighter side. Normally I would not like that, but it just seemed to fit right. You can hope for something, but when the opposite happens and fits perfectly don't fight it. The burn was at a moderate speed and slightly off a perfect line. There was no touch-up needed just something to note.
Flavor:
I would first like to say that this cigar produced tons of creamy sweet smoke. The first third screamed sweet chocolate. Why is this a bonus? Who doesn't enjoy some good chocolate.? As I moved into the second third the sweetness remained with that delicious chocolate flavor, but the strength died down a bit. A rich toasty flavor was running right next tot he chocolate flavor with floral notes int he background. The final third was the same as the previous. I would also like to note that throughout this cigar I had hints of a light espresso coming in and out of the picture. Flavor was very balanced with none overpowering another. This is a very tasty cigar that would be perfect for dessert or with your morning cup of coffee.
My Preference:
These came ready, but old habits don't die. I let them find shelter in my humidor for three days. I used a straight cut for this cigar with a Les Fines Lames cigar knife. My source of fire was a classic brass Zippo with a duel flame butane insert.
Final Thoughts:
This is an easy one. Take into account the quality, construction, flavor, and price. This is really a no brainier at this point. Go get a cigar or a pack of cigars. Put them int he humidor and enjoy whenever a desserts style cigar is wanted.