Herrera Esteli Toro (6×52)

This bold stick is a flavor bomb that is sure to leave you in shock and awe at the number of flavors packed in this 6x52 stick. The full review is below, but this one is not for the faint of heart! Before Lightup: The first thing that caught my eye was the minimalistic band bearing the name of Drew Estate's Master Blender, Willy Herrera. It was simple and appealing - nothing too flashy - and I appreciate a stick that says, "I don't have to be too pretty because I'm awesome!" The pack on the cigar was firm and the wrapper was dark brown with a slight tooth and oiliness about it. Pre-light fragrances were of sweet hay and tobacco, as well as a slight brightness of pepper toward the foot. For this smoke we used a straight cut, and the pre-light draw was slightly earthy. First Light: With a toast and a light you IMMEDIATELY are smacked in the face with deep and rich flavors in this full-bodied stick. The flavor profile was a sweet and slightly oaky leather, with a minimal black pepper taste (not texture). There was a light spice that wafted over the tongue toward the end of the finish which I found left me with a dry tongue, almost cotton mouth feeling. The smoke output was what you would expect from Drew Estate - billows and billows both on the draw and from the foot - and it was extremely creamy in texture on the palate. The retro-hale was smooth and helped to pick up on the pepper; otherwise, it just intensified the flavors. First Third: Flavors ramped up quickly in the first third maintaining that sweet leather core and adding in a touch of nuttiness. There was a velvety, creamy texture coming through, perhaps with a slight cocoa flavor, and the pepper was almost unnoticed. I was quite surprised by the rich, creamy, velvety, and chewy consistency of the smoke - it made you want to chew it! The body didn't drop a bit, still a full body with deep flavors and a long finish. The burn was about half an inch off by this point and grew to about an inch discrepancy before having to even it out with a lighter. Once evened out, more of the sweetness came in which would be expected when the blend is burning as intended. Second Third: The construction issue during the first third did not carry over to the second third - instead, it held for an inch and a half and never fell off. I actually ended up tapping it off. If it is possible, the body went from a full to a fullest (I didn't even know there was such a thing!) and continued to carry that dryness of mouth throughout the whole stick so I would highly suggest a drink with this one - coffee for me! Flavor notes slowly transitioned to a prominent leather forward note, a creamy sweet (but not too sweet) cocoa, and a slight pepper taste with no heat. The addition of what I would call a meatiness kicked in. The best I can describe it is like seasoning a steak and then basting that steak in butter over and over - the flavor of the butter is the flavor note I'm after. It was a rich, meaty, well-seasoned, flavor. The flavors were deep, but not dark. The band removed without any issues and there was no strength (nicotine) to this point. Final Third: In the final third, the surprise factor was how cool the smoke/cherry was until about an inch and a half or two inches left. At this point, it wanted to be puffed frequently which caused the cherry to heat up but didn't mess with the flavors. Speaking of flavors, there was no all-at-once transition - it was more like a constant shift. The final notes were a sweet, creamy, buttery soft leather core with that slight nuttiness from before making its final appearance. The pepper flavor picked up, but still no heat or tingle across the tongue and no pepper burn on the retro. Toward the final inch and a half, there was a bright pepper kick which was wonderful given the deep, rich nature of the rest of the stick. The body was in-your-face the whole time - definitely an after-dinner cigar because nothing except biting straight into a garlic head or a red onion could overpower it. I never got a strength kick, even down to about an inch and a half which is where I ended the smoke. The warmness paired with the cottonmouth made me call it. Smoke time was 1 hour 7 minutes. Overall: The wonky burn at the onset really worried me. But the way the stick burned through the rest of the smoke let me know it was probably a first light issue (i.e., an operator error) more so than it was a construction issue. Flavors were bold, deep, and rich the entire time with plumes of palpable smoke that made the experience amazing. There was a distinctive dryness in my mouth that I wasn't fond of - you would think with all the flavor you'd be salivating! For those reasons, I rate this one a 9.0 out of 10.

Great stick. All of the Herrera Esteli are super good and this one is great as well. The wrapper is immaculate and burn is great. Love the smoke output. Very smooth and get great cocoa notes on the retrohale. Will be getting more to keep on hand.

Thanks Austin! We're glad you enjoyed it. Great catch on the flavor notes.

This cigar is absolutely fantastic with notes of sweet cocoa, graham cracker and a smooth creamy finish. I will definitely be purchasing more and keeping them on hand!