Drew Estate - Opulence 3 Review
- Chemstix
- Jan 5, 2016
- 3 min read
Drew Estate Opulence 3
*With Special Guest Reviewer - My Dog: "Luna"
First Look: Beautiful, Dark, rich, oily maduro. A slightly shiny and smooth, un-veiny wrapper with an attractive gold and black label was the presentation. Great roll, quality wrapper and cap, no hard or soft spots. I've read that these tobaccos were harvested in three separate crop years including 2005, 2006, and 2007, making Opulence a rare, incredibly limited treat. Not only is the cigar infused with oils and botanicals chosen by Jonathan Drew himself, but also each individual leaf is infused to provide a full-flavored, uniquely enjoyable experience each time this cigar is lit.
Cold Draw: To the Nose to pick up earth sweetness that is incicative of an Acid Cigar. Something ellusivel, almost taunting me to "Light it up". I picked up what I felt was a Nutmeg, and Hazlenut, or Almond flavor. Extremely Tantilizing, and begged me again to light it up, so I indulged it's desire and moved ahead with lighting up!
First Draw: Rich and creamy character with a pronounced sweet nuance with a hint of spice. The burn was sharp, never needed a touch-up or relight, put out a copious amount of smoke, and the draw was absolutely perfect. Like other Acids, the cigar has a sweetened tip. But it wasn’t overbearing like the Blue line, instead it was more like a Flor de Oliva. It’s hard to describe the individual flavors of the infused DE lines. But what was remarkable about the Opulence 3 is that the primary flavors seemed to come from the tobacco instead of the “alternative substances”. This is reverse of most DE blends I’ve tried.
First 3rd: Notable chocolatey & fruity, no discernable spice, very easy to nose exhale, leaving a creamy, floral finish. It was definitely an infused stick but it was subdued and pleasant, not the kind that makes you feel like you are biting into a Candy-Stick like a good deal of the Acid Line. Ash stayed Consistent and even. This actually reminded me a great deal of the Liga Privada Line by DE by it's Fuller-Bodied and strong notes of Spice and Pepper, which were noticable but edged off the earthy tones and sweetness.
Half Way There: The Pepper and Spice picked up, as well as the Dense Smoke. The aroma remained pleasant and there was a good creaminess to it. The hints of pepper were more apparent as I burned through the first half, but it really gave it a level of complexity that I wasn't expecting. This had to be one of the stronger ACID’s I’ve had the pleasure of smoking.
Onward to the Nub: The nub was increasingly power-packed with strength and flavor, the Smoke was almost over-powering in it's wafting. Between the potency,The consistent draw, and the power of it's complex plavor profile, it left me wanting more. I actually burned this down to the point where I could have used Surgical Clamps to hold it while I nursed it.
Conclusion and Recommendation: This was by FAR the best Acid to date, mostly because it was not overly-sweet but had enough to counter the strength of the Stick. I WOULD NOT recommend this for the first time smoker at all, it will be too strong.
This cigar was flawless in it's construction and definitely left me wanting another one immediately afterward. I Highly Recommend you add this to your "Must Try" list, and overall must give it at least an 8/10.
Even my cohort Luna APPROVED!
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