Herrera Esteli by Drew Estate

I've never smoked a box pressed cigar before! Today, I'm smoking the Herrera Esteli by Drew Estate. I received it as part of a sampler pack from JR Cigar online.

I'm pairing the cigar with Buffalo Trace whiskey and so far the cigar is... meh, not my style.

First impressions

It's a dry airy cigar.  There is little to no resistance when pulling and the smoke is light, but fragrant. It's burning evenly, however the outer wrapper is immediately starting to peal off the cigar. 

My humidor currently reads 72% humidity at 67 degrees Fahrenheit. It's quite a cold day today and normally it hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  Needless to say, I don't think that it is dry due to its storage. 

And it just went out. Hmm, definitely not my style of cigar. 

I like the feel of the box pressed shape in my mouth, and I like the flavor. In all, this is a light, easy smoke. It doesn't over power and the smoke is pleasant. 

The box pressed shape gives the cigar a rectangular profile. This profile fits nicely in my mouth and feels very natural. 

I would be tempted to offer it to a new smoker, but I don't plan on buying it again for me. I have never had the outer wrapper delaminate so fantastically before. It is breaking apart like a dried leaf in autumn. 

But, it does taste good.  

All the flavors are present. However, without the wrapper, It's barely smoke-able. 

Here's what JR Cigar's website says about it

"Herrera Esteli JR Exclusive Box Pressed is a gorgeous premium cigar made only for yours truly! A Cuba-inspired creation by the highly talented team at Drew Estate, this vitola is rolled and box-pressed in a (6.5 × 44) format using the finest aged Cuban-seed binder and fillers, paired with a seamless, oily, reddish-brown wrapper. sweet-and-spicy tobacco flavors complimented by cocoa, cinnamon, and toasted bread, makes this JR Exclusive a very special smoke that you won’t find anywhere else!"

Well, I smoked about an inch of the cigar and gave up.  I'm disappointing to say the least, the wrapper disintegrated in my hands, and the smoke felt more like breathing through a straw than a cigar.  Hell, a cigarette has more substance than this cigar did. 

I'll give the cigar the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I just got a bad batch or something. Like I said, it came with the sample pack and I don't know the particular history of this stogie. 

However, the whiskey is perfect!

I'm drinking a bourbon from Buffalo Trace. It has a wonderful mild bourbon nose and a well balanced taste. It's a great whiskey that I'll definitely pair with future cigars. 

For more information about Buffalo Trace Bourbon check out their website.

From my point of view, I prefer it to Jim Beam or Jack Daniels. I adore the fact that they have made something their own. It absolutely has a superior taste. 

It's not overpowering. It's smooth. It's well very well done. 

A Tempered Daft Sage

When you temper metal, you heat it sufficiently to soften the metal. Bladesmiths do this to ensure their knives aren't brittle. They seek a balance of flexibility and hardness so that the knife stays sharp yet doesn't break.

Today, I've been tempered. A failed cigar has given me the opportunity to endure a hardship. It's okay. There will be other great cigars on the back deck.  One setback doesn't matter.

Enduring hardships can be advantageous to adapting positively to future experiences.  Like my walk this morning. I purposely walked even though it was cold. It was a mental exercise as much as a physical one. 

Exposing yourself and enduring the cold, or the heat, can positively translate into enduring other hardships in your life. Often times the degree of severity of our life's problems is directly proportional to our judgement of said problems. 

Mental strength is key to daily objectivity and balance. 

I'm not going to blow smoke up your ass and tell you that your life will always be happy and perfect. It won't.  Life is a balance of good and bad, for neither can exist without the other. 

It is only through our mental prowess that we can navigate life with objectivity and emotional stability. 

That is all.

~Daft Sage