Drew Estate's Blackened M81 Robusto makes an instant statement with its 5"x50 Maduro frame wrapped in Mexican San Andrés leaf. This box-pressed stick - born from James Hetfield's Metallica collab - throws punches of espresso and leather from first light, demanding attention through its full-bodied smoke. At $9.50 per stick in 20-count boxes, it's positioned as an affordable luxury for concert-going cigar nerds.
The cold draw smells like charred bourbon barrels. Initial puffs deliver black coffee bitterness tempered by raisin sweetness, smoke output thick enough to fog car windows. Broadleaf tobaccos create a chewable texture - think beef jerky mouthfeel with white pepper tingle on the retrohale.
At the halfway point, mineral notes emerge reminiscent of whiskey-stone chillers. The Pennsylvania leaf pushes smoky BBQ sauce glazes over the Nicaraguan core. Draw tightens slightly around the band - quick clip with a cutter fixes airflow without unraveling the cap.
Last inch brings burnt caramel edges and a nicotine kick that'll buzz newbies. Ash holds firm in 1" segments, burn line stays razor-straight when rotated. Stop at 45 minutes unless you want head spins - this isn't a beginner's yard 'gar.
