So far I have reviewed two offerings in Drew Estates ACID , the ACID Five Robusto and the ACID One Torpedo. Both cigars are among my favorites as are a few others in the ACID line. One stick I smoked in my effort to try the entire line was the ACID Nasty, and at least as far as I’m concerned that’s just what it was.

The Cigar

The ACID Nasty is a 4 x 52 Pyramid with a Maduro wrapper surrounding Nicaraguan filler. The wrapper has been infused with over 140 botanicals which are basically essential oils from various flowers and herbs. Drew Estates describes the flavor of the Nasty as floral and cocoa notes. The wrapper is very oily, even for a maduro and is described by the manufacturer as having a color similar to Ghiradelli semi-sweet bakers chocolate. Unlike some other pyramids the Nasty has a pretty extreme taper. The size of the stick makes it appear as though it would be a quick smoke but on average a Nasty will burn for at least 40 minutes. Due to the way they are shaped and rolled, which done by hand like all ACID sticks, the Nasty does not burn evenly. The Nasty is considered a medium strength smoke.

The Brand

As I’ve mentioned in my other reviews Drew Estates was founded in 1995 by fraternity brothers Jonathan Sann (aka Jonathan Drew) and Marvin Samel. The business started out as a retail shop in the World Trade Center Mall. The co-founders decided to start their own line in reaction to the cult popularity of Lars Tetens, which are considered inferior cigars by many. Their goal was to create an infused cigar, they don’t call them ‘flavored,’ made with superior tobacco. The infusion process uses secret blends of Asian herbs and botanical essential oils to impart exotic background flavors without overwhelming the flavor of the tobacco itself. Today they own an estate in the cigar capital of Esteli Nicaragua, home of such renowned makers as Perdomo and CAO among others.

My Experience

I was somewhat taken aback when I went to cut the foot of the Nasty as it was hard for me to tell where the cap actually ended. The foot is very narrow at maybe just over a quarter of an inch. When I lit the cigar I was hit with a very harsh first intake of smoke. All of the other ACIDs I have smoked have been very smooth so this surprised me. Frankly, I found the harshness of the first 10 minutes of smoking the Nasty to be very unpleasant. I love full flavored cigars but only if they are smooth. This was not. I’ve read on a few sites that they recommend toasting the foot prior to cutting and smoking the Nasty. Maybe this was my mistake and toasting the foot would have made the stick more smooth, I don’t know and probably won’t find out as I’m not that enthusiastic about trying another one. As for flavor I can’t say I’m overly impressed. Maybe it was the harshness clouding my perception but the Nasty just didn’t taste all that special to me. I guess there might have been a very slight hint of cocoa but not enough to stand out. As for pairing I would have to say pair it with something strong like a whiskey, it did nothing for my ale.

Price

I paid about $4.00 for my stick and I’ve seen them advertised for about $85 to $95 for a box of 24.


Recommended: No

Cigar Name: ACID Nasty Pyramid
Cigar Rating: Don''t bother
Price per cigar ($US): 4.00