Herrera Esteli

Herrera Esteli represents Drew Estate's homage to traditional Cuban cigar-making heritage, masterfully crafted by renowned blender Willy Herrera. This premium brand consists entirely of Cuban-esque blends with lineages traced back to Cuba in their taste, aroma, and aesthetics, delivering Willy Herrera's Cuban-inspired blends crafted with Nicaraguan soul and tradition, heritage, and bold flavor in every draw. From the vintage Cuban-esque bands to the cabinet style box, Herrera Esteli screams Cuba and is highly representative of Cuban cigars of old, delivering flavors in such a velvety fashion that the power is beautifully masked. The brand has earned multiple 93-ratings, a well-deserved 94-rating, and recognition as #8 Cigar of 2014 and #15 Cigar of 2021.

Background

In 2011, Drew Estate hired Willy Herrera, the former cigar blender from Miami's miniscule but standout El Titan de Bronze factory, and the blend for Herrera Esteli was created in 2010 during Herrera's first visit to Drew Estate's cigar factory in Nicaragua, where he created three blends as something of an audition for the job, with one ending up becoming the blend for Herrera Esteli, which was released in 2013. Jonathan Drew required Willy to move to their manufacturing city of Estelí, Nicaragua and work the production floor day-in and day-out for a full year, which Willy did with pride, working hand-in-hand with the other cigar rollers at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate from 7AM to 3PM every day for the full year, adopting the 'Drew Estate Way' into his thinking and process development. The Herrera Esteli brand is described as a culmination of their relationship and crossroads in their journey, representing the result of sampling and tweaking dozens upon dozens of blends with the final process being as close to perfection as possible.

History

The story starts with Willy Herrera, who was a tobacco guru at the famed El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami, responsible for some of the most sought after and highly-rated handmades around, and once he combined forces with Drew Estate, he took like a duck to water. In 2016, Herrera enlisted his former coworkers at El Titan de Bronze to blend Herrera Esteli Miami, a line extension with a blend that differs substantially from the core brand. The decision helped to bolster the company's reach among traditional cigar enthusiasts, with Herrera's Cuban-inspired Herrera Estelí brand launching in 2013, and Herrera has since been promoted to the role of Master Blender at Drew Estate, overseeing blends such as Undercrown Shade, Undercrown Sun Grown, Herrera Estelí Norteño, and more.

Reputation

A handmade of the highest caliber, Herrera Esteli is going to turn some heads, having received multiple 93-ratings, a well-deserved 94-rating as well as #8 Cigar of 2014 and #15 Cigar of 2021. Drew Estate Herrera Esteli Norteno landed at #7 on the 2016 Top 25 Cigar list and received a well-deserved 94-rating, noting: "It's also rich with notes of raw cocoa bean, refined milk chocolate and nougat, yet maintains its earthy qualities without becoming too sweet." In 2021, Herrera Estelí Habano earned a 93-point rating and a 'Top 25' ranking from Cigar Aficionado. As with the Liga and Undercrown lines, Herrera Esteli further solidifies Drew Estate's presence in non-infused, traditional cigars.