There are a plethora of cigar manufacturers currently producing first-rate cigars, most of which utilize traditional methods in blending and construction to create phenomenal blends offering competing flavors of earth, spice, and other characteristics that are similar to some of the best cigars created in Cuba’s hey day. However, there is currently one manufacturer that goes against these traditional methods with great success and even coined the clever slogan, “the rebirth of cigars.” This manufacturer is Drew Estate and they are forever changing the cigar industry, one stick at a time.

Initially, Drew Estate introduced the Acid line of cigars; blends created using traditional methods regarding construction but undergo a secret infusion process where exotic herbs and botanicals are incorporated into each blend, creating a unique flavor profile unlike any other cigars in existence. In addition, Drew Estate currently produces some traditional blends such as Liga Privada and Chateau Real, which have also been highly received and sought after by enthusiasts across the globe, but their reputation and recipe for success was created with the Acid line.

Released to celebrate five years of success, Acid 5 is an excellent blend containing premium, Nicaraguan long leaf tobaccos bound by a light, seamless Connecticut wrapper. The blend itself is complex, offering competing nuances of light pepper and spice blended to create a perfect balance with rich notes of cedar that form a sweet finish. Aged for 5 years once created, many consider Acid 5 to be one of Drew Estate's best blends. With limited availability and great flavor, any fan of Drew Estate or those looking to try a properly infused cigar should find Acid 5 to be an entertaining and enjoyable experience.

1/16/09: Join Tim and guest host Kim as they discuss humidor care and maintenance. A must watch episode! [Listen Now]

CAO is no stranger in the cigar industry. With their headquarters located in Nashville, Tennessee, CAO cigars are a highly sought after commodity featuring top-notch premium tobaccos presented in unique, stylish packaging. Since their inception, CAO transitioned from creating incredibly smooth, mild to medium-bodied cigars such as CAO Gold or their original blend, CAO Black, into stronger blends that utilize powerful tobaccos to create a complex array of spice and pepper to satisfy even those most experienced aficionados. This has brought blends to CAO’s lineup such as MX2 and CX2, which were highly successful and much stronger than most of their other recipes.

CAO’s most recent release is LX2, which is shorthand for “ligero times two.” The ligero leaf exists at the top portion of each tobacco plant. For obvious reasons, this top section receives the most sunlight and is exposed to more natural elements, which creates a thick and coarse leaf that is filled with intense layers of strength. CAO LX2 uses twice as much ligero in comparisson to their other blends, allowing this cigar to create copious amounts of pepper mixed with hearty complexities producing spicy characteristics consisting of earth and cedar that sit well on the palate but remain to create an incredibly long finish. CAO LX2 is a full-bodied powerhouse, yet maintains a smooth character due to its mix of well-aged tobaccos hailing from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Toro (6" x 50) Great flavor from the start with intense notes of white pepper mixed with earth. The ash refused to fall after two inches and maintained a sleek, dark grey appearance. The strength continued to build throughout while also offering a rich aftertaste of cedar and a full, spicy finish. 90/100 [Buy Now]

Belicoso (6.5" x 52) Produced a ton of complexities from earth and pepper to cedar with what seemed like a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. The initial light produced a lighter strength as the robust characteristics of its ligero leaves slowly developed over time. The draw was perfect but it did burn slightly uneven, which is not a common occurrence when enjoying a torpedo shape. Burned cool and still offered a long finish. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Robusto (5" x 52) Noticed some imperfections in the wrapper but none that caused any problems regarding burn or draw. The aroma was excellent while the strength was still dominating the palate with earthy and peppery sensations. However, the finish was not as robust as the other sizes due to less buildup. Enjoyed this cigar for about 50 minutes without the need to relight. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Perdomo Reserve 10th Criollo - A spicy concoction of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long leaf tobaccos, impeccably rolled with a Cuban-seed Criollo wrapper. The combination produces peppery nuances but offers a tremendously smooth character featuring notes of coffee.

Rocky Patel Fusion Segundos - This cigar wins the award for best value. Rocky Patel Fusion Segundos are the exact same blend as the popular Fusion Series, but are factory seconds (due to small wrapper blemishes) that are sent to Cigar.com to offer to our customers at a special price.

CuAvana Intenso - A departure from the mild blends that currently make up the CuAvana line; Intenso is an excellently blended, full-bodied powerhouse comparable to Oliva Serie V and Joya de Nicaragua.

Acid 5 by Drew Estate - A limited cigar in the Acid line, Acid 5 maintains a perfect balance between the sweet nuances added during the infusion process and its natural, earthy flavors characteristic of premium Nicaraguan tobacco.

Q: Which type of water is a better choice for humidifying my cigars, distilled or tap?

A: Cigar enthusiasts should always use distilled water to keep their cigars properly humidified. The differences between tap water and distilled water are colossal, even though it may not seem this way at first glance. Tap water contains many impurities, from nitrates and fluorides to iron and microorganisms. Although incredibly minute, these impurities are powerful enough to change the taste or flavor of any cigars. In addition, tap water is also more likely to cause mold in a humidor, due to the amount of impurities in the water, which varies depending on the source of the water. Distilled water goes through a process where all of these impurities are boiled out of the water, eliminating any solids, like iron, that may exist. Using tap water that contains exorbitant amounts of iron may affect any cigars that pull in the moisture, which would end up leaving an unpleasant iron-like flavor on the palate. In order to prevent these types of irritating scenarios and to allow aging cigars to maintain their humidity without sacrificing their incredible flavor, always use distilled water – it is a far superior choice.

Cigar.com (CC): Ernesto, it is great having you here. Your brand has come a long way in such a short time. What do you attribute the success of the Padilla brand to?

Ernesto Padilla (EP): Quality, consistency, and small batch production.

CC: What cigars are you enjoying these days?

EP: The new Padilla Miami. It’s got a nice, rich Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Corojo wrapper. I’m also smoking many of our older brands, which have been recently re-blended such as the 1932 and Series ‘68, all receiving '90' plus ratings. Series ‘68 earned a ‘93’ rating and 1932 and Miami earned a ‘92’ rating.

CC: Your father appears to have been an inspiration for you as seen in your "commemorative series" featuring the 1932, 1948 and Series ‘68. Can you tell us a little bit about your father and the significance of these dates?

EP: My father grew up on a tobacco plantation owned by his family in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. He always loved cigars; it was a big part of his life. He then became Cuba’s foremost writer. There are many pictures of him in Time magazine and other publications enjoying a cigar. He had an incredible passion for the people responsible for creating cigars in addition to the industry as a whole, and that passion spread to me. 1932 was the year of my father’s birth. At the age of 16, in the year of 1948, he published his first book of poetry and in 1968 he published a controversial book of poetry that was banned by the Cuban government.

CC: 2008 was a big year for the Padilla brand. Your new factory in Miami’s Little Havana is the talk of the industry. How is your factory different and what blends will be produced there?

EP: I’ve received many compliments on the look of the factory. It’s a beautiful, intimate place that harkens back to the days of Old Havana. It is situated in the heart of Little Havana, in front of famous Domino Park, where older Cubans still go to play dominos and enjoy cigars. When you walk inside, you’ll see custom woodwork, historical photos of Havana, and pictures of my father with Ernest Hemingway, who was his good friend. Then you’ll see the rolling area and the rolling tables reminiscent of past times in cigar making.

CC: Are you still making cigars in Central America?

EP: We will continue to make brands in Nicaragua and Honduras such as Padilla Habano and Series ‘68.

CC: Your Padilla Oscuro Limitado Series was a huge hit several years ago. Any chance we might see these released in the future?

EP: This was a special cigar we made. Every manufacturer has certain bales of tobacco that are extra special, but you can’t offer this type of tobacco as a traditional big release. We made 300 boxes in 2006 in unique, beautiful humidors and filled them with Limited Edition maduro versions of 1932. What we’ve decided to do in 2009 is go back and use the same maduro wrapper but release 500 boxes in each of the Padilla lines, again a limited release.

CC: Where do you think your brand will be in five years?

EP: In Cuba, I hope, as well as many of the same top factories in Central America we use now.

CC: Can you share any information about new projects in 2009 with our readers?

EP: I believe, in 2009, customers are looking for a great cigar at a great price. I am always very careful about what I release. This year though, we feel that it’s time to offer the consumer a better value, so we are releasing a line to the market that I have been producing for only a few, select customers for the past several years. The cigar is called Padilla Achilles.

CC: Ernesto, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Padilla cigars have become synonymous with a quality that can only be found in boutique brands. We look forward to a successful 2009.

EP: You’re right, Padilla is a boutique brand that makes traditional cigars, but that doesn’t mean we stop being innovative. From marketing to our production methods, there is innovation, always with a foothold in tradition. We only work with the best rollers, the best growers, and people who know how to ferment tobacco. That will continue to be our philosophy in 2009 as we preserve tradition while at the same time being progressive. I would like to thank all of the loyal Padilla customers out there and Cigar.com. Thank you for your support. Enjoy.