Quick Hit Facts

• Country Origin: Nicaragua
• Wrapper Leaf: Connecticut Shade
• Strength: Mild-Medium
• Size Smoked: Toro (6×50)
• Location Smoked: Outside on My Deck
• Weather: Windy/Rainy and 65°

Why the Java Latte?

The first cigar I really fell in love with was the Nub Nuance Single Roast (Cappuccino). I just loved the scent and the sweet wrapper on it. Since discovering the Single Roasts, I have been chasing a similar experience. In that research, I came across the Java Latte by Drew Estate and was very intrigued. During my first stop at my local cigar lounge, I was asked what I was into and replied, “coffee”. There, I was told I had to try a Java, and as a beginner, I am up to take any and all recommendations I get from seasoned smokers.

Pre Light

Before even taking the cellophane off, strong chocolatey aromas flood your nostrils. This infused cigar is the work of Drew Estate and Rocky Patel, two masters who came together to create this premium-quality cigar. The box-pressed wrapper is silky smooth, and the coloring is a beautiful dark caramel. I really loved the clean, box-pressed look on this cigar; holding it felt like holding luxury in a cigar. I loved this look.

I cut this cigar with a straight cut and got a super open draw on it. When hitting a cold draw on this stick, I honestly got notes of chocolate milk. Maybe this was because the stick was cold, so my brain went to cold chocolate = chocolate milk!

First Third

This cigar did not start overly sweet. I first got contrasting flavors of vanilla and mocha, almost like a twist ice cream cone of blended rich and light flavors. The smoke was nice and thick, and the ash held relatively nicely. The smoke was aromatic and producing some of the same smells I first got out of the cellophane.

Mid Third

The cigar does pick up a bit of a stronger flavor from the light-up. I lost most of the lighter vanilla flavors and was left with sweet mocha and roasted coffee. I also found myself comparing the flavor to a roasted marshmallow at this point. Because of the wind and rain, I was having a lot of issues keeping my stick lit. I blame that all on the weather conditions, I do not believe there were any construction issues, but frustrating nonetheless.

Final Third

I was regretting my choice in the Toro size at this point. It was a little overly sweet for me here. I had paired it with a cappuccino, which could have assisted with the sweetness overkill I felt. I think if I come back to this stick, I would try the Corona size instead, so I could get that hit of sweetness but not tip over the edge into sweetness overload like I did with this Toro.

Overall Rating: 7/10

When writing this, I referenced some other reviews out there to see how this stick placed in their books. My rating is lower than others I have seen out there. I just got pretty sick of the sweet flavor at the end. I think this mostly has to do with the size, which was too large for a sweet flavor for me.

I do not find a sickly sweet feeling with the Single Roast. Usually, with the Nub, I wish there were more when the smoke gets too hot, and I have to put it down. But with Java, I was waiting for it to be over during the last third. The weather did play a big role in my enjoyment, with the rain and wind, it was hard to keep the stick lit, and it took a while to smoke it down.