Drew Estate Blackened M81 Toro

Purchased: 3 Toro (6 X 52)
Price: $16.95 ea
Store: West Coast Cigars
Buy Again: Yes
Box Worthy: Yes, but only online
Experience Rating: 92

Yes, I overpaid for these. But I bought them from my local B&M in San Jose, CA and we all know shop prices are at least 40% higher than online prices. But I was rounding out the purchase of seven LCA La Serena Super Sea Monkey sticks and if I bought 10 sticks, I’d get a 10% discount. I know, not much, but I was intending on getting more M81s anyway because I wanted to write a diary entry on it.

I wrote about the Robusto a little over a year ago. I liked it at the time, and many of the flavors I tasted back then are present in the Toro. But this Toro hits a little different for me and in a good way. It seems much more complex than the Robusto, with a wider array of flavors, although I do admit that it’s possible that my palate’s vocabulary has broadened over the past year. No matter. I taste more than what I tasted back then.

So, what am I tasting? The cigar starts out with a blast of black pepper and hickory, but those immediately give way to a sweetness that is probably attributable to the Mexican San Adres wrapper. Mixed up in those are honey, stone fruit, red meat, vanilla, graham cracker, charred oak, malt, and cream. But it’s a shifting palate throughout the smoke. Truth be told, the cigar isn’t a huge complexity of flavors, but it gets its complexity by not being predictable.

When I had one the other night, I sat back in a bit of amazement. I didn’t remember the M81 being this complex. At least my previous experience with the Robusto wasn’t like that. The Robusto was a great smoke. It was one of my favorites last year and I bought a couple of boxes. But this Toro is on a completely different level. I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner.

At least to me, there’s something about this particular vitola that brings the blend into a perfect balance. With it being made of all maduro leaves, one might think it could be strong and overpowering. The Corona is an ass-kicker. It’s strong and full-bodied. But this Toro has a gentler touch. Mind you, it’s still bold, but it backs off a bit.

I liken it to the Metallica song “Blackened” from which the cigar gets its name. After the intro, the song goes into an in-your-face, hyperdrive thrash. That’s the Corona. Then around the 2:30 mark the tempo changes and becomes a bit smoother and much less choppy; musically, the song becomes more nuanced. The beat is still driving and heavy but without the relentless machine-gun-like, rapid fire tempo of the first and last thirds of the song. That’s the Toro.

The Corona won #7 Cigar of the Year in 2023 and the reviewers raved over its boldness and strength. It was a bit much for me, so I went back to the Robusto. I didn’t even think about the Toro. I should’ve tried it sooner. But hindsight is 20/20 and all that bs…

The final third is strong. Really strong. All those maduro leaves have had time to load up. But the cool thing that I get in that final third is brandied fruit cake! When I tasted that the other night, I laughed out loud. It wasn’t that it was sweet. But an old, dark fruitcake has a certain profile that I have always loved; it’s so dark that it’s smokey. The clove and nutmeg are redolent through the cake, plus a little cream, and that’s part of what I got from the cigar.

That reminds me of a time over 50 years ago at Christmas. My mom, who was an absolutely lovely woman and a primary inspiration in my life, once got a fruitcake that she could have sworn she gave to someone previously. So, instead of re-gifting it, she decided to open it and serve it our Christmas Eve party. She sliced it up, then put cream cheese on each slice. I would’ve never thought of that, but all I can say is that it completely transformed the fruitcake. Being a fat little kid who loved sweets and rich food, I ate about a third of the plate. I couldn’t get enough. Then my cousin saw me devouring it, then he tried it and loved it, then all the cousins had to have some. It was a hit!

This is what I love about this hobby. Sometimes you smoke a cigar that transports you back in time. It doesn’t have to be an ultra-premium stick either. But sometimes there’s something in the profile that tickles a long-forgotten memory. I think that’s why I love reading Katman so much. While he reviews a stick, memories of his days back with Curved Air and touring flood back and he writes those memories down amid his review. I’m glad he shares that part of his life.

As for the M81 Toro, this is going to be a go-to for me when I want something a little stronger than my beloved Undecrown Maduro Corona Viva.