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Drew Estate "Deadwood Fat Bottom Betty"

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Esteban Carreras "Las Cañas"

Deadwood The Girl with No Name $53.87 $59.26

Single $11.97 $11.97 / cigar 5-Pack $53.87 $10.77 / cigar Full Box $203.49

Add to Cart $53.87

Wrapper

San Andres (Mexico)

Binder

Undisclosed

Filler

Undisclosed

Origin

Nicaragua

Initial Smoke

They weren't joshing around when they said this was going to be the mildest blend in the Deadwood, line, as faint floral aromatics, corn puffs, oak, light cedar, and toast start the show. Yes, that cap is still as out there as a sugar plum fairy on four hits of LSD, but the taste of the tobacco itself is modest and not nearly as perfume-like as expected. Despite being so slim, the draw is wide open, and smoke production is more than plentiful, with a stray crackle here and there showcasing the infusion side of the stick.

1st Half

Alright, so I must say that I am a sucker for some spiced tea cake, so when it shows up in a cigar flavor profile i pay attention. Here, it is creamy, bready, vanilla-heavy, and mild in texture. The potpourri punch bowl may try to steal your attention, but instead it turns into a fruity pink bubblegum note, leaving retrohales to clean up the flowery mixture. There's a pinch of soil and hay in there somewhere, but it struggles to be seen, so I skip the search and continue to focus on what lies next.

What's up next in line are some exotic tea tastes that remind me a bit of Sumatran leaf, with chamomile and heavy cream circling in behind. Sweetened cap staying strong, the blend builds outward with spicier, cinnamon and allspice focused retros, and a grainy taste that is both raw and roasted. It may sound strange on paper, but in reality it works, and the cigar settles into smooth, mild-medium groove that pours on the smoke with even the slightest pull.

2nd Half

Toasty, light, and undeniably vibrant in character, the center of the 7 inch long stick witches things up by going oak-heavy, and the tannins start to offset all that sweetness from the cap. Chamomile continues to rule the roost, adding an extra level of herbal creaminess that is pleasant, creamy, and calming. This makes the spicier side of each retrohale feel far less imposing, and allows enough room for the nutty mildness of the cigar to be appreciated. 

As things grow roastier, peppery pops increase, which compound the spicier floral notes on the nose. Not much else changes in the final third though, with the continuation of oak and cream being the primary top notes. Vanilla can still be tasted, but its secondary and somewhat tiring on the tongue by now. The body of the cigar, as well as strength and flavor have pretty given up on reaching medium by this point, so a mild-medium mixture seems to be the final say.

Parting Puffs

Here, I expected the cigar to suddenly go sharp, or sideways somehow, but instead, it dials in its retrohale game, resulting in a solid set of scents. It may be a replay of the greatest hits found in each of the thirds that led up until this point, but it's smooth and milky, and I find myself savoring each puff. That cap has finally exhausted its sugary reserves, giving space for the oak to stretch its legs and vanilla to carry you to the finish line atop a carriage made from exotic herb tea. Not bad, not bad at all...

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Although the overly open draw was a cause for concern, the cigar burned pretty well, with only the random ash drop and some unevenness near parting puffs being a problem. The overly squishy texture of the barrel also resulted in tobacco getting in my mouth further down into the final third, with the need for routine ash taps in the ashtray being a constant consideration. Smoke textures were creamy yet still a fuzz below medium in body, with the vigorous draw preventing the slender vitola from going out or tunneling at any point. 

Final Thoughts

I'm not entirely sure where I stand with this one. On one side, I do recognize and respect where Drew Estate is headed with this blend. It's the Deadwood starter blend, and it is mild enough to keep even the most hesitant cigar beginner in a safe space. Vanilla, cream, sugary sweet cap, low-potency internal tobacco combo, light, nutty wrapper... it all screams noob cigar. 

But that lonsdale vitola is not something new smokers reach for, and the spiciness in the stick is a bit bolder than one might expect further down. It also has some unexpectedly good intermediate-grade flavor profiles like chamomile tea that likely will be wasted on those who are just starting their cigar smoking journey. Some may be able to dissect and detect these subtler notes, but the majority of the noobs out there are going to focus on the top tasting notes, and may not even consider the fact that a retrohale will expose a whole other side of the cigar. We were all there once, so don't pretend like you wouldn't do the same at one point.

This leaves us with a strange cigar blend that's been produced in an unpopular vitola, that doesn't really seem to know what its purpose in life is, or who to please. New smokers will surely like this one, but veteran cigar smokers may have trouble determining whether it's right for them or not. There are some very enjoyable sections, and the spiciness and sweetness of the blend definitely pair well with spiced drinks like herbal tea, but it isn't exactly something I would consider complex either. A cigar with an identity crisis, and just enough high points to keep you going all the way up until the end, when you pull tobacco out of your teeth and ask yourself, "What the hell did I just smoke?"