Blackened S84 Shade Lancero (7 x 40) Cigar

Blackened Cigars by Drew Estate is a collaborative project between Drew Estate and Blackened American Whiskey, the company co-owned by Metallica frontman James Hetfield and master distiller Rob Dietrich. S84 "Shade to Black" is the lighter, Connecticut-wrapped counterpart to the original Maduro-to-the-core M81, its name a play on Metallica's "Fade to Black." In September 2025 Drew Estate extended both Blackened blends into a 7 x 40 Lancero built around Drew Diplomat retailer events — the first longfiller line extension for the S84.

Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan Maduro and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Rolled at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua. Lancero format, 7 x 40 — a slim vitola that shifts the wrapper-to-filler ratio well in favor of the Connecticut shade leaf.

A classic Connecticut shade framework of creaminess and toastiness laid over an earthy, peanut-forward core, with crisp white pepper that runs through the retrohale from the first light. Reviewers have picked up cedar, soft leather, a sourdough breadiness and an unsalted-butter note mid-cigar, alongside green vegetal and barnyard touches. The pepper steps back up in the final third, finishing toasty with white pepper and a dry, sawdust-like edge.

A robust, dark coffee is the natural match for the cigar's creamy, buttery mid-section. Given the Blackened Whiskey connection, a neat pour works well too — higher-rye mashbills play up the S84's white pepper.