Cigar of the Week

The Chateau Real

"Everybody thinks I make flavored or scented cigars, so I wanted to make just a straight, traditional cigar."

Jonathan Drew, the genius behind the expanding Drew Estates cigar empire, was frustrated when his work on brands such as Acid, Natural and Isla Del Sol didn’t make much of an impact on smokers of traditional cigars which did not have flavors added. In 2005, he decided to do something about it.

He reasoned that a reasonably-priced, medium-bodied cigar with a refreshing, rich taste would strike a chord with smokers and the result was his Chateau Real blend that debuted in 2006. It showed, once again, that Drew knows what he is doing.

Using an Ecuadorian-grown, Connecticut-seed wrapper for a mild taste, he folded in a Brazilian binder and Nicaraguan Criollo and Dominican Piloto Cubano leaves to provide plenty of flavor. The result is a creamy and exceedingly smooth taste that has depth but also a richness that gives the smoker pause. You will find yourself slowing down to appreciate the quality of this cigar and its subtleties; in short, it relaxes you.

Although Drew sees the blend as mild-to-medium in body, in our tasting, we found it more like medium-to-full, with a nice presence in the mouth that is never overbearing. There are delicious, caramelized tones to the flavor and a nicely-spiced aroma that heightened our enjoyment. And it burns easily and reliably, with a dependable and easy drew. We gave it a grade of "A: Exceptional."

The pleasure of this line extends beyond the tasting. There are eight sizes in the line, from the Small Club Corona (4 inches by 44 ring) on the small side to the classic Lord Tennyson, a 7-inch by 50-ring double corona. There is also the Cristales Deluxe, a 5 1/4-inch by 50-ring robusto that’s offered in a glass tube in an elegant gift box of eight cigars.

But the big winner in this line is the Magnum 46, a 5 5/8-inch by 46-ring grand corona that mimics in size and name the beloved Havana-made H. Upmann size of the same name and shape. We’re not alone in our admiration for this perfect late-afternoon smoke; Two Guys Smoke Shop of New Hampshire named it the "Cigar of the Year" in 2006.

Made in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Chateau Real line is a must-try for anyone who enjoys cigars with a lighter taste. Six of the eight sizes are offered in boxes of 25, with the Cristales Deluxe in boxes of eight and the Small Club Coronas in boxes of 32. Retail prices are from $4.50 for the Small Club Coronas up to a high of $7.90 for the elegant, 6-inch-long Gran Cru Perfecto. These prices do not include, of course, local tobacco and sales taxes.

Rich Perelman is editor-in-chief of CigarCyclopedia.com, offering comprehensive daily coverage of cigars, accessories, issues, people and prices at www.CigarCyclopedia.com.

Cigar Cyclopedia

12/17/07

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